#Thelxinoe ~ Classics News for September 29, 2020

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Hodie est a.d. III Kal. Oct, 2772 AUC ~ 12 Boedromion in the fourth year of the 699th Olympiad

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The Royalist cause in Anatolia collapses as Eumenes’ allies desert him on land and sea. Meanwhile, Antipater, Craterus, and Antigonus the One-Eyed cross the Hellespont into Asia, determined to topple Perdiccas’ government and crush anyone who stands in their way.

Book Reviews

Professional Matters

Alia

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, it portends a serious drought.

… 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 September 28, 2020

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Hodie est a.d. IV Kal. Oct, 2772 AUC ~ 11 Boedromion in the fourth year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

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Greek/Latin News

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Following the disaster at Lake Trasimene, the Roman Senate took the drastic step of appointing a dictator – a single man with full military powers – to meet the crisis. The man chosen – Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus – differed greatly from the typical Roman aristocrat of his day. Cool-headed and steady handed, Fabius implemented a strategy of delay and harassment against Hannibal, hoping to whittle down the Carthaginian forces without risking another devastating defeat in open battle. Although effective at stabilizing Roman morale, the dictator’s strategy proved extremely unpopular among soldiers in his own camp. His second-in-command, Marcus Minucius Rufus, soon became the ringleader of a growing band of dissidents, and the tension between the dictator and his lieutenant would lead to an open breach which Hannibal would be quick to exploit.

44 BCE – 14 CE – Rome recovers after the death of Julius Caesar, and the constitution of Rome would change for good.  One man emerges from all others to become the most trusted leader of the entire Roman Republic.

Though they viewed themselves as the civilized center of the world, the Greeks had always expressed a curiosity for what lay on the periphery. The conquests of Alexander the Great had thrown open the doors of Asia and Africa, lands that were only the stuff of legend and hearsay, to hordes of Greek explorers, scientists, and diplomats. Many would be bankrolled by the Hellenistic rulers, who looked to seize potential trading opportunities or to redefine the civilized world in order to fit their imperial vision. Those like Megasthenes would venture into the humid subtropics of eastern India, while others like Pytheas of Massalia would sail the frigid North Sea around the mysterious island of Thule. In this episode, we will discuss the developments that occurred within the Greek’s conception of the “inhabited world”, and learn more about the explorers who helped redraw the map during the Hellenistic period.

In the penultimate episode on the story of Greek Theatre a look at the final years of Greek tragedy and comedy and the Athenian festivals. Then some thoughts on the development of Mime as a dramatic form and notes on our sources.

Book Reviews

Professional Matters

Alia

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, it portends signs revealing great things.

… 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 the Weekend of September 26-27, 2020

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Hodie est a.d. V Kal. Oct, 2772 AUC ~ 10 Boedromion in the fourth year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

In Case You Missed It

Greek/Latin News

Public Facing Classics

Fresh Bloggery

Blog-like Publications

Fresh Podcasts

When we last left our Roman ladies, Octavia and Livia, their lives were changing fast. After all that bloodshed and drama, Octavian has finally been left as the last man standing in the fight for control over Rome. What happens now? Octavian becomes Augustus, Rome’s very first emperor, and the ladies become the imperial legends. Let’s explore the extreme highs (and sometimes very low lows) of the women in his life.

The Satyr play is one of the most enigmatic elements of Ancient Greek drama and we have few surviving examples of it. A look at the stories it told, its development and it’s place in the story of Ancient Greek theatre.

Persia launches its first invasion against Greece

This week, lovely Listeners, we bring you … a third person! Let us introduce you to the third of our triumvirate (ooohhh – Roman joke): Ms Eden Wood. Eden teaches Latin and Classical Civilisation in a Scottish secondary school and is doing all the hard work of getting kids into Classics. For the most part, we’ll be chatting about HEROISM – a subject studied in the Highers Curriculum – so, for any students studying the same course: listen up, she offers some serious GOLD here.

Possibly the most influential theologian in history, Paul codified and clarified Christianity as it emerged into the diverse world of the Eastern Mediterranean.

A desperate family become separated while fleeing a war zone in this famous story from Virgil’s epic poem The Aeneid, 2.624-795. I’m delighted to be joined on this episode by Dr Olivia Knops, from the University of Birmingham, and Ed Harrisson, who has composed all the music for the podcast. We have a good old natter about ancient and modern music, different musical moods, what we know about ancient music and how this can be transformed for modern listeners. The story features a new arrangement of the ancient Greek Seikilos Epitaph, the earliest known musical composition including musical notation.Content warning: war, fire, urban destruction, references to sexual violence.

What does it take to be a hero? Nowadays rescuing others, not being a coward, or just standing up for you principles seems to be the key. In the Trojan war you could spend years in a tent sulking while everyone else fights simply because you were denied a sex slave, and STILL be considered a Hero. Natalie Haynes has released a novel about the silenced women of the Trojan War, and chats to Iszi about a not-so-famous Amazon warrior – Penthesia, and debunks some of the myths surrounding her.

The odds are never a problem if you own half the racers. This is a story of a populist who brought down his own people. Born into wealth and unrivalled privilege, at least this particular politician fought in the wars alongside his friends. It didn’t stop him turning on them to save his skin, or indeed turning on his new friends to do it again. Featuring: Alcibiades  David Stuttard is a writer, lecturer, theatre director, dramaturg and Fellow of Goodenough College, London.His Nemesis: Alcibiades and the Fall of Athens was published by Harvard University Press in April 2018.  Iszi Lawrence is a presenter of BBC’s Making History and The British Museum Membercast.  and on twitter:

Natalie Haynes joined me on the podcast to retell the stories of remarkable women at the heart of Greek myths, from Medusa, Penelope, and Pandora, to the Amazons.

Book Reviews

Professional Matters

Alia

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, it portends powerful men harnessing hatred and taking sides against each other.

… 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)

#Thelxiope ~ Classics in Landscape Mode for September 26, 2020

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Hodie est a.d. VI Kal. Oct, 2772 AUC ~ 9 Boedromion in the fourth year of the 699th Olympiad

This week’s video-based gleanings; page might take a while to load:

Documentary Length

Lectures and Conferences

Everyday Orientalism

Persika

Center for Hellenic Studies

Ancient History Guy

Christian Lehman

Crews Project

The Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ages

Kings and Generals

American Institute for Roman Culture/Darius Arya

Parco Colosseo

Classics in Color

Invicta

Billingsgate Roman House

Oriental Institute

Pompeii Sites

Alia

#Thelxinoe ~ Classics News for September 25, 2020

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Hodie est a.d. VII Kal. Oct, 2772 AUC ~ 8 Boedromion in the fourth year of the 699th Olympiad

In the News

Classicists and Classics in the News

Public Facing Classics

Fresh Bloggery

Blog-like Publications

Fresh Podcasts

Darius the Great is one of Persia’s most infamous kings for many reasons. An illegitimate heir who reunified the empire. The king of the first war with Greece. Conqueror of territory at the far reaches of Persian control. He was many things. He was also a reformer and an administrator who oversaw the implementation of new systems of taxation, record keeping, and political organization. Those reforms formed the basis of Persian governance for centuries to come, and may be his longest lasting legacy.

In this episode, we cover the reign of Ashurnasirpal II, who through a series of ruthless and brutal conquests, completed the transformation of Assyria from a regional power to an empire, the Neo-Assyrian empire, and left it perhaps stronger that it was ever before.

In the short introductory episode of Roamin’ The Empire, Rob and Katie introduce themselves and their backgrounds and talk about their goals and motivations behind doing this podcast.

We’ve had the Battle of Thermopylae with the brilliant Paul Cartledge; we’ve had the Battle of Artemisium with the great Owen Rees. And I’m delighted to say that we are today fulfilling the 2,499 Persian War ‘trilogy’ with the Battle of Salamis. One of the most famous naval clashes of antiquity, it saw a small (largely-Athenian) fleet square up against the mighty Persian armada of King Xerxes. It occurred around this time (c.22 September), 2,499 years ago. I was thrilled to be joined by Professor Barry Strauss to talk through the Battle of Salamis. In this podcast he provides a thorough account of the clash and explains why the battle became so important to the Athenians. Barry is the author of ‘The Battle of Salamis: The Naval Encounter that Saved Greece – and Western Civilisation’. He is also the host of the Antiquitas podcast.

Tyler Alderson interviews Dr. Sally Foster about an overlooked group of objects: replicas. Far from being just a copy of an original object, replicas can have their own lives and value. Dr. Foster discusses her research and new book on the St. John’s Cross replica on the Scottish island of Iona, as well as a set of principles and guidance she has helped prepare for working with replicas. 61 minutes.

Murray answers the question from patron Cosma ‘What was the process of hiring mercenaries in ancient armies?’

In today’s special guest episode, I am joined by Dr Denise Eileen McCoskey, Professor of Classics and affiliate of Black World Studies at Miami (OH) University. She has written extensively on the politics of race and gender in antiquity and is currently at work on a project examining the role of eugenics in early twentieth-century classical scholarship. In 2012, she published her book Race: Antiquity & Its Legacy, which will be the topic of today’s conversation. It accounts for the various ways in which ancient cultures thought about race (including race as social practice and racial representations). We also dig into the “Black Athena” controversy a bit and why the field of Classics handled it so poorly.

“In this episode of Amped Up Radio, I sit down to talk with Ryan Stitt, the creator and host of The History of Ancient Greece Podcast. Ryan talks about the thorny issue of historiography in ancient Greece, relating to the lack of reliable sources; what life would have been like if you were a male, female, or slave living in Athens, and Sparta’s eugenics program, whether or not it is myth or reality. In the second half of the show, we talk about how Ryan got into podcasting, some roadblocks he’s come across, and some tips for new podcasters are arriving to the scene!”

Book Reviews

Professional Matters

Alia

‘Sorting’ Out Your Day:

Today on the Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar:

If it thunders today, from civil unrest will come a tyrant, but he will be undone and the powerful will be destroyed completely with serious penalties.

… 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)