d.m. Willi Dansgaard
I can already hear my readers saying “Who?”. Willi Dansgaard was a climatologist who pioneered checking Greenland ice cores and the like for evidence of climate change. From a Classics perspective: Dansgaard later organised or participated in more than 19 expeditions to the glaciers of Norway, Greenland and Antarctica, and went on to develop ways [...]
Barack Obama and the Lessons of Antiquity: Robert Garland
While poking around Youtube yesterday, I came across a pile of videos from the Hauenstein Center, which apparently hosted a conference called Barack Obama and the Lessons of Antiquity in which a pile of big name Classicists made some interesting comparisons. Near as I can tell, all of the talks are available, so over the [...]
Emperors of Rome: Vitellius
Adrian Murdoch approaches the end of the ‘Year of the Four Emperors’: Emperors of Rome: Vitellius
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem ix kalendas martias
ante diem ix kalendas martias Parentalia possibly comes to an end with the festival of Feralia, during which sheep were sacrificed to the dead; the additional rites mentioned by Ovid (Fasti 2.565 ff) apparently in connection with the Feralia probably have nothing to do specifically with the festival. 4 A.D. — death of hoped-for-successor-to-Augustus Gaius [...]
Cartledge and Romm on Alexander (8)
This week’s subject: what caused the death of Alexander. What Caused The Death Of Alexander The Great? – Booked – Reading unbound – Forbes.
Altar of the Twelve Gods Found?
Interesting (and uncharacteristically detailed) item in Kathimerini: Renovation work on the aged Piraeus-Kifissia electric railway (ISAP) on the stretch between the central Athenian neighborhoods of Monastiraki and Thisseio have brought to light one of the most exciting archaeological discoveries of recent years. Archaeologists believe that remnants found during construction in the area of the Ancient [...]
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xii kalendas martias
Parentalia (Day 6)– the period for appeasing the dead continues 1559 — birth of Isaac Casaubon
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xiii kalendas martias
ante diem xiii kalendas martias Parentalia (Day 5) — the period for appeasing the dead continued Quirinalia — festival honouring the namesake of the Quirinal hill, the Sabine divinity Quirinus, who was later identified with Romulus. Little else is known about the festival. 304 A.D. — martyrdom of Donatus and 80+ others near Venice 1776 [...]
Archaeology Magazine Corrigenda
… from the mailbag: We, as Etruscologists, would very much appreciate it if you would post the following correction, since it is our understanding that Archaeology, the magazine published by the Archaeological Institute of America, does not intend to print a correction. The November/December 2010 issue of Archaeology featured an article on the Etruscans with [...]
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xiiv kalendas martias
ante diem xiiv kalendas martias Parentalia (Day 4) — the period for appeasing the dead continued 309 A.D. — martyrdom of Pamphilius
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xv kalendas martias
ante diem xv kalendas martias Parentalia (Day 3) — the festival for appeasing the dead continues Lupercalia 44 B.C. — Julius Caesar is offered — and declines — the title of rex and the diadem to go with it 1515 — death of Aldus Manutius
Emperors of Rome: Galba and Otho
In my hecticity last week, I neglected to post one of Adrian Murdoch’s excellent little synopses, so this week a double dose! Enjoy: Emperors of Rome: Galba Emperors of Rome: Otho
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xvi kalendas martias
ante diem xvi kalendas martias Parentalia (day 2) — the period for appeasing the dead continued. 270 A.D. — traditional date for the beheading of Saint Valentine
Another Antiquities Dealer in Trouble
A different sort of case from the Guardian: A British antiquities dealer who faces being deported to Greece and imprisoned over claims that he sold stolen ancient artefacts to an Athens dealer is expected to learn his fate within the next fortnight. Malcolm Hay, 60, an Oxford-educated trader who has sold antiquities to museums worldwide, [...]
Latest Lysistratidai
Belgian politico-spouses are being urged to give their hubbies the Lysistrata treatment: via BBC News – Sex ban suggested for Belgian coalition negotiators. … we started keeping track of these things a couple of years ago … fwiw, I could have sworn I saw a sign suggesting a similar thing in the tv coverage of [...]
Cartledge and Romm on Alexander (7)
This time they’re discussing his ‘orientation’: Alexander The Great: Gay or Straight? – Booked – Reading unbound – Forbes.
Gladiator Epics — Classics Departments’ Dirty Little Secret
Lengthy piece in the Miami Herald on the ongoing popularity of Gladiator/Roman movies … along the way, they interview some Classicists: From the biblical epics of the ’50s to the toga dramas of the ’60s through more recent hits such as “300,” “Gladiator,” “Braveheart” and TV series such as “Hercules,” “Xena: Warrior Princess,” “Rome” and [...]
Pamphilus and Servilia, Reunited!
From the University of Reading comes a nice Valentine’s Day tie in: With Valentine’s Day fast approaching romance is in the air and this year the University of Reading has played the ultimate role of Cupid. Dr Peter Kruschwitz and Virginia Campbell from the University’s Department of Classics have used their expertise to reunite a [...]
Them’s Fightin’ Words!
So Daniel Mendelsohn wrote a scathing review of the tv series Mad Men and someone didn’t like it … an excerpt from an account at the New York Times (which has all the relevant links, of course): Mr. Peck is perhaps better known for not liking things than liking them (see, e.g., his collection of [...]
Cleopatra’s Mummified Hand! (doubt it, but still interesting)
Catching up on a pile of backlogged email, I was gobsmacked to read this excerpt from an upcoming auction announcement … from Auction Central News (inter alia): The most extraordinary of all items in the sale is the actual mummified hand of Cleopatra, to be auctioned with documentation. The preserved, mummified left hand has an [...]
d.m. J.V. Luce
From the Irish Times: Former Trinity vice-provost and emeritus professor John Victor Luce died yesterday following a short illness at the age of 90. Better known as JV Luce, he was a senior fellow of Trinity and was the 62nd vice-provost of the university from 1987 to 1989, a position which his father, Arthur Aston [...]
ClassiCarnival 02-06-11
Some gleanings from my blogroll (and elsewhere) from the past week or so which you might have missed (some are a bit older, having scrolled to the next page of my inbox the last time I was compiling) … in no particular order: Lucretius, “Of Natural Things”- also Atoms & Atheists| Rufus History’s Lost, Part [...]
In Explorator 13.42
I sent this one out early out of fear of internet outtages this a.m. … didn’t materialize, of course. Some items of interest from my weekly newsletter; some have already appeared at rogueclassicism and some will hopefully appear later. I’m including a section I put together on the goings-on in Egypt just in case you’re [...]
CFP: ‘Alexander in Africa’
Seen on the Classicists list (please direct any queries to the folks mentioned in the item and not to rogueclassicism): ‘Alexander in Africa’ (12th Unisa Classics Colloquium, Grahamstown, South Africa 28-30 June 2011) Proposals for papers are hereby solicited on topics related to the theme, which is seen as covering the following: Alexander’s sojourn on [...]
CONF: Feminism and Classics VI: Crossing Borders, Crossing Lines
Seen in the Canadian Classical Bulletin (please direct any queries to the folks mentioned in the item and not to rogueclassicism): Feminism and Classics VI: Crossing Borders, Crossing Lines Brock University, St Catharines, Ontario, Canada May 24-27, 2012 Ancient Mediterranean society was crisscrossed by multiple boundaries and borders. Firm boundaries between male and female, slave [...]
