A doctor had some 930 archaeological artifacts in his possession … seems to be one of those ‘private museum’ situations:

I carabinieri del nucleo tutela patrimonio culturale della Sicilia e del Comando provinciale dei carabinieri di Agrigento hanno sequestrato 930 reperti archeologici all’interno dell’abitazione di un medico agrigentino. Secondo quanto ha spiegato il capitano Giuseppe Marseglia del nucleo tutela patrimonio culturale di Palermo si tratta del maggiore sequestro di reperti archeologici degli ultimi dieci anni in Sicilia. I militari hanno sequestrato diversi crateri a figure rosse di epoca greca, ma anche reperti protostorici, bizantini, ellenistici ed anche del basso medioevo. Il provvedimento di sequestro e’ stato firmato dal sostituto procuratore Giacomo Forte e dal procuratore aggiunto Ignazio Fonzo. Il medico e’ stato denunciato per ricettazione e la sua posizione e’ al vaglio della magistratura. A mettere i carabinieri sulle tracce del “museo privato” e’ stata una segnalazione. Tutti i reperti saranno consegnati ora alla Soprintednenza di Agrigento. Il loro valore si aggira attorno a un milione di euro.

via 930 REPERTI ARCHEOLOGICI SEQUESTRATI A AGRIGENTO | AGI.

The Greek p.m. comments on the bailout:

On Friday, Papandreou said he hoped accessing the rescue package would give Greece the breathing room it needs to move forward on his reform agenda, which includes modernizing the Greek state and tackling the country’s pension morass. Evoking the ancient hero Odysseus and his epic journey home from the Trojan War, the American-born Prime Minister also warned that Greeks should have no illusions about how tough the process will be. “We are on a difficult path, a new odyssey for Greece and for the Greek nation,” he said. “But we know the way to Ithaca, and we have charted the waters in our quest.” Odysseus’ quest took 10 years. The Greeks can only hope their journey to fiscal solvency won’t take as long.

via Greek PM Papandreou Asks E.U. and IMF for Financial Help – TIME.

… assuming the war is over, of course …

Here’s the spoiler (the conclusion) of a nice article in Philosophy Now:

Suddenly Pythagoras came to a stop. A vast bean field stretched before him. He stood frozen, uncertain what to do. His eyes focused on a single bean dangling inches from his papyrus- covered feet. So true was he to his ideals that, even at the risk of losing his own life, he was unwilling to trample upon even a single bean. Staring down upon that vibrant bean, the sun low in the sky, he imagined it to be blossoming into a divine ripeness before him. And as he stood there, hesitating, contemplating his next move, his pursuers caught up with him. They lifted their weapons, and bringing the knifes down hard, spilled Pythagoras’ blood on the plants – ending his life for the sake of a bean, and for the deep wisdom immersed in that diminutive cosmic object.

… a case of “Bean there, done that”?

via The Death of Pythagoras | Philosophy Now .

Brief text accompanying this video (sans commentary) from the Times of Malta:

Government workers stumbled on an ancient tomb during excavation works at Ġnien Ħal Warda in Attard this morning.

The tomb including skeletal remains and an amphora.Attard Local Council, which is responsible for the works, immediately alerted the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, whose experts are trying to date the find.

Council officials said the remains could be over 2,500 years old.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

I’m guessing that’s a Dressel 20 amphora, which would make this a 2nd or 3rd century A.D. group burial, but I will happily be corrected on that identification.

via: Ancient tomb unearthed in Attard | Times of Malta

UPDATE (A few hours later):

Just came across this news report (with sound) which seems to suggest the burial is Punic, but I don’t have a clue what they’re saying:

Ousmane Diop, chairman of the Modern Languages Department of the Roxbury Latin School, was installed as the Stanley J. Bernstein Professor of Modern Languages on April 13. Diop is a longtime Roxbury Latin teacher and a resident of Roslindale.

A native of Senegal, Diop joined the Roxbury Latin faculty in 1994, a graduate of Oberlin College with degrees in French and mathematics. He later earned a master’s degree in education from Harvard University. At Oberlin he starred in tennis, one of the top players in that school’s history, ranking sixth in doubles by the ITA in his senior year. In 2006 he was inducted into Oberlin’s John W. Heisman Club’s Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition to teaching French, Diop serves as the school’s varsity tennis coach.

There is perhaps no more respected and more revered faculty member at Roxbury Latin than Diop. In his remarks to the assembled school community and guests, headmaster Kerry Brennan said, “For all of his 15 and a half years at Roxbury Latin, Mr. Diop epitomized all that we have come to expect and admire in the men and women who make up our faculty. He is a teacher, counselor, coach, adviser and mentor to scores of young men in his charge, a cherished and esteemed colleague of our faculty and staff. We are all better off from an association with Mr. Diop.”

More:  Diop installed as professor of modern languages at Roxbury Latin | West Roxbury Transcript.