Classical Words of the Day
- interdict (Wordsmith)
- hypotyposis (Worthless Word for the Day)
- prescriptive (OED)
- cognate (Merriam-Webster)
- virtuoso (Dictionary.com)
rogueclassicism
quidquid bene dictum est ab ullo, meum est
Archive for the month “February, 2009”
CONF: Hibernian Hellenists
The 2009 meeting of the Hibernian Hellenists will take place at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, on 13/14 March. The programme of papers is as follows:
Friday 13 March
20:00 Professor Michael Silk (King’s College, London), ‘The Greek Dramatic Genres: Theoretical Perspectives’.
Saturday 14 March
09:30 Professor Hans van Wees (University College London), ‘Perfect Oligarchs? Birth, Merit and Wealth in Homer’.
11:15 Mrs Carmel McCallum-Barry (University College Cork), ‘Early Modern Versions of Greek Tragedy’.
14:00 Dr Donncha O’Rourke (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), ‘Our First Virgil Reader: Propertius Book 4′.
All are welcome. There is a registration fee of €10; accommodation can be arranged. For further details contact Breege Lynch, Department of Ancient Classics, NUI Maynooth, at classics AT nuim.ie or +353 1 708 3316.
CONF: Workshop on Latin Poetic Commentary
Workshop on Latin Poetic Commentary
This is a joint enterprise between the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, and the Corpus Christi College Centre for the Study of Greek and Roman Antiquity, University of Oxford, convened by Profs. Bruce Gibson and Stephen Harrison, and inspired by the U.S. commentary workshops at Georgetown and Minneapolis. This is the first session of a continuing programme; the next session will be on Latin Prose Commentary and will take place in Liverpool in 2010.
The first session will take place at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, on Saturday 14th March 2009. Five participants will present work in progress from commentaries, as follows:
Stephen Heyworth (Oxford) Propertius 3
Jennifer Ingleheart (Durham) Ovid Tristia 2
Ruth Parkes (Oxford) Statius Thebaid 4
Richard Thomas (Harvard) Horace Odes 4
Gail Trimble (Oxford) Catullus 64
Draft commentaries will be pre-circulated to registered participants. Each presenter will have one hour, most of which will be discussion (10-15 minutes presentation). The workshop will run c.11.00-6.00.
Those who wish to attend should contact Professor Stephen Harrison at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, OX1 4JF (stephen.harrison AT ccc.ox.ac.uk). There will be a fee of £15 which will cover tea, coffee and lunch (Oxford graduate students will not be charged, though they must register); others please send Stephen a cheque for £15.00 payable to ‘Corpus Christi College, Oxford’ to register (those without a UK bank account can pay in cash on the day).
ED: Epidauros Summer School
Intensive Course on the Study and Performance of Ancient Greek Drama, 2009
The seventh Summer School, organised under the auspices of the European Network of Research and Documentation of Performances of Ancient Greek Drama, will be held at Epidauros from the 6th to the 19th July 2009. The theme will be “Exploring European Identities/Ideologies by means of Media”.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified graduate students to attend this unique course, which centres academic and theatrical activities around the performances taking place in the ancient theatre of Epidauros at the time.
Participants also attend lectures by well-known European scholars, rehearsals, and meetings with artists.
The British members of the European Network are Oxford University and the Open University, but applications are invited from all British universities. Since it is likely that at most five places on the Intensive Course will be allocated to applicants from Britain, there are some criteria for selection which will be seriously taken into account:
1. Applicants should be engaged on a postgraduate degree.
2. They should have a special interest in ancient Greek drama and its performance.
3. They should explain why they think that this course will be of particular interest to them.
4. They should ask their supervisor to send an academic reference under separate cover.
The fee for the course is 500 euros, which (thanks to subsidies) will cover accommodation, meals, ticket for performances, and archaeological visits. Travel to and from Epidauros has to be at the expense of the student. Please would applicants also indicate how likely it is that they will be able to raise sufficient funding to attend the course.
Please address applications to:
Professor Oliver Taplin
Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama,
Stelios Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies,
66 St Giles’
Oxford OX1 2RL.
Applications must be received by Monday 23rd February 2009 at the latest.
Delphi Will Burn
According to a piece at ABC, plans are afoot to burn a bunch of the pine trees around Delphi — back in 1936, some 6500 pines were planted at the site. The idea is to try to avoid what happened at Olympia a couple of years ago.
… sounds like a bit of foresight.
Spring Awakening
First Fascinating Aida (see below) and now a review of Spring Awakening in the Independent. While most of the description would probably bring hits to rc for all the wrong reasons, I can’t help but wonder about this:
Kevin Adams’s outstanding lighting is a constellation of bare lightbulbs – now the heavens, now the class room (where Sater’s one made-up scene achieves the impossible task of building a chorus number into a rock chant of Virgil’s Aeneid in the original language) – carried through to the auditorium in a riot of neon strips all round the Lyric’s venerable Frank Matcham interior decoration.
… someone has to find a video of that (the Aeneid thing, obviously) …
Anna Perenna
Here’s one from L’espresso which goes beyond brief mention and hopefully we’ll read about this one in the English press (because we should! I was unaware of all this for some reason) … back in 1999 at Monti Parioli archaeologists found a pile of artifacts in a fountain dedicated to Anna Perenna dating from the second century A.D. (possibly earlier). What’s especially interesting for our purposes is that they found 22 defixiones, 14 other sheets of lead, and a pile of containers with anthopomorphic wax figures in them, obviously for black/sympathetic magic purposes. A pile of coins was also found. What the article seems to be primarily doing is advertising a conference focussing on all that … but it sure sounds interesting!
Turns out there’s some good stuff on the web too, e.g.,:
- Attilio Mastrocinque, Late Antique Lamps with Defixiones (pdf … looks at a number of items from the fountain)
Fascinating Aida?
A music/performance review from the Times was snagged by one of the spiders … check this paragraph out:
They have pared the show to two costume changes a night. A blend of subtlety and showmanship, strong opinions and sharp wit, erudition and free-for-all, Fascinating Aïda’s new songs are full of what they call “twisted zaniness” in the best British tradition. A short list includes It Isn’t Too Late to Be Famous, which has impeccably rhymed references to every star to grace Heat magazine (“Always smiley, just like Kylie; I’m gonna be famous”). There’s My Parents (“Mama, don’t spend my inheritance!”) and the rollicking tent revivalist song with a snake-handling Adèle, Tesco Saves (“Jesus saves but Tesco saves you more”). And there’s the audience favourite, Lieder (aka The German Song), in which they perform Bob Fosse jazz dance routines while singing deadpan about the ability of a German accent to cover a multitude of singing sins. Can’t forget those Bulgarian songs, either, with their nod to Thucydides and Boris Johnson…
I don’t have time to work my way through their stuff on Youtube (I wonder what they say about Boris and Thuc), but you might want to check it out … I thought this form of comedy had died out, but they do it well …
Denmark v Italy
The Copenhagen Post relates what appears to be the next repatriation case … here’s the salient bit:
The issue first came to light in 2006 when Italy requested the return of six Etruscan pieces from the museum in connection with an international operation against an illegal art dealing syndicate. But for more than two years the museum and the Danish culture ministry gave various reasons for not co-operating in the investigation.
In December 2008, the Italians presented a list of 100 artefacts that they believed were acquired illegally and wanted returned. The Glyptoteket management refused to oblige, stating that many of the objects on the list were purchased legally after the former administrators, who are suspected of purchasing the alleged illegal artefacts, left their positions at the museum.
… but here’s the clincher:
Many of the illegal artefacts purchased by Glyptoteket during the 1970s were from art dealers Robert Hecht and Giacomo Medici. Medici was found guilty of dealing in stolen goods in Italy in 2004, while the case against Hecht is still ongoing.
CFP: Oratory and Politics in the Roman Republic
CALL FOR PAPERS
Oratory and Politics in the Roman Republic
An international conference to be held in Oxford on 1-3 September 2010
Oratory played a central part in the political life of the Roman Republic,
where popular decision-making and aristocratic dominance intersected to create
a fertile environment for persuasive speech. This conference brings together a
group of leading international scholars to explore this phenomenon. The aim of
our discussions is to clarify the workings of oratory within a dynamic
political system as it was transformed from city state to empire. In so doing,
we will explore public speech as a near-universal activity of the elite, a
normal part of political business as well as a source of authority and
prestige, in which competence was required and skill rewarded. This broad
understanding of oratory, drawing on fragments of speeches and evidence about
occasions of performance as well as complete surviving texts, will enable us to
transcend a purely textual reading of Roman oratory, which focuses necessarily
on the surviving speeches of Cicero.
Key themes include the careers, styles and methods of individual orators;
public speaking and political decision-making; the relationship between
oratorical skills and political career; the criteria for oratorical success and
failure; forensic oratory and politics; performance space; gesture and
delivery; developments and implications (also political) of differing
oratorical styles; rhetorical training; the dissemination of written versions
of speeches and their possible political influence.
The following speakers are confirmed:
Dr Valentina Arena
Dr Henriette van der Blom
Dr John Dugan
Professor Harriet I. Flower
Professor Karl-Joachim Hölkeskamp
Professor Martin Jehne
Professor Robert Morstein-Marx
Professor Francisco Pina Polo
Dr Jonathan Prag
Ms Amy Russell
Professor Christopher Smith
Professor Catherine Steel
Professor Jeffrey Tatum
If you are interested in giving a paper, please send an abstract (max. 300
words) to both organisers (see below) before 30 April 2009. Please note that
the conference is due to take place in 2010.
If you are interested in participating in the conference, but do not wish to
give a paper, do email both of us too and we will send you further information
once available.
Conference organisers:
Prof. Catherine Steel (Glasgow) and Dr Henriette van der Blom (Oxford)
Contact details:
Prof. Catherine Steel
Department of Classics
65 Oakfield Avenue
University of Glasgow
Glasgow G12 8QQ
UK
Email: c.steel AT classics.arts.gla.ac.uk
Dr Henriette van der Blom
Merton College
Merton Street
Oxford OX1 4JD
UK
Email: henriette.vanderblom AT classics.ox.ac.uk
CONF: Exercise of Power in Sicily
Between Ideal and Reality
Exercise of Power in Sicily from Antiquity to Early Modern Times
From February 13th to February 15th, the Institute of History of the University of Aachen (Theaterplatz 14, 52062 Aachen, Germany) will be hosting a conference on „Exercise of Power in Sicily from Antiquity to Early Modern Times”. Everyone interested in the topic is welcome to attend the event. The 17 international researchers involved in the project are investigating the discrepancy between ideal and reality in the exercise of political, economical and religious power in Sicily. The results of the paradigmatic and interdisciplinary case studies will be published as a collection of papers.
The research project is organised and supervised by the chair of Roman History of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the chairs of Ancient and of Medieval History of the University of Aachen (RWTH). The project initiators are David Engels (Roman History, ULB), Lioba Geis (Medieval History, RWTH) and Michael Kleu (Ancient History, RWTH).
The conference is attendance free. Those interested are kindly asked to apply
by contacting sizilien@histinst.rwth-aachen.de. Further information concerning the project and the conference can be obtained by consulting
http://www.histinst.rwth-aachen.de/ext/sizilien/.
Contributions
Classical Antiquity
1. Michael Kleu, M.A. (Aachen): Von der phönizischen Hegemonie zur karthagischen Epikratie. Eine Untersuchung der karthagischen Herrschaftsausübung auf Sizilien
2. Dr. phil. Stefan Schorn (Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ/Leuven): Politische Theorie, `Fürstenspiegel´ und monarchische Propaganda: Philistos von Syrakus, Xenophons Hieron und Dionysios
3. Alexander Schüller, M.A. (Aachen): Der Befreier Siziliens und die Macht der Soldaten. Dions sizilisches “Experiment” und das Problem seines Scheiterns
4. Dr. phil. Luca Guido (Sassari/Heidelberg/Düsseldorf): La prima guerra punica e la costituzione dell’amministrazione provinciale romana
5. Thomas Bounas, M.A. (Athen/Aachen): Cicero und Verres: Realität und Idealität römische Provinzverwaltung
Imperial Rome, Byzance, and Islam
6. Dr. phil. Julia Hoffmann-Salz (Köln): Augustus und die Städte Siziliens
7. Dr. phil. Peter Van Nuffelen (Exeter): Episcopal Succession in Late Antique Sicily
8. Carla Nicolaye, M.A. (Leuven/Aachen): The Vandal Occupation of Sicily and the Struggle for Domination over the Mediterranean
9. Dr. phil. Volker Menze (Münster): Gregor der Große (590-604) und die Päpstliche Herrschaft in Sizilien
10. Erik Lipperts, M.A. (Aachen): Sizilien zur Zeit der Anfänge des Bilderstreits
11. Dr. phil. David Engels (Bruxelles): L’insurrection d’Ibn Qurhub: La Sicile entre Fatimides et Abbasides
Middle Ages and Early Modern Times
12. Dr. phil. Julia Becker (Rom): Graf Roger I. von Kalabrien und Sizilien. Eine realistische Herrschaft zwischen drei Kulturen?
13. Lioba Geis, M.A. (Aachen): Die Hofkapelle als Herrschaftsinstrument Rogers II. für Sizilien?
14. Dr. phil. Georg Vogeler (München/Lecce): Sizilien unter Friedrich II.: Vom Kernland des Regnum Siciliae zur imperialen Peripherie
15. Dr. phil. Christian Friedl (München): Herrschaftskonzeption bei König Manfred. Staufisches Ideal und Scheitern der realpolitischen Ansätze
16. Philipp Schneider, M.A. (Aachen): Die Sizilianische Vesper und die communitas Siciliae
17. Sascha Schlede (Aachen): Von der Herrschaft Friedrichs III. bis zur Vereinigung mit dem Königreich Neapel 1296-1458
Massinissa’s Tomb
A brief item from El Khabar, an Algerian daily:
A group of foreign archaeologists have rung the alarm of the destruction of the tomb of Massinissa, the first King of Numidia (c. 240 or 238 BC – c. 148 BC), situated at El Khroub municipality, Constantine eastern province, a reliable source told El Khabar.
According to the same source, a study conducted by the foreign experts, for Ministry of Culture, has revealed that local authorities have changed the archaeological site through the installation of a power distribution network inside the fence surrounding the protected site.
The same study has recommended removing the water tank that had been constructed on an area estimated at 300m of the archaeological site.
However the study has stressed that facilities and reshaping works carried out by the local authorities did not respect international standards into force. To recall, the aforementioned works had been suspended following the controversy erupted between both Ministry of Culture and local authorities in Constantine, in view of protecting the national and international archaeological sites.
Wow … I didn’t even know that Massinissa‘s tomb existed. Not really much on the web about it other than photos; does anyone know if the identification is secure?
A Classic Super Bowl
Okay … it hasn’t been played yet and probably won’t even be a great game (unless it becomes the Larry Fitzgerald show like it did last week), but we’ve come across some coverage which puts the big game within our purview. First we have the usual spate of Roman Numeral articles … first, from the Bucks County Courier Times is a representative rant against the use of Roman numerals, which ends with this bit of presagia (don’t know if that ‘s a word, but it works for me):
Something tells me, though, that the day the NFL moves away from Roman numerals will be the same day the Eagles win a Super Bowl, which will be sometime in the year NEVER.
Another sports guy, from KHSL concludes:
Okay, so let’s see if I can get this right. The current year, 2009, would therefore be expressed as MMIX. Try this one: I was born in the year MCMLXIII. Go ahead and take a few minutes to work that one out. Just to be clear though, XXL is not a roman numeral. That’s my shirt size, though I’m working to get back to size XL, which, by the way, does not mean size 40. See? It makes your head spin. I can’t wait for Super Bowl L. My head needs a rest.
… both of which suggest to me that sports writers really would look a lot more intelligent as writers if they DID understand Roman numerals; it’s not as if they are inherently difficult and if writing for humour’s sake, well, the joke is mighty old. More interesting was something noted in the Daily Freeman:
If you think this constitutes extravagant behavior, it is because you are a communist or hate Roman numerals. This year is number XLIII, which stands for “I don’t know how to read Roman numerals, for Lenin’s sake!”
But thanks to the intrepid reporters at a newspaper in Tampa Bay, Fla., this numerical mystery has been solved. According to an important investigative piece published in the Tampa Tribune, the reported number of strip clubs in Super Bowl host city Tampa Bay is the same as the number of Super Bowls played.
But enough of the Roman numerals stuff which plagues us on an annual basis this time of year. I’m more interested in reading about a computer program called Zeus. Here’s the incipit of a piece in the New York Times:
N.F.L. teams have used advances in technology to improve the condition of their athletes, to scout opponents better and to research prospects better. But when it comes to play-calling, particularly in crucial situations, the N.F.L. might as well bring back George Halas.
That’s because few coaches in the risk-averse N.F.L. have been willing to break with practices that have grown hoary with age — like punting on fourth down almost every time — when research has repeatedly shown that it is better to go for it.
We know this because we created a computer program, Zeus, that assesses play-calling decisions of N.F.L. coaches, using the same modeling techniques that have revolutionized backgammon and chess. It’s no different than I.B.M.’s supercomputer beating a skeptical Garry Kasparov in 1997.
Built through research into game logs, statistics and the behavioral traits of coaches, Zeus accurately replicates a modern N.F.L. game.
… but wouldn’t Apollo have been a more appropriate moniker?
Ghostly Doings
From Short News, FWIW:
Staff at Derby’s new Royal Hospital; have been terrified by an apparition of a man appearing in the hallways, they have been so frightened that managers at the NHS hospital have called a local priest for an exorcism.
Senior manager Debbie Butler e-mailed her staff she wrote: “I’m not sure how many of you are aware that some members of staff have reported seeing a ghost. “I’m taking it seriously as the last thing I want is staff feeling uneasy at work.”
Experts said this spirit may be the ghost of a Roman soldier killed on the grounds, Protesters attempted to halt the first hospital being built in 1920, but Developers continued to build on one of Ancient Britain’s main Roman roads.
In the past, we’ve mentioned a possible Roman ghost on a paintball site at Teeside, Boudicca’s ghost running around Lincolnshire and Flintshire, assorted Roman ghosts at York.
