Saturday 26 May 2012

Arma Virumque Cano


Monday 21st May saw the end of my first year university exams and with little sleep but excitement for the freedom to come I walked into my Greek Literature exam clutching three black pens (because you always need more than enough) and my ID. What now seems rather ironic is that during this exam I thought up an idea for a song based not on Greek Literature but Latin Literature. Virgil in fact. Pressure is about the trials Aeneas faced in his search for Italy after the war of Troy.

The Aeneid beings with 'arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primes ab orbs Italiam fato profugus Laviniaque vent litora' which in short means, ' I sing of arms and the man, who first from Troy, exiled by fate came to Italy and the Lavinian shores…'. It goes on to say, 'Tell me muse, put me in mind of the cause of it all, what slight to her godhead, what grievance to the queen of the gods forced to endure so many a peril…'. This is the basis to my song. It is Aeneas suffering under the pressure of the Gods, driven by land and sea to find this city for which he has no direction but misleading words of an oracle and now he asks if there is any way he can get around this. The fear of death, the leadership he has over his men and the -pressure- to get these people to safety. The whole existence of the Roman race rests on the shoulders of Aeneas - now that has to be worse than a two hour Greek Literature exam, right?! The Aeneid Epic guides us through his trials and the disasters he must face in order to succeed in finding Italy and, upon finding Italy, taking charge of the land.



Here is one of the most powerful moments when we first meet Aeneas, one of my favourites, where he is not shown as the greatest hero that ever lived but a man fearing for his life, just like any other:
'Extemplo Aeneae solvuntur frigore membra; ingemit et duplicis tendens ad sidera palmas talia voce refert: 'o terque quaterque beati, quis ante ora patrum Troiae sub moenibus altis contrigit oppetere!''

A swift and icy terror numbed Aeneas; he moaned and raised his hands up to the stars and gave a cry in such a way: 'Oh, three and four times blessed are those who perished in their fathers' sight beneath Troy's walls.'

I cannot pretend that this story is true…or completely true. I also cannot pretend that the gods are real…or completely real. I cannot pretend that I understand half these emotions described in this Epic. But I can empathise and I know that sometimes it's easier to ask for a way out, than to face the road ahead.

Check out the song "Pressure" here -> http://www.reverbnation.com/khamsina

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