James Stratford | University of Melbourne (original) (raw)
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Book 23 of Homer’s Iliad, written in the 8 century BCE, is the first literary account of ancient ... more Book 23 of Homer’s Iliad, written in the 8 century BCE, is the first literary account of ancient sporting practices. The focus of book 23 is the funeral games sponsored by Achilleus to honour his dead companion Patroklos. Until Book 23 each of these activities has been connected solely with battle. The participants also are all, without exception, warriors. There is one obvious difference, however, between this honorary competition and the conflicts that precede it. The object of the competition for the victor is not to kill the opponent but rather to outperform him in a particular skill. In this paper I suggest that the funeral games and Achilleus’ hunting of Hector which directly proceed them, signal a shift in emphasis away from the deadly field of battle toward the somewhat less deadly but just as value-laden arena of sport. In doing so it is my purpose to look at the movement from war to ritualised combat in early sport as a reaction to war itself and to stimulate speculation o...
Higher education expansion places adaptive pressure on institutional and policy frameworks design... more Higher education expansion places adaptive pressure on institutional and policy frameworks designed at times of lower levels of participation. This project examined the impact of rising complexity in admissions practices on student decision-making, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the responses of universities and state-based Tertiary Admissions Centres (TACs) to challenges associated with rising student participation, diversity and mobility, and complex admissions processes.
The Iliad is the story of Achilles’ journey through anger. Over the epic, Achilles undergoes a co... more The Iliad is the story of Achilles’ journey through anger. Over the epic, Achilles undergoes a continual process of transformation, and as he does, the world changes around him. His anger unleashes the fiery beast of war and creates a spectacle of destruction. However, as Achilles awakens to the immense personal and social cost of his anger, the spectacle begins to transform. In place of rage, compassion and humanity come forth and the fires of war are replaced by the cathartic flames of the hearth and the funeral pyre. In this thesis I chart this journey by analysing Achilles’ communicative acts: his use of speech and action, across the epic. Through examining his communication and the ways in which others communicate with him, subtle but important changes are revealed. These changes in communication reflect the transformation that takes place within Achilles and are instrumental in generating change in the world around him. My interpretation of Achilles’ use of speech draws on insights from contemporary cognitive psychology, especially the work of Martin Seligman. My work on communication is also influenced by a range of contemporary strategic studies theorists who consider a wide range of non-verbal acts that have an important communicative function, including gestural and performative acts of violence. In charting Achilles’ transformation, we also gain a glimpse into the poet’s view of the elemental and personal dynamics that lie behind the creation of war and peace. Whilst a necessary part of the mortal condition, conflict, suffering and death are shown to hold within them the vital forces of change, and to reveal the nature of humanity itself.
This paper examines the construction of the identity of the foreigner in Euripides’ Medea and the... more This paper examines the construction of the identity of the foreigner in Euripides’ Medea and the modern immigrant, refugee, or asylum-seeker. I argue that this identity is not static but in constant flux. The foreigner is the object of desire – of exotic and even erotic fantasy – at the same time as representing great danger both to the physical citizen body as well as the body of culture itself. At the darker end of the spectrum, the constructions of the refugee become a great source of anxiety – they are ‘barbarian’ – ‘cruel’, ‘deceitful’, and always ready to take advantage of the ‘good citizen’ to stage new acts of evil and to enact new spectacles of terror. When they are not plotting destruction they are victims – voiceless and powerless, powerless against even their own barbaric ways. In both Euripides’ text and in the modern political theatre, both constructions require control and are used to justify the enactment of regimes of power. Just as the refugee’s identity is constructed, so is that of authority and the state, often portraying themselves as defensive subjects, non-violent, and acting only to protect those within. The paper concludes noting the very real risks that these constructions carry by fuelling the volatile politics of race and breeding new generations of discontent.
The prospect of a nuclear capable North Korea has seen the strategic crisis on the Korean peninsu... more The prospect of a nuclear capable North Korea has seen the strategic crisis on the Korean peninsula take on an additional layer of complexity and potentially catastrophic lethality. Recent analysis tends to focus only on the period since the Korean War and consequently pays little attention to historical and cultural factors, which inform the context in which the North Korean (and the South as well for that matter) elites operate. This paper is an attempt to demonstrate how an appreciation of traditional strategic culture and the broader history in which the crisis is situated can enhance our understanding of the motivations for, and functions of, this nuclear capability.
In 2003 the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) was dispatc... more In 2003 the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) was dispatched to the Solomon Islands. The mission has been seen by some as providing a model for future interventions in the South Pacific. However, it is doubtful whether this is either desirable or readily reproducible given the limitations of regional governments and the diverse character of security threats faced by South Pacific states. After looking at RAMSI and the conditions for its success, this paper provides a brief survey of security issues across the region and examines the possibility of RAMSI-style interventions elsewhere. While RAMSI is a significant development in regional security cooperation, and in particular Australia’s policy towards the region, the author concludes that targeted measures will continue to be the norm of regional development and security assistance.
Pacifica Review, Jan 1, 2000
Asia Pacific Viewpoint, Jan 1, 2003
beyondthecallcoaching.com
Page 1. 1 The Death of the Warrior Hero in Homer's Iliad and Kurosawa's... more Page 1. 1 The Death of the Warrior Hero in Homer's Iliad and Kurosawa's Seven Samurai By JamesStratford * Homer's Iliad and Akira Kurosawa's film Seven Samurai (1954) are separated by over two millennia and a great cultural divide. But these narratives are ...
Book 23 of Homer’s Iliad, written in the 8 century BCE, is the first literary account of ancient ... more Book 23 of Homer’s Iliad, written in the 8 century BCE, is the first literary account of ancient sporting practices. The focus of book 23 is the funeral games sponsored by Achilleus to honour his dead companion Patroklos. Until Book 23 each of these activities has been connected solely with battle. The participants also are all, without exception, warriors. There is one obvious difference, however, between this honorary competition and the conflicts that precede it. The object of the competition for the victor is not to kill the opponent but rather to outperform him in a particular skill. In this paper I suggest that the funeral games and Achilleus’ hunting of Hector which directly proceed them, signal a shift in emphasis away from the deadly field of battle toward the somewhat less deadly but just as value-laden arena of sport. In doing so it is my purpose to look at the movement from war to ritualised combat in early sport as a reaction to war itself and to stimulate speculation o...
Higher education expansion places adaptive pressure on institutional and policy frameworks design... more Higher education expansion places adaptive pressure on institutional and policy frameworks designed at times of lower levels of participation. This project examined the impact of rising complexity in admissions practices on student decision-making, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the responses of universities and state-based Tertiary Admissions Centres (TACs) to challenges associated with rising student participation, diversity and mobility, and complex admissions processes.
The Iliad is the story of Achilles’ journey through anger. Over the epic, Achilles undergoes a co... more The Iliad is the story of Achilles’ journey through anger. Over the epic, Achilles undergoes a continual process of transformation, and as he does, the world changes around him. His anger unleashes the fiery beast of war and creates a spectacle of destruction. However, as Achilles awakens to the immense personal and social cost of his anger, the spectacle begins to transform. In place of rage, compassion and humanity come forth and the fires of war are replaced by the cathartic flames of the hearth and the funeral pyre. In this thesis I chart this journey by analysing Achilles’ communicative acts: his use of speech and action, across the epic. Through examining his communication and the ways in which others communicate with him, subtle but important changes are revealed. These changes in communication reflect the transformation that takes place within Achilles and are instrumental in generating change in the world around him. My interpretation of Achilles’ use of speech draws on insights from contemporary cognitive psychology, especially the work of Martin Seligman. My work on communication is also influenced by a range of contemporary strategic studies theorists who consider a wide range of non-verbal acts that have an important communicative function, including gestural and performative acts of violence. In charting Achilles’ transformation, we also gain a glimpse into the poet’s view of the elemental and personal dynamics that lie behind the creation of war and peace. Whilst a necessary part of the mortal condition, conflict, suffering and death are shown to hold within them the vital forces of change, and to reveal the nature of humanity itself.
This paper examines the construction of the identity of the foreigner in Euripides’ Medea and the... more This paper examines the construction of the identity of the foreigner in Euripides’ Medea and the modern immigrant, refugee, or asylum-seeker. I argue that this identity is not static but in constant flux. The foreigner is the object of desire – of exotic and even erotic fantasy – at the same time as representing great danger both to the physical citizen body as well as the body of culture itself. At the darker end of the spectrum, the constructions of the refugee become a great source of anxiety – they are ‘barbarian’ – ‘cruel’, ‘deceitful’, and always ready to take advantage of the ‘good citizen’ to stage new acts of evil and to enact new spectacles of terror. When they are not plotting destruction they are victims – voiceless and powerless, powerless against even their own barbaric ways. In both Euripides’ text and in the modern political theatre, both constructions require control and are used to justify the enactment of regimes of power. Just as the refugee’s identity is constructed, so is that of authority and the state, often portraying themselves as defensive subjects, non-violent, and acting only to protect those within. The paper concludes noting the very real risks that these constructions carry by fuelling the volatile politics of race and breeding new generations of discontent.
The prospect of a nuclear capable North Korea has seen the strategic crisis on the Korean peninsu... more The prospect of a nuclear capable North Korea has seen the strategic crisis on the Korean peninsula take on an additional layer of complexity and potentially catastrophic lethality. Recent analysis tends to focus only on the period since the Korean War and consequently pays little attention to historical and cultural factors, which inform the context in which the North Korean (and the South as well for that matter) elites operate. This paper is an attempt to demonstrate how an appreciation of traditional strategic culture and the broader history in which the crisis is situated can enhance our understanding of the motivations for, and functions of, this nuclear capability.
In 2003 the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) was dispatc... more In 2003 the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) was dispatched to the Solomon Islands. The mission has been seen by some as providing a model for future interventions in the South Pacific. However, it is doubtful whether this is either desirable or readily reproducible given the limitations of regional governments and the diverse character of security threats faced by South Pacific states. After looking at RAMSI and the conditions for its success, this paper provides a brief survey of security issues across the region and examines the possibility of RAMSI-style interventions elsewhere. While RAMSI is a significant development in regional security cooperation, and in particular Australia’s policy towards the region, the author concludes that targeted measures will continue to be the norm of regional development and security assistance.
Pacifica Review, Jan 1, 2000
Asia Pacific Viewpoint, Jan 1, 2003
beyondthecallcoaching.com
Page 1. 1 The Death of the Warrior Hero in Homer's Iliad and Kurosawa's... more Page 1. 1 The Death of the Warrior Hero in Homer's Iliad and Kurosawa's Seven Samurai By JamesStratford * Homer's Iliad and Akira Kurosawa's film Seven Samurai (1954) are separated by over two millennia and a great cultural divide. But these narratives are ...