Scenes from Homer Found in Ancient Tomb

CNN reported that scenes from The Odyssey and The Iliad were found on a 2,500-year-old sarcophagus discovered in Cyprus. The report stated that “in one large painting, Ulysses and his comrades escape from the blind Cyclops Polyphemos’ cave, hidden under a flock of sheep. Another depicts a battle between Greeks and Trojans from The Iliad.”

Archeologists speculate that the scenes indicate the type of person who occupied the sarcophagus. “Maybe this represents the dead person’s character — who possibly was a warrior,” Pavlos Flourentzos, director of the island’s antiquities department, said.

So in two-thousand years, they’ll dig up my coffin and what literary scenes will be on there? Supposing the scenes represent the life of the occupant? Probably something to do with Larry Brown’s Leon Barlow character and his pile of manuscripts and envelopes. Maybe the scene in John Dufresne’s great Love Warps the Mind a Little where Lafayette Proulx phones a rude and condescending editor of a small literary journal.

I introduced myself. “Lafayette Proulx. ‘Figure of Fun.'”

“And the call is in regards to…?”

“Your letter, Thom.” I began to read it.

His memory jogged, Thom interrupted. “I don’t think I want to speak with you.”

I told him, You hang up and I’m on the four-thirty Greyhound with my uncle Tiny. Tiny sits on people, I told Thom. And me, I’m a firebug.

No, we all know you’re not supposed to phone journal editors. But still, wouldn’t it be great?