Month: January 2022

#Thelxinoe ~ Classics News for January 25, 2022

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Hodie est a.d. VIII Kal. Feb. 2775 AUC ~ 23 Gamelion in the first year of the 700th Olympiad

In the News

In Case You Missed It

Classicists and Classics in the News

Greek/Latin News

Public Facing Classics

Fresh Bloggery

Association/Departmental Blogs and News

Assorted Twitter Threads

Fresh Podcasts

Rhetoric is supposed to inspire. Imagine Cicero exhorting the Roman people, Churchill vowing to “fight on the beaches.” Yet, when politicians speak today, it’s almost always boring or obnoxious. Why? Prof. Rob Goodman, author of Words on Fire: Eloquence and its Conditions comes by today to talk about the history of rhetoric, what Cicero knew that we don’t, and the political speech styles of Trudeau (boring), Trump (obnoxious), and X González (pretty great, actually).

Just because Plato’s Atlantis was never intended to convey history doesn’t meant it didn’t have some historical inspiration in the form of a Bronze Age natural disaster… Plus: how did Atlantis become what it is today and where do these dangerous ideas come from? This episode was written and recorded before the eruption of the volcano in Tonga in January of 2022 which is why the tragedy and those affected were not mentioned.

Fresh Youtubery

Online Talks and Professional Matters

Alia

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, it portends unrest among the enslaved ones.

… 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)

#Thelxinoe ~ Classics News for January 24, 2022

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Hodie est a.d. IX Kal. Feb. 2775 AUC ~ 22 Gamelion in the first year of the 700th Olympiad

In the News

In Case You Missed It

Greek/Latin News

Public Facing Classics

Fresh Bloggery

Association/Departmental Blogs and News

Other Blog-like Publications

Fresh Podcasts

When one of the praetorian prefects joins the conspirators, they decide it’s time to act. But they can’t agree on a plan. It takes a woman to move things along.

Another Latin lesson for beginners. Let’s talk about Latin verbs (again)…

In this second part of Tristan’s explainer, he takes us right into the heart of the battle dubbed the Persian Thermopylae. Listen as Alexander begins a full-blooded assault on the Persian Gates, and find out how this battle for the Persian heartlands ended.

We’re back for the big one (because it sold us queer giraffes!). A critical and commercial hit, Gladiator spawned a revival for a genre that had been presumed dead for at least 40 years. It also inspired, for better or worse, no small amount in interest in ancient Rome over the last two decades. We get into all the details of this movie, its legacy and the impact its vision of Rome had on 21st audiences. Plus, we share our hopes and dreams for upcoming, albeit unnecessary, Gladiator 2.

Charlotte is joined by Dr Eleri Cousins to dig deep into the religious side of the ancient Romans.

This week we catch up with brilliant Natalie Haynes. We find out how comedy has shaped her career in classics and how the classics have shaped her career in comedy. Full of laughs and insight, we learn what it takes to a have a successful Radio 4 comedy series, write columns in leading papers and have your novel short listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Natalie is a classicist, author and stand-up comedian as well as the host of Radio 4’s “Natalie Haynes Stands Up For the Classics” which is also available as a podcast. Natalie’s books include A Thousand Ships and Pandora’ Jar and have featured on numerous best seller lists.

Fresh Youtubery

Book Reviews

Dramatic Receptions

Online Talks and Professional Matters

Alia

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, it portends diseases following shortages.

… 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)

#Thelxinoe ~ Classics News for January 22, 2022

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Hodie est a.d. XII Kal. Feb. 2775 AUC ~ 19 Gamelion in the first year of the 700th Olympiad

In the News

In Case You Missed It

Classicists and Classics in the News

Public Facing Classics

Fresh Bloggery

Association/Departmental Blogs and News

Fresh Podcasts

Another year, another episode of the Ancient World Magazine podcast! In this episode, Josho Brouwers is joined by contributing editor Joshua Hall, regular contributor Arianna Sacco, and special guest Silvannen Gerrard to talk about chariots. A chariot is a fast and light vehicle with two spoked wheels, drawn by a team of at least two horses. In this sense, it should not be confused with the heavier two-wheeled carts or with waggons, which have four wheels. We start with a brief survey of the origins of the chariot, including the Sumerian battle-carts of the third millennium BC. We then turn our attention to the introduction of the chariot proper, its use in the armies of the Bronze Age kingdoms, and how they eventually made way, in the Early Iron Age, to what we refer to as “true” cavalry. Still, even after the introduction of cavalry, chariots did not immediately fall out of the use. They continued to be used in the armies of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and we also encounter them in a military context on ancient Greek vases. As usual, there are problems of interpretation, but chariots did continue in use on the battlefield for some time. The best late examples are probably the scythed chariots of the Hellenistic era.

In the final series episode of the Ithaca Bound Podcast, Professor Ivana Petrovic, Department of Classics and Department Chair, University of Virginia, joins the show to explore what scholars know about the Greek pantheon.

We’re talking about the Pisonian Conspiracy of 65. Who started it and why? Theories involve an angry poet and an angry gay man seeking revenge.

Liv speaks with archaeologist David S. Anderson about the concept, and harm, of pseudoarchaeology. Why it matters to promote false notions of alien intervention and the study of the very real ancient people of the world is much more important.

Spoilers for all of AC Odyssey, particularly the Atlantis DLC, obviously. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is known for its accuracy… so where did it get Atlantis? Liv speaks with returning guest Dr. Kira Jones all about the world of Assassin’s Creed Atlantis.

Fresh Youtubery

Book Reviews

Exhibition Related Things

Online Talks and Professional Matters

Alia

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

[Saturday]  If it thunders today, it portends abundance, including mice and deer.

[Sunday] If it thunders today, it portends good order for the city.

… 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)

#Thelxinoe ~ Classics News for January 21, 2022

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Hodie est a.d. XIII Kal. Feb. 2775 AUC ~ 18 Gamelion in the first year of the 700th Olympiad

In the News

In Case You Missed It

Classicists and Classics in the News

Greek/Latin News

Public Facing Classics

Fresh Bloggery

Other Blog-like Publications

Fresh Podcasts

What happens when a temple, say, Hatshepsut’s New Kingdom temple at Deir el Bahari, throws out offerings? Are there good and bad types of garbage? Let’s face it, archaeologists will take what they can get. But isn’t “precious rubble” the name of one of Barney and Betty’s kids?

Murray tackles this question on the Silver Shields. Do we have any evidence that the Silver Sheilds’ actual combat effectiveness began to diminish as they grew old? How much of it was true strength and how much of it was fearsome reputation? How unique were these ‘old’ veterans in ancient warfare?

Fresh Youtubery

Book Reviews

Exhibition Related Things

Online Talks and Professional Matters

Alia

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, the much-hated king will be the victim of a final conspiracy.

… 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)

#Thelxinoe ~ Classics News for January 20, 2022

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Hodie est a.d. XIV Kal. Feb. 2775 AUC ~ 17 Gamelion in the first year of the 700th Olympiad

In the News

In Case You Missed It

Public Facing Classics

Fresh Bloggery

Other Blog-like Publications

Assorted Twitter Threads

Fresh Podcasts

In January 330 BC, Alexander the Great faced one of his most difficult challenges to date. A small Persian force, entrenched in a formidable defensive position that blockaded Alexander’s route to the Persian heartlands. A narrow pass through the Zagros Mountains that has gone down in history as the Persian, or Susian, Gates. Although nowhere near the size or scale of Alexander’s previous pitched battles against the Persians at the Granicus, Issus and Gaugamela, this clash in the mountains deserves its moment in the spotlight. A clash where the tables were turned and the Persians were outnumbered by their Macedonian counterparts. A battle that has been dubbed the Persian Thermopylae. From the immediate aftermath of Alexander’s victory at Gaugamela to his army’s antics at Babylon. From a merciless, punitive campaign in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains to a detailed run down of the Persian stand the Gates, enjoy as Tristan talks you through the events of late 331 / early 330 BC. In this first part, Tristan covers the events that followed Alexander the Great’s victory at Gaugamela and how these culminated with Alexander’s army approaching the Persian heartlands deep in the winter of 331/0 BC.

Fresh Youtubery

Book Reviews

Exhibition Related Things

Online Talks and Professional Matters

Alia

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, it portends an abundance of imported products, but people will be afflicted with a coughing illness.

… 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)