HANNO is a *transcription* of the longest recorded voyage in classical
history-- the Periplus of Hanno--who embarked, sailing literally halfway down
the West African coast--the idea being to found trading posts with Carthage's
surplus populations--as far as a imperialism goes--I DONT THINK SO. The
Carthaginians were interested in trading concessions, not an imperium based on
land mass. That was a Roman fantasy. Further research reveals what little is
known about Hanno--that he was an adventurer, a schemer and a perpetual
long-term fuckup.

*Apes* here, not humans -- the temple and the ineffable crystal being of the
goddess Tanith in CARTHAGE PROPER. To whom in any case, periodic ritual human
sacrifice was dedicated.

Pound transcribed this account because of its obvious real world parallels to
the metaphor of the Odyssey--and for its inherent gorgeousness. And for damned
little else. Or as Pound says toward the end of XXXIX:
                                                        "Been to hell in a boat yet?"

Gavin

THE OXFORD CLASSICAL DICTIONARY SEZ:
_______________________________________________________________________
  HANNO (1), Carthaginian, sent to west Africa before 480 B.C., founded
Thyrniaterium (Mehedia), Carian Fort (Mogador), Acra (Agadir), etc., beyond
Soloeis (C. Cantin), and river Tensift. After staying by river Lixus (Draa)
and founding Cerne (Herne?), Hanno reached river Chretes (Senegal), the
Guanches, and C. Verde, river Gambia, West Horn (Bissagos Bay), God's Chariot
(Mt. Kakulima?), S. Horn (Sherbro Sound), where gorillas were caught, and
Sierra Leone. Of his report, written in Punic, a Greek version survives. The
original Punic may have had intentional gaps and obscurities (so Carcopino
believes); or the Greek writer of a later date may have been influenced by
Herodotus' style (so G. Germain).


En Lin Wei wrote:
>
> Tim Romano asks about the phrase "seeking an exit."
>
> I think there is much to consider in Carrol Cox's interpretation of the
> meaning of the line.  I must contemplate her interpretation.
>
> When I originally looked at the passage in the context of the discussion of
> Pound's imperialism, I was examining it in relation to the slaughter of
> barbarians, which he appears to endorse.  The soldiers, after the massacre
> of the native North African women, are
>
>       seeking an exit
>   To the high air, to the stratosphere, to the imperial
>   calm, to the empyrean, to the baily of
>       the four towers
>   the NOUS, the ineffable crystal. . .
>        (40/201).
>
> I think Pound is trying to accomplish here what Schiller described as
> creating the aesthetic moment which foreshadows a future utopia.  We move
> from the political act of extending empire, to the "stratosphere" to a state
> of mind, which nonetheless has a political dimension "the imperial calm,"
> and we end in contemplation of the divine mind, NOUS.
>
> The difference between Pound and Schiller in this instance, is that Pound's
> utopia, as is frequently the case, requires acts of imperialistic conquest
> and the slaughter of "barbarians" to be achieved. He often expresses
> approval of such acts performed in the past and the present.
>
> >
> >Tim Romano wrote:
> >
> > > [snip]
> > > I have a clear sense of the ideological foundations of Pound's racism.
> >But
> > > the man does not seem to me to have been capable of this kind of
> > > monstrosity. Has someone assembled convincing evidence that Pound was
> >truly
> > > this inhumane in his race-thinking?
>

>
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