Episode 16: Poems of Ate

This episode is devoted to the two remaining “Poems of Ate”: “Ate” and “Mother” (“The Courtesan” is presented in Episode 14). These gripping tales revolve around the destructive presence of Ate, the ancient Greek goddess personifying recklessness or blind folly.  A powerful force in many Greek tragedies, Ate  drives characters like Orestes in Aeschilus’ Oresteia to commit irreversible acts of violence. Likewise, the two protagonists make fateful choices  that lead to devastating consequences.

In this episode, Elena Borelli discusses the two poems of Ate with Akrivi Taousiani. The two poems start at minute 8.55 and minute 34.22, respectively.

From Giovanni Pascoli, Convivial Poems. Translated by Elena Borelli & James Ackhurst. New York: Italica Press, 2022. Copyright 2022 by Elena Borelli & James Ackhurst. Used by permission of Italica Press.