Scholarly Works

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Aristotle’s human virtue and Yorùbá worldview of ọmọlúàbí: an ethical-cultural interpretation
(2016) Adebowale, B. A.; Onayemi., F.
This paper gives an interpretative ethical-cultural analysis of the Aristotelian concepts of virtue in ancient Greece and Omoluabi in Yoruba worldview through the four Cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, courage and temperance. Generally, virtue and vices are common terminologies in ethical theories. They constitute significant principles or rules for moral actions. Virtues are ways of describing the habit of following those principles and rules. However, Aristotle, rather than explaining right or wrong in terms of rules, appraises the human characteristics through actions that make a person virtuous, enabling him to act ethically or acceptably under different circumstances that cannot be covered by rules or principle. Aristotle developed a significant description of human virtue in two of his texts, the Nicomachean Ethics and the Eudemian Ethics and reached several conclusions on what it means for a person to be virtuous. In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes virtue as qualities needed to live morally and to achieve the overall purpose in life - happiness. He maintains that striking a balance between a deficiency and an excess of a trait is important. He considers virtue as a state of being which abets a person to live according to reason. Aristotle’s virtue relates to the Yoruba ideology of Omoluabi the philosophical and cultural concept used to describe someone of good and virtuous nature. An omoluabi is expected to display and exhibit great virtues and values translating the core moral conduct in Yoruba culture, such as humility, good-naturedness, bravery, good will, diligence among others
Art and pragmatism of prayers in homer: some reflections in Yoruba prayers
(Department of Classics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 2019) Adekannbi, G. O.
The Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer continue to reveal much about the socio-religious life of the Greeks. An aspect of this is the use of prayer in meeting human needs or desires. Parallels of pragmatic use of prayer are found in the Yoruba traditional religion which has some common approaches to worship with that of ancient Greek. This paper therefore engages in an extensive interpretive analysis of the phrasing of words in Homeric prayers in order to serve as a contrastive template for examining the Yoruba belief system. Three parts of the Homeric prayers: invocatio, hypomnesis and precatio are highlighted. The concept of reciprocity, as expressed by the formulaic expressions da qaiadedisti, da quiadedi and da at recipias are interrogated to underscore how humans make requests, seek aids and get emotional anchorage from the gods. The paper indicates that, while the use of prayer to cater for diverse human purposes is commonplace, the use of prayers in seeking vengeance, or personal glory/honour tends to be more prominent. Although it is noted that skilful ordering of phrases is not the sole determinant of whether a prayer will be answered or not, the paper highlights its key place in the two belief systems. More research can be done to determine the place of a mortal’s piety or impiety in guaranteeing favourable responses in both religions.
Athens and the tyranny of a democratic state
(2017) Adekannbi, G. O.
Democracy, the celebrated symbol of socio-political success, seems the most popular legacy of Athens to the modern world. Yet, Athens also has a record of what has been seen as tyrannical use of power and ‘abuse of human right’ in her inter-state relations. Thucydides’ account of the Peloponnesian war (The History of the Peloponnesian War) has been a basis for the theory of political realism, ‘might is right’ which is used to explain the international aggression of the democratic Athens. Using an interpretive research approach, this paper takes some look at the Athenian path to democracy and particularly considers the Melian Dialogue, a passage in Thucydides’ work that enunciates the implications of political realism exemplified by the Athenians' treatment of the Melians. While political realism implies international anarchy when power and conflicting national interests set the standard of what is deemed right, a democratic government led by this code could also act tyrannically despite its leaders 'profession of justice and equity. Therefore, the paper concludes that since democracy is no limitation to morality and justice becoming subjective, when interests are at variance in domestic politics, such tendency in individuals or groups who constitute a democracy would continue to account for political instability.
Between the margins and the mainstream: the odyssey of women in Greek and Yorùbá thoughts
(2017) Adebowale, B. A.; Akinboye., G. A.
Scholars have generally appraised issues relating to women from the viewpoint of gender inequalities and claimed that the female folk are largely oppressed by their male counterparts. Without doubt, the twenty-first century has witnessed gender relations characterized by a lot of imbalances especially to the detriment of women. However, studies have shown that in many societies, women enjoy some undeniable rights, and that prior to slave trade, colonialism and the advent of the missionaries in Africa, Yoruba women of Southwest Nigeria enjoyed certain privileges as much as their male counterparts and such as demanded by Plato in his 'ideal state'. This paper investigates the ideal roles and status of women from historical, religious, philosophical and cultural perspectives of the Yoruba people and compares their phenomenon with those of the ancient Athens as projected by Plato. Examining the rights of women from these two socio-cultural milieus, the paper establishes when and how gender inequality became a subject of debate in the histories of the Greek and the Yoruba people
CHILD MORTALITY IN ANCIENT ROME AND MODERN IBADAN
(2013-05) ANENI, M.O
High records of occurrences of child mortality were documented in ancient Rome and in modern Ibadan. Available studies on ancient Rome focused on the effect of female infanticide on the population, and those on modern Ibadan, concentrated on the effects of cerebral malaria on children below the age of 5. However, these studies ignored the comparative possibility of health situations in both societies despite their related experiences. This study, therefore, compared the causes of child mortality (ages 0-5) in both societies. The study employed historical and comparative methodologies to highlight the factors that caused child mortality in both societies. Sources utilised on ancient Rome were volume X of the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, from which gender distribution of mortality and chronological age of children were gleaned. Data were also extracted from classical and contemporary authors. For modern Ibadan, information was gathered from medical literature and newspaper reports. The data were subjected to content analysis. The factors which brought about child death in ancient Rome and modern Ibadan were similar, but they occurred in varying degrees of magnitude. Respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia, acute bronchitis, asthma, and tonsillitis caused child mortality in both societies. Air-borne and water-borne diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid, measles and diarrhea killed children below age 6. These diseases were often aggravated by malaria. Dysentery and inflammatory bowel diseases such as entiritis also accounted for children’s death. Other diseases that included jaundice, malaria, convulsions, neo-natal tetanus, meningitis, severe malnutrition, severe birth syphxia, ulcers and gangrene also caused child mortality in both societies. Maternal illiteracy, superstitious beliefs, social deprivation, and poverty were the social and economic factors which permitted child mortality in the two civilisations. In both societies, children less than 3 were worst affected by these diseases due to their vulnerability. In ancient Rome, neo-natal death resulting from venereal diseases such as gonorrhea and syphilis were transferred from mother to child at birth, but this death was rare in modern Ibadan since people were informed of the disease in modern Ibadan than in antiquity. Lead poisoning, superstitious beliefs and social deprivation caused death in both societies. In ancient Rome, social deprivation ranked highest, followed by superstitious beliefs and lead poisoning because of government’s enthusiasm about the empire’s consolidation. In modern Ibadan, superstitious beliefs caused more death than lead poisoning and social deprivation due to the people’s belief system. While malaria and tuberculosis killed thousands of children than other diseases in ancient Rome, neonatal tetanus, prematurity and low birth weight, neonatal septicaemia and severe birth sphyxia ranked highest in modern Ibadan. They ranked highest in antiquity and Ibadan respectively due to weather conditions and people’s ignorance of the diseases. Child mortality in ancient Rome and modern Ibadan was caused by tropical diseases, sexually transmitted infections and respiratory tract infections. Thus, child mortality was a social challenge in both societies. Further studies could examine the divergence and convergence in the medical approaches applied to infant diseases in ancient Rome and modern Ibadan.
Conceptualising virtue in Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus
(Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan, 2019) Adebowale, B. A.
This essay focuses on Oedipus Tyrannus, a Classical archetypal tragedy. Its spatial and temporal settings and characterisation situate this tragedy as an archetype for appraising the tragic hero. Given this canonical status among tragedies, scholars, since the Classical era, have attempted to appraise the underlying causes of Oedipus ' tragic fall from various perspectives. The question of free will and moral responsibility in the face of predestination as represented by Oedipus ' and his parents ' lives, is the crux in some of those studies. This paper, therefore, takes a trajectory different from this generic approach, shedding light on the admirable qualities of virtue which Oedipus possesses, as typified by the tough choices and decisions he gallantly makes in order to resolve the internal and external conflicts of identity and regicide-cum- parricide that plague him and the Thebans. The analysis carried out from the hermeneutics perspective evaluates Oedipus’ rather familiar ‘vices’ as having the inherent properties of Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance, which make up the Aristotelian conceptualisation of virtue. It finds that justice in Sophocles' tragedy is a bifurcated fusion of divine will and retribution that often plays out on an innocent life as it happened in the case of Oedipus, who, along with his parents, consistently sacrifices any position of gain by birth and circumstance; and proactively bears the weight of his father’s misdeed even when that means paying the ultimate price in order to avert or revert the ill-fated curse placed on him before his conception. The study concludes that Oedipus’ actions are virtuous and worthy of emulation—not castigation—and that he should be regarded as a national hero and selfless leader, a model for the contemporary leaders and individuals. “I learnt that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not one who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Nelson Mandela
Contextualising the impact of ancient Greek and Roman superstition on public life
(Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2018-06) Adekannbi, G. O.
Consensus on the meaning of superstition remains elusive. Even when dangers allegedly exist, the controversy over the subject has engendered caution against sounding polemical or judgemental by labelling any belief as superstitious. This paper considers undue restraints as insidious and identifies when superstition is inimical to the society. The study indicates various degrees of damage caused by seemingly innocuous traditional/religious beliefs in ancient Greek and Roman climes. Max Weber's social action theory has been adopted as theoretical framework to do a library study of works of Theophrastus, Plutarch, Livy and Petronius. These ancient sources offer the platform for examining superstition as clinging to certain behavioural patterns even when no relationship exists between causes and effects. Attention is paid to how superstition surreptitiously becomes hostile to private and community interests. The paper argues that superstition emerges when customs, routines or habits that lack empirical basis take on harmful legislative powers on people and diminish the quality of their lives. The submission is that admission of past and present errors in perception of esoteric experiences should be unambiguous if the grip of superstition would be eliminated. Viewed as a clog in the wheel of meaningful social development, superstition should be stripped of its overbearing garb of subjective thinking that riddles life with morbid fear and places unfair burden of guilt on the human society.
CORRELATIVE PARALLELS IN GREEK AND YORÙBÁ GREAT GODDESS TRADITIONS
(2012-10) ALADE, IDOWU MOJEED
Increasing interests in comparative studies have led scholars to revisit the myth of the Great Goddess. While parallels of the Greek gods have been identified in Yorùbá mythology, there has not been a comparative study of the Great Goddesses. This study, therefore, examines the parallels between the Greek’s Great Goddess, Gaea, and Àtàgé, the Yorùbá Great Goddess of Ìbàdàn, to determine points of convergence between them in terms of origin, attributes, symbols and festival, confirming the existence of a Yorùbá Great Goddess. The study adopted Jung’s Archetypal Theory. Works of Greek mythographers including Homer, Hesiod, Appolodorius, Appolonius; Yorùbá historians like Johnson, Falola, Awe, Parrinder; and certain verses of the Yorùbá Ifá corpus were content analysed for parallels on the Great Goddesses. The study applied participant observation technique. Unstructured interviews were also conducted with Abòkè, High Priest of Àtàgé, and nine of the omo òkè to verify those attributes not described in the literature. Information obtained was qualitatively interpreted. There was evidence of similarities of the evolved aspects of Gaea and the Yorùbá’s Àtàgé, notably in origin, attributes, symbols and festival. While Gaea was extensively discussed, literature had little on Àtàgé. It, however, described Àtàgé as the spirit behind the foundation of Ìbàdàn as Gaea began the universe in Greek’s cosmogony; suggested Àtàgé as Goddess of Ibadan land known for motherhood, human, animal and soil productivity similar to Gaea’s; made references to the pitcher-breasted image of the Great Goddess capable of feeding sixteen children at once; and the annual sacred orgasm festival of Àtàgé which continued even to the present. This festival took place about the time of spring vernal equinox resembling that of Gaea and all other known archetypes of the Great Goddess. During such festivals, celebrants venerated Àtàgé as the origin, mother and protector of Ìbàdàn indigenes as Gaea was so honoured by the Greeks. Phallic symbols like those of the Greek’s Goddess festivals were carried while the procession prayed to Àtàgé for healthy children, safety and abundance in wealth. Led by transvestite priest, reminiscent of the Greek’s, they danced round the town, singing ribald songs and making gesticulations capable of stimulating sexual desire. The Priest, with plaited hair, confirmed that Àtàgé had a covenant with Lágelú, the legendary founder of Ìbàdàn, to protect and bless the town. As the functions of Gaea were taken by Zeus, the priest gave evidence that Àtàgé originally had a priestess before the role was taken over by a priest. The importance of the annual festival in relation to fertility, protection and success of the indigenes was corroborated. UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY x Àtàgé has similar origin, attributes, symbols and festivals as the Greek’s Gaea. The significance of Àtàgé in Ìbàdàn presupposes the presence of a Yorùbá prehistoric matriarchal society and confirms the existence of a Yorùbá Great Goddess. Key words: Great Goddess, Ìbàdàn, Gaea, Àtàgé. Word count: 460.
Courageous women in Greek and Nigerian drama: antigone and tégónni
(2016) Onayemi, F.; Adebowale, B. A.
This paper compares Sophocles’ treatment of courage in Antigone and in Femi Osofisan’s Tègqnni demonstrating the power of women in contrast to the perception of women. In both the Classical era and Yoruba traditional society, it was rare for a woman to speak in public or disobey a man. They were expected to remain silent while men spoke and managed the affairs of the state. The courageous actions of women were considered acts of disobedience to the gender expectation of women in the society since women were not expected to live a public life like men; they were to obey their male relatives. Antigone and Tegònni, as portrayed by Sophocles and Osofisan respectively, acted against the laid down traditions that depict women as being physical and intellectually weak. The women stood up for themselves, facing the difficult situation like fearless warriors. This paper is a comparative analysis that examines the issue of portrayal of courage in women against the value systems of both cultures particularly in contemporary drama. !t elucidates the role of the dramatist in exposing the ills of the society through the portrayal of the agonies of women using the texts of Sophocles and Osofisan’s Antigone and Tègònni respectively
A critique of irrational elements in African beliefs
(The Department of Religious Studies, Ibadan, 2009-12) Adekannbi, G. O.
Various researches show that irrational elements in human beliefs^ otherwise known as superstition, just as they were criticised in ancient Greek and Roman societies, have been challenged in Europe and America as well. This paper highlights how individuals and organizations in Africa have similarly raised their voices against the increasing controversial stories of claims of supernatural influences or interferences in human affairs, suppression of thoughts, sexual abuse and extra-judicial inflicting of punishment or killing by individuals professing authority from spiritual realm. After a brief consideration of the socio-religious atmosphere that engenders the romance with the supernatural sphere, this work shows how the prevalent recourse to mystery in providing reasons for extraordinary occurrences could be most subjective. It then relates how what may seem a private expression of socio-cultural or religious views is confronted with criticism when it infests the public domain with disquieting concerns. The paper illustrates how practices rooted in superstition are perceived as growing threats to people's welfare in the continent. When the subject is understood in these terms, more meaning could be added to the search for a solution to sporadic religious, political and social conflicts in Africa.
Democracy and the people empowerment (part 1)
(Egbe Ifie and Contributors, 2000-12) Adekannbi, T.
Democracy and the people empowerment (Part II)
(Department of European Languages, University of Lagos, Nigeria, 2015-04) Adekannbi, G. O.
The concept, of empowerment of the people, is understood as a political process that involves the people selecting their leaders, making meaningful contributions to decision-making as members of a population and gaining absolute control over the system that produces their representatives. This artic 1 e is a continuation of 'Democracy and People Empowerment (Part I) publisher earlier, briefly reviews how power developed or was acquired by the people c: Athens. The work emphasises to what extent the non-altruistic background: the emergence of the demos as apolitical force in the Athenian direct democracy threatened the supremacy of the people. As the demos stirred the political ship c : Athens, evidence of their being manipulated by selfish elements c: undemocratic descents persisted and this ancient trend provides a parameter for explaining what sometimes undermines the empowerment of the people in modem representative democracy where broader participation is encouraged While people may have the power to thumbprint in elections or express their wishes through speeches, the article, using contemporary examples particularly from Nigeria, indicates how the 'original impetus' that is scarcely selfless continues to impede empowerment of the people. This is a picture of the power that marginalises, disenfranchises or refuses to let the power of the people out in a democracy.
The Devil’: Hermes and Èṣù in ancient Greek and Yoruba traditional religions
(2016) Adebowale, B. A.
The history of human society reveals that belief in divinity or divinities has been an integral part of human life. Human beings have an inborn desire to identify with a supreme being or supernatural beings. However, religious beliefs differ from one society to another. Christianity and other monotheistic religions are startling different from other traditional religions. Notably, Èsù is the name given to Devil or Satan in the Yoruba translation of the Bible, Yoruba traditional religions, however, do not portray Èsù as the personal embodiment UÙof evil as reflected in the Yoruba translation of the Bible, but rather as a benevolent deity and one of the functionaries of Olódùmarè. Èsù is the Yoruba counterpart of the Greek god, Hermes, who holds a unique position in Greek religion. Hermes, like his Yoruba counterpart, is a god who wears many masks; he is the herald of the gods, a trickster and the guide that leads the dead soul into Hades as psychopompos- soul guide. Hermes and Èsù exhibit the highest number of similar traits in the pantheons of the ancient Greek and Yoruba gods. This paper examines the positions and attributes of Hermes and Èsù in the ancient Greek and Yoruba traditional religions in comparison with Biblical perceptions of Satan the Devil
An examination of the integral nature of slavery in classical Greek states
(The Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies, 2017) Adekannbi, G. O.; Akinboye, O. A.
This paper examines why slavery, despite what is now legally known to be its obnoxious status, was not only fundamental to the Classical Greek society but was also endorsed by its intellectual community that was renowned for advocating individual freedom and justice. By discussing the place of slaves among the Greeks, the paper posits that the people saw slavery as crucial to realising socio-economic as well as political goals. Hence, the Greeks came to terms with chattel slavery as one of the realities of human existence. While enslaving others could be an expression of a superior might, the paper reasons that the utilitarian motivations for it in the Classical period are obvious. Therefore, individuals, both rich and poor, saw slaves as part of household features, indispensable to meeting socio-economic needs or sensual gratification. The functional use of slaves also extended to the state, hence, Sparta and Athens got all the leisure needed for political and military activities from slaves being always at their service. The paper concludes with brief allusion to the Biblical Onesimus to describe the reality of slavery as integral part of the social order of the ancient society. In view of the modern situations of labour and sexual exploitation at the international level, it is added that, whether with legislation against slavery or what is sometimes insincerity in fighting it, slavery/slavery condition might remain a modern institution; patronised by both private and public figures as long as human values remain similar to the Greeks‘.
The fundamental principles of ancient Greek participatory democracy for contemporary Nigerian community development
(Community Development Association of Nigeria, 2016-06) Akinboye, G. A.; Adekannbi, G. O.
Most scholarship on system of rule in ancient communities generally emphasized monarchic, aristocratic, and oligarchic forms of governments. Least accentuated is the system of participatory democracy whose provenance and prevalence has also been situated more in relative parts of contemporary Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. This gives the impression that communal participatory democracy was not very deep in the remote ancient world. The concept of participatory democracy underscores the principles of direct inclusive participation of citizens in political decisions and socio-economic policies that affect their lives in their communities, as opposed to contemporary representative participation. In classical antiquity however, the Greeks extolled the idea of communal participatory democracy by their establishment of communities (the polis, city-state), whose very existence thrived on certain fundamentals such as equality, freedom, rule of law, accountability and full citizens’ participation in communal affairs. Using the ancient city-state of Athens as a case study, this paper discusses the fundamental principles of Greek participatory democracy with a view to highlighting its implications for the development of contemporary Nigerian communities. Its main contention is that a simple revisit to the basic vital principles of Athenian democracy may positively fast-track the socio-economic and political development of many communities in contemporary Nigeria.
Funeral rites: a reflection of the afterlife in ancient Greek and Yoruba traditional belief
(2012) Adebowale, B. A.
The anxiety regarding the afterlife and immortality has been with man since the dawn of civilization. The question of afterlife is the most important personal question that can be asked in the light of the realization of one’s own mortality. The Afterlife is a generic term for a continuation of existence after death. But the form which an unending or indefinitely human life would take is obscure. However, it is generally believed that the souls of the departed persons make a journey to a specific region or plane of existence. The idea that there can be some continuation in existence after death manifests in religious and traditional beliefs, as well as in the actions and practices of the living, like funerary practices, ancestor worship, the concept of divine judgment, the doctrine of reward and punishment for the soul and the concept of the living-dead. This paper has as its task to examine how funeral rites reflect the concept of afterlife as a philosophical and religious belief among the ancient Greeks and the Yoruba of Nigeria
The gloom and the ray: a collection of poems
(Oputoru Books, Ibadan, 2002) Adekannbi, G. O.
Heroism of suicide in stoicism and early Oyo empire traditional political setting
(2014) Adebowale, B. A.
Suicide, as a concept, has been a subject of philosophical, psychological, sociological and religious inquiry in ancient, medieval and modem history of ideas. 'Through the course of history, suicide has evoked a wide range of reactions. It has been both condemned and condoned by various societies. Generally, suicide is regarded as an anti-social behaviour, condemned by Christianity, Islam and Traditional Religions. Despite the condemnation, suicide was still condoned under certain circumstances. For instance, in ancient Greece and in the early Oyo Yoruba political setting, suicide was an acceptable way of dealing with military- defeat in order to preserve national and personal honour and dignity. Therefore, a number of questions such as what have constituted suicide?’ ‘ to what extent can suicide be- considered a rational choice?’ ‘And what is the moral permissibility of suicide?’ have been raised. Philosophical arguments, regarding whether or not suicide can be morally acceptable, range from strong opposition to its perception as a sacrosanct right. The latter is a strong tenet of the Stoics who consider suicide as an honorific act. Although thee Yoruba condemn suicide, they also condone and even consider it an honourable thing to do under certain circumstances. ’This paper examines the honourable aspects of Stoics’ concepts of suicide and the politically motivated suicide in the early Oyo Empire traditional political organization such as the case where a host of title holders, known as abobaku, had to commit suicide at the demise of the king so as to accompany him to the hereafter. Today, however, many commit suicide not out of traditional obligation but to escape what seem to be unbearable circumstances claiming that suicide is a personal choice. This paper argues that no matter how plausible the idea is suicide is inadmissible and abominable from every standpoint
An introduction to ancient Greek society
(Department of Classics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 2019) Adekannbi, G. O.; Nwoko, P.
Language policy and governance: the Pontius Pilate example
(Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, 2017-06) Oluwadoro, J. O.; Adebowale, B. A.; Berekiah, O. O.
Pontius Pilate's trilingual inscription on the cross of Jesus Christ has received considerable scholarly attention from different perspectives. However, none of such studies has taken a sociolinguistic perspective in the analysis of the inscription. Adopting the Socio-linguistic theory of language planning as theoretical framework, this study employed the tools of linguistic criticism to analyse Pilate's inscription, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”, in order to examine the probable reasons behind Pilate's use of three languages to write the inscription and the implication of the title 'King' within the socio- cultural setting and antecedent linguistic history of the Jews at that time. Primary data were drawn from the King James Version of the Bible; the text of the New Testament in Modem Hebrew, the New Testament in the original Greek, Byzantine Text Form, and the Latin Vulgate. Hebrew was the religious language of Judaism; Greek was the lingua franca and Latin was the language of Roman imperialism, especially in governance and jurisdiction at that time. The title 'King' was associated with the Jewish hope of a messianic conquering king. The Romans held the title in contempt since their last king before the Republic was deposed. The use of Hebrew, Greek and Latin by Pilate has sociolinguistic implications reflecting the status of the three languages. The study recommends that contemporary political leaders should promote Nigeria's indigenous languages in addition to the English language for effective communication in governance