Meta Description: Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle on the Ad Navseam Podcast as they explore the Latin concept of helluari (gorging) on books. From Cicero finding Cato in the library to modern takes on Lewis and Tolkien, discover why intellectual hunger is the best appetite.
Introduction: The November Gloom and the Intellectual Feast
Welcome back to the “vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 13 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. Jeff Winkle and Dr. David Noe embrace the “November gloom” with a warm discussion about the insatiable appetite of the human mind. While the Thanksgiving season often turns our thoughts to turkey, stuffing, and physical gluttony, this episode pivots to a different kind of hunger: the hunger for literature.
As classical gourmands, the hosts argue that while food is good, the “second pleasure” of life—right after friendship—is literature. Today, we explore the Latin concept of helluari (gorging) on books, tracing the thread of “existential longing” from ancient Rome to modern fantasy.
The Appetizer: A Persian Critique of Greek Dessert
Before diving into the main course, Dr. Noe offers a gustatory appetizer from the historian Herodotus. In his Histories, Herodotus notes a peculiar cultural difference between the Persians and the Greeks regarding birthdays.
The Persians claimed that Greeks “rise from the table still hungry” because “not much dessert is set before them.” The implication? If the Greeks were actually given proper dessert, “they would never stop eating.” It is a fitting opening for an episode dedicated to those who simply cannot stop consuming what they love—whether it be sweets or scrolls.
The Word of the Day: Helluari (To Gorge)
The centerpiece of this episode is a specific, somewhat rare Latin verb: helluari.
Dr. Noe discovered this gem in Book 3 of Cicero’s De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum (The Limits of Good and Evil). The scene Cicero sets is relatable to anyone who loves libraries. Cicero describes going to the country house of Lucullus to borrow some books, only to find Marcus Cato (Cato the Younger) already there, seated in the library.
Cato was famous for his Stoic austerity—he was the kind of man who ate simple food and dressed plainly. Yet, Cicero describes him as being circumfusum libris (“poured all around” or surrounded by books).
Cicero writes that Cato possessed an aviditas legendi (a voracious appetite for reading) and that he could “never have enough of it.” Cicero uses the word helluari to describe Cato’s relationship with books. It means to squander, to be a glutton, or to “go hog wild.” While Cato restricted his physical diet, he was a glutton for knowledge.
Course 1: The Ancient Menu
Inspired by Cato’s voracious reading habits, the hosts share the ancient works that they have personally “gorged” on over the years.
Jeff’s Pick: Apuleius and the Longing for the Divine
Dr. Winkle selects the Metamorphoses (also known as The Golden Ass) by the 2nd-century North African writer Apuleius. While the novel is famous for its bawdy humor and the protagonist turning into a donkey, Jeff focuses on the centerpiece of the novel: the myth of Cupid and Psyche.
For Jeff, this story is about “existential longing.” It tells the tale of Psyche, a mortal so beautiful she incites the jealousy of Venus. She undergoes immense suffering to reunite with Cupid, the god of love. Jeff argues that the story is ultimately about transcending carnal love to find something higher—a theme that resonates deeply with the human experience of suffering and purpose.
Dave’s Pick: Plato’s Gorgias
Dr. Noe chooses Plato’s Gorgias, a middle dialogue that explores the tension between justice and rhetoric. He recalls reading it as an idealistic young undergrad and being struck by Socrates’ dismantling of the “appearance” of virtue versus the “reality” of it.
Dave highlights a quote from the character Polus, who claims that his teacher Gorgias practices the “noblest of arts.” Socrates, however, exposes this rhetoric as “pure and utter balderdash.” For Dave, this dialogue was a sobering introduction to the difference between empty words and true justice.
Course 2: The Modern Afterlife of Classics
The “Ad Navseam” philosophy is that the Classics never really die; they just get repackaged. The hosts pivot to modern works that carry the DNA of the ancient world.
C.S. Lewis: Till We Have Faces
Connecting back to Apuleius, Jeff discusses C.S. Lewis’s Till We Have Faces, a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth. Jeff admits a “true confession”: he didn’t like the Narnia books as a kid because the allegory felt too obvious. However, Till We Have Faces captivated him with its theme of spiritual restlessness.
He quotes Lewis: “The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing… to find the place where all the beauty came from.” It is a perfect example of how modern literature can expand on ancient themes of “living east of Eden.”
J.R.R. Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings
Dave moves to J.R.R. Tolkien, a favorite from his teenage years. He recites Bilbo’s famous walking song: “The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began.”
Much like the Aeneid, Tolkien’s work is about a journey into the unknown. Dave notes that Tolkien captures the “idealistic, romantic aspects” of the humble Hobbits stepping out into a larger, dangerous world.
Nikos Kazantzakis: The Last Temptation of Christ
In a shift to more controversial fare, Jeff mentions Nikos Kazantzakis. He recalls reading The Last Temptation of Christ while sitting next to the author’s grave in Heraklion, Crete. Jeff argues that the book isn’t about heresy, but about filling the “huge gaps” in the biography of Jesus found in the Gospels, exploring his human exhaustion and compassion.
Thomas Sowell: The Quest for Cosmic Justice
Finally, Dave brings the conversation back to the themes of Plato with economist Thomas Sowell. He cites The Quest for Cosmic Justice (2002), noting that Sowell, like Socrates, forces us to define our terms. Sowell argues that “justice” is a word we all agree on only because we all mean different things by it. Dave connects this to the lesson that life has “no idealistic, sunny meadows” but is instead a series of trade-offs.
Sponsors for the Classical Gourmand
This episode is fueled by some excellent partners who keep the hosts caffeinated and well-read:
- Hackett Publishing: For high-quality translations of Plato, Homer, and Virgil (often with Elvis on the cover!). Use code AN2020 for 20% off.
- Ratio Coffee: For the “Platonic ideal” of a coffee maker. The Ratio 6 and Ratio 8 offer a “Fibonacci shower head” (it’s real!) to bloom and brew your coffee perfectly. Use code ANCO for 15% off.
- Ad Astra Roasters: A veteran-owned roaster in Hillsdale, MI. Try the “Tenebris” (Into the Shadows) or the “Las Lajas” blends.
A Gustatory Parting Shot
As we wrap up this feast of books, we leave you with a thought on the one thing that remains when all else fails. This week’s “Gustatory Parting Shot” comes from Christopher Morley:
“No man is lonely while eating spaghetti. It requires so much attention.”
Next Week: Prepare your tissues. We will be discussing the Death of Cicero at Formiae, a date which will live in infamy.
Valete!
