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The paper investigates Tolkien’s narratives of decline through the lens of their classical ancestry. Narratives of decline are widespread in ancient culture, in both philosophical and literary discourses. They normally posit a gradual degradation (moral and ontological) from an idealized Golden Age, which went hand-in-hand with increasing detachment of gods from mortal affairs. Narratives of decline are also at the core of Tolkien’s mythology, constituting yet another underresearched aspect of classical influence on Tolkien. Such Classical narratives reverberate e.g. in Tolkien’s division of Arda’s history into ages, from an idealized First Age filled with Joy and Light to a Third Age, described as “Twilight Age (…) the first of the broken and changed world” (Letters 131). More generally, these narratives are related to Tolkien’s notorious perception of history as a “long defeat” (Letters 195) and to that “heart-racking sense of the vanished past” which pervades Tolkien’s works – the emotion which, in his words, moved him “supremely” and which he found “small difficulty in evoking” (Letters 91). The paper analyses the reception of narratives of decline in Tolkien’s legendarium, pointing out similarities but also contrasts and differences, with the aim to discuss some key patterns of (classical) reception in Tolkien’s theory and practice (‘renewal’, ‘accommodation’, ‘focalization’).
Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings employ traditional races from fairy tales: elves, men and dwarves. These peoples are differentiated principally by their dominant desires, but also by their speech, diet, and realms. I argue that these three races are significantly inspired by the three aspects that characterize the Republic’s tripartite soul—logistikon, thumoeides, and epithumetikon—along with their respective principal desires: desire for truth, greatness, and material goods. For Tolkien, therefore, these races have a corporate or political psychology that explains who they are as peoples in the history of Middle-earth. I offer a comprehensive view of the major races, connecting the dwarves with the appetitive artisans of the Republic, humans with the honour- and glory-seeking auxiliaries, and elves with the ruling guardians. This treatment explains the artisanal dwarves, as well as the battle-loving men (and women) of Rohan and Gondor, and the nostalgic, ‘anamnetic’ condition of exile that distinguishes the elves. Indeed, the condition of elves in many descriptions recalls a Platonic philosopher returned to the Cave, as well as the Neo-Platonic sagacity pictured in the biographies of Plotinus and Proclus.
"Orfeo out of Care"
(2022)
The paper focuses on an example of multiple-step reception: the contribution of the classical story of Orpheus and Eurydice and the mediaeval lay Sir Orfeo to Tolkien’s work.
In the first part, I compare the lay with Virgilian and Ovidian versions of Orpheus’ myth. This comparison shows the anonymous author’s deep knowledge of the ancient texts and complex way of rewriting them through stealing and hybridization.
The lay was highly esteemed by Tolkien, who translated it and took inspiration from it while describing the Elven kingdom in The Hobbit and building the storyline of Beren and Lúthien in The Silmarillion. Through this key tale, Orpheus/Orfeo’s romance has a deep influence also on Aragorn and Arwen’s story in The Lord of the Rings. The most important element that Tolkien takes from the Sir Orfeo figuration of the ancient story is undoubtedly the insertion of political theme: the link established between the recovery of the main character’s beloved and the return to royal responsability.
The second part of the paper is, thus, dedicated to the reception of Sir Orfeo and the classical myth in Tolkien. It shows how in his work the different steps of the tradition of Orpheus’ story are co-present, creating an inextricable substrate of inspiration that nourishes his imagination.
Roman Heroes at Helm’s Deep?
(2022)
This article analyzes Tolkien’s narrative of the Battle of Helm’s Deep as a retelling of the Horatius Cocles episode from Livy’s AUC, which contains descriptions of the defenses and the bridge, a rally encouraged by Horatius, his bold stand both with his companions and alone, and the honors paid to him after the battle. Tolkien’s Battle of Helm’s Deep contains the same elements split across two narratives: the defense of the causeway leading to the gates of the Deep by Aragorn, Éomer, and Gimli; and, after the fall of the Deeping wall, Aragorn’s defiant stand alone on the stairway leading to the inner doors of the Hornburg. Aragorn’s double action demonstrates a fulfillment of Livy’s exemplary arc. Tolkien’s knowledge of Macaulay’s “Horatius” provides a possible intermediary that accounts for various additions to the story. However, the larger structure of Tolkien’s narrative as well as the imagery that resonates throughout the text distinctly evoke the vivid descriptions of Livy. While both sets of heroes make brave stands against their enemies, Tolkien’s warriors represent a civilizing force in their efforts to build and restore their defenses while Livy’s Roman heroes destroy the bridge to save their state.
Vergil was a fundamental source of inspiration for Tolkien, not only when writing the Lord of the Rings, but also at the beginning of his “world-building”. The Fall of Gondolin, written in 1916, was modeled upon the Aeneid, whose second book shares many similarities with the description of Gondolin’s last day. For instance, the attack that seals the fate of the city takes place during a feast in both works, whereas both protagonists (Aeneas and Tuor) leave wives and sons to fight the enemy and witness deaths of their kings (Priam/Turgon). Other analogies include the topos of the fall of the tallest tower of the city as well as the scenes of Creusa/Idril clasping the knees of her husband and begging him not to go back to the battle. Tolkien chose the Aeneid as his main model because, in his opinion, the Aeneid and The Fall of Gondolin evoked the air of antiquity and melancholy. Vergil’s nostalgia for a “lost world” conveyed in the Aeneid greatly resembles the nostalgia pervading both Tolkien’s writing and life.
The following introduction sketches the status questionis of the research on the influence of Greco-Roman antiquity on the works of Tolkien and provides details about the volume’s theoretical impetus and its broad themes. The editors discuss Tolkien’s complicated and indirect relationship with classical models, underscoring certain emergent themes in volume’s contributions, such as decline, multifocal reception and relationship with nature.
G. B. Smith’s “Elzevir Cicero” and the Construction of Queer Immortality in Tolkien’s Mythopoeia
(2022)
Following the death of J. R. R. Tolkien in 1973, an obituary appeared in The Times quoting Tolkien as having said that his “love for the classics took ten years to recover from lectures on Cicero and Demosthenes.” This contentious relationship between Tolkien and the Greco-Roman past contrasts with the work of unabashedly classicizing poet Geoffrey Bache Smith, a school friend of Tolkien’s who was killed in the Great War. When Tolkien collected Smith’s poems for posthumous publication, this paper shows, Smith’s engagements with the ancient world became part of Tolkien’s own philosophy of immortality through literary composition. Within his 1931 poem “Mythopoeia,” and his 1939 speech “On Fairy-Stories,” Tolkien articulated a unified method of mythmaking by looking back to his lost friend’s understanding of mythology as a type of ancient story-craft that enabled poets to preserve the dead against the ravages of time. By tracing a triangular path through the relationships between Tolkien, Smith, and the classical past inhabited by figures like Cicero, this paper argues that Tolkien not only recovered a “love for the classics,” but used classical texts to “recover” his lost friend, granting Smith a queer, classical immortality in return.
The Throne of the King
(2022)
A conspicuous feature of Tolkien’s description of the city of Minas Tirith in The Return of The King is the depiction of two thrones in the Great Hall; one empty throne reserved for the king, and one seat for the steward of Gondor. This paper aims to ascertain the late antique and mediaeval sources of inspiration behind Tolkien’s creation of the throne room in Minas Tirith. As a starting point, we shall compare the setting of the two thrones in Minas Tirith with a motive in Christian iconography, the hetoimasia, and its architectural expression in the Chrysotriklinos, the throne room in the Byzantine Great Palace in Constantinople. Next, we shall show that Tolkien intentionally obscured his appropriation of the Byzantine throne room to create a multi-layered image of rulership, in accordance with his aesthetics of applicability and allegory. In conclusion, we shall formulate some remarks on the interpretation of the association between the Byzantine Chrysotriklinos and the Gondorian Great Hall. As a form of Tolkien’s literary process of sub-creation, the description of the throne room in Minas Tirith serves to emphasise the significance of The Return of the King as a retelling of Christ’s restoration of the fallen world, placing the work of Tolkien in the context of a strong personal Catholic piety.
Seneca the Younger, in his Letters, describes a sacred grove as a “thick grove of ancient trees which rise far above the usual height and block the view of the sky with their umbrella of intertwining branches” (Seneca the Younger, Letters 41.3). Fangorn Forest is clearly a sacred site as defined by Seneca, made even more sacred by the presence of the Ents. Thus, to violate it would be a terrible act of desecration, not unlike Lucan’s narrator’s shock at Caesar’s desecration of the sacred grove at Massilia (Lucan BC 3.447 – 8, quoted in the title of this paper). After exploring the relationship between Ents and sacred groves, the paper will compare the fate of Caesar to that of Saruman, who violated Fangorn Forest. Just as Augoustakis (2006) argues that the violation of the grove foreshadows Caesar’s death, so too Saruman’s death at the hands of Wormtongue becomes a fitting punishment for his violation of Fangorn.
This paper examines the intertext between Tolkien’s Ithilien episode in Two Towers and artistic presentations of plants in the art and literature of Augustan Rome. We argue that the evident ‘superbloom’ depicted in the ekphrasis of the flora of Ithilien recalls both Vergilian botanical adynata (especially in the Georgics) and Roman wall paintings of the Augustan period.
La heráldica amazónica
(2023)
Nowadays, we know about 4,475 iconographic representations dedicated to the Amazonian universe in Antiquity. Most of them belong to vase painting pieces (3,448). This current work analyze the Amazonian emblems that appear in a high percentage of these representations (725), together with the few examples associated with other artistic supports. In that way, we will study the chosen designs, which of them achieved greater popularity and the possible reasons why some of them were more popular in certain contexts. According to the results, we can discover that the Amazons present a type of emblem very similar to that used by the hoplites who fought against them in the same representation of the Amazonomachy. It is true that we appreciate a greater interest in certain models within a broad group of options that became traditional for Amazonian representations, but the results of this study suggest that the artists freely chose between them. However, his decision could be influenced by aspects such as the predominant trends in each period, the tastes of the export markets or the influence generated by other types of works (mainly paintings, reliefs or sculptures) whose popularity made them models.
Die abgetrennte Zunge by Katharina Wesselmann deals with gender and power relations in ancient literature and beyond. It has received widespread attention, particularly in popular media. In this interview, thersites examines the book from an academic perspective. We talk to Katharina Wesselmann about the reactions to her work, her methodology and her conclusions. The primary focus of this interview is on what ancient texts may tell us about today’s gender issues and vice versa – it, thus, entails a broader discussion about modern Classics.
Sophocle sur Netflix
(2023)
The paper focuses on two recent occurrences of a Sophoclean drama on screen, Electra in the romantical movie Marriage Story, and Philoctetes in an episode of the mainstream medical series New Amsterdam, both productions currently available on the popular streaming service Netflix. The case studies explore the mechanisms of the use of these dramas and their significance in both productions, showing that they are partly used for their “classical” authority, are deeply integrated within the scenarios, and help to design the narratives, the characters and their (social and personal) relationships.
Review of Ross Clare: Ancient Greece and Rome in Videogames. Representation, Play, Transmedia
(2023)
‘Crazy Man-Killing Monsters’
(2023)
The Amazons have a long legacy in literature and the visual arts, extending from antiquity to the present day. Prior scholarship tends to treat the Amazons as hostile ‘Other’ figures, embodying the antithesis of Greco-Roman cultural norms. Recently, scholars have begun to examine positive portrayals of Amazons in contemporary media, as role models and heroic figures. However, there is a dearth of scholarship examining the Amazons’ inherently multifaceted nature, and their subsequent polarised reception in popular media.
This article builds upon the large body of scholarship on contemporary Amazon narratives, in which the figures of Wonder Woman and Xena, Warrior Princess dominate scholarly discourse. These ‘modern Amazon’ figures epitomise the dominant contemporary trend of portraying Amazons as strong female role models and feminist icons. To highlight the complexity of the Amazon image in contemporary media, this article examines the representation of the Amazons in the Supernatural episode ‘Slice Girls’ (S7 E13, 2012), where their portrayal as hostile, monstrous figures diverges greatly from the positive characterisation of Wonder Woman and Xena. I also consider the show’s engagement with ancient written sources, to examine how the writers draw upon the motifs of ancient Amazon narratives when crafting their unique Amazon characters. By contrasting the Amazons of ‘Slice Girls’ to contemporary figures and ancient narratives, this article examines how factors such as feminist ideology, narrative story arcs, characters’/audience’s perspectives and male bias shape the representation of Amazons post-antiquity.
The modern conception of the werewolf is heavily influenced by Gothic reinterpretations of medieval European stories. This kind of werewolf is the one that has appeared on screen and written fiction for decades, but MTV’s Teen Wolf, a re-boot of the 1980s film which aired between 2011 – 17, is different. In this young adult supernatural drama, werewolves descend directly from Lycaon, and a substantial proportion of the show’s werewolf lore derives from Graeco-Roman stories about wolf-shifters and versipelles. This paper wants to explore the extent of the use in the show of the myth of Lycaon in particular, of Classical versipelles in general, the significance of these two references for the narrative, and the degree of innovation in modern supernatural fiction of this adaptation of Greek and Roman stories.
On the surface the television series Lucifer (2016 – 21) is a simple police procedural but, in actuality, the criminal cases in the show serve merely as window-dressing and structure for the deeper consideration of issues, such as guilt, shame, love, and even the meaning of life on both an individual and universal level. These topics are explored through the ever-developing character of Lucifer himself, who, like other recent anti-hero depictions, is initially presented in a manner that is very different from traditional portrayals of the Devil, and is, in fact, far closer to that of the Greek Olympian gods. Over the course of six seasons, the depiction of Lucifer alters, however, as he becomes a figure that is in many ways Christ-like, but with a 21st century twist that places the individual in an exalted position that is superior to that of divinity.
This paper applies Monster Theory to the use of Greek mythology in three creator-owned comic series by female writers: InSEXts (2016 – 2017) by American comic writer Marguerite Bennett and Indonesian artist working in America Ariela Kristantina as well as Eros/Psyche (2021) and Porcelain (2021) by Maria Llovet, a comic writer and artist from Barcelona. In the first volume of InSEXts, set in Victorian London, there are allusions to the Furies and Pandora, linked with the discourse of the repression of women. In the second volume, set in the late nineteenth century Paris art world, the representation of classical subjects in art becomes a means to repress women, and a goddess with a Gorgon-like appearance takes revenge on the male repressors. In Eros/Psyche the story of Eros and Psyche and broken statues forms the backdrop and context for a tale of love and deception at a girls’ school, and in Porcelain a girl is faced with a choice of paths towards Eros or Thanatos, like Herakles at the crossroads choosing between the paths of virtue and vice. With reference to Cohen’s seven theses of Monster Culture I examine how Bennett and Lovett subvert the idea of the monster and the hero.
This article proposes several conceptual frameworks for examining the widespread use of classical intertexts depicting the supernatural in popular media. Whether the supernatural is viewed as reality or simply a trope, it represents the human capacity and desire to explore worlds and meanings beyond the obvious and mundane. Representations of classical gods, heroes, and monsters evoke the power of mythic stories to probe and explain human psychology, social concerns, philosophical questions, and religious beliefs, including belief about the paranormal and supernatural. The entertainment value of popular media allows creators and audiences to engage with larger issues in non-dogmatic and playful ways that help them negotiate tensions among various beliefs and identities. This paper also gives an overview of the other articles in this journal issue, showing overlapping themes and patterns that connect with these tensions. By combining knowledge of classical myths in their original contexts with knowledge about contemporary culture, classical scholars contribute unique perspectives about why classical intertexts dominate in popular media today.
Megan Whalen Turner’s series The Queen’s Thief (1996 – 2020) centres on the political intrigues in a group of countries which are at once very like – but also very unlike – Bronze Age and archaic Greece threatened by a powerful Persian Empire. The first book in the series, The Thief (1996), begins as a political adventure haunted by stories of the gods. When those gods directly influence the action, the narrative changes from present political intrigue to a fantasy from the distant past. The mythology in The Thief reflects, imitates and distorts archaic Greek creation myths – stories about how the earth and sky were formed, the divine pantheon and heroes. I examine the presentation of this divine pantheon against the narratives about the gods in Hesiod, the Homeric hymns and Homer’s epics. I evaluate how the supernatural element interacts with the largely political narrative of The Thief. In so doing, I explore how the text blends a ‘classical supernatural’ with a world that is like – but in many ways very unlike – Bronze Age and archaic Greece.
Resurrecting the Argo
(2023)
This paper analyses the relationship between the figure of the Argo (ship and character) and the supernatural in the mythic fantasy of Robert Holdstock’s Merlin Codex. It shows how Holdstock’s re-writing of the Argonautica draws on various versions from the Argonautic tradition, including Euripides’ Medea, Apollonius, Valerius Flaccus, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Treece and the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts. It sets Holdstock’s Argo alongside other representations, as divine herself, possessed by divinity, and a channel of communication with the divine, and in the context of Holdstock’s previous work, particularly Mythago Wood, Lavondyss and Merlin’s Wood. The paper argues that Holdstock uses the Argo as a reflection of myth itself, a version of the forest in Mythago Wood, as well as a metapoetic image for the challenges and complexities of adapting a well-known story, bringing multiple mythological traditions (Arthurian, Finnish and Argonautic) together. It reflects on Holdstock’s relationship to the ancient genres of epic and tragedy, as well as Argo as plot facilitator and mechanism of transformation and transition. Holdstock’s relationship with ancient literature is richer and deeper than previously acknowledged; his self-conscious plays reveal a deep understanding of the polymorphous nature of mythical traditions.
The Persistence of Memory
(2023)
The 2017 Pixar film Coco and the 2021 Disney film Encanto form a small part of an increasing modern wave of media focused on parent-child conflicts caused by intergenerational trauma and rejection. Other recent works in this genre include the video game Hades, the films Turning Red and Everything Everywhere All At Once, and the television series Ms. Marvel. The traumas in all these films, some directed explicitly at a younger audience and some pitched more broadly, serve as a distinct set of meditations on the immigrant experience, even while not necessarily focusing on literal immigration. They also all invoke imagery of ghosts and death, both echoing specific classical Mediterranean motifs and tropes and incorporating a wide variety of other cultures’ supernatural traditions. These works’ concern with familial traumas of separation, culture shock, and loss of ancestral memories and connections contrasts sharply with the individual-focused myth of the American Dream common to earlier generations of American media, in which a lone individual typically emigrates, assimilates, and succeeds in a new culture, forming a new family and set of myths. However, themes of assimilation and questions of cultural imperialism also form a bridge between ancient Roman and modern North American anxieties and traditions.
Das Buch ist der erste systematisch und allseitig angelegte wissenschaftliche Versuch, die in der Schulmathematik angewandten logischen Regeln vertieft zu erforschen. Dabei zeigte sich eine wichtige Besonderheit: In der Schulmathematik gehen - anders als in der Wissenschaft der Mathematik und anders als in den übrigen Wissenschaften - zwei Logiksysteme, das der Umgangssprache und das von G. Frege begründete kunstlogische System, eine noch kaum bekannte Beziehung ein. Im Buch wird dies besonders an der Arbeit von Ch. Schamberger und am „Ziegenproblem“ demonstriert. Die ersten Bemühungen des Buches brachten mehrere nicht unwichtige Teilergebnisse, ließen aber vor allem größere Lücken in der Erforschung der umgangssprachlichen Logik erkennen. Darauf und in der Formierung neuer Logiksysteme (z. B. quantenlogischer Art) ist in Zukunft ein Hauptwert zu legen.
Die Geschichte der Preußischen Seehandlung als Institut für Handels- und Gewerbeförderung ist nur partiell erforscht. Vor allem für die Jahrzehnte nach 1870, als die Seehandlung zur preußischen Staatsbank wurde, bleibt vieles unbekannt. Mit Alliiertem Kontrollratsbeschluss vom 15. Februar 1947 wurden das Land Preußen und auch die Seehandlung aufgelöst. Die Abwicklung der Geschäfte dauerte bis 1983. Mit dem Restvermögen wurde die heute existierende Stiftung gegründet, die sich der Förderung von Wissenschaft und Forschung, Kunst und Kultur widmet. Die von der Stiftung geförderten Aktivitäten reichen von Wissenschafts- und Literaturstipendien über den Ankauf von Nachlässen und Sammlungen bis hin zu Kulturpreisen, v.a. dem Theaterpreis Berlin.
Der Beitrag widmet sich der Baugeschichte des Gebäudes der Preußischen Seehandlung bis zu seinem Abriss und dem Neubau in den Jahren 1901–1903, um dann die Veränderungen dieses Bauwerkes bis in die Gegenwart zu verfolgen. In einem zweiten Schritt wird versucht, die Stellung dieser Gebäude im urbanen Kontext zu verorten. Der dritte Teil rekonstruiert an Beispielen, welch markanten Beitrag die Preußische Seehandlung für die Berliner Museen und insbesondere für die im Berliner Schloss lozierte Kunstkammer wie auch für das Museum für Naturkunde geleistet hat, indem seine Großsegler Meteor und Princess Louise von ihren Weltreisen jeweils reich beladen mit naturkundlichen und völkerkundlichen Exponaten zurückkamen, die durch Austausch oder Kauf oder auch als Geschenk erworben worden waren.
Das Jahr 1772
(2023)
Im Jahr 1772 beschäftigten drei Dinge, die lange Zeit ihre Bedeutung behalten sollten, den preußischen König Friedrich den Großen. Zunächst war dies die Adelsrepublik Polen. Polen beabsichtigte er zusammen mit der Zarin Katharina II. von Russland und Kaiserin Maria Theresia zu zerteilen. Dies geschah am 5. August des Jahres. Der geraubte Landgewinn führte bei Friedrich II. zu wirtschaftlichen Überlegungen. Mit und in den annektierten Gebieten wollte er den preußischen Handel intensivieren, zuvörderst den Salzhandel, und zwar am liebsten mit Spanien, einem Land, mit dem er schon seit geraumer Zeit versuchte, einen Handelsvertrag abzuschließen. Dazu gründete er u. a. die Preußische Seehandlungs-Gesellschaft, die, um sich zu behaupten, verschiedene weitreichende Privilegien erhielt. Ein schneller Erfolg der Bemühungen blieb jedoch aus. Trotz aller gewährten Privilegien florierten die Geschäfte der Seehandlungs-Gesellschaft in den ersten Jahren nach ihrer Gründung nicht in dem erhofften Maß. Zu Lebzeiten des Königs kam auch kein Handelsvertrag mit Spanien zustande. Bis die Seehandlung durch die Vorteile, die sie aus dem annektierten Polen ziehen konnte, profitierte, dauerte es noch einige Jahre.
Christian (von) Rother, Chef der Preußischen Seehandlung 1820–1848, ist vermutlich die prägendste Gestalt der Institution im 19. Jahrhundert. Seine Lebensgeschichte als Sohn eines schlesischen Bauern zeugt von sozialem Aufstieg und einer eindrucksvollen Beamtenkarriere. Rother formte die Seehandlung zu einem Konglomerat von gewerblichen Unternehmen, die durch Bankengeschäfte, Chausseebauprogramme und das Engagement des Staates in der Wirtschaftsförderung leistungsstark gemacht werden sollten. Der Erfolg blieb allerdings unterschiedlich. In den 1840er Jahren stießen diese Bemühungen darüber hinaus auf Kritik von unternehmerischen Konkurrenten. Bleibende Bedeutung behauptete eine von Rother gegründete soziale Einrichtung, die in Berlin ansässige Rother-Stiftung für arme und unverheiratete Töchter von Beamten und Offizieren.
Das in Bremen gebaute Handelsschiff Princess Louise, gewissermaßen das Flaggschiff der Preußischen Seehandlung, unternahm zwischen 1825 und 1844 insgesamt sechs Weltumsegelungen. Das Schiff fungierte u. a. als Überbringer diplomatischer Geschenke zwischen Herrschern und Herrscherfamilien. Von der ersten Weltumsegelung brachte es den berühmten Federmantel mit, den der hawai’ianische Monarch Kamehameha III. dem preußischen König Friedrich Wilhelm III. zum Geschenk machte. Bei der zweiten Weltumsegelung wurden wiederum Gaben des preußischen Königs nach Hawai‘i transportiert. Die Princess Louise brachte aber darüber hinaus auch Gebrauchsgegenstände wie Kleidung, Waffen, Körbe, Tongefäße und Fächer aus der Südsee und Südamerika nach Europa. Solche ethnographischen Objekte der Vergangenheit können nicht zuletzt mit und durch zeitgenössische Kunst Fragen an die Gegenwart stellen.
In Hellboy (2004, Sony Pictures), Guillermo del Toro presents a mythic hero (half human/half demon) seemingly made from the same mold as the classical hero Heracles (Hercules). Hellboy’s modern world is shaped by a cosmology not unlike that of Greek mythology, and as is true for Heracles, his unique pedigree and superior physicality empower him to mediate between the forces of supernaturality and humanity. Hellboy’s experiences evoke comparison with most characters and exploits in the Heraclean mythological corpus; his good character precludes comparison with others. Hellboy must contend with his own versions of Hera, Eurystheus, and a Nemean Lion/Hydra-like monster. He, too, relies on his own superhuman strength, innate cunning and an Athena-like protector to be successful at his job. Both heroes navigate a difficult path to their very different destinies. But in the end, Hellboy’s compassion, humility, unerring moral compass, and genuinely altruistic motivations make him both a better man and a better mythic hero, one worthy even of being loved.
Welch ein Anblick für die Welt", notierte Joseph Goebbels geschockt in seinem Tagebuch. "Ein geistig zerrütteter zweiter Mann nach dem Führer. Grauenhaft und unausdenkbar." Da war Rudolf Hess soeben zu seinem mysteriösen Flug nach England aufgebrochen, um im Alleingang Frieden zu stiften. Wer war dieser von Rätseln umgebene Mann, der wie ein Schatten Hitlers wirkte, in Nürnberg zu lebenslanger Haft verurteilt wurde und nach seinem Tod in Spandau zu einer Ikone der Neonazis werden sollte? Manfred Görtemaker legt die erste grundlegende Biographie vor, die mit neuen Quellen einen präzisen Einblick in die Chefetage des NS-Regimes ermöglicht. Der Potsdamer Zeithistoriker Manfred Görtemaker hat fast zwanzig Jahre lang an dieser akribisch recherchierten Biographie gearbeitet. Erstmals konnte er ca. 4.100 Briefe und 50.000 Blatt Schriftwechsel aus dem Hess-Nachlass im Berner Bundesarchiv auswerten, mit einer Sondergenehmigung die Papiere von Lord Selkirk of Douglas, dem Sohn des Duke of Hamilton, zu dem Hess nach Schottland flog, einsehen sowie eine beeindruckende Zahl von weiteren bislang unerschlossenen Archivalien heranziehen. Das Resultat ist das Lebensbild des Mannes, der von Anfang an mit Hitler durch dick und dünn ging, dessen wachsende Machtfülle wie ein Alter Ego verwaltete und über dessen Einfluss als "Stellvertreter des Führers" sich kein Rivale Illusionen machte. Manfred Görtemaker konnte als Erster Briefe und Schriften aus dem Nachlass von Rudolf Hess auswerten Hitlers treuester Paladin in einer präzisen biographischen Rekonstruktion Eine exemplarische Studie darüber, wie jemand zum Nazi wird