More descriptions of Illnesses he treated; Epidemics 3 (no you didn't miss one), Hippocrates

No, you didn't miss a post. Epidemics is a work of seven books. Only the first and third were written by Hippocrates, therefore they are the only ones I'm covering here.

Why you might read Epidemics Book 3?

Epidemics 3 starts off where Epidemics 1 leaves off. It is where Hippocrates' is most specific in his descriptions. His descriptions are of diseases in the populace. This gives us insight into how often sickness was fatal. Also, we get insight into how illnesses were seen and what symptoms were important. 

In my Self-Education project, the insight into early medicine is a great boon. This is because it gives insight into the life and times of people. It is information about the troubles of everyday life. Rather than the positive stories we see in the Greek plays.

The Content of Epidemics Book 3

This book starts with descriptions of individual cases. These cases include the symptoms broken down almost daily. As well as whether there are positive or negative signs. Finally, they finish either with the patient's death or his or her recovery. The third section of this book is more of the same.

The second section covers the weather in the area during the year of writing. This is used to relate to the illnesses that are common in that same time. In this Hippocrates gives us a general overview of how the populace handled disease. He also tells us what turns deadly and what is just an illness passing though.

Reflections on Epidemics Book 3

When you look at the structure of the book it suggests that maybe this is book two and a half and three. It is almost as if the back part of another book of the same ilk has been added to the start of book three. When you compare it with book one that is.

It is hard to predict from the symptoms given which patients would survive and which would die. Illness length also seemed to have no bearing on the outcome.

What others have to say on Epidemics Book 3

Perseus Digital Library points out that"Of the forty-two cases, twenty-five end in death, very nearly 60 per cent.". Which is a surprisingly high mortality rate.

 Comparisons to other texts

This text is basically a continuation of Epidemics Book 1. It covers new material but in the same format and general type of information. Its biggest difference is that it both starts and ends with individual cases. by comparison to Book one only ends with these cases.

By contrast, the Canon tells us about the Physician. What attributes they must have. This piece concentrates only on the illness' themselves and the patients they inflict. Yet it is surprising it does not give much detail in the way of treatment either.

Conclusion

In all Epidemics Book 3 is just an extension of what we have already seen in Book 1. This being said that does not make it without value. We still gain greater insight into the illness' of Hippocrates' time. 

We have discussed how this work differed from some of Hippocrates' other works. As well as looking at the death rate through what others have written about the work.

Have you read Epidemics Book 3? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read Epidemics Book 3 but haven't? Please leave me a comment and let me know why you want to read it.

Hopefully, this post inspires you to take the time to look into it on your own journey of Self Education.

Get a copy of Epidemics Book 3.

A description of the illnesses he saw; Epidemics Book 1 , Hippocrates

 Why you might read Epidemics Book 1?

Epidemics is where Hippocrates' is most specific in his descriptions. He is mainly describing diseases in the populace. Through this, we get insight into how often sickness was fatal. Also, we get insight into how illnesses were seen and what symptoms were important. 

In my Self-Education project, the insight into early medicine is a great boon. This is because it gives insight into the life and times of people. As such it is rather different from reading Greek plays, for example. It gives me a look into the troubles of daily life rather than the positives of great stories.

The Content of Epidemics Book 1

Hippocrates starts with a description of the weather for a given year in his city, Thasos. He then looks at what were the general illnesses in those seasons. He rounds this off with what illnesses turned fatal. This is repeated three times. In this discussion, Hippocrates goes into great detail about symptoms. Whether these symptoms are typical or Atypical of the general illness. There is also a lot of talk of excrement and other bodily discharges. This is most likely because it is one of the easiest visible symptoms at that time.

The second portion of the book is fourteen specific cases. These cases include the symptoms broken down almost daily. As well as whether there are positive or negative signs. Finally, they finish either with the patient's death or his or her recovery.

Reflections on Epidemics Book 1

The specific cases were rather interesting to me. I found it difficult to predict whether someone would recover. So some of the deaths seemed to come from nowhere. It is interesting to note that some of the time the patient seemed to be recovering only to keel over dead.

In the first section, the listing of what was typical as symptoms for a given illness was quite interesting. I found myself trying to work out what the illness would be called in the modern-day. Unfortunately, I don't have that much medical knowledge so I could not name them. Some sounded like the common cold or flu though.

The other thing that was interesting was Hippocrates' use of the word consumption. He uses it to mean all sorts of lung illnesses. Rather than the meaning, it developed later, which was as an early name for tuberculosis.

What others have to say about Epidemics book 1

From Perseus Digital Library "each medical reader will enjoy the task of diagnosing them for himself. Several cases are difficult, but the section on Hippocratic diseases in the General Introduction should enable even a layman to identify many."

Comparisons to other texts

Hippocrates' focuses on food in Traditions in Medicine. I wonder if that is related to the focus on bodily discharges that we see in this text. As I have said this focus on discharges is probably due to it being easily observable. My thought is if what we eat affects those discharges normally. If those discharges are what is observed, I think it follows that a focus on both is necessary.

This is the first book we have seen of Hippocrates that it focuses on symptoms. Yet we see him make a comment of do no harm early in the book. This mirrors the principles he set out in the Oath. Though the oath goes into it in more detail. I must have still been in the front of his mind for him to mention it in a work, not about ethics but rather symptoms.

Conclusion

Epidemics book 1 is about the diseases of Hippocrates' local area. As well as how they are exhibited in different people. It then looks at fourteen specific cases. Following their symptoms from start to finish. Whether that end is recovery or death. I commented on how I could not predict from the symptoms who would recover. As well as how sometimes people seemed to recover and then died. We looked at how even in this unrelated text Hippocrates still comments do no harm,

Have you read Epidemics Book 1? If so what did you think of it? 

 
Want to read Epidemics Book 1 but haven't? Please leave me a comment and let me know why you want to read it.

Hopefully, this post inspires you to take the time to look into it on your own journey of Self Education.

Get a copy of Epidemics Book 1.

BONUS POST: The second 50 of the BC list

 

Having just passed the 50th book on the BC list it's time to give you the next 50 on the list!

I'm looking forward to Plato though I wonder how long it will take me to get through his stuff!

Hippocrates Of the Epidemics

Hippocrates The Science of Medicine

Hippocrates On Airs, Waters, and Places

Hippocrates The Book of Prognostics

Hippocrates On Regimen in Acute Diseases

Hippocrates Aphorisms

Hippocrates Dreams

Hippocrates on the Nature of Man

Hippocrates A Regimen of Health

Hippocrates On Fractures

Hippocrates The Seed and The Nature of the Child

Hippocrates The Heart

Hippocrates On the Sacred Disease

Hippocrates On the Surgery

Hippocrates On Hemorrhoids

Hippocrates On Injuries of the Head

Hippocrates Instruments of Reduction

Hippocrates On the Articulations

Hippocrates On Fistulae

Hippocrates On Ulcers

Aristophanes The Acharnians

Aristophanes The Clouds

Aristophanes Lysistrata

Aristophanes The Birds

Aristophanes The Knights

Aristophanes Peace

Aristophanes Plutus/wealth

Aristophanes The Frogs

Aristophanes The Ecclesiazusae

Aristophanes The Thesmophoriazusae

Aristophanes The Wasps

Xenophon Agesilaus

Xenophon Anabasis

Xenophon Apology

Xenophon On the Art of Horsemanship

Xenophon The Constitution of the Athenians

Xenophon The Constitution of the Lacedaemonian

Xenophon On the Cavalry Commander

Xenophon Cyropaedia

Xenophon Economics

Xenophon Hellenica

Xenophon Hiero

Xenophon On Hunting

Xenophon Memorabilia

Xenophon Symposium

Xenophon Ways and Means

Plato         Apology

Plato         Charmides, or Temperance

Plato         Cratylus

Plato         Critias

BONUS POST: First 50 Books in the BC list with links

Last week we passed the 50 books mark on this list. So it's about time I gave you updated lists. First, this one with the 50 all linked and then a list of the next 50.

unknown         The Epic Of Gilgamesh

unknown         Egyptian Book of the Dead

Homer         Iliad

Homer         Odyssey

Various         Rig Veda

Hesiod         Shield of Heracles

Hesiod         Theogony

Hesiod         The Works and Days

Confucius The Analects

Confucius The Doctrine of the Mean

Confucius The Great Learning

Lao Tzu         The Tao-te Ching

Sappho         Collection

Aeschylus Agamemnon

Aeschylus The Choephori (The libation bearers)

Aeschylus Eumenides

Aeschylus Prometheus Bound

Aeschylus The Suppliants

Aeschylus The Seven Against Thebes

Aeschylus The Persians

Sun Tzu         The art of war

Sophocles Antigone

Sophocles Oedipus the King(Oedipus Rex)

Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus

Sophocles Ajax

Sophocles Electra by Sophocles

Sophocles The Trachiniae

Sophocles Philoctetes

Herodotus Histories(the Persian war)

Euripidies Alcestis

Euripidies Hippolytus

Euripidies Iphigenia in Tauris

Euripidies Ion

Euripidies The Trojan Women

Euripidies Helen

Euripidies The Bacchantes

Euripidies Medea

Euripidies Hecabe

Euripidies Electra

Euripidies Heracles

Euripidies The Heracleidae

Euripidies The Phoenissae

Euripidies Orestes

Euripidies The Suppliants

Euripidies Iphigenia At Aulis

Euripidies Andromache

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1 and 2

Hippocrates The Oath 

Hippocrates The Law

Hippocrates On Ancient Medicine

A focus on food; Traditions in Medicine, Hippocrates

 Why you might read Traditions in Medicine?

Hippocrates is generally known as the father of medicine. In this work, he explains why he doesn't hold to the belief of the time that sickness is related to four attributes. As such he interacts with the beliefs of the day and shows us how he can see they are wrong and what he looks to instead. This gives us insight into his understanding. As well as the general understanding of those he disputes.

It is important to my Self-Education project for the reasons above. It is also essential for the collective understanding of Hippocrates. To read only a few of his works would leave me with a less complete understanding. I also expect ideas to be reoccurring and building on each other. So I see this work as a stepping stone to other works of his.

The Content of Traditions in Medicine

Hippocrates starts by proving that Medicine is a science. At least that medicine is discovered by experimentation. As it has everything to do with what we eat, he steps us through the discovery of what foods suited man. He contrasts this with what would happen if we ate what was good for the horse for example.

He spends time discussing how the postulate of health is determined by Hot vs cold and wet vs dry. He shows it to be slightly ridiculous by giving examples. In these examples, it is impossible to tell which of these four attributes the food that is given is. He then leads us back towards his understanding. This is that what we eat determine our health and recovery from sickness.

He spends time talking about the strength of some foods and the weakness of others. He explains that gruel was created as the weakest of foods. But he also goes on to say that gruel will not work for all sicknesses. Where gruel works, it would make the sick person miserable to give them bread. Which is much stronger and hence harder to digest.

He goes on to again speak against those who treat based on the four attributes. He goes so far as to say that they probably recommend the same things as those who practice based on food. They give different reasons for these treatments.

Hippocrates rounds out the book by discussing what causes disease. He says that there is not enough evidence to say he someone got sick because they changed their routine. like they got rained on while they walked. He instead suggests that disease comes from the overabundance of the forms. Things like salt or sweet or astringent. 

Reflections on Traditions in Medicine

While he is said to be the father of modern medicine his ideas still differ from those of the modern-day. We have gone away from the idea that food is medicine. We may still have the old saying "feed a fever, starve a cold" but we do not put much stock in it. Hippocrates, on the other hand, sees it as the only remedy available to him. His views on strong and weak foods are also things we have moved passed.

His discussion on the causes of disease I found most interesting. He shies away from the idea that it is an unusual activity that brings on the disease. He gives examples like taking a cold bath when you do not normally. These days we might see these acts as affecting our immune system and so they have some effect. But we now have germ theory which Hippocrates was writing before we had arrived at that.

Speaking of immunity his theory on food does have some basis as what we eat does affect our immunities. So I guess Hippocrates did know something about what he was on about at least.

What others have to say about Traditions in Medicine

WHS Jones Ed. reminds us Hippocrates said, "that empiric medicine was in his day an old art, and that the attempt to foist the method of philosophy upon it was comparatively modern." and this is precisely what Hippocrates is arguing against.

Comparisons with other texts

Traditions in Medicine is the first of Hippocrates' works where we have seen a focus on the patient. In The Oath or The Cannon, he is writing about the attributes of the Physician himself. As such, this is the first time, we start to see his mind about what disease is. As well as how it is caught and how to treat it. We also see how Hippocrates interacts with the medical profession. In this text, he argues against the new view in favour of what he can test.

Conclusion

In this work, Hippocrates defends medicine as a Science. He does so by taking it to first principles and observation. He argues against the new view of medicine around him that is based on philosophy. His understanding of medicine orbits around the food we eat and how that helps us recover. He talks about the origin of disease as being based on imbalance but does not go into too much detail.

By comparison to his first two works that we have looked at, this one is focused on the patient. It focuses on medicine to be practised rather than the attributes of the physician.

Have you read Traditions in Medicine? If so what did you think of it? 
 
Want to read Traditions in Medicine but haven't? Please leave me a comment and let me know why you want to read it.

Hopefully, this post inspires you to take the time to loo
k into it on your own journey of Self Education.

Get a copy of the Traditions in Medicine

Another telling of Sigurd; The Volsung Saga.

Why might you read the Volsung Saga?

The Volsung saga is the full story of the family of Volsung. Though we do see some of the stories in the Edda. It exists to show the movement of the Northern families into the Germanic area and becoming the Germanic tribes. As such it is the myth that links the two people groups. It is worth noting that this was written in Icelandic.

It is in my Self Education project because of this link between the nordic and germanic tribes. Also because it is the prehistory of the germanic people and being English by decent some of my heritage is therefore Anglo-Saxon. These are both germanic tribes. This makes this part of the legacy of my past as well as that of a large chunk of Europe.

The Story of The Volsung Saga

Odin Guides Sigi from the otherworld:

Sigi is exiled for murder. Odin leads Sigi out into new lands far away and Sigi establishes himself as king of Hunland. Here he married and had a son named Rerir. His brothers in law killed him but his son retook the kingdom. Rerir cannot have children so he prays to the gods. Odin sends him an apple and he eats it with his wife and produces a child.

The queen was pregnant for six years. She decides it will kill her and asks for the child to be cut out of her. The child is already well grown when he was delivered. He is named Volsung and grew to be a great king. He married the daughter of Hrimnir, a giant. They had ten sons and one daughter. The eldest was Sigmund and his twin sister was Signy. King Volsung builds Barnstock with a great tree in its centre.

Sigmund draws the sword from Barnstock

King Siggeir comes to king Volsung wanting to arrange a marriage for his son. King Volsung agrees but his daughter, Signy is unhappy. Volsung makes the marriage feast and Signy is married to Siggeir's son.

An old wanderer enters the feast. He strikes the tree with the blade and buries it deep. He announces whoever pulls it out can have it and then he leaves. Many of the men try to pull out the sword but none succeed until Sigmund tries his hand and it comes out easily. King Siggeir tries to buy it off Sigmund but he refuses and Siggeir takes offence. Siggeir takes his wife and leaves the next day. He invites Volsung to come to a feast. 

The fall of Volsung

King Volsung goes to the kingdom of Gautland at the appointed time. Signy comes down to meet him and tells him that her husband has an army to meet them and kill them. Volsung refuses to run away and in the morning forms up his men fully armed. Volsung is killed and his ten sons are captured.

Signy convinces her husband to put the brothers in stocks instead of killing them and he agrees. The brothers are chained to a large log and left in the woods. Every night a she-wolf comes and devours one of them. This goes on for nine nights until only Sigmund is left. Signy sends Sigmund honey to smear on his face and in his mouth. When the wolf came she licked up the honey. When she put her tongue in Sigmund's mouth he bit down and would not let go. He ripped out her tongue and she died.

In the process of killing the wolf, Sigmund broke free of his bonds. He stayed in the woods and see himself up an underground hiding place. Signy bought him all he needed. King Siggeir, however, thought that all the Volsungs were dead.

Signy had two sons by Siggeir but they were weak. They are not fit for taking revenge.

Signy gives birth to Sinfjotli

Signy then swaps places with a sorceress and goes and sleeps with her brother in secret. They conceive a son and when he is of age she sends him to Sigmund. Sigmund asks him to bake bread when there is something living in the flour. Sinfjotli kneads it into the bread. Sigmund is impressed as it was a poisonous snake and tells the boy not to eat it.

Sigmund and Sinfjotli take revenge

Sigmund takes Sinfjotli to take vengeance on Siggeir and they sneak into his estate. One of the children spots them and reports them to Siggeir and his wife. Signy brings the children to Sigmund to kill but he refuses, Sinfjotli does it instantly. The two were then overpowered and bound.

The king buried them in a cairn separated by a huge stone. While they were being buried Signy thew in a bale of straw to Sinfjotli. In the straw, he found food and Sigmund's sword. The sword the used first to cut through the stone and then to cut their way out of the cairn.

The two then set the estate on fire. When challenged by the king as to who they are they replied they were Volsungs. Signy comes out of the fire to talk to her brother and reveal the parentage of Sinfjotli. But she returns to the fire to die with her husband.

Sigmund marries Hjordis

Sigmund hears of the Daughter of Eylimi and goes to his estate to try and secure marriage. King Lyngvi is also there trying to win her hand. Eylimi asks his daughter what she wants. She says she will have the well renowned Sigmund.

King Lyngvi went away and gathered an army and invaded. King Sigmund took out his army. He was killed in the action after his sword was broken by Odin.

The Birth of Sigurd

Hjordis gives birth to Sigmund's son, who is named Sigurd. Sigurd is bought up a foster father Regin. Regin the tells Sigurd about the serpent Fafnir and the gold and tries to get him to go and fight the wurm. He tells about how Odin and Loki killed his brother Otter and paid a gold price for his life. Then his brother Fafnir killed his father and took the gold. 

Regin fashions Gram

Before Sigurd will take on the serpent he makes Regin make him a sword. The first two he breaks on delivery. He then asks his mother for the broken sword of his father and has Regin reforge that. The sword is magnificent.

Sigurd goes to war against those that killed his father. He lands in their lands and lays waste to the countryside. The Kings bring an army out to meet him. He states that he is a Volsung and that he has come for vengeance and slays them.

Regin and Sigurd go after Fafnir

Regin convinces Sigurd to go after Fafnir. They ride out along the path the serpent takes to the water. Regin suggests digging a trench and lying in wait for the serpent. This would allow him to stab him from below. While he was working on the trench an old man with one eye came by and told him to make other trenches as well for the poison. This was Odin and Sigurd follows the advice. The plan works and Sigurd stabs the serpent.

While cooking the heart as Refin has asked, Sigrud has the juice on his hand and licks it. Then he can understand the birds, who give him the advice to kill Regin before Regin kills him. Sigurd cuts of Regin's head and eats half of the heart himself. He then goes and claims the gold from Fafnir's cave.

Sigurd and Brynhild

Sigurd rescues Brynhild from her magical slumber.  She teaches him many things with runes. Brynhild gives Sigurd a raft of advice.

Sigurd rides into Heimei's estate and is welcomed. Brynhild is making a tapestry of Sigurd's battles. He happens to see it and insists on seeing her. They make an Oath to marry.

Concerning King Gjuki and his sons

Sigurd arrives at Gjuki's castle and is welcomed. They want him to stay but he is constantly talking of Brynhild. Grimhild the queen brewed a forgetfulness blend and serves it to Sigurd. Sigurd forgets Brynhild. He then pledges brotherhood with the sons of Gjuki and marries their sister. Gunnar, one of the brothers comes to Sigurd and asks him to help him secure Brynhild as a wife. Sigurd and Gunnar head to King Budli, Brynhild's father. They ask him for her hand but are told she will only take the one who rides through the fire. Gunnar tries to ride through the fire both on his horse and on Sigurd's but they both balk. So Sigurd and Gunnar change places with magic and Sigurd does the deed. He tells her he is Gunnar and she consents to marry him. When the marriage feast ends Sigurd finally remembers Brynhild and his oath.

Dispute of the Queens, Brynhild and Gudrun

Brynhild and Gudrun squabble over who has the best husband. Gudrun reveals that it was not Gunnar who went through the fire but rather Sigurd. Brynhild is so grieved that she convinces Gunnar to kill Sigurd. Gunnar and his brother decide to make their younger brother do it as he is not pledged to Sigurd. Guttorm, the younger brother tries to enter Sigurds room while he is asleep. The third time Sigurd does not wake until Guttorm struck him. When he wakes wounded, he flings his sword Gram after the fleeing brother and catches him in the doorway. His sword cuts him in two. Brynhild cannot live with this and kills herself with a sword. Brynhild requests that she share a funeral pyre with Sigurd.

The Disappearance of Gudrun

Gudrun disappears and spends her time in Denmark. Her family find her and marry her off to king Atli against her wishes. King Atli schemes against her brothers to secure Sigurds gold for himself.

Gudrun carves runes on a ring and sends it with the messenger that Atli sends to her brothers. He is inviting them to feast with him but it is a trap. Gudrun's message is for them not to come but it is intercepted by the messenger and the runes changed.

The brothers set out for Atli, though everyone is telling them not to go.

The battle in the fortress and the victory

They arrive at king Atli's hall and are instantly attacked. They slay many of Atli's champions. The brothers continue to fight even though all of their men have fallen. They are then overpowered and captured. Hogni's heart is cut out and shown to Gunnar. This only makes him more resolute not to tell Atli where the treasure is. Eventually, Gunnar is killed by an adder.

Gudrun kills her sons and feeds them to Atli. She does this as revenge for killing her brothers. She and Hgoni's son kill Atli in his bed. 

Concerning Gudrun

Gudrun takes herself into the sea and instead of being killed is swept to the fortress of King Jonakr. Here she is married to the king and they bring up Svanhild, Sigurd daughter.

Svanhild is married off. She is promised to an older King but his son is the one to fetch her. One of the ambassadors tells the King that Svanhild and his son have been lovers and the king has them both killed. Svanhild is trampled to death by horses.

Gudrun Urges her sons to avenge Svanhild

Gudrun's sons by Jonakr come to an age when they can go to war. Gudrun urges them to go to Jormunrek and avenge their half-sister. The son's of Gudrun were warned that they needed to stay as a team cryptically. Instead of taking that advice two of them get angry with the third and kill him. When they arrive to take vengeance one takes off both hands and the other takes off both legs. It is then they realise that if they still had the third he would have taken of the head and they would have prevailed. They were instead captured and then stoned to death.

Reflections of The Volsung Saga

The whole story of the family of Volsung from start to end has a lot of twists and turns. It starts with banishment from the Nordic countries and ends in the Germanic lands. It is interesting that the family is named for someone in the middle of the line rather than a founder. There is less positive to say about Sigi, though, as he was prone to jealousy. Volsung himself on the other hand has a fortunate and fantastical birth. Most of the saga encompasses Sigmund and especially Sigurd. They both have more time devoted to them in the text because there are more stories about them. Both are dealt with in more granular detail than the one that came before. It is also interesting how quickly it becomes he was the very epitome of a Volsung. Even when Volsungs deeds, while we are told they are great, are not detailed in the text.

Brynhild's descent into suicide is interesting. She starts with not even wanting to make the vow with Sigurd, to making the vow. When she marries another who supposedly succeeded in her test, she is happy until she finds he did not do the deed. At this point her whole persona shifts to despair. This is where things get odd though. First, she plots to have her love killed, I think because he tricked her. Then once he is dead she wants to be dead with him. This seems strange as she has caused his death and she does not seem to be repentant for that. Rather she just decides to die with him. Maybe there is something about honour culture in the time that makes sense of it, but as a modern reader, I can't quite grasp it.

The line keeps improving generation on generation, which is rather interesting. We see the line improving until it dies out. This has the effect of keeping the mythic time separate from the time of writing. It allows for there to no longer be heroes about and yet to have this incline in greatness.

What others have to say about The Volsung Saga

Encyclopedia Britannica says The "Vǫlsunga saga, (Icelandic: “Saga of the Volsungs”) most important of the Icelandic sagas called fornaldarsǫgur (“sagas of antiquity”). Dating from roughly 1270."

"Völsunga Saga (Volsunga Saga or Volsungasaga) was the story of love and betrayal, adventure and tragedy, expanding over several generations, began with the son of Odin named Sigi."  Is how Timeless Myths summarises the opening.

Comparisons with other texts

Here we must start with the Edda as the similarities are profound. Both tell the story of Sigmund through to Sigurd. But the Edda tells the story of Otter's ransom as a current tale and in the Volsung Saga is retold by one of the brothers. The Volsung Saga also tells the story of the family before it intersects with Fafnir the Wurm. As such The Volsung Saga is a more complete retelling of the family. Whereas the Edda only covers what is relevant to the Aesir. We can easily conclude that one was used as a source for the other.

If compare Greek Mythology in general with The Volsung saga, we see a difference in understanding of why there aren't great men anymore. We see this referenced especially in Theogony where the decay of the quality of men is specifically discussed. The Greeks saw the slow degradation of man as the reason there were no longer such great heroes. By comparison, the Volsung saga has the men getting better every generation until the line dies out. This I have gone into more detail with above.

Conclusion

The Volsung saga is the story of the family of Volsung. Volsung comes in the middle of the family tree. The line eventually dies out with the daughter of Sigurd. The great feats that they achieved are given in detail, as well as the alliances they married into. In the end, Sigurd's duplicity, in the form of helping his adopted brother, is his downfall. It gives an important Mythical link between the Nordic and Germanic peoples. We see part of this story in the Edda but not in as much detail. Finally, we have looked at how the view of the heroic past differed between this work and the Greek Plays.

Have you read The Volsung Saga? If so what did you think of it? 
 
Want to read The Volsung Saga but haven't? Please leave me a comment and let me know why you want to read it.

Hopefully, this post inspires you to take the time to look into it on your own journey of Self Education.

Get a copy of the Volsung Saga.