Hodie est a.d. XVIII Ian. 2775 AUC ~ 22 Poseideion in the second year of the 700th Olympiad
In the News
- 10 Best Archaeological Discoveries of 2022 in Greece
- Ancient Egyptian ‘masterpiece’ is so realistic, researchers identified the exact bird species it depicts | Live Science
- Manhattan DA returns Iraqi antiquities looted in 2003
- Discovered a necropolis of children who died of hunger and hardship during the Gallic war of Julius Caesar – Stile Arte
- Drought encouraged Attila’s Huns to attack the Roman empire, tree rings suggest
In Case You Missed It
- ‘Complete’ Roman-era cemetery discovered in Gaza Strip – DW – 12/14/2022
- 3,500-Year-Old Gold Jewelry Collection Found in Egyptian Necropolis – ARTnews.com
- NEW DISCOVERY! Solid Evidence For The Maccabean Revolt Against The Greek Seleucid Kingdom In The Judean Desert
- Ancient Greek Vases Were Decorated with Gypsum, Researchers Say
Classicists and Classics in the News
- Robert Harris Obituary – Athens Banner-Herald
- Brenk, Frederick E. (Father) – Midwest Province
- Honig’s Bacchae / Euripides’ Theory of Refusal: A Special issue of Classical Antiquity – UC Press Blog
Greek/Latin News
Public Facing Classics
Fresh Bloggery
- Laudator Temporis Acti: The Death Penalty
- On the Edge of a Roman Port | Archaeology of the Mediterranean World
- Laudator Temporis Acti: Nothing Unusual
- No False Anvil for the True Tongue – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE
- Laudator Temporis Acti: Epitaph of a Trumpeter
- I am in love with a third declension noun – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE
- AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Archaeological Excavations on the SCPX Pipeline, Azerbaijan 2013-2018
- AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Religions and Trade: Religious Formation, Transformation and Cross-Cultural Exchange between East and West
- AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Open Access Monograph Series: Barcino Monographica Orientalia
- AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Open Access Monograph Series: Black Sea Studies
- Mar Tadros – Mainzer Beobachter
- Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: Stolen Iraqi Seals Returned by US Collector
- De Heliodoros-affaire – Mainzer Beobachter
- PaleoJudaica.com: Sandoval & Schipper (eds.), Gerhard Von Rad and the Study of Wisdom Literature (SBL)
Other Blog-like Publications
- Rare half-shekel coin from the Great Revolt
- Reading “Invisible” Dead Sea Scrolls – Biblical Archaeology Society
- Archaeologists unearth 3,500-Year-Old Gold Jewelry in Egypt – Arkeonews
Assorted Twitter Threads
Fresh Podcasts
Even though the legendary poet Homer wrote the Iliad and Odyssey thousands of years ago, my guest would say that these epic poems are just as relevant and significant today, and even represent a kind of scripture. His name is Adam Nicolson, and he’s the author of Why Homer Matters. Today on the show, Adam makes the case that the Iliad is really the story of a collision between a more rooted, civilized way of life, represented by the character of Hector, and a nomadic, honor-bound gang ethos, represented by Achilles. We talk about how this collision birthed the character of Odysseus — who was both great warrior and subtle diplomat — and the whole Greek consciousness. And we discuss how that consciousness is also our consciousness, as we’re still wrestling with the warring impulses, dramas and dilemmas, and big questions of human experience Homer gave life.
2000 BC saw the famed city of Babylon begin to flourish under the rule of a King called Hammurabi. Renowned for his famous law code, the stele of which still survives today, is there anything else to be learnt about this mysterious figure? In this episode Tristan is joined by Professor, and author, Amanda Podany from California State Polytechnic University. Together they discuss the life of this famed Babylonian King, from his origins as a ruthless warlord, to his contributions in helping Babylon ascend to the momentous civilisation we know it as today.
We leave behind the outraged censors of 434 BCE and move forward into some troubled domestic times for Rome. The solution? Fashion, darling. White togas are out, so we suggest you find something appropriate to wear for this one…
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the speeches that became a byword for fierce attacks on political opponents. It was in the 4th century BC, in Athens, that Demosthenes delivered these speeches against the tyrant Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, when Philip appeared a growing threat to Athens and its allies and Demosthenes feared his fellow citizens were set on appeasement. In what became known as The Philippics, Demosthenes tried to persuade Athenians to act against Macedon before it was too late; eventually he succeeded in stirring them, even if the Macedonians later prevailed. For these speeches prompting resistance, Demosthenes became famous as one of the Athenian democracy’s greatest freedom fighters. Later, in Rome, Cicero’s attacks on Mark Antony were styled on Demosthenes and these too became known as Philippics.
In this episode, we look back to Honor Frost’s first dive in a well in Wimbledon 70 years ago this week, a pivotal moment for the field of maritime archaeology. We also speak with Claire Calcagno about her discovery of an unknown and unfinished book in Honor’s archive, the Second Life of a Phoenix, all about her work on the 3rd Century BC Punic Shipwreck off Sicily.
Jeremy Swist, specialist on Late Platonism, late antiquity, and the great Julian the Faithful, lays out the political background and political project of The Emperor. Part I of a two-part discussion of late antiquity’s greatest statesman. No bias here.
Our discussion with Jeremy Swist on The Emperor turns metaphysical, theurgic, and religious, as we discuss Julian’s incredible synthesis of Iamblichean theology and metaphysics, traditional religions, and politics. Come for the pagan counter-church, stay for the transcendent solar metaphysics.
Fresh Youtubery
- The Epic of Gilgamesh tablets 1-3 (read by an Assyriologist!) – YouTube | Digital Hammurabi
- Archaeologists of the World Unite! Why We Need to Pay Attention to Pseudoarchaeology Today – YouTube | HEAS
- A Saturnalia Feast! Feasting and Partying during winter, in the Roman World – YouTube | Delicious Legacy
- Top 3 Misconceptions About Ancient Greece – YouTube | Jean’s Thoughts
- Turtledoves Etymology – YouTube | Alliterative
- How Did a Greek Hoplite Go to War? (5th Century BC) DOCUMENTARY – YouTube | Invicta
- Who Unifed Ancient Egypt? – YouTube | Ancient History Guy
Book Reviews
- Book Review: North turns her pen to weaving tales from Greek Mythology in Ithaca – The AU Review
- BMCR ~ Sarah Betite , Helene Wurmser , Eleutheria! Return to Freedom: Discovering and Transmitting Antiquity since the Greek Revolution of 1821. Lyon: Lyon University Press, 2021.
- BMCR ~ Brian Gronewoller, Rhetorical economy in Augustine’s theology. Oxford studies in historical theology. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2021.
Exhibition Related Things
Dramatic Receptions
Online Talks and Conference-Related Things
Jobs, Postdocs, and other Professional Matters
- Call for Participation for the 7th Research Network of the Istanbul Department – DAİstanbul
- Lecturer in Ancient Visual and Material Culture (Education and Research) at University of Exeter
- The University of Manchester | Jobs | Search here for your perfect career
- Placement:Service | Society for Classical Studies
Alia
- Goddess, priestess, queen: Six forgotten women who shaped ancient Mesopotamia | Middle East Eye
- What’s So Special About this Ancient Roman Sarcophagus at The Met Museum? – Untapped New York
- Like Parthenon Marbles, US Museums Pressured to Return Treasures – The National Herald
- Unveiling Italy’s Hidden History with Fixed-wing Mapping UAVs | GIM International
- Are Mosaics of Cats Discovered in Pompeii, Italy, Real? | Snopes.com
- Ancient grammatical puzzle solved after 2,500 years
Diversions
‘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 many setting out for war, but few returning.
… 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)
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