Thelxinoe ~ Classics News for September 5th, 2023

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist

Hodie est Non. Sept. 2776 AUC ~ 20 Metageitnion in the third 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

Other Blog-like Publications

Fresh Podcasts

We talk to Melanie Racette-Campbell about her new book, “The Crisis of Masculinity in the Age of Augustus”, and discuss why Roman elite men were particularly vulnerable to a societal transformation that changed their role in the state. What did it mean to be a good man in ancient Rome, and how and why did that change?

Look out, Cecil B. DeMille, because the Dans are coming for you! That’s right–making absolutely zero apologies to Messrs DeMille, Heston, or even Kilmer (for all you Dreamworks fans), we’re letting the data run roughshod over the story of the biblical exodus. The tale is beloved: a man of lowly birth but raised among royalty returns to his roots to save his enslaved people from bondage, but did any of it actually happen? How much do we actually know, and how do we know it? Then we dive deep into Exodus 22:29… because it’s horrifying. Is it possible that God commanded his chosen people to sacrifice their own

Want to know why the first two books of the Bible conflict with each other? Confused by the story of Joseph that seems to keep switching its narrative mid-stream? Looking for an explanation for why the pentateuch (that’s the first five books of the Bible) seems like it’s a bunch of different traditions all smashed together? Well, this week on D>D, we’ve brought in Princeton University’s Dr. Liane M. Feldman to talk about–brace yourself–neodocumentarianism! That’s right, neodocumentarianism. That’s a MINIMUM of 26 Scrabble points, but it would take some extraordinary events to be able to play it… Anyway, if you don’t know anything about the Neo-Documentary Hypothesis (and really, who does?), you’re not alone. But you’re definitely going to have some fun learning about it!

We are between issues of the magazine for this episode of the podcast. After casting around for ideas, Mark suggested the topic for Friday night’s chat: the impact of weather on conflict.

When you think of inventions that helped change the course of history, it’s doubtful Olive Oil makes the list. Originating thousands of years ago in the Mediterranean or further east – it’s now probably in your kitchen cupboards, or donning the shelves of supermarkets. But how did Olive Oil come to be, and how did the processes behind making it help advance numerous civilisations? In this episode Tristan welcomes Curator of the British Museum’s Ancient Levant and Anatolia department, Jamie Fraser, to talk about his work in Jordan and the incredible archaeological discoveries he and his team found. Looking at early Olive Oil production presses, monumental archaeology discoveries, and the impact this had on ancient civilisations – what can we learn about the origins of Olive Oil, and why is it so important in ancient history?

In this week’s episode, Jackson is joined by historian, author and podcaster Emma Southon to discuss her upcoming book ‘A History of The Roman Empire in 21 Women’. Within this episode, Jackson and Emma discuss kingmakers, Roman sex cults, Christianity, and many more interesting parts of these women’s lives!

So! Much! Seneca! Lauren Ginsberg joins Liv to RAVE about Seneca’s Medea, and provide some helpful and fascinating Roman context, among so many other things

Dionysus is as mysterious as he is wonderful, he’s new and he’s old, local and foreign… Plus, he seriously loved his wife Ariadne.

Of all the enemies the Roman empire faced in its centuries-long history, one name stood out: Hannibal. In the late third century BC, the Carthaginian general came dangerously close to destroying Rome and utterly reshaping the history of the world. Hannibal’s campaigns were a pivotal episode in the Punic Wars (264-146 BC), and these three conflicts between Rome and Carthage are the subject of this Everything You Wanted to Know episode. Rob Attar puts your questions to Professor Philip Freeman on the causes, key events and legacy of the wars, and asks whether elephants were really of any use on the ancient battlefield.

Book Reviews

Dramatic Receptions

Online Talks and Conference-Related Things

Jobs, Postdocs, and other Professional Matters

Alia

Diversions

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, it portends an abundance of barley but not as much wheat.

… 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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Published by David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist

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