Hodie est  IV Kal. Nov. 2772 AUC ~ 2 Poseideion in the third year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

• Ear cleaners and tweezers among Roman finds at Ebbsfleet Garden City 
• Tornos News | Two arrests for illegal possession of antiquities on Greek island of Kalymnos 
• Ancient necropolis discovered during roadworks in Sicily – The Local 
• [Tacitus!]Elizabeth I revealed as secret scribe of historic manuscript – BBC News 

In Case You Missed It

• Pompeii’s decadent central baths have opened to the public for the first time 

Classicists and Classics in the News

• Professor Jasper Griffin, classicist of rare humanity, breadth of interest and wit who was a Balliol and Oxford institution – obituary 

Fresh Bloggery

• Sacralised spaces in Pompeii – a visual guide | Szabó Csaba
• Sing Me a Dinner! A Comic Fragment for an Epic Feast – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Giving Thanks in Ancient Rome | Latin Language Blog
• Romulan Dispensation: Drink As Much As You Want! – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• The Wrong Monkey: Ciceronianism
• The Height of Luxury: How to Eat Birds Properly – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• The World of The Stolen Throne- Part I – Isca Dumnoniorum: A Brief look at Roman Exeter | 
• Get the Best of Every Thanksgiving Dish With this One Simple Trick! – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 

Fresh Podcasts

• ‎Life Of Caesar: Caligula #6 – The Maccabees  

One of the other first things Caligula did when he took power was to release Herod Agrippa from jail – King Herod from the New Testament. The grandson of Herod the Great. Which all gives me an excuse to talk about The Maccabean Revolt and a short history on Judaean politics from 169 BCE to Caligula.

• The Exploress Podcast: When In Rome: A Lady’s Life in the Ancient Roman Empire, Part 3 

Welcome to a day in the life of an ancient Roman matrona. In Part 3 of our exploration of a Roman woman’s day, we go out into the streets, taking in the Coliseum, the Forum, and the famous Roman baths. We’ll also go to a dinner party, then talk about sexuality in ancient Rome and what kinds of medical care we can expect to find… Thanks to our Rome expert guests Dr. Rhiannon Evans, main guest on the podcast Emperors of Rome, and Dr. Rad and Dr. G of The Partial Historians.

Alia

• Caligula, Cnut and Trump | Comment | ekathimerini.com 
• Australian lawyer sees hope for Marbles’ return | Life | ekathimerini.com 

‘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 improving conditions for the lower classes, but the anticipated fruit harvest will be destroyed.

… 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  IV Kal. Nov. 2772 AUC ~ 2 Poseideion in the third year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

• Traces of First Ancient Greek Colonists in 7th Century BC Found under Byzantine City at Bulgaria’s Chernomorets on Black Sea Coast – Archaeology in Bulgaria. and Beyond 
• Female fighter’s tomb found in Armenia with similarities with ancient Greek Amazons | ARMENPRESS Armenian News Agency 
• Police patrol Hadrian‘s Wall to ward off rogue metal detectorists – Wellston Journal 
• Ancient necropolis discovered during roadworks in Sicily – The Local 
• Two nabbed in Kalymnos for illegal possession of antiquities | News | ekathimerini.com 

Classicists and Classics in the News

• Notre Dame students teach Latin to Clay International Academy students 

 

Public Facing Classics

• [Peter Jones] Socrates would have made the leaders’ debates real interrogations | The Spectator 

Fresh Bloggery

• Looting Matters: An inscription from Kos 
• Bring Literature and Songs to the Table, But not Cheapness – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Archaeology Out of the Box | Archaeology of the Mediterranean World
• A Medical Justification for Taking Part in a Feast – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• The Armenian element in the Eastern Roman (‘Byzantine’) Empire – Novo Scriptorium 
• Podcasting Sophocles’ Antigone at UT Austin – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE
• De Lingua — Membro, Modo Loquendi, Opereque Erasmi – In Medias Res – Medium 
• The Atomic Philosophers; forerunners of Quantum Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology – Novo Scriptorium 
• Dinner Conversation Prompts from Plutarch: Old Men and Strong Wine – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Roman identity in ‘Byzantium’ – Novo Scriptorium 

Fresh Podcasts

• ‎The Partial Historians: Episode 99 – Tusculum and Antium 

It is c. 459 BCE and Rome faces the consequences of the Capitol having been seized and a consul killed in the previous year. The challenges come on two fronts: Tusculum and Antium.

• ‎Ancient History Fangirl: Cleopatra x Marc Antony: Lovers in a Dangerous Time (Part 3) on Apple Podcasts 

After four years of marriage with Octavia, Marc Antony followed Cleopatra to Alexandria—and settled into life there. He oversaw festivals and athletic contests, cheered Cleopatra on as she ruled Egypt, and showered her and their children with honors and territories. For all intents and purposes, he was the consort of Egypt’s beloved Pharaoh, the father of her children—and he was home. But the propaganda war between Antony and Octavian was building to a fever pitch in Rome, even as the Parthians loomed threateningly in the distance. Soon Antony would be called to war—and face the biggest battlefield test of his career.

• The Story of Achilles and Patroclus, from Homer 

In this episode, Achilles has avenged the death of his partner Patroclus, but still he struggles to let him go and his dreams are disturbed…. This story has been adapted from Homer, Iliad, various sections from Books 23 and 24. I wrote my undergraduate dissertation on Homer and my book (Dreams and Dreaming in the Roman Empire) on ancient dreams, so this is a story very close to my heart.

• PODCAST: The Expert welcomes Archaeologist Myles Chykerda – Ponoka News 

This week, we wanted to do something a bit different, focusing on a lesser talked-about field. Myles Chykerda, a Lacombe resident, is an archaeologist who has studied extensively in northern Greece.

• The Palatine Hill by When in Rome | Free Listening on SoundCloud 

One of the seven hills of Rome, the Palatine is associated the mythical origins of the city and the very wealthy elite. It was here, starting with Augustus, that the Emperors made their home, looking down on the city they ruled over for hundreds of years. Here’s Gillian Shepherd. Guest: Dr Gillian Shepherd (Trendall Centre, La Trobe University)

Book Reviews

• Les habitants de l’ancienne Phanagoria (reconstitution du mode de vie à l’aide de matériaux paléoanthropologiques) | Spartokos a lu 

Professional Matters

• Collezionisti e collezioni di antichità e di numismatica a Venezia nel Settecento (Trieste, 6-7 December 2019) – Current EpigraphyCurrent Epigraphy 
• CFP: Class Before Capitalism? | Society for Classical Studies 
• Performance: The Tragedy of Dido | Society for Classical Studies 
• 2020 Career Networking Sign-Up Still Open | Society for Classical Studies 

Alia

• New Palmyra Agreement Demonstrates Russia’s Continuing Soft Power Influence on Syria 
• NGC Ancients – The Lives of Four Emperors on Roman Coins 
• Egypt’s Lost Cities at the Reagan Presidential Library and Museum | KTLA 
• State College, PA – Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Biopic – 
• Where did ‘decuman’ come from? | The Spectator 
• The Fall Of Roman Britain: How Life Changed For Britons After The Empire – HistoryExtra 

‘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 that many wealthy politicians will be completely destroyed by their cowardice.

… 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  V Kal. Nov. 2772 AUC ~ 1 Poseideion in the third year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

• Archaeologists Discover Amazon Warrior In Ancient Armenian Grave 
• Tornos News | New Bronze Age finds by excavations at Agios Sozomenos of Cyprus in 2019 
• Roman pottery found at former Cowley petrol station site | Oxford Mail 
• Urgent repairs carried out on Roman Church ruins in Colchester | Gazette 

In Case You Missed It

• Pompeii Fresco Depicting Greek Myth Goes on View to Public – ARTnews.com 
• Pompeii’s grand baths unveiled | Arts & Ent , Culture | THE DAILY STAR 

Classicists and Classics in the News

• Classics department to hold seventh annual Saturnalia celebration – The Brock Press 
• Ruth Allen joins Carlos Museum as curator of Greek and Roman art | Emory University | Atlanta, GA
• MSU faculty recognized nationally for contributions to classical studies | Mississippi State University 
• Minos Kalokairinos: the man who discovered Knossos | Neos Kosmos 

Greek/Latin News

• [AkropolisWorldNews] Περὶ τοῦ τῆς Δάφνης Καρουάνα φόνου

Public Facing Classics

• [Chris Mackie] Explainer: the story of Demeter and Persephone 

Fresh Bloggery

• Laudator Temporis Acti: Another Portrait of the Blogger 
• Testicular Tuesday – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Een nieuw oude Persefone – Mainzer Beobachter 
• The Best Time For Sex? A Holiday Dinner Conversation Prompt – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE
• Recap of the SBL “First Century Mark” Session | Variant Readings 
• Dionysius the Distended – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Sneak Peek: Shawn Graham’s Failing Gloriously and Other Essays | Archaeology of the Mediterranean World 
• The Only Dinner Invitation Poem You Will Ever Need – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• Jesus Was Not Born in a Stable – Brice C. Jones 
• Controversial Topics for the Thanksgiving Table: HOMER VS. VERGIL – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 

Fresh Podcasts

• ‎Emperors of Rome: Episode CXXXI – Champions of the People (Gracchi IV)  

Gauis Gracchus – awe-inspiring and passionate to exaggeration, a demagogue pure and simple, seemingly shunned the family business, at least to begin with. But however much you may try to defer your fate, sometimes decisions are made for you. Guest: Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Book Reviews

• [BMCR] Justin Leidwanger, Carl Knappett (ed.), Maritime Networks in the Ancient Mediterranean World. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2018. 
• [BMCR] Cinzia Arruzza, A Wolf in the City: Tyranny and the Tyrant in Plato’s Republic. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2019. 
• [BMCR] Dorota Gorzelany, Macedonia – Alexandria: Monumental Funerary Complexes of the late Classical and Hellenistic Age. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2019. 
• [BMCR] Paul Woodruff (ed.), The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles: Philosophical Perspectives. Oxford studies in philosophy and literature. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2018. 
• [BMCR] Kristine Bøggild Johannsen​, Jane Hjarl Petersen (ed.), Family Lives: Aspects of Life and Death in Ancient Families. Acta hyperborea, 15. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, 2019. 
• [BMCR] Seth Bernard, Building Mid-Republican Rome: Labor, Architecture, and the Urban Economy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018 
• AUGUSTINE CONFESSIONS BOOKS V-IX – Classics for All 

Dramatic Receptions

• Aeschylus’ “Prometheus Bound”: Where Is Meaning to be Found? | Merion West 

Alia

• Discover the best preserved Roman city, Sagalassos, in Istanbul – Daily Sabah 
• The Roots of Thanksgiving in Ancient Greece | USA.GreekReporter.com

‘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 the same things.

… 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  VI Kal. Nov. 2772 AUC ~ 30 Maimakterion in the third year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

• Erotic fresco depicting Greek myth unveiled in Pompeii | Science | The Guardian 
• Pompeii’s grand baths unveiled, with hidden tragedy
• Hidden treasures of Pompeii put on show for the first time | World | The Times 
• The last of the great private Roman collections re-emerges | The Art Newspaper
• How Romans complained of migrants from the east | News | The Times 
• Inscriptions in Byzantine-era church intrigue archaeologists – Israel News – Jerusalem Post 

In Case You Missed It

• Athens University unveils English-language degree in classical studies | Community | ekathimerini.com 

Classicists and Classics in the News

• Mary Beard relies on her husband to do household chores, as she reveals her 100 hour week 

Public Facing Classics

• [Mary Beard] What’s your worst howler? – TheTLS 

Fresh Bloggery

• Connections between the Eastern Roman (‘Byzantine’) Empire and China during the reign of Justinian I (527-565 AD) – Novo Scriptorium 
• Make A Seating Plan for Your Holiday Feast, Unless Simonides is Coming… – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• AWOL – The Ancient World Online: The Archaeobotanical Literature Database ArchbotLit
• Archaeological evidence suggests that Minoan Astronomy had been quite advanced during the 2nd millennium B.C. – Novo Scriptorium 
• Open Access, Digital Archaeology, and the Future of Publishing at ASOR 2019 | Archaeology of the Mediterranean World 
• Some Advice for Dinner Companions: Philosophize Appropriately – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• 2019 Eidolon Gift Guide – EIDOLON 
• Looting Matters: Eros and Robin Symes 

Fresh Podcasts

• 035: Ptolemaic Egypt – War & Peace in the ‘Birdcage of the Muses’ by The Hellenistic Age Podcast 

The reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (282-246 B.C.) would be the height of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, and his capital of Alexandria would become one of the most  prosperous economic and intellectual centers in the world. Its wealth, in conjunction with Ptolemy’s meddling in foreign affairs would invite conflict both from the neighboring Seleucid Empire in the 1st and 2nd Syrian War, and from within via the likes of Magas of Cyrene, testing the mettle of what one scholar calls  “the Mediterranean superpower of the early-middle 3rd century B.C.”

Book Reviews

• STATES OF MEMORY: POLIS, PANHELLENISM AND THE PERSIAN WAR – Classics for All 
• Military Book Review The Origin of Empire: Rome from the Republic to Hadrian 
• Review – Roman Gardens – Current Archaeology 

Dramatic Receptions

• AN ILIAD (Arden): Rage returns to Ilium | phindie 
• Aquila Theatre’s ‘The Odyssey’ tackles modern warfare and its impact – DC Metro Theater Arts 

Alia

• Visiting the Roman Forum – Wanted in Rome 
• Ajanta’s Roman connection: How trade with the Empire made India rich | Research News, The Indian Express 

‘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 civil war and death for many 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  VII Kal. Nov. 2772 AUC ~ 29 Maimakterion in the third year of the 699th Olympiad

… another quiet Monday …

In the News

• Christie’s urged to pull sale of Roman statue ‘linked to illicit dealers’ | Art and design | The Guardian 

Classicists and Classics in the News

• Anne Carson: an introduction to one of the greatest living poets 

Fresh Bloggery

• Bestiaria Latina Blog: Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: November 25 
• No Politics and Religion at Dinner? Try Love Instead – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• How to fill up your time if you’ll spend the holiday here or if you plan a weekend getaway > OurWarwick 
• Dinners: Invitations and Guest-Lists for the Feasts – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 
• A Fine Tragedy – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE 

Book Reviews

• [BMCR] Philip J. Smith, Hans Beck (ed.), Megarian Moments: The Local World of an Ancient Greek City-State. Teiresias Supplements Online, 1. Münster: Teiresias Supplements Online, 2018. 
• [BMCR] Stefano Acerbo, Le tradizioni mitiche nella Biblioteca dello ps. Apollodoro: percorsi nella mitografia di età imperiale. Amsterdam: Adolf M. Hakkert, 2019. 
• [BMCR] Christophe Cusset, Alessandra Lukinovich, Redécouvrir ‘L’Apparition’ de Ménandre. Études grecques. Paris: L’Harmattan Editions Distribution, 2019. 

Professional Matters

• 2020 Fall Annual Meeting | CAAS-CW 

Alia

• From the Iliad to Circe: culture’s enduring fascination with the myths of Troy – EconoTimes 
• Praying to Lady Luck is nothing new – it was a way of life for the Romans – Chronicle Live 

‘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 a dangerous war.

… 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)