1.) I have included this whole part (on Anaxagoras, ca. 500 BC–428 BC, a pre-Socratic philosopher) as a backdrop to the part that really interests me: the last line of the passage, which I have bolded for fun.

All things have existed from the beginning. But originally they existed in infinitesimally small fragments of themselves, endless in number and inextricably combined. All things existed in this mass, but in a confused and indistinguishable form. There were the seeds (spermata) or miniatures of wheat and flesh and gold in the primitive mixture; but these parts, of like nature with their wholes (the homoiomereiai of Aristotle), had to be eliminated from the complex mass before they could receive a definite name and character. Mind arranged the segregation of like from unlike; panta chremata en omou eita nous elthon auta diekosmese. This peculiar thing, called Mind (Nous), was no less illimitable than the chaotic mass, but, unlike the logos of Heraclitus, it stood pure and independent (mounos ef eoutou), a thing of finer texture, alike in all its manifestations and everywhere the same. This subtle agent, possessed of all knowledge and power, is especially seen ruling in all the forms of life.

Mind causes motion. It rotated the primitive mixture, starting in one corner or point, and gradually extended until it gave distinctness and reality to the aggregates of like parts, working something like a centrifuge, and eventually creating the known cosmos. But even after it had done its best, the original intermixture of things was not wholly overcome. No one thing in the world is ever abruptly separated, as by the blow of an axe, from the rest of things.

Anaxagoras proceeded to give some account of the stages in the process from original chaos to present arrangements. The division into cold mist and warm ether first broke the spell of confusion. With increasing cold, the former gave rise to water, earth and stones. The seeds of life which continued floating in the air were carried down with the rains and produced vegetation. Animals, including man, sprang from the warm and moist clay. If these things be so, then the evidence of the senses must be held in slight esteem. We seem to see things coming into being and passing from it; but reflection tells us that decease and growth only mean a new aggregation (sugkrisis) and disruption (diakrisis). Thus Anaxagoras distrusted the senses, and gave the preference to the conclusions of reflection. Thus he maintained that there must be blackness as well as whiteness in snow; how otherwise could it be turned into dark water?

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaxagoras#Cosmological_theory

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2.) Harmony, I think this is very exciting.

In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord. ...she is the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite.

note: love and war

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonia_%28mythology%29


Click this image (Harmonia statue in Pennsylvania's Harmony Society gardens)

(Alternatively, and also interesting, is that Harmonia was the daughter of Zeus and Electra: the same one whom the Electra Complex is named after. In short: Electra's father Agamemnon returns from the Trojan War to be killed by Aegisthus, Clytemnestra's lover, or by Clytemnestra herself -- Clytemnestra being Electra's mother. Electra will later go to kill Aegisthus and Clytemnestra for revenge (i.e. she will murder her mother).)

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electra

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3.) Sometimes these things just carry on with a life of their own...

The Necklace of Harmonia:

The Necklace of Harmonia was a fabled object in Greek mythology that, according to legend, brought great misfortune to all of its wearers or owners, who were primarily queens and princesses of the ill-fated House of Thebes.

Hephaestus, blacksmith of the Olympian gods, discovered his wife, Aphrodite, goddess of love, having a sexual affair with Ares, the god of war. He became enraged and vowed to avenge himself for Aphrodite's infidelity by cursing any lineage of children resulting from the affair. Aphrodite bore a daughter, Harmonia, from Ares' seed. Harmonia grew up and was later betrothed to Cadmus of Thebes. Upon hearing of the royal engagement, Hephaestus presented Harmonia with an exquisite necklace...wrought by Hephaestus' own hand and was cursed to bring disaster to any who wore it.

The magical necklace, referred to simply as the Necklace of Harmonia, allowed any woman wearing it to remain eternally young and beautiful.

Harmonia and Cadmus were both later transformed into serpents (dragons in some versions of the myth). The extent of their suffering as a result of Harmonia wearing the Necklace is debatable because Cadmus and Harmonia are usually described as ascending to the paradise of the Elysian Fields after their transformation. The Necklace then went to Harmonia's daughter Semele (see below). She wore it the very day that Hera visited her and insinuated that her husband was not really Zeus. This led to Semele being destroyed when she foolishly demanded that Zeus prove his identity by displaying himself in all his glory as the lord of heaven.

Several generations later, Queen Jocasta wore the legendary Necklace. It allowed her to retain her youth and beauty. Thus, after the death of her husband King Laius, she was able to marry her own son, Oedipus. When the truth about Oedipus was discovered, Jocasta committed suicide, and Oedipus tore out his own eyes. The descendants and relations of Oedipus all suffered various personal tragedies, as described in Sophocles' "Three Theban Plays": Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone.

Polynices then inherited the Necklace. He gave it to Eriphyle, so that she might use it to persuade her husband, Amphiaraus, to undertake the expedition against Thebes. This led to the death of Eriphyle, Alcmaeon, Phegeus, and the latter's sons. Through Alcmaeon, the son of Eriphyle, the Necklace then came into the hands of Arsinoë, then to the sons of Phegeus, Pronous and Agenor, and lastly to the sons of Alcmaeon, Amphoterus and Acarnan. Amphoterus and Acarnan dedicated the Necklace to the Temple of Athena at Delphi, to prevent further disaster amongst human wearers.

The tyrant Phayllus, one of the Phocian leaders in the Third Sacred War (356 BC-346 BC), then stole it from the Temple and gave it to his mistress. After she had worn it for a time, her son was seized with madness and set fire to the house, and she perished in the flames along with all her worldly treasures. No additional myths about the cursed Necklace of Harmonia exist after the story of Phayllus's mistress. So it is generally assumed that after laying waste to generations of Harmonia's descendants, the dreaded Necklace was either destroyed in the fire or was otherwise removed from the human world by divine means.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necklace_of_Harmonia

Now I didn't know the story of Semele so I looked it up briefly and what do we have but:

In one version of the myth, Semele was a priestess of Zeus, and on one occasion was observed by Zeus as she slaughtered a bull at his altar and afterwards swam in the river Asopus to cleanse herself of the blood. Flying over the scene in the guise of an eagle, Zeus fell in love with Semele and afterwards repeatedly visited her secretly.

Zeus' consort, Hera, a goddess jealous of usurpers, discovered his affair with Semele when the latter became pregnant. Appearing as an old crone, Hera befriended Semele, who confided in her that her lover was actually Zeus. Hera pretended not to believe her, and planted seeds of doubt in Semele's mind. Curious, Semele demanded of Zeus that he reveal himself in all his glory as proof of his godhood. Though Zeus begged her not to ask this, she persisted and he agreed. Mortals, however, cannot look upon Zeus without dying, and she perished, consumed in lightning-ignited flame.

Zeus rescued the fetal Dionysus, however, by sewing him into his thigh (whence the epithet Eiraphiotes, "insewn", of the Homeric Hymn). A few months later, Dionysus was born. This leads to his being called "the twice-born".

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semele#Seduction_by_Zeus_and_birth_of_Dionysus

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4.) This has gotten out of hand, but Cadmus is also an interesting read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmus
Cows, dragons, Thebes, Harmonia, and snakes!

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5.) As I am about to start reading Prometheus Bound, a play by Aeschylus, from approximately 500 B.C.E., I have been entering somewhat the realms of Greek 'thought'. One speculation in the introductory commentary regarding some kind of reconciliation between Zeus and Prometheus is that Prometheus, bound, had knowledge that a potential liaison between Zeus and a female could lead to Zeus' downfall: a son that would overpower his father (ala Zeus and Cronos). Perhaps he informed Zeus and perhaps this was Thetis, a sea nymph who was subsequently introduced to a mortal Peleus by Poseidon and Zeus.

Thetis initially refused Peleus. However, Chiron, the wise centaur, who would later be tutor to Peleus' son Achilles, advised Peleus to find the sea nymph when she was asleep and bind her tightly to keep her from escaping by changing form. She did shift shapes, becoming flame and then a raging lion (compare the sea-god Proteus). But Peleus held fast. She then consented to marry him.

The wedding of Thetis and Peleus was celebrated on Mount Pelion and attended by all the deities...[h]owever, Eris, the goddess of discord, had not been invited. In spite, she threw a golden apple into the midst of the goddesses that was to be awarded only "to the fairest." (The award was effected by the Judgement of Paris and eventually occasioned the Trojan War).

Thetis and Peleus have a son: Achilles. Prophecy said that the son of Thetis would have either a long but dull life or a glorious but brief life. When the Trojan War broke out, Thetis was anxious and concealed Achilles at the court of Lycomedes, disguised as a girl. When Odysseus found that one of the girls at court was not a girl, but actually Achilles, he dressed as a merchant, and set up a table of vanity items and jewellery and called to the group. Only Achilles picked up the golden sword that lay to one side, and Odysseus quickly revealed him to be the warrior. Seeing that she could no longer prevent her son from realizing his destiny, Thetis then had Hephaestus make a shield and armor.

Peleus was also involved with Antigone (she was his first wife). Such fascinating plunges! It feels very much like Hindu 'thought'.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thetis
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peleus

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