quidquid bene dictum est ab ullo, meum est
The incipit of Mary Beard’s latest:
One of the smart ideas of the ancient Athenian democracy was the system of ostracism. If the people wanted to decide between the policies of two different politicians, and they were deadlocked — they had a vote and simply exiled one of them…
More: A Dons Life by Mary Beard – Times Online – A three-cornered election: the ancient Athenian solution.
Just a little fyi tidbit … something may have been lost in translation:
Tens of Romanians established in Italy came to Circo Massimo and in the streets of Rome in order to applaud and encourage the „Dacians” and the „Romans” of the Terra Dacica Aeterna Association in Cluj-Napoca (north-western Romania), who participated in the Natale di Roma history festival that was held over April 16-21.Likewise, many Romanians accompanied the „Dacians” and the „Romans” in Cluj-Napoca to the Trajan’s Column monument, which displays scenes from the wars between the Dacians and the Romans that occurred 19 centuries ago.One of the festival’s important moments was the parade, attended by almost 1,700 participants. They wore costumes identical to the ones worn 2,000 years ago, they marched in the streets of the ancient Rome area and presented their honours to the officials.
via Romanians living in Italy congratulate „Dacians” and „Romans” in Cluj | Financiarul.
Dear Socrates,How does it feel to be so great and historic a personage? I feel unworthy to be writing a letter to you. Instead, if I were capable of it, I should be composing a paean.
Yours in deepest humility,
A Mere Plebeian
via Philosophy Now | Dear Socrates. [go there to see Socrates’ response, of course]
Lots of coverage of this one, but all of it very brief:
Archaeologists have uncovered bronze coins bearing the image of ancient Egyptian ruler King Ptolemy III in an oasis south of the capital, the culture ministry announced on Thursday.Also found by the Egyptian team were necklaces made of ostrich eggshell, it said.The 383 items dating back more than 2,250 years were found near Lake Qarun in Fayum oasis, around 120 kilometres (75 miles) from Cairo, the ministry said in a statement, adding that they were in excellent condition.The coins weighed 32 grams (1.12 ounces) each, with one face depicting the god Amun and the other the words “king” and “Ptolemy III” in Greek along with his effigy, the statement said.
Other objects from different periods were also found during the dig, in addition to parts of a whale skeleton around 42 million years old, it added.
The ministry said it was the first time Egyptian archaeologists had found necklaces made from ostrich eggshell at Fayum.
Of Greek origin, the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled from around 330 BC to 30 BC and was Egypt’s last before the country fell under Roman rule. Queen Cleopatra was the dynasty’s final sovereign.
via Egypt unearths coins more than 2,250 years old |Middle East Online.
… we’ll be updating this later with more coverage and any photos I manage to find.
Great quote from teacher Deirdre Salmon:
“It’s like going from a tiny black-and-white television from the 1950s to a huge color plasma flat-screen television,” Salmon said. “It opens up your world that much.”
rogueclassicism 