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Peter Gainsford

@kiwihellenist.bsky.social
407 followers 102 following 400 posts

Kiwi Hellenist, Homerist, classicist, NZ. He/his/him/ia.

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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 5h
'Many experts and whistleblowers warn that by the year 2030, human activity could make up as much as 20% of all internet traffic.'
thecivilian.co.nz
Fears grow that human content could pose enormous threat to AI creators
Fears continue to swirl around the potential implications of so-called human-generated content (media produced by sentient beings as opposed to self-trained artificial intelligence), with many expe…
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
An ancient fable. An old woman comes to Tarquin, king of Rome, offering books for sale. He laughs at the price she asks, and she burns some of them. The story is a myth, but the books were real. Part 2 of an ongoing series: the lost Sibylline books, Roman state ritual, and the surviving fragments.
kiwihellenist.blogspot.com
Sibyls and Sibylline oracles. 2. The Sibylline books
Prophets and apocalyptic poetry: the Sibyl's bargain with Tarquin and the surviving fragments of Rome's lost sacred books.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Actually scrap that last post -- even in those exceptions the only mandate is on the reader in identifying which word is the subject; there's no mandate on the speaker to add extra articles.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The only time a violation is *mandated* is if the subject is a pronoun or a proper name -- exactly as Decker points out.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Yes, that's to explain *violations* to the general rule, where an extra article has been added. It's violations that need explanation, not sentences that observe the general rule! Any ancient reader is seeing John 1.1b as a completely bog-standard 'A is B' sentence
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Baugh, A NT Greek Primar, 2nd ed. (2009) - should be covered at p. 43 Merkle and Plummer, Beginning with NT Greek (2020) - should be covered at §4.8 In sum, Rodney Decker's Reading Koine Greek is the only real winner! I am much less surprised now at people being puzzled over the syntax of John 1:1.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
And the hall of mediocrity: these are books that simply don't teach how nouns work as complements. Hansen & Quinn, 2nd ed. (1992) - p. 693 examples are correct, but no rule stated Black, Learn to Read NT Greek (1994) - should be at §33 Dobson, Learn NT Greek, 3rd ed. (2005) - nothing relevant
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Hall of fame: Decker, Reading Koine Greek (2014): explicitly covers constructions with linking/copulative verbs at pp. 240-243, and lays out the no-articles rule clearly and emphatically. Weirdly late in the book, though - not sure why he treats this as advanced syntax.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Misinfo hall of shame: Mounce, 4th ed. (2019): at start of ch. 6 Wallace presents an ungrammatical constructed sentence, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν ὁ θεός. Duff, Elements, 3rd ed. (2005): pp. 62-63 on substantival complements, and again presents an ungrammatical constructed sentence, ὁ υἱός ἐστιν ὁ κύριος.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A postscript: I've done a review of textbooks commonly used for learning biblical Greek, and I have more sympathy for your position now -- only one of them actually teaches this point! So, textbook by textbook, starting with the ones that spread active misinformation.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
A minor point in an otherwise solid video: image is from Reading Greek, 2001 edition, chapter 1, p. 37. John 1.1 θεός _cannot_ have an article, because it's a complement. There are no other implications. (See similarly Cambridge Grammar §28.9; Smyth §784-786.)
Image from the pedagogical textbook Reading Greek, instructing that in an 'A is B' sentence in ancient Greek, the subject is the substantive with an article; the complement is the substantive without an article.
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Reposted by Peter Gainsford
@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze) @newsjennifer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I think it’s fair to say that the student journalists at Cornell are braver than the news networks who just gave up on their WH pool ban even though CNN is still being denied access. www.cornellsun.com/article/2026...
cornellsun.com
EDITORIAL | Cornell Won’t, We Will
The Editorial Board demands that Cornell stops protecting the alleged Chi Phi rapists through the University's opaque sexual assault policies.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Today is the day that Pliny the Elder thought was the equinox in the mid-1st century. He was wrong, of course. But nowhere near as wrong as the Cornell University leadership for brushing a rape conspiracy under the rug and shielding the rapists from consequences.
Diagram showing the dates for the equinoxes and solstices as stated y Pliny the Elder, Natural History 18.220-221. Pliny assigns the winter solstice to 25 December, and states that the autumn equinox was 88 days and 3 hours earlier.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I'm starting to feel like the manuscript of pseudo-Symeon (cod. Paris. gr. 1712) is trolling me with how many ways it can spell 'Iphigeneia'.
Four snippets of cod. Paris. gr. 1712, reading ᾿Υφιγένειαν, Ἠφιγένειαν, Ἠθηγένειαν, and Ἰφιγένεια.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I meant this literally, by the way.
Still from Troy: the Odyssey (2017): the Dragonborn from Skyrim attacking one of Odysseus' companions with a two-handed hammber
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Final sad note at the end of the credits: the film is dedicated to the memory of the actor who played Thelonious, Torstein Olaussen.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Was it as good as Nolan's Odyssey? Hell no. Was it as good as the 1997 Odyssey with Armand Assante? Also no. But I find the Assante one quite tedious. This was terrible, but it was a lot more fun. Only now do I realise it was actually filmed in Thailand. That explains the casting.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Naughty naughty anachronism! Odysseus places coins on Circe's eyes at her funeral -- 500 years before the invention of coins. And that's the end.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Oh wait now she's back again, to say one final 'you are my friend' to Odysseus. For some reason Odysseus is carrying her along the beach instead of back to his house.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
At first it was half the size of Ithaca, but now it's about the size of a van. Oh well. Circe kills it by getting eaten and cutting it open from the inside. This is naturally fatal to Circe as well, for some reason. Now she's dead.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Now that the suitors are dead, the kraken has finally awakened, to take vengeance for the ruins of Troy!
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Lots of screen adaptations of the Odyssey have had an American Odysseus, but only this one has a Thai Penelope and Telemachus.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Circe turns up in the middle of the slaughter of the suitors to save Odysseus from Antinous!
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Odysseus and Telemachus didn't hide the weapons in advance, which is poor planning. Antinous gets to kick Odysseus in the chest a lot, which is a huge advantage -- Odysseus can't kick him back because it'd break the plastic armour.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
To be fair shooting an arrow through the five rings is a pretty touch task considering the holes are about half an inch wide. How are you supposed to tell whether the arrow went through, though?
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Odysseus' beggar outfit (where did he get it?) looks really out of place in the hotel foyer.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Odysseus announces his name to Telemachus in the street while people are walking past nearby. Even more indiscreet than in Nolan's Odyssey. There's no dog!!!
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Odysseus and Circe have made it to Ithaca! Circe refuses to stay, though, because if she did we'd have to wonder whether Odysseus should choose Circe or Penelope. She's going to keep on sailing the sea in the wee rowboat.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The bow contest doesn't involve iron axes: the winner has to shoot through five rings. Pity, I was looking forward to seeing which set-up they'd choose for the axes.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Odysseus has finally made it back to his little rowboat! Back to the suitors in the hotel foyer. Really blowing the budget now: this scene has seven suitors.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
There are a couple of shots with Odysseus composited in front of the Cyclops. Half of the budget must have gone on that shot. Odysseus beats him by feeding him opium instead of wine.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Odysseus' one remaining companion has a strong Irish accent. The Cyclops appears! CGI of course. The designer only has him walking in straight lines. Are curved paths too difficult in Blender?
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Penelope is announcing the bow contest to an assembled crowd of one suitor.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Odysseus has made it through the Paths of the Dead but still has to reach the Heart of the Mountain. Telemachus appears! He has an English accent for some reason. Also he's onscreen for only a couple of seconds before Antinous decks him in the middle of the hotel foyer.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
It's ok though, Circe (who is about a quarter his size) can use a dagger to beat him and turn him to stone.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
One of Odysseus' men made the mistake of eating food provided in the Paths of the Dead and now he's being attacked by the Dragonborn from Skyrim.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Oh, we're 'walking the Paths of the Dead'. Apparently we're now in LotR The Return of the King.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Not sure what makes Circe tick. In terms of writing, obviously her purpose is to look good standing next to Odysseus while Penelope's not there. No idea why she's supposed to be happy to be along for the ride though.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Now they've found a Bigfoot footprint next to a dirt road. Oops I mean Cyclops footprint. Remarkably well kept road considering they're in wilderness.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Now we're doing ageism. Sirens as young women are alluring temptresses, but as old women they're deceitful hags. Sigh Thelonious is quite right to stay with them.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
In a dramatic turnaround, Calypso is giving Odysseus and Circe instructions on how to reach the land of the dead. This is actually one of the more successful episodes so far. I can almost believe Odysseus is sad to be leaving.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
One of Calypso's pet warriors has now turned into Circe. Circe vs Calypso fight! Very reminiscent of Dictys of Crete.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
She's offering him bananas too.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Interesting development: the Siren is Calypso. That's a reasonable way of compressing the story I guess. She's entertaining Odysseus by staging a fight between two guys who, again, are just wearing clothes made up to look a bit armour-ish. Their swords are made to look like iron, though.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Penelope isn't waving Laertes' funeral shroud, she's randomly stabbing it with a needle. It's roughly the size of a handkerchief.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Unforgiveable anachronism! A Siren has provided Odysseus with green apples. But as we all know, apples didn't arrive in the Mediterranean world until after the time of Alexander.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Now I'm having a hard time getting past the mock-marble staircase in Odysseus' house.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I see Odysseus' actor moved into gay porn after this. I hope that was a choice and not a forced career move. He's really working hard at this role. Oh, one of the silent companions just spoke. It seems they can all hear each other perfectly well, in spite of having wax in their ears.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Odysseus has an elderly companion called Thelonious. I wonder if he plays piano. Odysseus' actor is trying very hard. It's not working, but it's a noble effort. Odysseus' four companions keep putting on meaningful facial expressions in the background, but only two of them ever speak.
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Peter Gainsford @kiwihellenist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
That's nice, Odysseus' fleet consists of one small rowboat with four crew. His house on Ithaca, however, appears to be a four-star hotel. Oh, Antinous is wearing armour! It's just plastic -- 3D printed, I think? -- but still. And it turns out this Trojan priestess isn't Cassandra, she's Circe.
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