Classics Daily: Why the Romans Celebrated a Child-Killing Patricide.

Roger Pearse: Academic papers want to be free.

[verrrrrry interesting …]

Imperium Sine Fine: The Ancient World: Free for All?.

[in contrast to Mary Beard’s talk which we posted earlier today]

Zenobia: Empress of the East: Whose Christmas Is It Anyway? Updated.

The incipit of an item from ANSA:

Archaeologists on Thursday were assessing the damage after one of the pillars in the garden of an ancient Roman home collapsed at Pompeii.

Police were also called to investigate the collapse of the pillar which was part of an external pergola at the house of Loreius Tiburtinus in the centre of the popular tourist site.

News of the collapse was announced by the Special Archaeology Superintendent of Naples and Pompeii and the site was immediately closed to the public.

The House of Loreius Tiburtinus is famous for its extensive gardens and outdoor ornamentation, in particular its Euripi, fountains that feature many frescoes and statuettes. The frescoes portray the myths of Narcissus on one side of the fountain and Pyramus and Thisbe on the other in a garden full of fruit trees and other plants. At the end of November, the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO and the Italian government agreed to join forces to restore rain-damaged Pompeii after several recent collapses.

UNESCO said it would work with Italy over the next nine months to rebuild villas and other parts of the famed Roman site that have collapsed over the last year.

Under the deal, UNESCO said it would provide expert advice to the Italian government on how to upgrade conservation. […]

• Pillar collapses in ancient garden in Pompeii (ANSA)

A few more details from AGI:

Anther column holding up the external pergola of the has fallen in Pompeii’s Loreio Tiburtino domus. This most recent collapse at one of the world’s most well-know archaeological site was probably caused by heavy rain recently experienced in the Campania Region. Carabinieri were called to the site after the incident was reported. This domus, one of the best known in Pompeii, stands on the Via dell’Abbondanza and was once the home of the descendant of an noble Roman family. It is characterized by a grandiose entrance opening on to a courtyard overlooked by many rooms with frescoes. Those in the triclinium are signed by “Lucius pinxit.” The decoration of one of these rooms has been described as a perfect example of the so-called fourth Pompeiian style, with figures including one of Isis’ priests portrayed against a white background. It was a column of the domus’ pergola that fell. Police consider this a serious event and have cordoned off the entire area.
Experts will analyse the situation and report to the prosecutor in Torre Annunziata responsible for investigating a series of these disasters for which a number of people are being investigated .

• PILLAR FALLS IN POMPEII LEADING TO INQUIRY (AGI)

More coverage:

• Pompeii column collapse revives concerns over site (Reuters)

Alia:

A nice little flickr photoset … and another …. similiter (but not flickr), including some reconstructions