In Horace's Satire 2-5 the poet reflects on the section of The Odyssey in which Ulysses descends into the underworld and there meets, amongst others, Tiresias, the blind prophet of Thebes. Tiresias can prophesy the future even in the underworld. He paints a picture of what awaits Ulysses: it is not a smooth, sweet journey home. Instead ship destroyed, men destroyed, he will find a world of pain at home- arrogant men devouring his goods. When Horace revisits this scene only the last prophecy interests Ulysses-money and goods. How can I regain my lost wealth he asks the Prophet who, surprised, remarks it ought to be enough to make it back to Ithaca and set eyes on his ancestral home. However if Ulysses is only interested in money then here are some lfrom the blind seer: he is to identify in Rome wealthy, childless and preferably witless landowners and ingratiate himself with them and thereby inherit their will-ie become a legacy hunter with all the self abasement that is required. Ulysses examines his soul and concludes that in former days (at Troy) he endured greater trials so he can surely endure this. Tiresias then provides a lengthy list of ideas of how this is to achieved: use flattery, creep up unobtrusively, don't overdo it; prostitute Penelope if required and so on. Fraenkel, the great German scholar, considered this satire to be acid, cynical and lurid. Not Horace's true nature. What about epode 8 (the one about his ex girlfriend's black teeth and decrepit age)?Returning to the underworld imagine now Horace and Fraenkel (he is there- still groping his Oxford female seminar students) together with Ulysses. Imagine further standing before these lost souls Tiresias now as Grayson Perry's The Father in pilgrim attire decked out with rags, tools, weapons and dangling behind the little, ursine talisman/god Alan Measles. No more lengthy descriptions of the future underworld careers of the assembled; instead the ragged figure raises his pilgrim stick aloft and Alan Measles appears aloft, long arms hovering over the company proclaiming HOLD YOUR BELIEFS LIGHTLY
The Father: a wise, enduring and resourceful figure-Alan Measles dangling behind him; compare to Israeli soldiers shambling back from the destruction of Gaza (handy being able to walk to work), the city reduced to rubble and flames, calling forth drones, rockets, jet bombers, missiles and tanks. The Sky TV channel Eurosport, during cycling races, carries an Israeli tourist board ad-Israel; land of creation; better is land of death and destruction.
