A very interesting series of items from Jonah Goldberg popped up at the National Review Online this week. First:

A slew of readers are outraged, perplexed, confabulated and gobsmacked by the claim made below by another reader that there’s no Latin word for “volcano.”

I agree it is bizarre. After all you would think that after Pompeii was covered in lava and hot ash by Mount Vesuvius, someone would have said “Hey, you know what? We could really use a word for that thing.”

Meanwhile, a friend informs me that Mons ignifer (fire-bearing mountain) is the Latin neologism for volcano.

Better late than never, I suppose.

via: No Latin For Volcano

Followed quickly by:

This is awesome, from a reader:

Hi, Jonah,

I discovered this a few years ago, after I’d read Robert Harris’ excellent novel, _Pompeii_. It’s told from the point of view of a hydraulic engineer in AD 79, sent to figure out why the aqueduct around Pompeii is running dry. I kept wondering why the characters weren’t thinking about the possibility of the volcano erupting, and I finally tried to look up the word in my Latin dictionary, without success. It’s the Chambers & Murray—considered the best 1-volume Latin dictionary out there—so it wouldn’t have accidentally missed the word.

That really surprised me. But I reckon Vesuvius really surprised the Romans, too. I thought this might have been the first eruption of a volcano their civilization had known, but that’s not the case, since even Vergil refers to an eruption of Etna in the Aeneid. So…even weirder they didn’t have a word, since they knew about these things. Huh.

via: No Latin for Volcano Cont’d

Then:

The controversy won’t go dormant. From a reader:

Mr. Goldberg,

There may not be a single word for a volcano, but there is a Latin phrase for it:

mons flammas eructans (“mountain belching fire”)

Thanks.

And:

Aren’t you being more than a trifle gullible? The Romans employed ample terminology for volcanoes; even more for the sort of eruptions of stupidity evidenced by your reader. I suggest you consign his email to the mouth of a mons flammas eructans. While you’re at it, utter a prayer to Volcanus.

And:

good heavens — anyone who saw the doctor who episode “the fires of
pompeii” (2008) knows there was no latin word for “volcano.” also,
that as bad as volcanic eruptions are, they prevent the pyrovile rock
people from becoming our new alien overlords. sheesh.

And:

According to the episode “The Fires of Pompeii” they simply didn’t have one.

THE DOCTOR (subdued, to Donna)
They don’t know what it is. Vesuvius is just a mountain to them, the top hasn’t blown off yet. The Romans haven’t even got a word for volcano. Not until tomorrow.

[…]

via: More Volcanic Latin

I’m not sure saying “they didn’t have a word for it” gives the right impression. As some of the commentators about are implying, it seems more accurate to say that the Romans didn’t really distinguish between mountains that ‘burned’ and mountains that didn’t ‘burn’ except with the addition of adjectives. Here, e.g., is what Pliny the Elder has in a section describing ‘flagrant mountains’ (2.110 via Lacus Curtius):

verum in montium miraculis ardet Aetna noctibus semper tantoque aevo materia ignium sufficit, nivalis hibernis temporibus egestumque cinerem pruinis operiens. nec in illo tantum natura saevit exustionem terris denuntians: flagrat in Phaselitis mons Chimaera, et quidem inmortali diebus ac noctibus flamma; ignem eius accendi aqua, extingui vero terra aut fimo Cnidius Ctesias tradit. eadem in Lycia Hephaesti montes taeda flammante tacti flagrant, et adeo ut lapides quoque rivorum et harenae in ipsis aquis ardeant, aliturque ignis ille pluviis; baculo si quis ex iis accenso traxerit sulcum, rivos ignium sequi narrant. flagrat in Bactris Cophanti noctibus vertex.

Here’s the incipit … not sure if I blogged this already:

Many historians agree that the world’s most well-known epic poet, Homer, lived in the Aegean city of İzmir, but several mayors are eager to have their towns recognized as his home.

The ancient Greek poet Homer, traditionally considered the author of the epic poems “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” is believed to have lived in ancient Smyrna, today’s İzmir, in the eighth century B.C. Seven different locations claim to be home to Homer, with Bornova and Gaziemir on the brink of a tough battle.

Gaziemir Mayor Halil İbrahim Şenol, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, argued that Homer was born in Gaziemir. “The history books say Homer was born where the Meles River starts, and it starts in Gaziemir,” said Şenol. “It is not true that Homer lived in Bornova, and our research will support and reveal the truth.”

Bornova, another town in İzmir, also claims it is the hometown of the Greek poet. Bornova Mayor Kamil Okyay Sındır, also a member of the CHP, earlier said the town should be proud of being Homer’s hometown and cited the Meles River reference to strengthen his argument.

“Homer wrote about the Meles River in his works, which is why it is believed he lived around here,” Sındır said. “All findings indicate Homer lived in Bornova. There are seven locations in the Aegean and the Greek Islands claiming to be Homer’s hometown, but Bornova is the strongest candidate.”

Bornova was quick to take advantage of its links and last year opened the “Homeros Valley,” an attraction center built between the Bornova district center and Kayadibi village by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.

Şenol appointed archeologist Ercan Çokbankir as the Gaziemir Municipality Culture Coordinator after last year’s local elections, and he has been focused on the issue ever since.

“It makes more sense that Homer was a Gaziemir local,” said Çokbankir, adding that no argument is 100 percent certain. “Many history books name the river from Çatalkaya as Homer or Homeros. Bornova does not have such a record,”

“The Homeros Valley project has been built in the wrong location,” he said. “The right place would be Gaziemir.”

The Gaziemir mayor noted that the municipality will soon organize an international conference on Homer. “After all, Homer is a world-renowned poet, and the most important thing is that most historians agree he lived in İzmir,” said Şenol. “I’m aware that there is not much point in arguing about whether he lived in Bornova or Gaziemir, but we just want the truth to be known.”

More:  This is Homer’s real home, says mayor | Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review.

Not sure I’ve ever had something from the Sun, so:

A PENSIONER who dresses as a Roman gladiator and calls himself Maximus Decimus Meridius has admitted his obsession may be “over the top”.

Tony Barnatt Jose, a retired lorry driver, has devoted his life to the ancient empire — turning his house into a shrine and even making pilgrimages to Rome.

His fixation was sparked when he saw Russell Crowe’s epic movie Gladiator.

The 66-year-old grandfather has adorned the walls of his terraced home in Durham with shields, helmets, masks, pictures and cuttings.

He spends hours poring over books and watching films about the Roman Empire and wears a full suit of replica armour.

Mr Barnatt said: “After seeing Gladiator, I read a book about Hannibal, the military commander.

“I started going to the library and reading more about Roman history, going to Roman forts and collecting antiquities.

“Since then my obsession has just got worse and worse.

“The Romans left such a legacy all over the world. Even now, Rome carries on — even in America with the Senate.”

He added: “Everybody knows me as Maximus Decimus Meridius. Lots of people think I am mad.

“But so what, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone. I really enjoy it. The clothes and armour look real and I think they’re really great.”

Mr Jose estimates his Roman fascination now takes up three-quarters of his time.

The front door of his house bears the nameplate Rome and the house number is in Roman numerals.

His desk is a production line for homemade scrolls, armour and his next weapon — although the law prevents him from carrying a real sword.

He is now offering to attend events and parties in his gladiator costume, to raise cash for charity.

via Rome devotee: Call me Maximus | The Sun |News.

This one seems to be getting an awful lot of attention in the Italian press for some reason … a 2nd or 1st century B.C. amphora find from the waters near Bari.

Un’anfora romana risalente al periodo compreso fra il II ed il I secolo a.C. è stata scoperta su un fondale sabbioso non molto lontano dal porto di Bari e recuperata dai carabinieri del Nucleo subacquei. Si tratta del primo recupero archeologico eseguito dal Nucleo subacquei carabinieri di Bari che opera nel capoluogo pugliese dallo scorso 26 ottobre. Il nucleo è costituito da otto uomini, tutti operatori subacquei, impegnati a tutela delle persone e dei natanti, nella prevenzione dei reati ambientali in acqua e nel recupero di relitti e tutela dei beni archeologici. Ha sede sul Molo Pizzoli. Il recupero del reperto – a quanto si è saputo – è avvenuto mentre i militari stavano facendo un’immersione di addestramento e hanno scoperto l’antico reperto archeologico, parzialmente ricoperto di sabbia. Si tratta – hanno confermato gli esperti del Comando tutela patrimonio culturale – di una «lamboglia 2», un’anfora dal corpo ovoidale di circa un metro e venti di altezza, con le anse applicate sotto l’orlo, impiegata nell’antichità per il trasporto di liquidi, in particolare vino. Un manufatto tipico dell’area mediterranea che per il suo uso viene denominata «vinaria». Il reperto, dopo il recupero, è stato trasportato in un’apposita vasca d’intesa con la Soprintendenza dei beni archeologici.

via Ripescata un’antica anfora romana – Corriere del Mezzogiorno

… and I just learned from an article by Joann Freed that Lamboglio 2 vessels are equivalent to Dressel 6a (I think) … not sure why Dressel keeps coming up today!

Joann Freed, EARLY ROMAN AMPHORAS IN THE COLLECTION OF THE MUSEUM OF CARTHAGE, EMC/CV XL, n.s. 15, 1996, 119-155