#opsis

(...)

Quando oggi pensiamo a uno specchio, lo concepiamo come un congegno che riflette raggi da una fonte di luce. Ma più o meno fino all’anno 1000 lo specchio era considerato un congegno molto misterioso e pericoloso, che spezzava il raggio oculare di chi lo guardava. Questo raggio oculare era considerato essere la proiezione attiva di colui che guardava, il modo in cui la sua vista afferrava le cose del mondo. Quando i grandi ottici dell’antichità osservavano il modo in cui un bastone infilato nell’acqua appariva rotto dalla superficie del liquido, capivano che il raggio visivo emanante dagli occhi era stato spezzato dalla superficie dell’acqua, non che era stata spezzata la luce che arrivava ai miei occhi. Parlando del tipo di linea che io vedo quando un uccello, volando, mi passa accanto - diciamo una rondine che passi molto vicina - intendevano alludere alla distrazione del mio raggio visuale.

L’opsis (dal greco vista) concerneva ciò che facciamo con i nostri raggi visivi.

(...) la vista fra i Greci non era affatto concepita secondo i criteri moderni ma era invece esplicitamente descritta come un’erezione della pupilla, amorosa come lo sono altre erezioni.

Quando ti guardo, io ti accarezzo con gli occhi. Se guardo il tuo viso, diciamo, il mio raggio procede verso la sua superficie dove il sole fa emergere il tuo colore. Il mio raggio e il tuo colore sono quindi mescolati e restituiti a me dal mio ritrarre il raggio entro la parte interna, liquida, vitrea, dell’occhio, dove l’immagine viene compresa.

Philes, it feels like it’s been forever since we’ve rec’d a post col fic on Tuesday. We have been allowing all of the AU goodness that runs rampant through our fandom to take the lead, so today we figured we would switch it up.

Today’s rec isn’t like the usual post col story, it’s rather tame. There isn’t an entire world falling apart at the seams outside, no hidden bunkers in the outskirts of town, no Resistance to fight with. Instead, it’s just a quick story about a man and a woman, trying their hardest to not lose their shit when the going gets a little rough and appreciate what they do have: each other. 

Title:  Opsis

Author:  Punk Maneuverability 

Rating:  PG-13

Length: 23K / word count: 12,000

Synopsis:  Apocalypse doesn't always mean the end of the world. 

Spoilers:  None really

Opsis II, III, IX, X, Hans Breder (1935–2017)

“Ways of Seeing: A Study of ὄψις in Herodotus’ Histories

Isabel Rose Milena Paintin 

Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

 Birkbeck, University of London

Abstract 

The thesis provides an in-depth study of ὄψις (opsis) (‘seeing’ or ‘sight’) in Herodotus’ Histories. It explores both the use of opsis by Herodotus as a key source for his ἱστορίη (enquiry) and the rich and complex layers of stories involving opsis in the narrative of the text. 

A close analysis of autopsy statements (direct and indirect) in Herodotus’ metanarrative demonstrates that these are far more numerous than scholars have hitherto realised and that he was developing a new language of autopsy to signify the use of opsis as an investigative tool. When compared with other methods of enquiry such as ἀκοὴ (hearsay) and γνώμη (opinion / judgement / reasoning), opsis clearly emerges as the most reliable of – and a check on the other – sources of evidence. 

Herodotus’ narrative allows him to communicate a more nuanced portrayal of opsis. While some characters successfully use opsis to learn about the world or manage to manipulate it for their own ends, many misinterpret visual evidence or are deceived by what they see. Yet stories about opsis also closely parallel some of the key themes of the Histories: the rise and fall of great powers, the risks inherent in breaching boundaries and the dangers of ἔρως (desire). 

Herodotus uses the narrative together with the metanarrative to educate his audience on how to conduct an investigation based on opsis and shows that a certain skill and intelligence (σύνεσις) is required to succeed. This in turn forms a core part of the strongly didactic nature of the text. 

In his use of opsis, Herodotus was at least in part responding to contemporary debates on the value of empirical evidence for enquiry, as seen in the work of the Hippocratics and the Presocratic philosophers. However, Herodotus’ innovation was to apply investigative methods based on opsis to historical material and an enquiry into past events.”