Meta Description: Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle in Part 2 of their deep dive into “Tarzan and Tradition.” Discover how Edgar Rice Burroughs used ring composition, Ovidian themes, and the Latin language to craft a hero in the mold of Odysseus and Aeneas.
Introduction: Swinging Back into the Classics
Welcome back to the “vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 118 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle return for the second half of their exploration into the surprising classical roots of Tarzan of the Apes.
If you missed Part 1, the hosts established that Edgar Rice Burroughs was not just a pulp fiction writer; he was a man steeped in the Latin language, having read Caesar’s Commentaries for eight years. Guided by the scholarship of the late Dr. Jack Holtzmark and his book Tarzan and Tradition, this episode moves beyond language to explore Technique, Animals, Heroes, and Themes.
Whether you are a fan of jungle adventures or a student of Roman rhetoric, this episode proves that Tarzan has more in common with Aeneas and Odysseus than he does with modern action heroes.
Technique: Ring Composition in the Jungle
One of the most sophisticated techniques in classical literature is Ring Composition. This is a chiastic structure (A-B-C-B-A) used to organize narrative and comment on themes.
The Classical Model: The Shield of Aeneas
Dr. Noe highlights how Vergil uses ring composition in Book 8 of the Aeneid. The description of the shield of Aeneas is framed by repeated vocabulary of “marveling” and “rejoicing” over 100 lines, creating a perfect circle of narrative structure.
The Burroughs Application
Surprisingly, Burroughs employs this exact technique. Dr. Noe cites a passage from Tales of Tarzan involving a “swaying couch” in the trees:
- A: Action (Tarzan swings into the trees).
- B: Thought (The couch problem).
- B: Thought (The solution).
- A: Action (Tarzan shoots through the trees).
Holtzmark argues that this “A-B-B-A” structure frames the serene, spiritual awakening of Tarzan within the arduous physical action of the jungle. It is a structural device that any student of the Latin language would recognize from Cicero or Vergil.
Synchresis: The Raw and the Cooked
Another classical technique Burroughs masters is Syncrisis (comparison). This involves juxtaposing two characters or scenes to highlight their differences—a staple of Greek comedy (Aristophanes) and Roman satire.
The hosts discuss a brilliant passage comparing Tarzan to his cousin, the civilized Lord Greystoke.
- Tarzan: Gobbles down raw boar meat and wipes his greasy fingers on his naked thighs.
- Lord Greystoke (in London): Sends back a chop because it is “underdone” and dips his fingers in a silver bowl of scented water.
This polarity between the raw/natural and the cooked/civilized forces the reader to ask: Who is truly the civilized man? The “savage” who respects the kill, or the aristocrat who frets over a slightly pink chop?
Animals: The Gods of the Jungle
In the Iliad and the Odyssey, the gods function as a layer of society that comments on and influences human action. Holtzmark argues that in Tarzan’s world, the animals fulfill this role.
- The Dum-Dum: The great ceremonial council of the apes is described as a “council chamber,” mirroring the councils of Zeus and the Olympians in Homer.
- Tantor the Elephant: The name “Tantor” is derived from the Latin word tantus (so great/so big). Tantor acts as a benevolent deity, a “good listener” who offers solace to Tarzan, much like Apollo or Athena might for a Greek hero.
Dr. Noe notes that while the gods in Homer are often amoral, the animals in Burroughs are often “morally quite superior to the vast majority of human beings”—a scathing critique of modern civilization.
The Hero: Romulus, Remus, and Odysseus
Is Tarzan just a copy of Mowgli? No. Burroughs himself credited his inspiration to the Roman legend of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome who were suckled by a she-wolf. Tarzan, suckled by a she-ape, is a direct descendant of this foundation myth.
The Composite Hero
Tarzan is a “composite hero.” He possesses:
- The strength of a Roman gladiator (Heracles).
- The grace of a Greek god (Achilles).
- The versatility of Odysseus (Polytropos).
Dr. Winkle initially argues for Heracles as the best comparison (the liminal hero who belongs nowhere), but Dr. Noe makes a compelling case for Odysseus. Like Odysseus, Tarzan is a man of “many turns”—he can be a savage in the jungle, a gentleman in London, or a pioneer in Wisconsin. He bridges the gap between mind and body, action and intellect.
Themes: The Ovidian Lover
Finally, the hosts touch on the theme of Love, specifically the character of La, the high priestess of Opar (a lost colony of Atlantis).
La’s obsession with Tarzan is described in terms that mirror the tragic heroines of Ovid and Vergil—Dido, Medea, and Ariadne. She is the “obstreperous female” who breaks societal norms for a love that is not returned.
When La offers Tarzan heaven and earth, his response is stoic and brutal:
“Tarzan does not desire you.”
This rejection places Tarzan firmly in the tradition of the “erotic anti-hero” like Aeneas, who must spurn Dido to fulfill his destiny. Burroughs’ description of La’s wrath is “true to Ovidian form,” recalling the “stylistic preciosity” of Ovid’s Latin.
Conclusion: A Classical Defense of Pulp Fiction
Critics like Kipling may have dismissed Burroughs as a hack, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Burroughs was a “good traditionalist” who used the tools of the Latin language—chiasmus, ring composition, and mythic archetypes—to create a story that resonates because it is rooted in the “fertile soil of the Greek and Roman classics”.
As Dr. Holtzmark concluded, the power that makes us respond to the wanderings of Odysseus is the same power at work in Tarzan. They speak to our most “cherished fantasies”.
Gustatory Parting Shot
Dr. Winkle leaves us with a thought from Travis Jeremiah Dahnke on the dangers of metaphorical dining:
“One time I went to a restaurant and I asked the waiter for some food for thought. He left, came back, and tried shoving a sirloin in my ear.”
Valete!
Resources for the Classical Learner
- Hackett Publishing: For affordable, high-quality translations of the classics (from Virgil to Ovid), use code AN2023 for 20% off and free shipping at Hackett Publishing.
- Ratio Coffee: Brew coffee worthy of a Roman senator. Use code ANCOB8 for 15% off at Ratio Coffee.
- The Moss Method: Want to read the classics in the original Greek? Dr. Noe is offering a 20% discount on his Greek and Latin courses from May 1-3. Visit The Moss Method.
LatinPerDiem: To master the Latin language, check out the Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata course at LatinPerDiem.
