George Duke wrote on Sat, Nov 6, 2010 05:37 PM EDT:
And updated to realities ten years ago Archilochus' same lines introduce
''CMIX,Sacrifice'':
http://www.chessvariants.org/fiction.dir/poems/falconpoem10.html. The translation Joyce has misses the defiance in the Greek from several tries. Only armchair orthodox academics would come up with ''Life somehow seemed more precious'' and lose the meaning of Archilochus' clenched fist, whilst the captor waves his very shield triumphantly safely across the valley at him. To this insulting silent body language, he horrifically thunders back, importuning Ares or Athena, ''Some barbarian is waving my shield, a peerless piece of equipment I left behind under a bush. But I got away alive, so what does it matter? Let the shield go! Plague take it! I will find me another one hereafter -- and just as good to me!.'' HIS Shield of course can never be replaced...