05-24-2007
what writers in the past 2000 have said about me
nothing, really. So instead I’ll talk about a book in which there is a woman in a similar situation to me. It’s a bit of a reach, but I’m struggling for ideas here.
In As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, the mother of a family, Addie, dies and the family goes on a journey to bury her in the city that she wished to be buried in. At the end, her husband Anse ends up with another woman. I guess this sort of relates to my situation because a wife dies and as a result, the family goes on a journey and the husband finds another woman. That’s the best I can do.
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05-24-2007
Journal Entry #3
You’ll never guess who I just ran into here in the Underworld. Yep, it was that dirty tramp Dido. Apparently she killed herself when Aeneas left Carthage for Italy. Good for you Aeneas. I knew that I’d always be the only woman for you. So anyway, I was standing in the lunch line and turned around to see her standing behind me.
“Well if it isn’t the dirty whore who has been sleeping with my husband,” I said to her. “How did you end up down here? I hope he made you suffer.”
“Oh yeah? Your husband is the biggest ******* on the earth. Oh, and that stupid little son of yours is the most hideous child I’ve ever seen.”
“Nah uh, girl. I know you did not just say that.”
“Oh yes I did.”
Then I smacked her across the face and we had a little brawl, of which I was the victor of course. I beat her up pretty badly. Maybe she can trick the Libyans into getting more land than she should, but she ain’t got no street fighting skillz (I picked that line up from my son Ascanius who is an aspiring rapper). And I’ll take her again if she ever tries to get close to my man.
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05-24-2007
Journal Entry #2
After I died in Troy, I saw that Aeneas was coming back to look for me, so I decided to appear to him as a ghost. Apparently returning to the earth as an apparition is a lost art these days, but back in my time it was fairly common. I had to comfort him a little so that he could continue his journey to Italy and my beloved son Ascanius could found Alba Longa as he was destined to do.
“Hey hunny buns,” I said to him. “What in the Underworld are you doing back here? You have to get out of here so our little Ascanius can found Alba Longa.”
“But I can’t leave you behind.”
“I’m already dead. Can’t you see I’m just a ghoslty figure here to give you advice?”
“Oh. Well uhh….sorry I abandoned you in a burning city. I’ll make it up to you sometime. Maybe I can buy you dinner or something next Friday?”
“Don’t worry about it. Besides, I need to be out of your way for your upcoming journey so you can take advantage of a couple other women who fall in love with you. It all works out for the better. Just go to Italy so this whole destiny thing can unroll. Have fun!”
Then I disappeared and he left Troy. But don’t be fooled by how forgiving I seemed in that conversation. I was pretty bitter that he hung me out to dry like that, but I knew I had to make him feel better so he would leave. But he better buy me dinner sometime.
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05-24-2007
what Vergil had to say about me
A vision rose
of my own cherished father, as I saw
the King, his aged peer, sore wounded Iying
in mortal agony; a vision too
of lost Creusa at my ravaged hearth,
and young Iulus’ peril. (2.560-565)
Wilt thou not seek to know
where bides Anchises, thy abandoned sire,
now weak with age? or if Creusa lives
and young Ascanius, who are ringed about
with ranks of Grecian foes, and long ere this–
save that my love can shield them and defend–
had fallen on flame or fed some hungry sword? (2.599-605)
Such fixed resolve he uttered o’er and o’er,
and would not yield, though with my tears did join
my spouse Creusa, fair Ascanius,
and our whole house, imploring the gray sire
not with himself to ruin all, nor add
yet heavier burdens to our crushing doom. (2.650-655)
but at the threshold clung
Creusa to my knees, and lifted up
Iulus to his father’s arms. “If thou
wouldst rush on death,” she cried, “O, suffer us
to share thy perils with thee to the end.
But if this day’s work bid thee trust a sword,
defend thy hearthstone first. Who else shall guard
thy babe Iulus, or thy reverend sire?
Or me, thy wife that was–what help have I?” (2.673-678)
O, then some evil-working, nameless god
clouded my senses quite: for while I sped
along our pathless way, and left behind
all paths and regions known–O wretched me!–
Creusa on some dark disaster fell;
she stopped, or wandered, or sank down undone,–
I never knew what way,–and nevermore
I looked on her alive. Yet knew I not
my loss, nor backward turned a look or thought,
till by that hallowed hill to Ceres vowed
we gathered all,– and she alone came not,
while husband, friends, and son made search in vain. (2.730-741)
While on this quest I roamed the city through,
of reason reft there rose upon my sight–
O shape of sorrow!– my Creusa’s ghost,
hers truly, though a loftier port it wore.
I quailed, my hair rose, and I gasped for fear;
but thus she spoke, and soothed my grief away:
“Why to these frenzied sorrows bend thy soul,
O husband ever dear! The will of Heaven
hath brought all this to pass. Fate doth not send
Creusa the long journeys thou shalt take,
or hath th’ Olympian King so given decree.
Long is thy banishment; thy ship must plough
the vast, far-spreading sea. Then shalt thou come
unto Hesperia, whose fruitful plains
are watered by the Tiber, Lydian stream,
of smooth, benignant Bow. Thou shalt obtain
fair fortunes, and a throne and royal bride.
For thy beloved Creusa weep no more!
No Myrmidon’s proud palace waits me now;
Dolopian shall not scorn, nor Argive dames
command a slave of Dardan’s royal stem
and wife to Venus’ son. On these loved shores
the Mother of the Gods compels my stay.
Farewell! farewell! O, cherish evermore
thy son and mine!” Her utterance scarce had ceased,
when, as I strove through tears to make reply,
she left me, and dissolved in empty air. (2.765-791)
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0054&query=book%3D%232
P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid (ed. Theodore C. Williams)
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05-23-2007
Modern Image
http://www.hse.k12.in.us/staff/RBUSH/graphics-avatars2.htm
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05-23-2007
Ancient Image
http://www.stanford.edu/~plomio/creusa.JPG
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05-23-2007
what other ancient writers had to say about me
LIVY–”I will not dispute—who indeed could affirm a matter so ancient as being certain?—whether this boy was Ascanius or an older boy than he, with Creusa for a mother born while Ilium was unharmed and a comrade then in his father’s flight—that same Iulus whom the Julian clan pronounces to be the originator of their name.” (Livy’s History of Rome, 1.3)
http://homepage.usask.ca/~jrp638/DeptTransls/Livy.html
Dionysius–”Thus the city of Alba, which had been built by Ascanius, the son whom Aeneas, Anchises’ son, had by Creusa, the daughter of Priam” (The Roman Antiquities of Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Book III)
Apparently no other ancient author thinks I’m important enough to make significant mention of me other than as the mother of Ascanius.
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05-21-2007
In Between Picture
http://www.griseldaonline.it/foto/5percorso_ico/galleria%204/Batoni_1750.jpg
That’s me lagging behind as we try to escape burning Troy. No wonder I got left behind. Notice how Aeneas is carrying Anchises and Ascanius is holding onto Aeneas, and yet I’m there in the back left to fend for myself. It’s only a matter of seconds before we get separated and I die in the flames.
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05-17-2007
journal entry
Hey, everybody. Sorry it’s been so long since my last post. I lost my internet connection when my entire city was burned to the ground, and the computers here in the Underworld are always being used by someone else.
I guess I’ll tell you about when I died. I woke up in the middle of the night and smelled smoke, but I thought it was just Aeneas burning something in the microwave again (he’s not the greatest chef in the world). So I got up, expecting to have to teach him again how to press 3 minutes on the microwave (I swear, he can be so dense sometimes). I looked out the window to see the whole city on fire and my first thought was, “Wow. How long did he leave it in there this time?” Then I saw those damn Greeks running around outside and realized what was happening. Aeneas came up to retrieve Anchises, little Ascanius, and myself, and we ran out the door. In the great confusion outside, I was separated from my family, and Aeneas never came back to look for me until after I had been engulfed in the flames. Pious Aeneas my rear end.
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05-17-2007
Work Info:
haha please. My daddy’s the king. I don’t need to work.
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