ROGUECLASSICIST’S BULLETIN April 2, 2025

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LEGENDA
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Archaeological Findings Reveal a Thriving Roman-Era Community Near the Ancient Anreppen Camp in Germany

Archaeological Findings Reveal a Thriving Roman-Era Community Near the Ancient Anreppen Camp in Germany

Vienna archaeologists reveal mass grave of fighters in Roman Empire-era battle | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/austria-vienna-roman-empire-germanic-tribes-mass-grave-03396aa0cbde91652b044abb03bf5302

A remarkable $100 million numismatic collection reappears after being buried for more than 50 years | Country Life
https://www.countrylife.co.uk/luxury/art-and-antiques/some-of-the-coins-are-so-rare-that-no-example-has-ever-before-been-sold-at-public-auction-a-usd100-million-numismatic-collection-reappears-after-being-buried-for-more-than-50-years

Archaeologists Unveil First-Ever Ancient Greek Theater Discovered in Ionian Islands – GreekReporter.com

Archaeologists Unveil First-Ever Ancient Greek Theater Discovered in Ionian Islands

Plans to Unearth and Restore the Ancient Theater of Lefkada
https://www.argophilia.com/news/ancient-theater-of-lefkada/241414/

Who Drank Wine in Ancient Troy? New Research Suggests Just About Everyone
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/who-drank-wine-in-ancient-troy-new-research-suggests-just-about-everyone-180986348/

Amphitheatre’s Rehabilitation – Tirana Times

Amphitheatre’s Rehabilitation

[paywalled] Life-sized statue of Roman priestess discovered in Pompeii
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/04/01/life-sized-statue-of-roman-priestess-discovered-in-pompeii/

[AI?]Ancient couple’s relief found in Pompeii – The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-848529

[AI?]Researchers uncover evidence of the Marius Canal using sediment analysis – The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-848365

[AI?]Restored Temple of Athena in Side, Turkey opens for tourists – The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-848526

A Life-Sized Statue of a Bejeweled Ancient Priestess Is Unearthed in Pompeii

A Life-Sized Statue of a Bejeweled Ancient Priestess Is Unearthed in Pompeii

A Gladiator’s Marble-Etched Epitaph Is Found in an Ancient Roman Necropolis
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-gladiators-marble-etched-epitaph-is-found-in-an-ancient-roman-necropolis-180986339/

3-year-old discovers ancient 3,800-year-old treasure during family outing in Israel
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-ancient-scarab-found-little-girl-david-goliath-rcna199226

3-year-old picks up ‘beautiful stone,’ discovers 3,800-year-old scarab amulet in Israel | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/3-year-old-picks-up-beautiful-stone-discovers-3-800-year-old-scarab-amulet-in-israel

Oldest Synagogue Outside Israel Found on Sacred Greek Island of God Apollo – GreekReporter.com

Oldest Synagogue Outside Israel Found on Sacred Greek Island of God Apollo

A Total Solar Eclipse in Ancient Egypt May Have Been the Reason Sun Worship Ended – GreekReporter.com

A Total Solar Eclipse in Ancient Egypt May Have Been the Reason Sun Worship Ended

Archaeology professor faces backlash ahead of Israeli conference – The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-848602

Roman dodecahedron replica removed from eBay after complaint
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgzg1vzx1yo

A stitch in time unleashes creativity in a classical studies major  | UNC Greensboro

A stitch in time unleashes creativity in a classical studies major 

Obituary for Albert Pietersma (1935–2025)
https://septuaginta.uni-goettingen.de/ioscs/news/84/

Bentley Layton, distinguished Coptic linguist and scholar of ancient Christianity | Yale News
https://news.yale.edu/2025/04/01/bentley-layton-distinguished-coptic-linguist-and-scholar-ancient-christianity

In memoriam: Susan Downey, 86, scholar of ancient art and archaeology | UCLA
https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/in-memoriam-susan-downey-scholar-ancient-art-archaeology

Nestor – April 2025 issue available
https://classics.uc.edu/nestor/pages/news/822-april-2025-issue-available

[paywalled] Opinion | The Roman Empire Loved by Elon Musk and Steve Bannon Never Existed – The New York Times

(5) Bare-breasted bird women and a whole lot of beeswax
https://cosisodyssey.substack.com/p/bare-breasted-bird-women-and-a-whole?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=991656&post_id=160089711&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=q7tlq&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

(5) the ancient pickup line that would probably work on me
https://donnazuckerberg.substack.com/p/the-ancient-pickup-line-that-would?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2108238&post_id=159764109&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=q7tlq&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

First issue of Athīrat: Journal of Ancient Arabia – Current EpigraphyCurrent Epigraphy

First issue of Athīrat: Journal of Ancient Arabia

A Solid Gold Colossus: Why Tyrants Spend Other Peoples’ Money – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE

A Solid Gold Colossus: Why Tyrants Spend Other Peoples’ Money

Writing Wednesday: Organizing the Book | Archaeology of the Mediterranean World

Writing Wednesday: Organizing the Book

Laudator Temporis Acti: Ills of Old Age
https://laudatortemporisacti.blogspot.com/2025/04/ills-of-old-age.html

Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: US Tourists Break into Turkish Excavation; Claim Entitlement
https://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2025/04/us-tourists-break-into-turkish.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: The Italian archaeological excavations at Tell Zurghul, ancient Nigin, Iraq. Final report of the Seasons 2015-2017
https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-italian-archaeological-excavations.html

PaleoJudaica.com: Ten Commandments Scroll coming to Reagan Library exhibition
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/04/ten-commandments-scroll-coming-to.html

PaleoJudaica.com: On the Coptic “Pillow Psalter”
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/04/on-coptic-pillow-psalter.html

PaleoJudaica.com: Biblical Studies Carnival 226
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/04/biblical-studies-carnival-226.html

PaleoJudaica.com: Bentley Layton (1941-2025)
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/04/bentley-layton-1941-2025.html
Seneca: De beneficiis – Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Seneca: De beneficiis

Polis: a new history of the ancient Greek city-state from the early Iron Age to the end of antiquity – Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Polis: a new history of the ancient Greek city-state from the early Iron Age to the end of antiquity

Clasicismo e identidades contemporáneas. Recepciones clásicas en la cultura de masas – Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Clasicismo e identidades contemporáneas. Recepciones clásicas en la cultura de masas


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AUDIENDA
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VIDENDA
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(943) Un rilievo funebre da una tomba monumentale presso la Necropoli di Porta Sarno – YouTube

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NOTANDA
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Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics & Ancient Mediterranean Studies – Academic Jobs Teaching Education University College Nonprofit

Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics & Ancient Mediterranean Studies

ROGUECLASSICIST’S BULLETIN April 1, 2025

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LEGENDA
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Three-year-old girl finds Canaanite seal where Bible says David battled Goliath | The Times of Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/three-year-old-girl-finds-canaanite-seal-where-bible-says-david-battled-goliath/

[AI?]Israeli toddler uncovers 3,800-year-old scarab – The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-848403

Two near lifesize sculptures found during excavations of Pompeii tomb | Italy | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/01/two-near-lifesize-sculptures-found-during-excavations-of-pompeii-tomb

Pompeii, tomb relief with a life-size couple emerges in the Necropolis of Porta Sarno
https://www.finestresullarte.info/en/archaeology/pompeii-tomb-relief-with-a-life-size-couple-emerges-in-the-necropolis-of-porta-sarno

(99+) A Monumental Tomb with a relief of two spouses in the funerary area of Porta Sarno
https://www.academia.edu/128556324/A_Monumental_Tomb_with_a_relief_of_two_spouses_in_the_funerary_area_of_Porta_Sarno

[AI?]Cutting-edge tech reveals lost gate of Sicilian necropolis – The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-848359

Teams seize Roman-era artifacts in Bursa – Türkiye News
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/teams-seize-roman-era-artifacts-in-bursa-207534

After the Ark: Why aren’t we searching for Temple artifacts?
https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/04/01/after-the-ark-why-arent-we-searching-for-temple-artifacts/

March 2025 in Turkish archaeology | Turkish Archaeological News
https://turkisharchaeonews.net/article/march-2025-turkish-archaeology

Oxford University to abolish Classics degree – The Oxford Student

Oxford University to abolish Classics degree

The Archaeologist’s World: Jodi Magness and Her Ancient Discoveries – The Local Reporter

The Archaeologist’s World: Jodi Magness and Her Ancient Discoveries

Ancient tombs in Anatolia suggest reverence for youth preceded elite burials
https://phys.org/news/2025-03-ancient-tombs-anatolia-reverence-youth.html

Archaeologist George Korres, Who Dug in Ancient Pylos, Dies at 85 – GreekReporter.com

Archaeologist George Korres, Who Dug in Ancient Pylos, Dies at 85

Letter: Donald Gordon obituary | Rosemary Burton | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/apr/01/letter-donald-gordon-obituary

Scoperto un antico tunnel etrusco sotterraneo, collega Viterbo a Roma – Tusciaweb.eu

Scoperto un antico tunnel etrusco sotterraneo, collega Viterbo a Roma

The Greek Mummy Portraits Discovered in Fayoum, Egypt – GreekReporter.com

The Greek Mummy Portraits Discovered in Fayoum, Egypt

A Variety of Greek Inscriptions Provide Insight into Ancient Greek Politics and Culture | Getty News
https://www.getty.edu/news/a-variety-of-greek-inscriptions-provide-insight-into-ancient-greek-politics-and-culture/

The Strong and the Weak: Reading Some Thucydides For No Particular Reason – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE

The Strong and the Weak: Reading Some Thucydides For No Particular Reason

Reading (and Performing) Tragedy Online: Episode 2, Philoktetes – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE

Reading (and Performing) Tragedy Online: Episode 2, Philoktetes

SIAC NEWSLETTER – 235 (03/2025) | Tulliana News

SIAC NEWSLETTER – 235 (03/2025)

Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: Where are you Getting Your Information From? YouTube channel “Nicole Ciccolo’s Expedition”
https://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2025/04/where-are-you-getting-your-information.html

Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: Piers Morgan Entertains with the Pyramids: Archaeologists Participate
https://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2025/03/piers-morgan-entertains-with-pyramids.html

Michel van Rijn (1950-2024) – Roger Pearse

Michel van Rijn (1950-2024)

Biblical Studies Carnival #226 for March 2025 – Reading Acts

Biblical Studies Carnival #226 for March 2025

PaleoJudaica.com: Assyrian New Year 2025
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/04/assyrian-new-year-2025.html

PaleoJudaica.com: More Egyptian Book of the Dead fragments recovered
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/04/more-egyptian-book-of-dead-fragments.html

PaleoJudaica.com: Relocating the Valley of Rephaim?
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/04/relocating-valley-of-rephaim.html

Ancient coins stolen from the Musée Saint-Remi found in Moscow’s antique trade ~ ARCAblog
https://art-crime.blogspot.com/2025/03/ancient-coins-stolen-from-musee-saint.html

From Pretrial Release to Disappearance: Where is Hamburg-based dealer Serop Simonian? ~ ARCAblog
https://art-crime.blogspot.com/2025/03/from-pretrial-release-to-disappearance.html

Roman Times: Perseus and Medusa: Differences between Greek and Roman traditions
https://ancientimes.blogspot.com/2025/03/perseus-and-medusa-differences-between.html

Titanic discoverer joins Dominican archaeologist Kathleen Martínez’s Cleopatra search team

Titanic discoverer joins Dominican archaeologist Kathleen Martínez’s Cleopatra search team

The Only Illustrated Manuscript of Homer’s Iliad from Antiquity | Open Culture

The Only Illustrated Manuscript of Homer’s Iliad from Antiquity

Timotheus – new age musician of Miletus | Turkish Archaeological News
https://turkisharchaeonews.net/article/timotheus-new-age-musician-miletus

New Hittite Tablet Reveals Luwian Songs on the Fall of Troy – Arkeonews
https://arkeonews.net/new-hittite-tablet-reveals-luwian-songs-on-the-fall-of-troy/

Review: AESCHYLUS’ PROMETHEUS BOUND at Arts & Science Center For Southeast Arkansas
https://www.broadwayworld.com/little-rock/article/Review-AESCHYLUS-PROMETHEUS-BOUND-at-Arts-Science-Center-For-Southeast-Arkansas-20250401

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Kyprianos Update (31 March 2025)
https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/04/kyprianos-update-31-march-2025.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Bibliographia Iranica
https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2015/12/bibliographia-iranica.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: The Alexandria Archive Institute: Opening the Past, Ispiring the Future
https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2010/02/open-access-projects-alexandria-archive.html
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Crassus and the Social Wars–Emperors of Rome – Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/crassus-and-the-social-wars/id850148806?i=1000701743525

H.I. Marrou’s A History of Education in Antiquity, Part XVI (Ad Navseam, Episode 179) | Ad Navseam
https://adnavseam.podbean.com/e/ad-navseam-episode-179/

Bonus: Elizabeth Taylor’s “Cleopatra – The Hellenistic Age Podcast – Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-elizabeth-taylors-cleopatra-1963/id1377920930?i=1000701667404
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VIDENDA
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(920) What did the Ancient Egyptians Think About Race and Identity? – YouTube

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NOTANDA
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Postdoctoral researcher in Roman Archaeology or Art History (0.8 FTE) (V25.0208) | Job opportunities | University of Groningen
https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-02S000B92P

Studentship in Roman History or Latin Language and Literature

Studentship in Roman History or Latin Language and Literature

ROGUECLASSICIST’S BULLETIN March 31, 2025

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LEGENDA
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First person from “Year 0” unearthed in an extraordinary grave and stumble upon a mysterious word – AS USA
https://en.as.com/latest_news/first-person-from-year-0-unearthed-in-an-extraordinary-grave-and-stumble-upon-a-mysterious-word-n/

In Ancient Greece and Rome, who were the harpies, and why did they stink so much?
https://theconversation.com/in-ancient-greece-and-rome-who-were-the-harpies-and-why-did-they-stink-so-much-249722

Archaeologists Uncover First Evidence Of Epic Biblical Battle “Armageddon” At Megiddo

Archaeologists Uncover First Evidence of Epic Biblical Battle “Armageddon” at Megiddo

[AI?]Did Roman historians mark the crucifixion of Jesus? – The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-848111

[AI?]Homeric jug reveals wine was an everyday drink in Troy – The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-848102

[AI?]Rare Roman coin of Emperor Vitellius sells for £4,700 – The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-848274

Ancient Tomb with Gladiator Epitaph Discovered in Italy | TheCollector
https://www.thecollector.com/ancient-tomb-gladiator-epitaph-discovered-italy/

Unlocking the secrets of Roman Hispania: Rare coin mold found – The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-848106

Abydos tomb: Penn Museum and Egyptian Archaeologists report

Abydos tomb: Penn Museum and Egyptian Archaeologists report

Why Catullus Continues to Seduce Us | The New Yorker
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/07/catullus-poems-book-review-stephen-mitchell-isobel-williams

Monsters of Rome: do emperors such as Nero and Caligula deserve their reputations? | HistoryExtra
https://www.historyextra.com/membership/monsters-rome-emperors-reputation-tom-holland/

Ephemeris ~ CONCUSSIO BIRMANICA
https://ephemerisnuntii.eu/nuntius.php?id=2427

Alex Lyras’ Aristotle/Alexander Play Premieres in Los Angeles – GreekReporter.com

Alex Lyras’ Aristotle/Alexander Play Premieres in Los Angeles

Hofstra Drama Puts a Modern Spin on an Ancient Greek Tragedy | News | Hofstra University, New York
https://news.hofstra.edu/2025/03/31/hofstra-drama-puts-a-modern-spin-on-an-ancient-greek-tragedy/

Theatre Performance: Ismene-A New Greek Tragedy – Truckee Meadows Community College
https://www.tmcc.edu/calendar/2025/04/25/theatre-performance-ismene-new-greek-tragedy

Only Bad Dudes Want Statues in the First Place – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE

Only Bad Dudes Want Statues in the First Place

Back to RGTO: Reading Tragedy Together When Sheltering Alone – SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE

Back to RGTO: Reading Tragedy Together When Sheltering Alone

The Odyssey, Book 22 parts 1-2 | Greek Myth Comix
https://greekmythcomix.com/comic/the-odyssey-book-22-parts-1-2/

Hoe reconstrueer je een tempel? – Mainzer Beobachter

Hoe reconstrueer je een tempel?

Weekly Varia no. 124, 03/30/25 – Noodlings

Weekly Varia no. 124, 03/30/25

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Αncient Greek II: A 21st-Century Approach
https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/03/ncient-greek-ii-21st-century-approach.html

PaleoJudaica.com: Review panel on Neis, When a Human Gives Birth to a Raven (3-4)
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/03/review-panel-on-neis-when-human-gives_31.html

PaleoJudaica.com: Podcast interview with Emanuel Tov on the scribes of Qumran
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/03/podcast-interview-with-emanuel-tov-on.html

PaleoJudaica.com: Kitchen obituary
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/03/kitchen-obituary.html

Neglected architectural decoration from the late antique city: public porticoes, small baths, shops/workshops, and ‘middle class’ houses in the east Mediterranean – Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Neglected architectural decoration from the late antique city: public porticoes, small baths, shops/workshops, and ‘middle class’ houses in the east Mediterranean

Die epigraphische Kultur an Oberrhein und Neckar in römischer Zeit – Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Die epigraphische Kultur an Oberrhein und Neckar in römischer Zeit

From Hannibal to Sulla: the birth of civil war in Republican Rome – Bryn Mawr Classical Review

From Hannibal to Sulla: the birth of civil war in Republican Rome


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AUDIENDA
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(5) March 2025 Q&A – by Jordan Galczynski and Kara Cooney
https://ancientnow.substack.com/p/march-2025-q-and-a?utm_source=podcast-email&publication_id=752411&post_id=159566917&utm_campaign=email-play-on-substack&utm_content=listen_now_button&r=q7tlq&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

The Case of the Late Iron Age Building in the Middle of the Desert Filled With Dead Young Women Probably Going to Yemen for Unclear and Possibly Unsavory Reasons, or Worst Vacation Ever? | This Week in the Ancient Near East
https://thisweekintheancientneareast.podbean.com/e/the-case-of-thelateironagebuilding-in-themiddle-ofthedesert-filled-with-dead-youngwomenprobablygoingto-yemenfor-unclear-andpossiblyunsavory-reasons-or/

Versus: The Cimbrian War I by Deep into History

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VIDENDA
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(892) Strade, santuari e domus tra Palatino e Velia nella media età repubblicana (IV-III secolo a.C.) – YouTube

(892) The Celtiberian Warrior | Warriors of History – YouTube

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NOTANDA
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Studentship in Roman History or Latin Language and Literature

Studentship in Roman History or Latin Language and Literature

Assistant Professor in Egyptian Archaeology (ARCH_01) job with DURHAM UNIVERSITY | 390848
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/unijobs/listing/390848/assistant-professor-in-egyptian-archaeology-arch_01-/

3-year Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics | Society for Classical Studies
https://www.classicalstudies.org/placement-service/2024-2025/39044/3-year-visiting-assistant-professor-classics

Assessing the Sacred Significance of Figurative Terracottas

Assessing the Sacred Significance of Figurative Terracottas

The Conversation: In Ancient Greece and Rome, who were the harpies, and why did they stink so much?

Krikkiat / Shutterstock.com

Kitty Smith, University of Sydney

Once yelled at women seen to be pestering or annoying – or at feminists questioning and threatening the status quo – “harpy” has long been used as a derogatory term targeting women.

But have you ever wondered what a harpy was in the first place?

Much like similar derogatory titles “siren” and “fury”, the term “harpy” is derived from a group of monstrous female figures from ancient Greek and Roman mythology.

This picture depicts the harpies being driven from the table of King Phineus, a story told in the Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes, in which Jason and the Argonauts search for the golden fleece.
This picture depicts the harpies being driven from the table of King Phineus, a story told in the Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes, in which Jason and the Argonauts search for the golden fleece.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Rogers Fund, 1967

Who were the harpies?

In Greek and Roman myth, the harpies were a group of animal-human hybrid monsters on par with other such mythological creatures like the sirens, the sphinx, and the centaurs.

Harpies were commonly imagined as an amalgam of a bird’s body, such as wings and claws, with a woman’s head.

The ancient story of the Aeneid, by Latin poet Virgil, describes the story’s hero Aeneas encountering harpies on his quest to found Rome, saying:

Maiden faces have these birds, foulest filth they drop, clawed hands are theirs, and faces ever gaunt with hunger.

This description matches a common design from Greek and Roman art of birds with women’s heads.

In Greco-Roman myth, the harpies were typically tasked with meting out justice on behalf of Zeus and other gods by using their great speed from their wings and sharp talons.

The importance of their claws was likely a result of their name, which was derived from the Ancient Greek word for “snatching” (ἁρπάζω or harpazdo).

As was common of many mythological figures with hybrid features, the way their animal features were portrayed tended to vary across different media (art or literature), different narrative purposes, and over time.

Sometimes the claws were emphasised; other times it was their supernaturally swift wings and voracious hunger.

Harpies were a common motif in many parts of the world. This roughly 12th Century statue is from modern-day Iran.
Harpies were also a common motif in many parts of the Muslim world. This roughly 12th Century statue is from modern-day Iran.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Cora Timken Burnett Collection of Persian Miniatures and Other Persian Art Objects, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956

Enforcers of swift justice

The harpies were not nice people. They existed in myth to dish out punishments from the gods.

Their primary target? Phineus, a seer and king of Salmydessus in Thrace, a city believed to have been located on the Western coast of the Black Sea near the modern day Turkish town of Kıyıköy.

His story is told in the Argonautica by ancient Greek author Apollonius of Rhodes. This tale centres on the journey of Jason and the Argonauts in search of the golden fleece.

In the story, Phineus is said to have abused his powers as a seer by sharing too many of the gods’ secrets with mortals.

This was among the most egregious of crimes in the eyes of the gods, so an especially awful punishment was decided upon.

Phineus was blinded and given the dubious gift of immortality while still allowed to age endlessly. And worst of all, he was set upon by the harpies.

Every time Phineus picked up and tried to eat food, the harpies would burst out from the clouds, moving as fast as lightning, and

with their crooked beaks incessantly snatched the food away from his mouth and hands.

The harpies brought a further gift for Phineus: their smell. This supernaturally “intolerable stench” could putrefy food, so any scraps the harpies didn’t grab were left rotting on the table. You couldn’t even stand near it, “so foully reeked the remnants of the meal”.

And while the harpies swooped in and out in seconds, their smell stuck to the rotting food (and probably poor Phineus).

Some ancient poets add a little extra zest and disgust by also suggesting the harpies may have been defecating on the food, and presumably Phineus.

Most notable is Virgil in his text the Aeneid who wrote about “foedissima ventris proluvies”, meaning:

the foulest discharges from their bellies.

This was likely an exaggeration of their bird-like qualities, used to emphasise how disgusting and monstrous they were.

Phineus was eventually given a reprieve from the harpies, by order of Zeus, so he could help the hero Jason on his quest for the golden fleece.

Having completed their job, the harpies then flew to Crete to live in a cave far away from annoying mortals – only being disturbed once by Aeneas on his meandering path to Rome.

The story of Phineus helped harpies become a metaphor for greed.

Those compared to harpies could include greedy house-guests overstaying their welcome, people living extravagantly or frivolously, or even family members taking advantage of wealthy relatives.

Although the harpies were female monsters, the term was not exclusively applied to women, but used to describe groups of greedy people.

Harpies were often associated with greed. In this Renaissance painting, part of a series depicting the Seven Deadly Sins, a harpy-drawn chariot is being used by Gluttony (who has wings, carries a jug and and wears wine leaves in her hair).
Harpies were often associated with greed. In this Renaissance painting, part of a series depicting the Seven Deadly Sins, a harpy-drawn chariot is being used by Gluttony (who has wings, carries a jug and and wears wine leaves in her hair).
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Frederic R. Coudert Jr., in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh A. Murray, 1957.

Harpies today

Happily, today the title of “harpy” is falling out of favour as a derogatory term. But the hordes of monstrous, snatching, winged women live on in modern books, games, comics, movies and TV shows.

From video games with swathes of harpy-like creatures snatching and clawing at the protagonist, like the 2020 video game Hades, to characters in stories inspired by Greek and Roman myth, the harpies are sticking around – like a bad smell.The Conversation

Kitty Smith, PhD Candidate in Classical Greek and Roman History, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

ROGUECLASSICIST’S BULLETIN March 30, 2025

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LEGENDA
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Rare Roman coin found in Dudley field sells for nearly £5,000
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mwm8nw914o

Melsonby hoard: iron-age Yorkshire discovery reveals ancient Britons’ connections with Europe
https://theconversation.com/melsonby-hoard-iron-age-yorkshire-discovery-reveals-ancient-britons-connections-with-europe-253274

Demetrios: The Ancient Greek Who Traveled to England – GreekReporter.com

Demetrios: The Ancient Greek Who Traveled to England

Ancient Greek Masterpiece Painting at King Philip of Macedon’s Tomb Revived Digitally – GreekReporter.com

Ancient Greek Masterpiece Painting at King Philip of Macedon’s Tomb Revived Digitally

Exploring the hunting mural from the Tomb of Philip II in Vergina – ProtoThema English

Exploring the hunting mural from the Tomb of Philip II in Vergina

[AI?]Classical Greek fresco revived with the help of AI – The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-848097

Slovakia Unearths Its First Ancient Roman Aqueduct

Slovakia Unearths Its First Ancient Roman Aqueduct

Music of the gods resonates at ancient Selinunte
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2025/03/music-of-the-gods-resonates-at-ancient-selinunte/154824

Mysterious artifacts from King Tut’s tomb might have been used in ‘awakening Osiris’ ritual | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/mysterious-artifacts-from-king-tuts-tomb-might-have-been-used-in-awakening-osiris-ritual

PaleoJudaica.com: Schmied, Anklage Gottes im Midrasch zu den Klageliedern (Mohr Siebeck)
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/03/schmied-anklage-gottes-im-midrasch-zu.html

At The Zoo | Sphinx

At The Zoo

Twelve Days in the Year: 27th March 2025 | Sphinx

Twelve Days in the Year: 27th March 2025

Bijbelse zoetigheden – Mainzer Beobachter

Bijbelse zoetigheden

De Romeinse tempel voor Concordia – Mainzer Beobachter

De Romeinse tempel voor Concordia

selfless eunuchs followed Panthea’s suicide at Abradatas’s death – purple motes

selfless eunuchs followed Panthea’s suicide at Abradatas’s death

(5) Please Allow Me To (Re)introduce Myself*
https://elizabethbobrick.substack.com/p/please-allow-me-to-reintroduce-myself?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1331359&post_id=160143783&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=q7tlq&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

Vengeful ghost cat, divorce lizard, phantom horse: the animals that haunted Ancient Rome and Greece
https://theconversation.com/vengeful-ghost-cat-divorce-lizard-phantom-horse-the-animals-that-haunted-ancient-rome-and-greece-249482

Gap Week: March 28, 2025 – A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry

Gap Week: March 28, 2025

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Mistaken Identity. Identitäten als Ressourcen im zentralen Mittelmeerraum
https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/03/mistaken-identity-identitaten-als.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: 100 Years of Archaeology at the University of Michigan: Essays on the Past, Present, and Future of the Discipline
https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/03/100-years-of-archaeology-at-university.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Cretan Hieroglyphic
https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/03/cretan-hieroglyphic.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Otto Rubensohn’s Excavations on Paros I: The Sanctuaries on Kounados Hill
https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/03/otto-rubensohns-excavations-on-paros-i.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: What Would Hercules Do? Lessons for Autistic Children Using Classical Myth
https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/03/what-would-hercules-do-lessons-for.html

AWOL – The Ancient World Online: Like a Captive Bird: Gender and Virtue in Plutarch
https://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2025/03/like-captive-bird-gender-and-virtue-in.html

PaleoJudaica.com: Chapman, The Victorians and the Holy Land (Eerdmans)
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2025/03/chapman-victorians-and-holy-land.html

Clay Figurines of Olbia Pontica. Part I. Collection of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine | Spartokos read

Clay Figurines of Olbia Pontica. Part I. Collection of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine

It’s All Greek to Stephen Fry
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/profiles/article/97443-it-s-all-greek-to-stephen-fry.html

London Handel Festival – Tales of Apollo and Hercules | Review
https://www.londontheatre1.com/reviews/london-handel-festival-tales-of-apollo-and-hercules-review/

Why Joe Rogan Believes In Fake Archaeology
https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/flint-dibble

An Account of Roman Surgical Treatments for Ozena: Historical Review – Hammond – The Laryngoscope – Wiley Online Library
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lary.32096
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AUDIENDA
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Anima Latina 30.03.2025 – Podcast – Radio Vaticana – Vatican News
https://www.vaticannews.va/it/podcast/rvi-programmi/anima-latina/2025/03/anima-latina-30-03-2025.html

Audio-Nachrichten auf Latein 29.03.2025 – Vatican News
https://www.vaticannews.va/de/podcast/audio-nachrichten-auf-latein/2025/03/audio-nachrichten-auf-latein-29-03-2025.html
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VIDENDA
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(862) Warfare in the Bronze Age Aegean: Myths and Realities, Angelos Papadopulos – YouTube

(864) Sound of Silence Cover in Classical Latin (BARDCORE) – YouTube

(864) De philologia, pars II || Spoken Latin podcast (52) – YouTube

(864) Hannibal (PARTS 18 – 20) ⚔️ Rome’s Greatest Enemy ⚔️ Second Punic War – YouTube

(865) Who were the Classical Attic Authors? – YouTube

(865) A Tomb of One’s Own: Playing Tomb Raider with an Archaeologist | Won’t You Be My Gamer? – YouTube

(867) Legamus Ovidium! Letter to wife, Tristia 3,3 – YouTube

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NOTANDA
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Recent Research at the Sanctuary of Zeus at Mt. Lykaion, Arcadia
https://as.nyu.edu/departments/classics/events/spring-2018/recent-research-at-the-sanctuary-of-zeus-at-mt–lykaion–arcadia.html

Living the Good Life: Lucretius and Epicureanism, Ancient and Modern
https://as.nyu.edu/departments/classics/events/spring-2018/living-the-good-life–lucretius-and-epicureanism–ancient-and-mo.html

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Tulane Global Humanities Center – Global Port Cities (Deadline April 21) – The Classical Association of Canada

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Tulane Global Humanities Center – Global Port Cities (Deadline April 21)