Hodie est a.d. VIII Kal. Nov. 2772 AUC ~ 27 Pyanepsion in the third year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

• ‘Extraordinary’ Roman villa reopened to public in Herculaneum | World news | The Guardian 
• US ambassador returns to Italy a statue stolen in 1968 
• Archaeologists find 1,900-year-old tomb of woman doctor in Turkey | Ahval 
• France finally allows access to ancient tombs in Jerusalem – www.israelhayom.com 
• Can a Restored Pompeii Be Saved From ‘Clambering’ Tourists? – The New York Times 

In Case You Missed It

• Dogs show a nose for archaeology by sniffing out 3,000 year old tombs | Science | The Guardian 

Greek/Latin News

• [Ephemeris] SCELVS LONDINI Cadauera inuenta sunt 
• [Ephemeris] PVNICA SEDITIO Poenorum demonstrationes 

Public Facing Classics

• Classics considers severing ties with Paideia Institute 

Fresh Bloggery

• Dabbling in the Occult: Odysseus, Necromancer – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Scylax | The Kosmos Society 
• Halloween is Next Week: Werewolf Week Returns – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• The World of Isle of the Blessed – Part IV – The Court of Severus in Eburacum | 
• Meta-Classics Costume Idea: Paris as Menelaos – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 

Fresh Podcasts

• Coffee and Circuses / Emma-Jayne Graham (Open University) 

Emma-Jayne joins David to discuss the OU’s online learning tools, including the creation of the Hadrian: The Roamin’ Emperor game and filming at Delphi. Emma-Jayne also chats about her research on disability and sensory experience in the Roman World, and how bodily experience would have been far more varied then we tend to think, as well as votive offerings and how these might have helped people deal with these issues. Fittingly, just in time for Halloween, they also talk about Emma-Jayne’s work on funerary customs and the process of os resectum, which included removing a finger of the deceased.

Book Reviews

• [BMCR] Shawn W. Flynn (ed.), Children in the Bible and the Ancient World: Comparative and Historical Methods in Reading Ancient Children. Studies in the history of the ancient Near East. London: Routledge, 2019
• [BMCR] Matthew Loar, Carolyn MacDonald, Dan-el Padilla Peralta (ed.), Rome, Empire of Plunder: The Dynamics of Cultural Appropriation. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2018. 
• [BMCR] Kenneth Glazer, Searching for Oedipus: How I Found Meaning in an Ancient Masterpiece. Lanham; Boulder; New York; London: Hamilton Books, 2018. 
• АRKHОNТ : Reliques antiques de Chersonèse : découvertes, résultats, théories. 2019 | Spartokos a lu 

Professional Matters

• Associate Professor (or Professor) in Ancient History (Greek) – Corpus Christi College Oxford – Vacancies 
• Mediterranean Identity and Race in Antiquity | Department of Classics 

Alia

• Asterix makes way for first female hero in comic’s history 
• Mark Zuckerberg’s obsession with Augustus Caesar may explain haircut – Business Insider 
• Rahe’s new book on Sparta wins geopolitical award – Hillsdale Collegian
• Classics lecture held in memoriam of Grace West – Hillsdale Collegian 
• Modern Meets Ancient in A. E. Stallings – The Objective Standard 
• Percy Jackson and the Problem of Western Civilization | Chris Gehrz 

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

• Homeromanteion | Online Homeric Oracle
• Sortes Virgilianae (English)
• Sortes Virgilianae (Latin)
• Consult the Oracle at UCL

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, there will be major misery as a result of unfortunate events.

… adapted from the text and translation of:

Jean MacIntosh Turfa, The Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar, in Nancy Thomson de Grummond and Erika Simon (eds.), The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press, 2006. (Kindle edition)

Hodie est a.d. IX Kal. Nov. 2772 AUC ~ 26 Pyanepsion in the third year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

• Excavation in Turkey reveals hidden side of newsworthy nation | The University of Kansas 
• Heuneburg early Celts across classes may have drunk Mediterranean wine in local ceramics | EurekAlert! Science News 
• UC classics professor begins excavations in Sardinia, Italy | Features | newsrecord.org 
• New technique reveals lost splendours of Herculaneum art 
• Dogs show a nose for archaeology by sniffing out 3,000 year old tombs | Science | The Guardian 

In Case You Missed It

• 1,500-year-old Byzantine Church with mosaics discovered in Beit Shemesh – Israel News – Jerusalem Post 
• The fall of Rome was Europe’s lucky break 

Public Facing Classics

• [Peter Jones] Roman funerals had real ‘emotional intelligence’ | The Spectator 
• [Maria Wyke] Iconising the Classical: Pompeii in Silent Cinema – CRASSH 
• [Madeline Miller] Spokane is Reading hosts author Madeline Miller, whose bestseller Circe reimagines a minor female character from The Odyssey | The Pacific Northwest Inlander 

Fresh Bloggery

• A Couple More Manuscripts of Questionable Origins | Variant Readings 
• Manifest Guilt For The Blood He Spilt – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age
• Podcasting, Performance, and Pedagogy – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Join Gina for Short Courses – Classical Studies Support 
• Pumpkinception – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Arrian I.3.1-6 | The Second Achilles 

Fresh Podcasts

• De Avis | Sermones Raedarii 

Die domini, avos laudo apud quos nunc liberi versantur

• Spectator Books: Greek myths, reimagined | Coffee House 

This week the Books Podcast leaves its dank burrow and hits the road. I travelled to the southern Peloponnese to catch up with the Orange-prize winning novelist Madeline Miller, where she was hosting a reading weekend at the Costa Navarino resort. Madeline’s first novel, The Song of Achilles, retold the Iliad from Patroclus’s point of view. Her second, Circe, takes on the great sorceress of the Odyssey. She talked about how — as a classicist as well as a novelist — she approached reworking these canonical stories; about taking liberties with Circe; and about how the ‘rape culture’ of Ancient Greece speaks to us in the age of #metoo.

Book Reviews

• [BMCR] Steven J. Green (ed.), Grattius: Hunting an Augustan Poet. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2018. 
• [BMCR] Achim Lichtenberger, Rubina Raja (ed.), Archaeology and History of Jerash: 110 Years of Excavations. Jerash papers, 1. Turnhout: Brepols, 2018. 
• [BMCR] Eirini M. Dimitriadou, Athens: Settlements and Cemeteries in the Submycenaean, Geometric and Archaic Periods. Monumenta archaeologica, 42. Los Angeles: UCLA, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, 2019. 
• [BMCR] Antony Augoustakis, R. Joy Littlewood (ed.), Campania in the Flavian Poetic Imagination. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2019 
• [BMCR] Stéphanie Guédon (ed.), La frontière méridionale du Maghreb: Approches croisées (Antiquité – Moyen Âge). 1. Scripta receptoria, 13. Bordeaux: Ausonius Éditions, 2018. 
• [BMCR] Cécile Durvye, Diodore de Sicile. Bibliothèque historique. Tome XV: Livre XX. Collection des universités de France, 538. Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 2018. 

Dramatic Receptions

• Bare Theatre Presents THE TROJAN WOMEN 
• California University theater department opens season with Greek parody | Local | heraldstandard.com 
• In Characters Ancient and Contemporary, Women Discover Their Power Onstage – The New York Times 

Alia

• Original handwritten Olympic manifesto to auction at Sotheby’s 
• This Might be Why the Infamous Vesuvius Eruption That Destroyed Pompeii Was so Explosive 
• Greek university offers first classics degree in English 
• Greek Scientists Say Alexander the Great Died of Pancreatic Necrosis | GreekReporter.com 
• Big, bad Boudica united thousands of ancient Britons against Rome | National Geographic 
• One Ring to Rule Them All, 10 Years to Study Its Significance – The Montclarion 
• The professor whose zeal for collecting left a lasting legacy on Tyneside – Chronicle Live 
• Asterix gets update with female heroine in latest outing | News | WKZO 
• Women, once relegated to supporting roles, are becoming the protagonists of their own stories – The Washington Post 
• The Intriguing Greek Origins of Marseille, France’s Oldest City | Greek Reporter Europe /
• What’s the Plural of Quid Pro Quo? – Mother Jones 

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

• Homeromanteion | Online Homeric Oracle
• Sortes Virgilianae (English)
• Sortes Virgilianae (Latin)
• Consult the Oracle at UCL

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, because of the discord of those in power, the common people will oppress others.

… adapted from the text and translation of:

Jean MacIntosh Turfa, The Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar, in Nancy Thomson de Grummond and Erika Simon (eds.), The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press, 2006. (Kindle edition)

Hodie est a.d. X Kal. Nov. 2772 AUC ~ 25 Pyanepsion in the third year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

• Bones Discovered at Ancient Greek ‘Antikythera Mechanism’ Shipwreck 
• Tornos News | Ancient bath complex unearthed in Greece’s lost city of Tenea 
• Ancient church dedicated to mysterious martyr found near Jerusalem – Archaeology – Haaretz.com 
• Row over plans to move Greek antiquities from construction site 

In Case You Missed It

• Newly Discovered Treasures Came From the Same Sunken Ship That Carried the Controversial ‘Elgin Marbles’ | Smart News | Smithsonian 

Greek/Latin News

• Nuntii Latini mensis Septembris 2019 – Latein-Monatsnachrichten – Bremen Zwei – Radio Bremen 

Fresh Bloggery

• AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World Video Lecture Archive 
• Mythical Hope 5 – From an autistic place unlike earth, and why there’s no need to mourn | Mythology and Autism – Susan Deacy 
• Obscenity Watch: Walk Like an Egyptian – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• “Bread for slaves – 2” – An ancient shopping list from Pompeii – Roger Pearse 
• AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Attic Inscriptions Online Update 
• Latin Verses Versus Education – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Updates from the Egyptian Exploration Society and the papri purchased by Andy Stimer ~ ARCAblog l
• Worldly World Leader Wisdom – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Arrian I.2.1-6 | The Second Achilles 
• Another New Eagles and Dragons Series Release – The Stolen Throne is out now! | 

Fresh Podcasts

• Caligula #2 – The Movie (Part 2) | Life Of The Caesars 

We continue our live commentary on the 1979 epic film, CALIGULA. Picking up where we left off last week, still in Tiberius’ sex palace on Capri, with a lady holding a writhing legless lizard that she is apparently about to place inside her woo-hoo. Around the 18 minute mark of the film. This episode sees the death of Tiberius, the arrest of Macro, a bukake scene, Helen Mirren dancing and doing it doggy style, a possibly historically-inaccurate giant head mower, and Caligula providing a young couple with a wedding present to remember.

Book Reviews

• PAPYRI AND THE SOCIAL WORLD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT – Classics for All 
• Essayist Ventures ‘From The Greeks To Game Of Thrones’ — And Back Again | KERA News 

Professional Matters

• The Ancient Novel and Material Culture | Society for Classical Studies 
• Call for abstracts for ACL’s panel at SCS 2021 
• The World Upside-Down: Absurdities, Inversions, and Alternate Realities – Columbia University Ancient Mediterranean Graduate Student Conference 

Alia

• Naked mathematician at Oxford Science Festival | Oxford Mail 
• The US Army Is Launching a 21st-Century Version of the Monuments Men to Protect Cultural Heritage in War-Torn Regions | artnet News 
• Big, bad Boudica united thousands of ancient Britons against Rome | National Geographic 
• James Millar: There is a party with all the answers on Brexit after all it turns out – a Roman toga party | Press and Journal 

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

• Homeromanteion | Online Homeric Oracle
• Sortes Virgilianae (English)
• Sortes Virgilianae (Latin)
• Consult the Oracle at UCL

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, the people will be incredibly happy.

… adapted from the text and translation of:

Jean MacIntosh Turfa, The Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar, in Nancy Thomson de Grummond and Erika Simon (eds.), The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press, 2006. (Kindle edition)

Hodie est a.d. XI Kal. Nov. 2772 AUC ~ 243 Pyanepsion in the third year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

• Tomb of Aratos found in southern Turkey 
• Archaeology Without Borders restarts Persepolis restoration work – Tehran Times 
• Achaemenid, Parthian clay seals unearthed in northeast Iran – Tehran Times 
• Skeletons uncovered near lake in India believed to belong to Greeks | Neos Kosmos 

In Case You Missed It

• Deciphering Ancient Greek inscriptions using Pythia | Neos Kosmos 
• New research suggests Minoan civilisation was not wiped out due to natural disaster – Greek City Times 

Public Facing Classics

• [Chris Waldo] Sally Wen Mao with Christopher Waldo – EIDOLON 

Fresh Bloggery

• Bestiaria Latina Blog: Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: October 22 
• Arrian I.Preface | The Second Achilles 
• Tawdry Tuesday: A Lesson in Personal Economics – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Arrian I.1-13 | The Second Achilles 
• More News on Stolen Papyri from the Egypt Exploration Society | Variant Readings 
• Eumachia of Pompeii (1st century CE) – Ancient Herstories 

Fresh Podcasts

• ‎Emperors of Rome: Episode CXXIX – Tiberius Gracchi and the Landless Masses (Gracchi II)  

Any system of government that has been around for long enough is going to develop its problems, and that is definitely the case with the Roman republic. There was inequality between the ruling class and the common people, and if young Tiberius Gracchus decides to take up the cause, what’s the worst that could happen?

Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University

• QDP Ep 150: De Imagine Satis Ridicula – Quomodo Dicitur? Podcast 

Tres amici de imagine photographica satis ridicula colloquuntur.

Book Reviews

• [BMCR] Blossom Stefaniw, Christian Reading: Language, Ethics, and the Order of Things. Oakland: University of California Press, 2019.
• [BMCR] Marion Bellissime, Frédéric Hurlet, Dion Cassius. Histoire romaine: livre 53. Collection des universités de France. Série grecque, 537. Paris: Les Belles Lettres,
• [BMCR] Pierre Ducrey, Polémica : études sur la guerre et les armées dans la Grèce ancienne. Edited by Sylvian Fachard​. Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 2019.
• [BMCR] Elizabeth Angelicoussis, Reconstructing the Lansdowne Collection of Classical Marbles, (2 vols.). Munich: Hirmer, 2017.
• [BMCR] Dagmar Hofmann, Griechische Weltgeschichte auf Latein: Iustins “Epitoma historiarum Pompei Trogi” und die Geschichtskonzeption des Pompeius Trogus. Hermes. Einzelschriften, Band 114. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2018.

Professional Matters

• CFP: Causes and Causality in Aristotle | Society for Classical Studies 
• Regular Member Program | American School of Classical Studies at Athens 

Alia

• A Plea for More Cynicism, Not Less: Election Day in Canada – CounterPunch.org 
• Early History of Isolated, Withdrawn, Detached Individuals | Psychology Today Canada 
• 2 Washington Nationals Were Named For A Canaanite God – The Forward 
• Ancient Coins – The Invention and Importance of Striated Coins 
• There is big money to be made in the sale of Bible artefacts – and that’s part of the problem | Christian News on Christian Today 
• SIMS | Curating Art is Inherently Political | The Cornell Daily Sun 
• [Paywalled] The Times view on plagiarism by great authors: Something Borrowed | Comment | The Times 

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

• Homeromanteion | Online Homeric Oracle
• Sortes Virgilianae (English)
• Sortes Virgilianae (Latin)
• Consult the Oracle at UCL

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, it portends bad conditions and assorted diseases for the people.

… adapted from the text and translation of:

Jean MacIntosh Turfa, The Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar, in Nancy Thomson de Grummond and Erika Simon (eds.), The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press, 2006. (Kindle edition)

Hodie est a.d. XII Kal. Nov. 2772 AUC ~ 23 Pyanepsion in the third year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

• Archaeologists uncover 2,000-year-old street in Jerusalem built by Pontius Pilate | EurekAlert! Science News 
• Jerash sculptures point towards early Arab, Greco-Roman contact — German scholar | MENAFN.COM 

In Case You Missed It

• AI Pythia Restores Damaged Ancient Greek Tablet in Seconds | Science Times 

Greek/Latin News

• [AkropolisWorldNews] Περὶ τοῦ Βρέξιτ (ὃ προσδοκητὸν ἦν…) 

Fresh Bloggery

• A Statement from Dirk Obbink | Variant Readings 
• Actually, The Destruction of Melos Only Seems Bad… – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• How Much Material from Oxyrhynchus Remains Unpublished? | Variant Readings 
• The Reason for Empire’s Fall – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Classical Works Knowledge Base 

Book Reviews

• Le cimetière scythe tardif de Krasny Majak (fouilles de  1976-1977) | Spartokos a lu 

Alia

• Classics department holds annual Coin Petting Zoo | The Lawrentian 
• Statue of Athena Parthenos to be brought to life at the Acropolis Museum – Greek City Times 

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

• Homeromanteion | Online Homeric Oracle
• Sortes Virgilianae (English)
• Sortes Virgilianae (Latin)
• Consult the Oracle at UCL

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, there will be coughing sicknesses and pressure on the heart.

… adapted from the text and translation of:

Jean MacIntosh Turfa, The Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar, in Nancy Thomson de Grummond and Erika Simon (eds.), The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press, 2006. (Kindle edition)