Tip o’ the pileus (maybe) to Diana Wright for this modern take on the Minoan Snake lady … or maybe it’s a hydra … or something:
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ
The Department of Classics of Rutgers University-New Brunswick is
seeking to fill a one-year (possibly renewable for an additional year)
position for the 2010-2011 academic year, pending final budgetary
approval. The area of specialization is open, but we hope to complement
existing faculty strengths, and a focus on Latin Literature of the
Empire would be welcome. Applicants should have a record of outstanding
teaching and show strong scholarly potential. The teaching assignments
may include a range of undergraduate and graduate courses, including
Greek or Latin language and literature courses and Classical
Civilization courses. The teaching load will be three courses per
semester. Applicants should have Ph.D. in hand by December 2010.
Review of applications will begin on May 31, 2010. To apply for this
position, please have a cover letter, CV, writing sample, and three
letters of recommendation to arrive by June 15, 2010 c/o Professor Azzan
Yadin, Rutgers University Department of Classics, Ruth Adams Building
002, 131 George Street, New Brunswick NJ 08901. Rutgers University is
an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer.
Plenty of potentially useful texts here … a quick scan suggests they’re all Teubner texts:
Some observations from an item in the Telegraph:
“Clash of the Titans and How to Train Your Dragon represent worlds that are far from our own and an escape from job insecurity, debates about health care and worrying about paying the bills,” he said. “What better way to do this than to take yourself off to a totally different place at the movies?”
But while the themes are escapist, the content is also familiar – Greeks, Romans and Vikings and assorted serpents and dragons.
“That makes for good comfort movies dealing with characters and stories with which they are familiar,” said Mr Contrino. “People want to get away from reality with these movies, but nor do they want to be too challenged.”
That such colourful adventure stories are also particularly well-suited to portrayal in 3D is also no coincidence as Hollywood tries to cash in on the game-changing success of James Cameron’s Avatar blockbuster.
There is an added resonance to Americans flocking to films set during the rise and fall of ancient empires as they contemplate their own long-dominant place in the world amid economic upheavals at home and protracted wars abroad.
… in case you’re not aware, I’m regularly posting any interesting reviews of sword and sandal flicks on my Twitterfeed … there are links to them in one of the sidebars at the right (near the bottom of the column) …
An interesting togatus … clearly not a garment I’d be comfortable wearing:
Not sure how this is identified as a female athlete (4th/3rd century Etruscan):
A Roman Janus head flask (I’ve never seen one of these):
Some of the interesting items in Christie’s upcoming antiquities auction include this torso of Aphrodite (from a 19th century Swiss collection) (the inline links will take you to the ‘official page’):
A very interesting ‘young satyr’ with a panther at his feet (acquired pre-1970):
There are 80+ other items … an awful lot of ‘satyrs’ …
- Middle Comedy and the “Satyric” Style – Carl A. Shaw
- Menander’s Theophoroumene between Greece and Rome – Sebastiana Nervegna
- The Tyrant Lists: Tacitus’ Obituary of Petronius – Holly Haynes
- Unseemly Professions and Recruitment in Late Antiquity: Piscatores and Vegetius Epitoma 1.7.1-2 – Michael B. Charles
- Reconsidering the History of Latin and Sabellic Adpositional Morphosyntax – Benjamin W. Fortson IV
Some ‘partial access’ available …
The workshop will consist of five 3-hour sessions, each devoted to discussion of a single pre-circulated chunk of text and commentary. We work in an intensely practical, hands-on way, asking questions, making suggestions, working out problems, and the like. Our expectation is not that the group will examine the whole of anyone’s primary text, but that all participants will return in the end to their projects with fresh insights, ideas and questions, new bibliographic resources, and a sense of working within a supportive scholarly community.
Workshop sessions are open only to the conveners, S. Douglas Olson and Alex Sens; the five participants; and (by invitation) previous participants and occasional graduate student observers. Participants are expected to arrive late in the day on the 14th, and to stay for the entire proceedings, including a final dinner on Saturday night.
Projects should be well enough advanced to provide a substantial sample of text and commentary, but not so far along that the Workshop will be unlikely to affect the final shape. Proposals should consist of (1) a brief (maximum one-page) description of the project, its intended audience, and the expected publication venue; (2) a 10-page sample of text and commentary. Proposals should be submitted, preferably in PDF form, to the convenors at sdolson AT umn.edu and sensa AT georgetown.edu. Final Workshop samples will be due on Monday September 13, 2010, for pre-circulation to all participants.
Participants are asked to call first on their own research accounts and institutional resources to cover their transportation and housing costs. For those who lack such resources, the Workshop will provide up to $600 for travel and housing. All meals will be provided.
This one seems to be making the rounds again:
Remains unearthed in Nottinghamshire could be an unknown Roman temple, archaeologists have claimed.
Excavations on the Minster C of E School site in Southwell between September 2008 and May 2009 revealed walls, ditches and ornate stones.
The team analysing the finds said the shape and quality of the remains suggest it could have been an important place of worship.
This could mean Southwell enjoyed a high status Roman Britain, they added.
A wall of large block masonry that was probably plastered and possibly painted, with a ditch that may have contained water, was possibly the boundary of a large temple.
The remains of timber scaffolding for the wall were also uncovered. Radiocarbon dating of this dated it to the first century.
Ursilla Spence from Nottinghamshire County Council, the archaeologist who supervised the work, said a lack of domestic remains, like pots and tools, also indicated a ceremonial use.
“This is a fascinating site,” she said. “But, so far, it has raised more questions than it has answered.
“I hope that future excavation work, when the site is developed, will throw more light on exactly what was going on here 2,000 years ago.
“But, whatever we might find in future, I believe we have already shown that Roman Southwell was a much more significant place than anyone previously thought.”
She added that if the site was a temple, a nearby ‘villa’ with mosaics, excavated in 1959, could actually have been a hotel for pilgrims.
The site is expected to be developed for housing and further excavation would take place during the building work.
Until the first quarter of the seventh century Classical Civilization was alive and well in the Middle East and North Africa — even more so than in Europe. City life flourished, as did the economy and the arts. Literacy was widespread, and the works of the Classical historians, as well as the philosophers, mathematicians, and physicians, were readily available and discussed in the academies and libraries located throughout the Near East, North Africa, and Europe. In Egypt, during the sixth century, renowned philosophers such as Olympiodorus (died 570) presided over the Alexandrian academy which possessed a well-stocked and funded library packed with probably thousands of volumes. The Alexandrian academy of this time was the most illustrious institute of learning in the known world; and it is beyond doubt that its library matched, if indeed it did not surpass, the original Library founded by Ptolemy II. The writings of Olympiodorus and his contemporaries demonstrate intimate familiarity with the great works of classical antiquity — very often quoting obscure philosophers and historians whose works have long since disappeared. Among the general population of the time literacy was the norm, and the appetite for reading was fed by a large class of professional writers who composed plays, poems and short stories — the latter taking the form of mini-novels. In Egypt, the works of Greek writers such as Herodotus and Diodorus were familiar and widely quoted. Both the latter, as well as native Egyptian writers such as Manetho, had composed extensive histories of Egypt of the time of the pharaohs. These works provided, for the citizens of Egypt and other parts of the Empire, a direct link with the pharaohnic past. Here the educated citizen encountered the name of the pharaoh (Kheops) who built the Great Pyramid, as well as that of his son (Khephren), who built the second pyramid at Giza, and that of his grandson Mykerinos, who raised the third and smallest structure. These Hellenized versions of the names were extremely accurate transcriptions of the actual Egyptian names (Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure). In the history of the country written by Manetho, the educated citizen of the Empire would have had a detailed description of Egypt’s past, complete with an in-depth account of the deeds of the pharaohs as well as descriptions of the various monuments and the kings who built them.
The change that came over Egypt and the other regions of the Middle East following the Arab Conquest can only be described as catastrophic. Almost all knowledge of these countries’ histories disappears, and does so almost overnight. Consider the account of the Giza Pyramids and their construction written by the Arab historian Al Masudi (regarded as the “Arab Herodotus”), apparently in the tenth century:
“Surid, Ben Shaluk, Ben Sermuni, Ben Termidun, Ben Tedresan, Ben Sal, one of the kings of Egypt before the flood, built two great pyramids; and, notwithstanding, they were subsequently named after a person called Shaddad Ben Ad … they were not built by the Adites, who could not conquer Egypt, on account of their powers, which the Egyptians possessed by means of enchantment … the reason for the building of the pyramids was the following dream, which happened to Surid three hundred years previous to the flood. It appeared to him that the earth was overthrown, and that the inhabitants were laid prostrate upon it, that the stars wandered confusedly from their courses, and clashed together with tremendous noise. The king though greatly affected by this vision, did not disclose it to any person, but was conscious that some great event was about to take place.” (From L. Cottrell, The Mountains of Pharaoh (London, 1956)).
This was what passed for “history” in Egypt after the Arab conquest — little more than a collection of Arab fables. Egypt, effectively, had lost her history. Other Arab writers display the same ignorance. Take for example the comments of Ibn Jubayr, who worked as a secretary to the Moorish governor of Granada, and who visited Cairo in 1182. He commented on “the ancient pyramids, of miraculous construction and wonderful to look upon, [which looked] like huge pavilions rearing to the skies; two in particular shock the firmament …” He wondered whether they might be the tombs of early prophets mention in the Koran, or whether they were granaries of the biblical patriarch Joseph, but in the end came to the conclusion, “To be short, none but the Great and Glorious God can know their story.” (Andrew Beattie, Cairo: A Cultural History (Oxford University Press, 2005) p. 50)
I discovered this a few years ago, after I’d read Robert Harris’ excellent novel, _Pompeii_. It’s told from the point of view of a hydraulic engineer in AD 79, sent to figure out why the aqueduct around Pompeii is running dry. I kept wondering why the characters weren’t thinking about the possibility of the volcano erupting, and I finally tried to look up the word in my Latin dictionary, without success. It’s the Chambers & Murray—considered the best 1-volume Latin dictionary out there—so it wouldn’t have accidentally missed the word.
That really surprised me. But I reckon Vesuvius really surprised the Romans, too. I thought this might have been the first eruption of a volcano their civilization had known, but that’s not the case, since even Vergil refers to an eruption of Etna in the Aeneid. So…even weirder they didn’t have a word, since they knew about these things. Huh.
The controversy won’t go dormant. From a reader:
There may not be a single word for a volcano, but there is a Latin phrase for it:
mons flammas eructans (“mountain belching fire”)
Aren’t you being more than a trifle gullible? The Romans employed ample terminology for volcanoes; even more for the sort of eruptions of stupidity evidenced by your reader. I suggest you consign his email to the mouth of a mons flammas eructans. While you’re at it, utter a prayer to Volcanus.
good heavens — anyone who saw the doctor who episode “the fires of
pompeii” (2008) knows there was no latin word for “volcano.” also,
that as bad as volcanic eruptions are, they prevent the pyrovile rock
people from becoming our new alien overlords. sheesh.
According to the episode “The Fires of Pompeii” they simply didn’t have one.
THE DOCTOR (subdued, to Donna)
They don’t know what it is. Vesuvius is just a mountain to them, the top hasn’t blown off yet. The Romans haven’t even got a word for volcano. Not until tomorrow.
I’m not sure saying “they didn’t have a word for it” gives the right impression. As some of the commentators about are implying, it seems more accurate to say that the Romans didn’t really distinguish between mountains that ‘burned’ and mountains that didn’t ‘burn’ except with the addition of adjectives. Here, e.g., is what Pliny the Elder has in a section describing ‘flagrant mountains’ (2.110 via Lacus Curtius):
verum in montium miraculis ardet Aetna noctibus semper tantoque aevo materia ignium sufficit, nivalis hibernis temporibus egestumque cinerem pruinis operiens. nec in illo tantum natura saevit exustionem terris denuntians: flagrat in Phaselitis mons Chimaera, et quidem inmortali diebus ac noctibus flamma; ignem eius accendi aqua, extingui vero terra aut fimo Cnidius Ctesias tradit. eadem in Lycia Hephaesti montes taeda flammante tacti flagrant, et adeo ut lapides quoque rivorum et harenae in ipsis aquis ardeant, aliturque ignis ille pluviis; baculo si quis ex iis accenso traxerit sulcum, rivos ignium sequi narrant. flagrat in Bactris Cophanti noctibus vertex.
Here’s the incipit … not sure if I blogged this already:
Many historians agree that the world’s most well-known epic poet, Homer, lived in the Aegean city of İzmir, but several mayors are eager to have their towns recognized as his home.
The ancient Greek poet Homer, traditionally considered the author of the epic poems “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” is believed to have lived in ancient Smyrna, today’s İzmir, in the eighth century B.C. Seven different locations claim to be home to Homer, with Bornova and Gaziemir on the brink of a tough battle.
Gaziemir Mayor Halil İbrahim Şenol, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, argued that Homer was born in Gaziemir. “The history books say Homer was born where the Meles River starts, and it starts in Gaziemir,” said Şenol. “It is not true that Homer lived in Bornova, and our research will support and reveal the truth.”
Bornova, another town in İzmir, also claims it is the hometown of the Greek poet. Bornova Mayor Kamil Okyay Sındır, also a member of the CHP, earlier said the town should be proud of being Homer’s hometown and cited the Meles River reference to strengthen his argument.
“Homer wrote about the Meles River in his works, which is why it is believed he lived around here,” Sındır said. “All findings indicate Homer lived in Bornova. There are seven locations in the Aegean and the Greek Islands claiming to be Homer’s hometown, but Bornova is the strongest candidate.”
Şenol appointed archeologist Ercan Çokbankir as the Gaziemir Municipality Culture Coordinator after last year’s local elections, and he has been focused on the issue ever since.
“It makes more sense that Homer was a Gaziemir local,” said Çokbankir, adding that no argument is 100 percent certain. “Many history books name the river from Çatalkaya as Homer or Homeros. Bornova does not have such a record,”
“The Homeros Valley project has been built in the wrong location,” he said. “The right place would be Gaziemir.”
The Gaziemir mayor noted that the municipality will soon organize an international conference on Homer. “After all, Homer is a world-renowned poet, and the most important thing is that most historians agree he lived in İzmir,” said Şenol. “I’m aware that there is not much point in arguing about whether he lived in Bornova or Gaziemir, but we just want the truth to be known.”
The skinny: it dates from the second half of the first century A.D. (based on it apparently demonstrating a transition from cremation to inhumation) and most of the occupants seem to be low-status males (skeletal remains show evidence of a life of ‘hard labour’) …
La necropoli sembra risalire alla seconda metà del I secolo d.C., in un momento di passaggio tra l’uso del rito ad incinerazione a quello ad inumazione. A comunicarlo la Soprintendenza per i beni archeologici di Roma di Ostia.
«Dall’analisi antropologica preliminare gli inumati, nella maggior parte di sesso maschile, sono apparsi appartenere ad un livello sociale molto basso, per le numerose tracce di alterazioni scheletriche causate da stress biomeccanici, attribuiti ad un’attività lavorativa particolarmente pesante, che prevedeva un forte impegno funzionale degli arti – prosegue la nota – Inoltre, nell’area di cantiere più vicina alla Stazione della Ferrovia Roma-Lido sono state rinvenute alcune strutture murarie, rasate al livello delle fondazioni, riferibili a due ambienti adiacenti pavimentati con mosaici a disegni geometrici in bianco/nero. Queste strutture possono collegarsi alle altre visibili lungo via della Stazione di Ostia Antica ed a quelle scoperte in più punti negli anni passati nei pressi della Stazione e probabilmente riferibili ad ambito commerciale e residenziale. I dati scaturiti da questo intervento si sono rivelati particolarmente interessanti per la ricostruzione delle modalità di utilizzo del territorio immediatamente circostante alla città romana di Ostia Antica».
Lo scavo è stato realizzato su incarico Acea dalla Cooperativa archeologia, sotto la direzione scientifica della Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma – Sede di Ostia, con il supporto di un’antropologa collaboratrice del Servizio di Antropologia della Soprintendenza. E’ stato possibile mettere in luce la continuazione dell’ambito necropolare già evidenziato durante un precedente cantiere Acea, effettuato nel 2006 nell’angolo Sud-occidentale del Parco dei Ravennati.
Not sure I’ve ever had something from the Sun, so:
A PENSIONER who dresses as a Roman gladiator and calls himself Maximus Decimus Meridius has admitted his obsession may be “over the top”.
Tony Barnatt Jose, a retired lorry driver, has devoted his life to the ancient empire — turning his house into a shrine and even making pilgrimages to Rome.
His fixation was sparked when he saw Russell Crowe’s epic movie Gladiator.
The 66-year-old grandfather has adorned the walls of his terraced home in Durham with shields, helmets, masks, pictures and cuttings.
He spends hours poring over books and watching films about the Roman Empire and wears a full suit of replica armour.
Mr Barnatt said: “After seeing Gladiator, I read a book about Hannibal, the military commander.
“I started going to the library and reading more about Roman history, going to Roman forts and collecting antiquities.
“Since then my obsession has just got worse and worse.
“The Romans left such a legacy all over the world. Even now, Rome carries on — even in America with the Senate.”
He added: “Everybody knows me as Maximus Decimus Meridius. Lots of people think I am mad.
“But so what, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone. I really enjoy it. The clothes and armour look real and I think they’re really great.”
Mr Jose estimates his Roman fascination now takes up three-quarters of his time.
His desk is a production line for homemade scrolls, armour and his next weapon — although the law prevents him from carrying a real sword.
He is now offering to attend events and parties in his gladiator costume, to raise cash for charity.
This one seems to be getting an awful lot of attention in the Italian press for some reason … a 2nd or 1st century B.C. amphora find from the waters near Bari.
Un’anfora romana risalente al periodo compreso fra il II ed il I secolo a.C. è stata scoperta su un fondale sabbioso non molto lontano dal porto di Bari e recuperata dai carabinieri del Nucleo subacquei. Si tratta del primo recupero archeologico eseguito dal Nucleo subacquei carabinieri di Bari che opera nel capoluogo pugliese dallo scorso 26 ottobre. Il nucleo è costituito da otto uomini, tutti operatori subacquei, impegnati a tutela delle persone e dei natanti, nella prevenzione dei reati ambientali in acqua e nel recupero di relitti e tutela dei beni archeologici. Ha sede sul Molo Pizzoli. Il recupero del reperto – a quanto si è saputo – è avvenuto mentre i militari stavano facendo un’immersione di addestramento e hanno scoperto l’antico reperto archeologico, parzialmente ricoperto di sabbia. Si tratta – hanno confermato gli esperti del Comando tutela patrimonio culturale – di una «lamboglia 2», un’anfora dal corpo ovoidale di circa un metro e venti di altezza, con le anse applicate sotto l’orlo, impiegata nell’antichità per il trasporto di liquidi, in particolare vino. Un manufatto tipico dell’area mediterranea che per il suo uso viene denominata «vinaria». Il reperto, dopo il recupero, è stato trasportato in un’apposita vasca d’intesa con la Soprintendenza dei beni archeologici.
… and I just learned from an article by Joann Freed that Lamboglio 2 vessels are equivalent to Dressel 6a (I think) … not sure why Dressel keeps coming up today!
A doctor had some 930 archaeological artifacts in his possession … seems to be one of those ‘private museum’ situations:
I carabinieri del nucleo tutela patrimonio culturale della Sicilia e del Comando provinciale dei carabinieri di Agrigento hanno sequestrato 930 reperti archeologici all’interno dell’abitazione di un medico agrigentino. Secondo quanto ha spiegato il capitano Giuseppe Marseglia del nucleo tutela patrimonio culturale di Palermo si tratta del maggiore sequestro di reperti archeologici degli ultimi dieci anni in Sicilia. I militari hanno sequestrato diversi crateri a figure rosse di epoca greca, ma anche reperti protostorici, bizantini, ellenistici ed anche del basso medioevo. Il provvedimento di sequestro e’ stato firmato dal sostituto procuratore Giacomo Forte e dal procuratore aggiunto Ignazio Fonzo. Il medico e’ stato denunciato per ricettazione e la sua posizione e’ al vaglio della magistratura. A mettere i carabinieri sulle tracce del “museo privato” e’ stata una segnalazione. Tutti i reperti saranno consegnati ora alla Soprintednenza di Agrigento. Il loro valore si aggira attorno a un milione di euro.
On Friday, Papandreou said he hoped accessing the rescue package would give Greece the breathing room it needs to move forward on his reform agenda, which includes modernizing the Greek state and tackling the country’s pension morass. Evoking the ancient hero Odysseus and his epic journey home from the Trojan War, the American-born Prime Minister also warned that Greeks should have no illusions about how tough the process will be. “We are on a difficult path, a new odyssey for Greece and for the Greek nation,” he said. “But we know the way to Ithaca, and we have charted the waters in our quest.” Odysseus’ quest took 10 years. The Greeks can only hope their journey to fiscal solvency won’t take as long.
… assuming the war is over, of course …
Here’s the spoiler (the conclusion) of a nice article in Philosophy Now:
Suddenly Pythagoras came to a stop. A vast bean field stretched before him. He stood frozen, uncertain what to do. His eyes focused on a single bean dangling inches from his papyrus- covered feet. So true was he to his ideals that, even at the risk of losing his own life, he was unwilling to trample upon even a single bean. Staring down upon that vibrant bean, the sun low in the sky, he imagined it to be blossoming into a divine ripeness before him. And as he stood there, hesitating, contemplating his next move, his pursuers caught up with him. They lifted their weapons, and bringing the knifes down hard, spilled Pythagoras’ blood on the plants – ending his life for the sake of a bean, and for the deep wisdom immersed in that diminutive cosmic object.
… a case of “Bean there, done that”?
The tomb including skeletal remains and an amphora.Attard Local Council, which is responsible for the works, immediately alerted the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, whose experts are trying to date the find.
Council officials said the remains could be over 2,500 years old.
I’m guessing that’s a Dressel 20 amphora, which would make this a 2nd or 3rd century A.D. group burial, but I will happily be corrected on that identification.
UPDATE (A few hours later):
Just came across this news report (with sound) which seems to suggest the burial is Punic, but I don’t have a clue what they’re saying:
A native of Senegal, Diop joined the Roxbury Latin faculty in 1994, a graduate of Oberlin College with degrees in French and mathematics. He later earned a master’s degree in education from Harvard University. At Oberlin he starred in tennis, one of the top players in that school’s history, ranking sixth in doubles by the ITA in his senior year. In 2006 he was inducted into Oberlin’s John W. Heisman Club’s Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition to teaching French, Diop serves as the school’s varsity tennis coach.
There is perhaps no more respected and more revered faculty member at Roxbury Latin than Diop. In his remarks to the assembled school community and guests, headmaster Kerry Brennan said, “For all of his 15 and a half years at Roxbury Latin, Mr. Diop epitomized all that we have come to expect and admire in the men and women who make up our faculty. He is a teacher, counselor, coach, adviser and mentor to scores of young men in his charge, a cherished and esteemed colleague of our faculty and staff. We are all better off from an association with Mr. Diop.”
Interesting item from the BBC:
Roman altar stones dating back almost 2000 years have been found at a cricket pavilion in Musselburgh, East Lothian.
The stones have been described as the most significant find of their kind in the past 100 years.
Renovations were planned at the pavilion but archaeologists had to survey the protected building before work could begin.
Their unearthing of the stones and other artefacts has postponed the planned developments on the pavilion.
George Findlater, senior inspector of ancient monuments at Historic Scotland, said: “The stones have carvings and quite possibly inscriptions which can have a wealth of information on them, a lot of data about the people and their religion at that time.”
At least one of the altars is from the 2nd Century and is dedicated to the Roman God Jupiter.
Councillor Paul McLennan, cabinet member for community wellbeing at East Lothian Council, said: “The discovery of these remains is particularly exciting as it is not often that Roman altar stones are discovered during an archaeological excavation in Scotland.
“This helps with the emerging picture of life in and around the Roman fort at Inveresk during the second century.”