Military members of ancient Greece and modern times intersected through Greek classics at a unique veterans appreciation reading Tuesday.
“The timeless experience of war and its aftermath: Classics meets with Veterans” was led by University of Idaho assistant professor of classics Rosanna Lauriola, and showcased readings of Greek poems by students in the classics department. There was also a panel discussion featuring local experts such as professors, veterans and counselors.
“War is a reality here in America,” Lauriola said. “It makes sense here that classics is used for this exact reason.”
In organizing the event Lauriola followed in the steps of Jonathan Shay, a psychiatrist who served in the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Boston. Lauriola said Shay discovered that Homer, author of “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” presented ideas and stories that resonated with Vietnam veterans. From this stemmed the Philoctetes Project and The Theater of War, where ancient Greek plays are staged for military audiences and their families.
“There was this new perspective I wanted to consume while rereading (Greek passages),” Lauriola said.
From her rereading of tragedies, Lauriola chose “Ajax” and “Philoctetes,” written by Sophocles in 440 B.C. to represent the relationship between Greek military and that of present day.
In “Ajax,” former warrior Ajax suffers from infection, depression and insanity. The panel compared his suffering to post traumatic stress disorder, a disorder that was undiagnosed in ancient times, but was recognizable in the reading.
“Because of the culture of ancient Greeks — this “shame culture” — there is an outward approval for self-worth,” said Tristan Markert, a classics minor. “They had to live up to a standard and if not properly honored … it tended towards heroes taking drastic measures to restore their honor.”
Markert also read the chorus of “Ajax,” where Ajax’s wife Techmessa joins him.
“She had a hard time understanding and Ajax wasn’t communicating,” Markert said. “They feel isolated so they draw back on themselves.”
Markert said this compares to the aftermath of war in modern day too.
“Spouses and families of warriors don’t feel that they’re given the chance to understand,” Markert said.
The panel discussed the nature of PTSD as well as suicide rates in relation to Ajax’s thoughts and feelings. One panelist member said according to Inside Higher Ed, nearly half of student veterans said they have experienced suicidal thoughts, while 20 percent said they have planned a suicide.
The event was sponsored by the UI Office of the Dean of Students, with the help of Daniel Button, veterans’ adviser and James Foster, professor of biological sciences.
Lauriola said she hopes to make this event a tradition, but said future events may feature different literature references.
“(War) is an ongoing problem that is not limited to our date and time,” Markert said. “It’s universal and has been going on for over 2,000 years.”