A new journal of classical poetry
Aoidimoi is currently headed by Lars Nordquist, a recent graduate of the University of Oxford.
All inquiries should be sent to editor.in.chief@aoidimoi.org .
Here are the answers to some FAQs:
Q: What does the name mean?
A: “Worthy of song” in Homeric Greek. It’s a reference to Il. 6.354-358, where Helen, metapoetically, laments to Hector that the fate she has brought upon Troy will be sung of forever:
ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε νῦν εἴσελθε καὶ ἕζεο τῷδ᾽ ἐπὶ δίφρῳ
δᾶερ, ἐπεί σε μάλιστα πόνος φρένας ἀμφιβέβηκεν
εἵνεκ᾽ ἐμεῖο κυνὸς καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἕνεκ᾽ ἄτης,
οἷσιν ἐπὶ Ζεὺς θῆκε κακὸν μόρον, ὡς καὶ ὀπίσσω
ἀνθρώποισι πελώμεθ᾽ ἀοίδιμοι ἐσσομένοισι
But come now, enter in and sit upon this chair,
brother-in-law, for toil has most encircled you in mind
for the sake of me, a dog, and for Alexander’s folly,
on whom Zeus set a wicked fate, that even after
for men to come we will be worthy of song.
Q: Why’d you start it?
A: I like reading poetry in old languages (Greek, Latin, Norse), and I think it’s a shame there isn’t more of it. Beauty is good. I have a number of friends who like reading it, or even writing it.
Q: How serious is it? What’s the prize?
A: Art is always serious. The prize is κλέος ἄφθιτον. What could be worth more?