• Saturnalia (day 1) — major, popular festival in honour of Saturn with banquets, the wearing of soft caps (pilei), and general good cheer. Shops and schools were closed, gambling was legally permitted, gifts were exchanged and masters might even wait on their servants. Obviously this festival is often seen as a precursor to our modern-day Christmas celebrations …
• 246 B.C.E. — the Torah is translated into Greek (obviously not in one day)

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LEGENDA
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A simple turn reveals a 1,500-year-old secret on Roman glass | ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251216081947.htm

Damascus Jewish antiques dealer arrested for trafficking | The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-880425

Rome’s new Colosseum station reveals ancient treasures
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20251216-rome-s-new-colosseum-station-reveals-ancient-treasures

Magdala stone: 2,000-year-old carving from Jerusalem is world’s oldest known depiction of a menorah | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/magdala-stone-2-000-year-old-carving-from-jerusalem-is-worlds-oldest-known-depiction-of-a-menorah

Mendoni: Greece is getting the National Archaeological Museum it deserves – ProtoThema English

Mendoni: Greece is getting the National Archaeological Museum it deserves

A settlement built by the Legio XI Claudia Pia Fidelis and an amphora filled with “garum” from Hispania unearthed in Switzerland

A settlement built by the Legio XI Claudia Pia Fidelis and an amphora filled with “garum” from Hispania unearthed in Switzerland

Monumental Hellenistic Goddess Head Unearthed at Metropolis May Depict Hestia, Guardian of the Hearth – Arkeonews
https://arkeonews.net/monumental-hellenistic-goddess-head-unearthed-at-metropolis-may-depict-hestia-guardian-of-the-hearth/

Submerged structural remains discovered off Crimean coastline
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2025/12/submerged-structural-remains-discovered-off-crimean-coastline/156608

[paywalled] ‘Skull’ oligarch accused of hoarding treasures looted from Italy
https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/skull-oligarch-accused-of-hoarding-treasures-looted-from-italy-d63j78vj6

The Politics of Breasts in Ancient Greece and Rome – Archaeology
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2025-12-10/ty-article/the-politics-of-breasts-in-ancient-greece-and-rome/0000019a-fd4c-de90-adfa-ff5c36a00000

1,300-year-old menorah pendant suggests Rome couldn’t keep all Jews out of Jerusalem | The Times of Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/1300-year-old-menorah-pendant-suggests-romes-ban-on-jews-from-jerusalem-was-a-failure/

Pompei, ritrovato l’affresco di Ercole bambino: il reperto rubato torna al Parco Archeologico
https://www.ilmessaggero.it/italia/pompei_ritrovato_affresco_di_ercole_bambino_reperto_rubato_torna_al_parco_archeologico-9248957.html

Pompeii recovers a valuable fresco that was in the U.S. in a private collection
https://www.finestresullarte.info/en/ancient-art/pompeii-recovers-a-valuable-fresco-that-was-in-the-u-s-in-a-private-collection

AI-generated reconstructions of ancient Rome turn out to be full of errors – France 24
https://www.france24.com/en/technology/20251216-ai-generated-reconstructions-ancient-rome-errors

Ancient CT Scan Reveals the Last Meal That Got This Egyptian Crocodile Killed
https://www.zmescience.com/science/archaeology/ancient-ct-scan-reveals-the-last-meal-that-got-this-egyptian-crocodile-killed/

New ‘The Odyssey’ images show Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland as family divided (exclusive)
https://ew.com/the-odyssey-exclusive-images-matt-damon-anne-hathaway-tom-holland-11857321

Has culture become obsolete as an archaeological concept?
https://idw-online.de/en/news863556

In Memoriam: Emeritus Professor Apostolos Athanassakis | Division of Humanities and Fine Arts
https://www.hfa.ucsb.edu/news/memoriam-emeritus-professor-apostolos-athanassakis

Obituary information for William McCulloh
https://www.snyderfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/William-Mcculloh?obId=46706521

Israel wants to steal the archaeological site of Sebastia: Here’s what you can do about it – Everyday Orientalism

Israel wants to steal the archaeological site of Sebastia: Here’s what you can do about it

Pseudo-Epiphanius, “Or. de Laud. Deip.” – Roger Pearse

Pseudo-Epiphanius, “Or. de Laud. Deip.”

Early Medieval and Roman Remains Discovered in York – Medievalists.net

Early Medieval and Roman Remains Discovered in York

Ancient History Roundup – by Owen Rees – Our Ancient World
https://owenrees.substack.com/p/ancient-history-roundup-1da?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2470207&post_id=181662643&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=q7tlq&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

Laudator Temporis Acti: Two Different Things
https://laudatortemporisacti.blogspot.com/2025/12/two-different-things.html

Ashamed and Afraid: The Rhetoric of Kleos in Iliad 7 – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE

Ashamed and Afraid: The Rhetoric of Kleos in Iliad 7

PaleoJudaica.com: Hasmonean artifacts recovered in West Bank village
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/12/hasmonean-artifacts-recovered-in-west.html

PaleoJudaica.com: Apamea and Hanukkah?
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/12/apamea-and-hanukkah.html

PaleoJudaica.com: A 19th-century “storm in an oil jug” over the Hanukkah miracle
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/12/a-19th-century-storm-in-oil-jug-over.html

PaleoJudaica.com: Hanukkah history in Jerusalem
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/12/hanukkah-history-in-jerusalem.html

PaleoJudaica.com: “Hasmonean Palaces” to open to public during Hanukkah
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/12/hasmonean-palaces-to-open-to-public.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Rape Culture and the Bible: Scholars Reflect
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/12/rape-culture-and-bible-scholars-reflect.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Ergebnisse zur archäologischen Abbruchbegleitung der ehemaligen Eternitfabrik im Bereich des augusteisch-tiberischen Truppenplatzes NOVAESIUM im Neusser Augustinusviertel
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/12/ergebnisse-zur-archaologischen.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Time and Tradition:Temporal Thinking in Ecclesiastes in the Context of Emerging Apocalypticism and the History of Ideas in the Hellenistic Period
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/12/time-and-traditiontemporal-thinking-in.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Hunting and Extinctions in Southwest Asia and North America: The Silent Testimony of Communal Game Traps
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/12/hunting-and-extinctions-in-southwest.html

The fortified site of Artezian in the Kingdom of the Bosphorus | Spartokos read

Le site fortifié d’Artezian dans le Royaume du Bosphore

The Julio-Claudian principate: tradition and transition – Bryn Mawr Classical Review
https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2025/2025.12.21/

Greek culture in Hellenistic Egypt: persistence and evolutions – Bryn Mawr Classical Review
https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2025/2025.12.20/

Identity, power and group formation in archaic Macedonia (600-400 BC) – Bryn Mawr Classical Review
https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2025/2025.12.19/

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VIDENDA
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(314) Verona’s ancient Roman arena to improve disabled accessibility for 2026 Games – AP Explains – YouTube

(315) Deciphering Secrets of Ancient Civilizations, Noah’s Ark, and Flood Myths | Lex Fridman Podcast #487 – YouTube

(315) Rome opens two new Metro C stations, showcasing ancient ruins near Colosseum – YouTube

(315) The Pantheon Inside and Out: Hidden Rooms Now Open – YouTube

(315) L’Ercole ritrovato della Villa di Civita Giuliana – La Storia che si ricompone – YouTube

(315) Illicit Trafficking of Syrian Cultural Properties: Trading Methods and Challenges of Restitution – YouTube

(315) Archeologists Uncover New Evidence Of Pompeii’s Last Hours – YouTube

(315) Walk a newly opened road in the Roman Forum plus an underground site! – YouTube

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NOTANDA
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Assistant Professorships in Classics (Greek literature) | University of Cambridge
https://www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/assistant-professorships-in-classics-greek-literature-ge48097

• ca. 250 A.D. — martyrdom of Albina at Formiae

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LEGENDA
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Remains of ancient king’s temple dedicated to sun god discovered in Egypt – CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ancient-kings-temple-dedicated-sun-god-discovered-egypt/

Roman-era marble bathtub, male statue unearthed at ancient Ephesus in Turkish Aegean region
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/roman-era-marble-bathtub-male-statue-unearthed-at-ancient-ephesus-in-turkish-aegean-region/3772011

Hanukkah and Apamea: how Jews thrived under Hellenistic rule
https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/r1hx5dpf11e

Italy arrests dozens for robbing archaeological sites | The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-880241

Among the founders of the city of Valencia were the Italic tribe of the Peligni, who lived in the heart of the Apennines, researchers reveal

Among the founders of the city of Valencia were the Italic tribe of the Peligni, who lived in the heart of the Apennines, researchers reveal

Rare oil lamp, Second Temple stylus found in Jerusalem | The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-880345

Rare Discovery: Menorah Amulet From Byzantine Period Found in Jerusalem – Archaeology
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2025-12-15/ty-article/menorah-amulet-from-byzantine-time-found-in-ancient-jerusalem/0000019b-2137-d0fb-a9df-6fff06e80000

Magna Roman Fort reports amazing year of discoveries in Northumberland | Hexham Courant
https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/25684978.magna-roman-fort-reports-amazing-year-discoveries-northumberland/

Roman urbanism was bad for Brits health – University of Reading
https://www.reading.ac.uk/news/2025/Research-News/Roman-urbanism-was-bad-for-Brits-health

The Blogs: Masada: New Evidence | David Ramati | The Times of Israel
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/masada-new-evidence/

‘This has re-written our understanding of Roman concrete manufacture’: Abandoned Pompeii worksite reveal how self-healing concrete was made | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/this-has-re-written-our-understanding-of-roman-concrete-manufacture-abandoned-pompeii-worksite-reveal-how-self-healing-concrete-was-made

Magdala stone: 2,000-year-old carving from Jerusalem is world’s oldest known depiction of a menorah | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/magdala-stone-2-000-year-old-carving-from-jerusalem-is-worlds-oldest-known-depiction-of-a-menorah

Spencer Alley: Dieux
https://spenceralley.blogspot.com/2025/12/dieux_01969642977.html

Looting Matters: A head of Hermes from a genuinely old Italian collection
https://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/2025/12/a-head-of-hermes-from-genuinely-old.html

Looting Matters: Further returns to Italy from the San Antonio Museum of Art
https://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/2025/12/further-returns-to-italy-from-san.html

Weekly Varia no. 160, 12/14/25 – Noodlings

Weekly Varia no. 160, 12/14/25

On My Love of the Classics – CANE
https://caneweb.org/on-my-love-of-the-classics/

Laudator Temporis Acti: Ceremonial Defecation
https://laudatortemporisacti.blogspot.com/2025/12/ceremonial-defecation.html

Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: Yet Another British Museum Theft
https://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2025/12/yet-another-british-museum-theft.html

Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: Ukrainian Border Guards Foil Coin Smuggling to Bulgaria
https://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2025/12/ukrainian-border-guards-foil-coin.html

Give Helen Back! Trojan Politics in Iliad 7 – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE

Give Helen Back! Trojan Politics in Iliad 7

PaleoJudaica.com: Archaeological evidence for a Maccabean battle?
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/12/archaeological-evidence-for-maccabean.html

PaleoJudaica.com: The “degraded Hasmonean coins”
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-degraded-hasmonean-coins.html

PaleoJudaica.com: Byzantine-era menorah amulet excavated near Temple Mount
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/12/byzantine-era-menorah-amulet-excavated.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Women’s Healthcare in Ancient Mesopotamia in the First Millennium BCE: An Edition of the Textual Sources
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/12/womens-healthcare-in-ancient.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Neo-Sumerian barley allotment rolls from the Umma region
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/12/neo-sumerian-barley-allotment-rolls.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Studies in Sumerian Civilization. Selected writings of Miguel Civil
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/12/studies-in-sumerian-civilization.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: «Sentido de un empeño». Homenatge a Gregorio del Olmo Lete
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/12/sentido-de-un-empeno-homenatge-gregorio.html

The Stoic cosmos: conflagration, cosmogony, and recurrence in early Stoicism – Bryn Mawr Classical Review
https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2025/2025.12.18/

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AUDIENDA
===========================================================
Ancient History Hound: Exploring Place in Regal Rome (Part 1).
https://ancientblogger.libsyn.com/exploring-place-in-regal-rome-part-1

All I Want for Chanukah is a New Hasmonean Wall in Jerusalem, or, Shameless Holiday Tie In Edition | This Week in the Ancient Near East
https://thisweekintheancientneareast.podbean.com/e/all-i-want-for-chanukah-is-a-new-hasmonean-wall-in-jerusalem-or-shameless-holiday-tie-in-edition/

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VIDENDA
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(286) Greece before the Acropolis – YouTube

• Consualia — a festival in honour of Consus which likely involved a similar celebration held on August 21 (i.e. horse races, chariot races, and garlanding of the steeds)
• 337 B.C. — death of Timoleon (according to one reckoning)
• 215 B.C. — assassination of Hieronymus, one of the tyrants of Syracuse (by one reckoning)
• 19 B.C. — dedication of the Ara Fortunae Reducis
• 37 A.D. — birth of the future emperor Nero
• 130 A.D. — birth of the future co-emperor Lucius Verus