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Welcome to SeniorLearn Classics => Classics Forum => Topic started by: ClassicsAdmin on December 14, 2008, 09:57:08 AM

Title: Classics Forum
Post by: ClassicsAdmin on December 14, 2008, 09:57:08 AM
CLASSICS BULLETIN BOARD

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum


Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

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Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on December 22, 2008, 01:55:04 PM
Hi Latin buddies,  it's good to be back. Joyce (aka Athena)


(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m193/joycepair/wisemen.gif)

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on December 24, 2008, 07:24:22 PM
Hi Athena and All...
Just got my new User Name and Password but don't know how to find the Classroom for Latin 102. Can anyone help me?
Thanks, Aliki
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: jane on December 25, 2008, 04:16:58 PM
Aliki....just scroll ondown the page...pass below the Classics Forum and Classics Bulletin Board (where you are now) and you should see the Welcome to the Classics blue bar and your Latin 102 area below that.  IF you cannot, please post here again or email me at janeiowa@gmail.com

The two dots under your name show that you're on the Latin 102 access list. 

EDIT: I see you've posted in the 102 classroom, so you obviously found it!  Terrific!!


jane
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Robby on December 28, 2008, 02:36:33 PM
Maybe an over simplistic question, but what is meant by the term "classics world?"

Robby
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 28, 2008, 06:34:25 PM
I had to go look to see what you meant. :)  I think it means in that context, the entire subject  embracing anything  being discovered or of interest  about the ancients,  any traveling exhibits (there are two in the US currently), and more  specifically for our purposes,  the "noble Greeks and Romans," and anything about them, since we offer classes here in Latin (and until recently did in ancient Greek as well).

Classical languages,   history, and archaeology are part of a very exciting field,   with discoveries being made daily which change our perceptions of who they were and what they thought:  it's a  VERY exciting endeavor to be studying and part of. Nothing like it in the world, really. I'm glad you asked.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Pete7268 on January 10, 2009, 10:09:04 AM
I have a desktop weather forecaster based on my location. It is supplied by a Finnish company through Google. It is excellent, usually exceedingly accurate, giving the weather for today and the following three days.
 
I have just seen that they do a forecast for mobile phones and you can have it in LATIN! Now! Ain't that a breeze! (no pun intended). ;D
My desktop one is free, not sure about the mobile one though. It is all I can do to make my mobile make calls but suspect I would need a modern phone with a screen and internet capabilities to get the weather on it.
 
 
http://corporate.foreca.com/en/news/8/19/Foreca-mobi-weather-services-also-in-Latin/ (http://corporate.foreca.com/en/news/8/19/Foreca-mobi-weather-services-also-in-Latin/)

I have just tried loading the Foreca mobile software on my PC, it works fine. I chose a city in the US to test it. There was no mention of subscription so guess it is a freebe for the phone as well.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on January 15, 2009, 06:56:56 AM


 Latest from the Telegraph :

  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4240365/Ancient-Persians-who-gassed-Romans-were-the-first-to-use-chemical-weapons.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4240365/Ancient-Persians-who-gassed-Romans-were-the-first-to-use-chemical-weapons.html)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on January 25, 2009, 03:55:38 PM
What interesting articles here, thank you Pete and Maryemm, and here's one today in the NY Times which is worth looking at if only for the  Portonaccio sarcophagus and exciting news for those going to Rome any time soon:


New Light on Ancient Art in Rome:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/travel/25globe.html?ref=travel
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on February 04, 2009, 05:53:15 PM
And here's a post from Mary Beard's blog about her participation in the Roman exhibit at the National Gallery in Washington as well as some amusing notes about what else she saw while she was there.

http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_life/2009/02/pompeii-in-wash.html#more
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on February 07, 2009, 09:58:30 AM
Golly those are so interesting, thank you, Cathy! Love it!

Here's a fantastic slide show of some things I've never seen, from the BBC in aid of the new exhibit (makes you want to pack your bags) in Naples commemmorating the 300th anniversary of the discovery of Herculaneum!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7696090.stm

It's something else, love the head sculptures, they look almost real, and more  bronzes, (there is a whole room of them in the Naples Archaeological Museum from the House of the Papyri), but some of these are new and those which are not are spectacular. There is a CAPTIONS  ON button you can choose at the bottom right of the screen which will tell you what you're looking at.

I guess for me the most spectacular thing is the list of those men who survived Vesuvius!?  Wow! What  a spectacular show! Through April of this year I think.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: nancymc on February 07, 2009, 10:23:12 AM
Ginny

Thank you for sharing this with us, it was truly beautiful I particularly loved the head of the Amazon female warrior and the folds in the robe of Ceres.   

Nancy
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on February 07, 2009, 11:58:23 AM
Yes, thanks for that, Ginny.

Quote
the list of those men who survived Vesuvius

 This was a "first" for me : had no idea it existed. Were slaves included? Wonder who compiled it? Were women listed separately? Or were they too unimportant? 

Some interesting books on Pompeii (and Herculaneum) listed here at:

 http://www.mummytombs.com/pompeii/books.htm  (http://www.mummytombs.com/pompeii/books.htm)

and facts at:

http://www.mummytombs.com/main.pompeii.htm (http://www.mummytombs.com/main.pompeii.htm)

I particularly enjoyed reading Charles Dickens' description of Pompeii.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on February 07, 2009, 01:34:16 PM
Ginny, thanks for the BBC link. Omigod, but that was gorgeous!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on February 08, 2009, 11:04:30 AM
Hi Ginny I lurk around  here from time to time - thanks to everyone for the links - some fabulous pieces on the BBC site - and as for the list of men who survived Vesuvius... pity I can't read it  but amazing just the same. Thanks again.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on February 08, 2009, 03:35:42 PM
I am so  glad everybody is enjoying it, it's quite spectacular and I've just found another one! Talk about knocking one's socks off! Stay tuned for next Friday!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Dana on February 08, 2009, 09:45:53 PM
They are stunning.  I saw some this fall, but remember best "the runners"--I have a postcard of them--keeps my place in my Greek book, I think they are totally beautiful.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: nancymc on February 09, 2009, 05:07:18 AM
Maryemm

I printed off Dickens description of Pompeii, you cannot beat the old Master.  Saturday afternoon when all sports were snowed off, we had instead an old David Copperfield film so lovely!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: sandyrose on February 09, 2009, 11:34:59 AM
Thank you Ginny.  The slide show...wow.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Janet on February 10, 2009, 02:43:15 PM
In Latin 200 we have just completed a story about a Roman dinner. If any of you are adventurous cooks, I found a great cookbook: A Taste of Ancient Rome by Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa. The recipes are from ancient Roman recipes, given first in Latin, then a literal translation, and finally, since the originals did not give amounts and were casual about directions, rewritten in a usable recipe. Some of the ingredients may be a challenge to find (a good Italian deli nearby helps), but the author does offer suggestions for substitutions. I used Asian fish sauce for garum. I have tried several of the recipes and they are delicious, and fun.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Pete7268 on February 10, 2009, 04:09:41 PM
Janet, That sounds an interesting book. There are plenty available in the UK and USA on ABE.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on February 15, 2009, 01:42:53 PM
Today:  Lupercalia Ancient Roman - Pastoral festival to purify the city of evil spirits and promote health and fertility.
(from Brooklyn CUNY)

LUPERCALIA
The Lupercalia was celebrated on the fifteenth day before the kalends of March (February 15th).  One unusual aspect of this festival was that it was not associated with a temple of a god.  First of all, the Romans themselves were a bit confused about which god this holiday honored.  Was it Lupercus, or Inuus, or Faunus?  No one was absolutely certain, but that did not prevent this popular festival from being celebrated.  The focal point of this festival was a site on the Palatine hill: the Lupercal, the cave in which, according to legend, the wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, as depicted in this famous statuary group (the wolf is fifth century BC, but the twins were added in the early 16th century AD).
 
The Lupercalia recalled the primitive days of Rome's existence, when, according to Roman tradition, a small community of shepherds lived in thatched huts on the Palatine hill, ruled by the founder of Rome, Romulus.  Dionysius of Halicarnassus tells us that in his day (first century BC), one of these huts, made out of sticks and reeds, stood on the slope of the Palatine toward the Circus Maximus.   This hut was honored as a sacred place and was kept in good repair (Roman Antiquities 1.79.11).
 
A Modern Reconstruction

This primitive settlement, however,  was more than just a popular tradition; modern archaeology has discovered the post holes of huts dating to the eighth century BC (the traditional date of Rome's foundation was 753 BC).  It seems probable that the name of the festival was derived from lupus ("wolf").  This derivation makes sense for a festival that was connected with a settlement of shepherds, whose most feared predator was the wolf.

TIn general, the ancients viewed the Lupercalia as a purification and fertility rite.  The ritual involved the sacrifice of goats and a dog in the Lupercal by priests called Luperci,1who smeared the foreheads of two noble young men with the blood of the sacrificed animals and then wiped it off.  At this point, the youths were required to laugh.  Then the luperci, clothed in loincloths, ran about the area, lashing everyone they met with strips of skin from the sacrificed goats.  Young wives were particularly eager to receive these blows, because it was believed that the ritual promoted fertility and easy childbirth.  These ceremonies were accompanied by much revelry and drinking.

The Lupercalia was so popular that it survived the onset of Christianity, but in a different form.  In 494 AD, the Pope made February 15 the feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary.
 

Note

1.  Cicero describes the Luperci as:

      A certain wild association of Lupercalian brothers, both plainly pastoral and savage, whose rustic alliance was formed before civilization and laws... (Cael. 26)


 
 
 
 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on February 15, 2009, 05:57:42 PM
Athena, thanks for making February 15 the holiday for me that it should be ... now, if only I could get my forehead smeared with dog blood (definitely don't want any hits with goat skin) ... no, wait! I'll just join the revels and celebrate!

On another note, I just looked into my most recent NY Review of Books and read a review by Mary Beard of a book about Cleopatra. It's an interesting review, mostly because she questions much of what we think we know about the strategy, tactics and behavior of Antony and Cleopatra, pointing out that history is written by the victor ... in this case, of course, Octavius.  I hadn't thought about that before, but now that I am thinking about it, it seems obvious.

Here's the link (I hope you guys can read the article; I don't know if, as a subscriber, I have special access):

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22275
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on February 16, 2009, 09:34:05 AM
I am so glad so many of you are enjoying this area!

Joyce, thank you for the Lupercalia information, most timely!

That was a first for me, too, Mary, I doubt slaves or women particularly would be on the list,  but to tell the truth it was so startling one wonders if they have made a mistake.



What an exciting time to be studying the Romans, it seems that daily some new find completely changes our perceptions and there are a LOT of new finds out there.  The latest issue of Archaeology Magazine  for January/ February 2009  has gigantic photos of the new finds of Colossi at Sagalassos in central Turkey, where in 2007 they discovered a colossal head of Hadrian, which once stood in the Roman baths there.  Here they just found a colossal head of Faustina the Elder, wife of Antoninus Pius, and the legs arms and head of a statue of Marcus Aurelius (August, 2008). These depictions of Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius are among the best ever seen, but their season ended before the final niche was investigated.

They expect it to contain a statue of Faustina the Younger, Marcus Aurelius's wife when they dig there this year.

Don't you wish we could be there! I'd KILL to dig something up and would dig a LOT if I lived anywhere there were Roman ruins.

Love the Dickens! And the bookmark, Dana!

Janet thank you for the cookbook mention, you are one of the few people I know of who has tried the actual recipes, and you liked them! Must have that one!

Thank you Cathy for that review, that book is so new when you look it up on Amazon UK you can only see the uncorrected proof. I love Mary Beard's books and writing, thank you for telling us about her blog also. I had to pay for the article but it was worth it.



The History Channel International for those of you in the US tomorrow,  Tuesday, February 17, will air:

8-9pm -- Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire - The First Barbarian War
It is 113 BC. Rome is a republic, a small empire clinging to the rim of the Mediterranean. Though it is a democracy in name and spirit, a man there still must be rich and from the noble class to hold the highest offices, both political and military. The system has worked well for three centuries. But now a barbarian horde known as the Cimbri smashes through the northern imperial border. One humiliating defeat follows another, with losses of hundreds of thousands of Roman legionaries. Terror grips Rome and drives her into the arms of General Marius. Though a commoner, Marius has a brilliant military mind. To defeat the Cimbri, he will transform the Roman army and shake the Republic's political foundations to the core. It is a turning point for the Republic. Faced with the savage Cimbri, Rome must decide between dictatorship and annihilation.

9-10pm -- Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire - Spartacus
When Roman generals Pompey and Crassus, lead their mighty legions of soldiers and mercenaries into the lands surrounding Italy, neither could anticipate the turmoil caused by one bold mercenary: a Thracian warrior named Spartacus. Spartacus deserts the Roman army, but is captured and enslaved, forced to fight as a gladiator. Then in 73 BC, the untamable barbarian leads a slave revolt of 70,000 gladiators against the Roman Republic. Though the brutal and conniving Roman General Crassus is finally able to suppress the revolt, his rival, the more popular Pompey, takes all the credit, sparking a division within the Republic itself that will ultimately spell its demise.

10-11pm -- Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire - Julius Caesar
It is 60 BC. Over-powerful generals and money corrupt the Roman Republic. The empire churns with civil war, and violence and murder run rampant. Julius Caesar, desperate for fame and honor, embarks on a brutal decade-long campaign to annex Gaul and build his own reputation. His aristocratic rivals try to stop him, but he is an expert manipulator. His propaganda and extravagant victories against bloodthirsty barbarians thrill the public. In 49 BC, he crosses the Rubicon intending to claim his rightful place as the chief man of Rome. It sparks a new civil war that pits him against Pompey the Great and sounds the final death knell for the Republic.


Obviously this treatment of Caesar is not going to be flattering, and may be a tad dated, but it  might make good viewing in the light of  March 15, coming up!

The regular History Channel will air also this week stuff on the Gladiators but it looks a bit dated, so will pass on those, but if interested see the History Channel's online site, they will send emails of their coming programs.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on February 18, 2009, 09:45:07 AM
Thanks for posting about all these goodies -

The Lupercalia notes are fascinating - Thanks Athena - Don't fancy getting slapped by goat skin though - wonder why the luperci had to laugh at that point -sheer delight in getting smeared with dog's blood?  UGH!
I just love the way the ancient festivals are incorporated into Christian rituals...and the way Christian churches are so often built over places used for pagan worship...the continuity links us to the past.

Ginny -We watched a TV show featuring the dig in central Turkey where they unearthed the head of Hadrian - A-Mazing. I kept telling my beloved one to 'Look at that! JUST LOOK AT THAT!'

I think the Rome - Rise & Fall of an Empire had an airing here within the past six months or so. It was a good coverage but at times the presentation irritated me - but then nothing's perfect. And of course, it may be a different series altogether but it does sound like it.

I wonder about Spartacus' 70,000 gladiators - is that figure realistic - seems a lot to have on hand in one place...?

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on February 18, 2009, 05:56:34 PM
Gum, I think these programs are older and may not actually be the best.

 I have seen figures as high as 100,000 for Spartacus and his army at one point, but they are only estimates of course.

Oh golly I wish I had seen the show about the dig you did and the head of Hadrian, the photographs are spectacular. They say it's the best likeness of him ever found.

As a non sequitur (good place for one, right?)  I am reading quite a bit about a new method/ system of pruning grapes in Australia which seems just what's wanted here, we sort of tried it last year and had the biggest crop we've ...I think...ever had. I am thinking I need to read more up on it and try it again. :)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on February 23, 2009, 12:17:50 PM
Tomorrow night if you're in the US and if  you get the History Channel International (a lot of IF's) you can enjoy really one of the best productions ever:

Tuesday February 24, 2009:

Rome, Engineering an Empire:

8-10pm -- Rome: Engineering an Empire -


For more than 500 years, Rome was the most powerful and advanced civilization the world had ever known, ruled by visionaries and tyrants whose accomplishments ranged from awe-inspiring to deplorable. One characteristic linked them all--ambition--and the thirst for power that all Roman emperors shared fueled an unprecedented mastery of engineering and labor. This documentary special chronicles the spectacular and sordid history of the Roman Empire from the rise of Julius Caesar in 55 BC to its eventual fall around 537 AD, detailing the remarkable engineering feats that set Rome apart from the rest of the ancient world. Featuring extensive state-of-the-art CGI animation, and exclusive never-before-seen footage shot on a diving expedition in the water channels underneath the Colosseum.

It's good stuff, worth renting, actually.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Fran on February 23, 2009, 02:15:09 PM
I'm glad I went to Classics Bulletin Board, my husband and I both enjoy the History Channel--looking forward to tomorrow eve.   Fran
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on March 16, 2009, 07:57:18 PM
I know you liked that one, Fran, because it was spectacular, I think it's one of the best I've seen.

In 8 minutes on the regular History Channel (I just found out about it) they're doing an hour long program on Hannibal which might be very interesting. Wish I could tape programs, my old VCR went the way of the Dodo and the new DVD recorder does not work.

But this Thursday the 19th on the regular History Channel apparently running from   8-9 Eastern  they will have:


8-9pm -- Cities of the Underworld - 10 - Beneath Vesuvius
Naples, Italy narrowly escaped meeting the same fate as its neighboring city, Pompeii in 79 AD when Mount Vesuvius wiped out everything around it. The wind saved Naples that day, but life in the shadow of this massive volcano is unlike any other--and so is its underground. For centuries, Neapolitans have carved out their underground, creating a parallel world where their secrets are safe. Entire neighborhoods line the underworld, time capsules of ancient life--with banks, bakeries and homes preserved below. From repelling into an ancient Greek cavern to uncovering Nero's famous stage underneath a modern apartment, host Don Wildman steps back almost 2000 years to discover the world hidden beneath this volcano.


I'd check my local listings, as they have this three times repeated in the email and I'm not sure what that means. I've heard about this Underground, lots of steps they say and you have to do it by reservation, I'm quite interested to see what it is! Apparently one of the new subways was cutting thru it. I love the Time Capsule idea!

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on March 19, 2009, 01:41:58 PM
Mary Beard's "Fires of Pompeii," is reviewed in this weeks "New York Times Book Review."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/books/review/Coates-t.html?_r=1&ref=review (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/books/review/Coates-t.html?_r=1&ref=review)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on March 20, 2009, 10:06:14 AM
"It's the birthday of the Roman poet Ovid, born Publius Ovidius Naso in what is now Sulmona, Italy (43 B.C.). He loved the literary scene in Rome, where both Virgil and Horace were living. He was famous for his love poems, the Amores (circa 20 B.C.) and his masterpiece, the Metamorphoses (finished circa 8 A.D.), his tales of love and transformation. For no known reason, Ovid was abruptly exiled to Tomi, a Black Sea outpost on the edge of the empire. He never returned to Rome."
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on March 25, 2009, 12:51:26 PM
Looking ahead: for your consideration, a coming event which may be of interest to anyone interested in the Classics:

On  June 1 we have a real  event to tell you about. In our Books and Literature sections we're going to start  a book discussion of The Night Villa.
(http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/nightvilla/nightvilla.jpg)

The Night Villa  is a mystery with a multi layered plot with a subject matter you might find exciting, and of which you know quite a bit: the results of the explosion of Vesuvius, archaeology and new finds about the ruins. It's also a mystery and I must admit I never guessed Hu Dun It till the final page. It's also packed with great information, there's no way we won't come out with new knowledge and new perspectives in the process of a "spellbinding" read.

Nancy Picard has said: " Carol Goodman’s luminous prose and superb storytelling will keep you entertained into the late hours.”

Publishers Weekly says:


Quote
In this complex and lyrical literary thriller from Goodman (The Sonnet Lover), University of Texas classics professor Sophie Chase, after barely surviving a gunman with ties to a sinister cult, joins an expedition to Capri. A donor has funded both the exact reconstruction of a Roman villa destroyed when Mount Vesuvius buried nearby Herculaneum in A.D. 79, and a computer system that can decipher the charred scrolls being excavated from the villa's ruins. Sophie's hopes for a recuperative idyll fade after her old boyfriend, who disappeared years before into the same cult as the campus gunman, appears in the area, implicating the cult in a criminal conspiracy. Meanwhile, extracts from the scrolls—the journals of a Roman visiting the villa just before the volcano erupted—shade toward bloodshed and betrayal. The scrolls' oddly modern tone aside, Goodman deftly mixes cultural and religious history, geography, myth, personal memory, dream and even portent without sacrificing narrative drive, against the beautiful backdrop of the locale with its echoes of unimaginable loss.


The protagonist is a classics professor, the author is Carol Goodman, an  award winning and nominated  former Latin teacher, and personal friend of the man who invented the process by which the papyri of the Villa of the Papyri can be read: previously they were either thrown away as lumps of coal or destroyed in trying to read them.


The big news for us is that Carol Goodman has agreed to come online and talk to our readers all through the discussion,  and we'd like as large a group as we can get for this experience.

We hope you might consider joining us, it's a rare treat on our fledgling site and one we hope will be repeated many times.

The book sells in paperback for about $10, is in the library and new copies go for as little as $5. and up on Amazon.

 Do consider joining us. We hope to see you there!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ASTERIX on March 27, 2009, 02:49:54 PM
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/hail-caesar-rome-marks-birth-of-emperor-who-built-the-colosseum-1655370.html

Who living today will be remembered in 2000 years???
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on March 29, 2009, 09:47:29 AM
 Thank you Asterix, that is fascinating.

Caesar~ You either love hm or hate him. This seems to be Butcher's Week at the History Channel, every other instance of programming seems to include murder, mayhem, and even a program ON butchering, so it's no surprise that  this notice has appeared about a program on the Gallic Wars:

Monday, March 30, 2009 and repeating several other times including April 5 at 8 Eastern,  I think, check your local listings:


8-9pm -- Battles BC - Caesar: Super Siege

It's 52 BC and the great Roman Commander Julius Caesar is butchering is way through Gaul. Thanks in large part to the iron will of Caesar, the Romans complete their long quest for total Mediterranean dominance, defeating the Gauls in the final battle of the Gallic Wars. For a period of time though, Gallic victory seemed possible. Out-numbering the Romans five to one, they held the high ground, on the hilltop fortress city of Alesia. Caesar besieges Alesia, however, and builds a wall around the city cutting it off from all possible supply lines. When Gallic reinforcements arrive to break the blockade, Caesar puts a startling twist on his strategy by constructing a second wall between his army and the reinforcements. It is siege upon siege, but Caesar knows the Romans, although fewer in numbers, are better supplied.

The Seige of Alesia is quite well known in the battles of the Gallic Wars, note that the Romans are out numbered 5-1.

From the tone here I gather this program MAY (or may not) be somewhat frothing at the mouth. This is the same series that characterizes David, (yes that David, the father of the Israelites, ) as self centered egotistical bloodthirsty murdering Mafia Don like character.

I kid you not.

So take this one with a grain of salt. It MAY be good but it may also be overdone for scandalous effect.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on March 31, 2009, 04:42:03 AM
 Our local TV is showing a series on archaeological digs - last week was the discovery of Pi-Ramesses - the city Rameses II built on the Nile delta. Fascinating how they established the true location  of the city by mapping the ancient water courses in the delta and dating them to Ramesses' time.  Pi-Ramesses was thought to be located at Tanis but it transpires that after the river changed course and the water dried up they simply ??? shifted the city to the new location at Tanis - huge statues and all - I wonder if it was the broken statuary at Tanis which inspired Shelley's Ozymandias
 
I thought this programme was really well presented - just the facts and not too much playacting and with the real archaeologists speaking- I'm looking forward to the next episode/instalment though I don't know what the subject will be.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on April 12, 2009, 12:14:56 PM
The Oxford Latin Dictionary is on sale, but you need the secret code to get the deal.

You may already have it, but if you do, you may know someone who doesn't have it and has yearned for it ... the OLD is on sale for $120.75!

Go to the Oxford University Press USA site:
http://www.oup.com/us/?view=usa (http://www.oup.com/us/?view=usa)

On the upper right is a box to enter a promo code: the code is 27712

Once entered, that code will bring you to a list of books on sale, including the OLD, but the original price ($345) will still be shown ... but, when you add it to your cart, the purchase will be at the amazing sale price.

Hope this brings joy to someone's heart (if not comfort to their purse).
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on April 20, 2009, 12:50:28 PM
I just heard a 10 nanosecond news item which indicated that archaeologist Zahi Hawass sp? claims that the lost tomb of Antony and Cleopatra may have been found at Teposiris Magna sp?  about 50 km from Alexandria. Can't find a link....
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on April 20, 2009, 07:07:42 PM
Yes I heard the same thing in the car today, returning from my trip, Gum!! What excitement there will be!   I can't wait to see more but  I haven't seen anything else on it, OH BOY!! They've been looking for years. I wonder what makes them think this IS the tomb. They've been looking for Cleopatra's palace in  Alexandria for years, too. Can't wait to hear more.



I have to admit I was unable to overcome the longing for the new Oxford, thank you Cathy, it's already come and I am totally excited to see how it differs from the Lewis and Short I already have, equally as big.



On another note, everything old is new again. If you've wondered how the Romans read, published and marketed books, wonder no more. Yesterday's NY Times Sunday Book Review has this super article by Mary Beard, mentioned here before, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/books/review/Beard-t.html called Scrolling Down the Ages. A great read!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on April 21, 2009, 08:20:18 AM
Gum you were totally right! Excavations start TOMORROW to see if they have found the tomb of Antony and Cleopatra!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090419/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_cleopatra_s_tomb
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on April 21, 2009, 10:52:13 AM
From all I have read about this recent Egyptian excavation, there really is nothing other than a few Cleopatra coins to indicate that this is indeed the tomb. It appears to me to be a PR stunt working overtime, particularly since, according to what I've read previously, the actual tomb excavations won't even begin until November when the water submerging them recedes.

Next we'll hear that they've found Alexander's tomb ... ahh, now, if they really did, wouldn't that be amazing!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on April 21, 2009, 11:27:51 AM
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.

Interested in Latin Courses?  Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)


Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.




I guess we'll just have to wait and see whether it is the tomb or not. Intriguing....Love the bit about the cleft chin  :D  Thanks  for the link Ginny. So far, I've heard nothing further here.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on May 09, 2009, 11:18:36 AM
Me either, but yesterday's Wall Street Journal here in the states has as its cover page for the Weekend Journal: The Next Age of Discovery: "As scholars race to digitize crumbling archives, they're unearthing new finds-- from lost gospels to an alternate 'Medea.'"

This is followed by the news that

Quote
This summer, a professor of computer science at the University of Kentucky plans to test 3-D X-ray scanning on two papyrus scrolls from Pompeii that were charred by volcanic ash in 79 A.D. Scholars have never before been able to read or even open the scrolls, which now sit in the French National Institute in Paris.

By taking high-resolution  digital images in 14 different light wavelengths, ranging from infrared to ultraviolet, Oxford scholars are reading bits of papyrus that were discovered in 1898 in an ancient garbage dump in central Egypt.  So far, researchers have digitized about 80% of the collection of 500,000 fragments, dating from the 2nd century BC to the 8th century AD. The texts include fragments of unknown works by famous authors of antiquity, lost gospels and early Islamic manuscripts.

Oh boy, what will they find of Roman Egypt in those records? Maybe where Cleopatra and Antony are buried?

It also says: Recent Breakthroughs: 

Quote
Digitization projects are also bringing previously unknown manuscripts to light- and to the Web, where scholars and curious internet surfers alike can look at high-resolution digital images of new discoveries from the ancient  world.
 

Wow! Just imagine what they will discover in the yet unexcavated parts of Pompeii,  not to mention Stabiae, and thanks to the new technology, we also may be ready to peer on something never seen for more than 2000 years! WOW!!

Just imagine!  Talk about au courant!  Talk about Indiana Jones!


Here's our chance to enjoy  the same experience vicariously!  Pack your pith helmet and shovel,  and come on down to       The  Night Villa Discussion,  (http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=469.msg21130#msg21130) we're off on a high virtual  adventure, which is making news today!

Everyone is welcome!




[/color]
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on May 16, 2009, 09:45:04 AM
Interesting newspaper snippet.

Grace is said before formal dinners at Newnham College, Cambridge.
However the traditional version addressed thanks to Jesus Christ, our lord. This has now been replaced with a secular version.

"Pro cibo inter esurientes, pro comitate inter deselatos, pro pace inter bellantes, gratias agimus".
(For food in a hungry world, for companionship in a world of loneliness, for peace in an age of violence, we give thanks.)

Mary Beard, Fellow of Nenham College, has said that the "undergraduates' rewrite was a classical case of disguising a load of wellmeaning platitudes in some posh laguage, which was actually an insult to that dead language."

The College is non-denominational and, unlike other Cambridge colleges, has no chapel.

REPORT (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6289267.ece)





Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: DavidF on May 17, 2009, 02:26:28 PM
Interesting newspaper snippet.

Grace is said before formal dinners at Newnham College, Cambridge.
However the traditional version addressed thanks to Jesus Christ, our lord. This has now been replaced with a secular version.

"Pro cibo inter esurientes, pro comitate inter deselatos, pro pace inter bellantes, gratias agimus".
(For food in a hungry world, for companionship in a world of loneliness, for peace in an age of violence, we give thanks.)

Mary Beard, Fellow of Nenham College, has said that the "undergraduates' rewrite was a classical case of disguising a load of wellmeaning platitudes in some posh laguage, which was actually an insult to that dead language."



An interesting story.  Although I personally like the older version better (i.e., "Benedic nobis Domine Deus et his donis quae de liberalitate tua sumpturi sumus per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.), I don't quite understand why the students' newer version should be considered an "insult" to the use of Latin as Professor Beard indicates.  Does the only proper style for Latin usage by modern students of Latin have to be the classical style of Cicero or Ovid?  Ginny, would you care to comment on this story? 

David F.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: DavidF on May 17, 2009, 09:26:47 PM
Jane,

Thanks for the information about Ginny's fall and knee fracture.  I am very sorry to hear about it, and I hope that Ginny will have a quick and "uneventful" recovery. 

David
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on May 18, 2009, 11:33:32 AM
Hello, David! How good to see you again, HOW did you find us?

What an interesting article, Maryemm, thank you for bringing it here. I am a great admirer of Dr. Beard.  This is quite interesting:

Quote
Mary Beard, Fellow of Nenham College, has said that the "undergraduates' rewrite was a classical case of disguising a load of well meaning platitudes in some posh language, which was actually an insult to that dead language."

Wow. I don't have a candle's watt to stand on against Mary Beard, she's the chandelier of Latin against my own often flickering candle. I do have some sympathy for her opinion of  well meaning platitudes in some posh language,  haha because it seems like any time anybody,  especially colleges want to posh (her words) something up, they turn to Latin. I myself along with a greater stellar Latin light was just asked to designate levels of giving in Latin terms. There's just something about Latin.

That said, we need to read her blog to find out what her reasoning really is.
 There's a bit more here: http://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/

Quote
Brits attached to their traditions but without the faith that gave rise to many of them face some knotty problems -- like, whether to say Grace before (or after) meals. Some students at Newnham College, a women’s college at Cambridge University, have decided that they cannot stomach the Christian Grace said at the start of formal evening meals held once a week, so they have made up one of their own. Both versions are in classical Latin -- more or less.

The traditional version runs: “Benedic nobis Domine Deus et his donis quae de liberalitate tua sumpturi sumus per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.” It will be familiar to Catholics in this or similar English versions: “Bless us O Lord and these thy gifts which of thy bounty we are about to receive, through Christ our Lord. Amen.” It was introduced into Newnham by a Catholic, Jocelyn Toynbee, an art historian and archaeologist who was made an honorary Fellow of the college in 1962.

“The debate got more complicated than this. Did the undergraduates want a secular grace or a multi-faith grace? If secular, then whom were they thanking in the new version? If it was simply a multi-faith version, then couldn't we just remove the "Jesum Christum" bit (presumably Jews and Muslims and almost every faith could tolerate a "deum omnipotentem"). After the meeting, we wondered if we shouldn't actually be thanking the cooks (or, to put it more crudely, those arguably exploited by us to bring us our nice food). But how would that go into Latin? 'Servi oppressi', suggested the Keeper of Antiquities at the Fitzwilliam. Hardly a tactful way of thanking the staff, piped up the bursar.”

hahaha, love it. We need to read her blog to find out more!

That said, it appears that (thanks to David's post here we can see the original) references to not only  has Domine Deus  been removed but also so has Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum. If that is correct the result of course, is as she says, secular, as it does not identify to whom we are giving thanks, so in that, she does have a point, (it is modern, as well as  secular).

If may be, and I would need to read more of her thoughts on this,  that like a  lot of Classicists she very much dislikes  "modern" Latin, and there is a LOT of "modern" Latin, out there, and I would expect particularly at Cambridge. I see her as holding up the bastion of the Real Thing.  Of course we won't find Cicero addressing the New Testament, either.  I am not sure why she refers to "undergraduates'," will have to research that article  more. I also dislike "modern Latin," because each ancient author has his own style if you will, and while I absolutely love the "platitudes" quoted here: (For food in a hungry world, for companionship in a world of loneliness, for peace in an age of violence, we give thanks.) I think they are beautiful, I do think that I understand her point, what little I've seen of it here.

One thing I do know is here those interested in Latin can learn that Deus has no Vocative in the singular, thus Deus Domine is correct! That's worthwhile in itself!

Yesterday's NY Times has a huge cover  Travel section on Roman France:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/travel/17romfrance.html 

Finding the Traces of the Romans in  Gaul. It's fabulous, do read it.

Thank you for these great comments and submissions!  Just what we hoped this discussion would be, let's try to find her blog on this subject.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: DavidF on May 18, 2009, 04:26:40 PM
Hi Ginny,

It's great to hear from you again, and I hope that you are recuperating well from your recent accident. I found SeniorLearn.org after a Google search, after first attempting unsuccessfully to find the Latin discussion group on the old Seniornet.   I believe Jane did send me a notice of the temporary switch over to a new senior Latin site sometime back, but with that email no longer in my possession, I had to do a bit of Google searching to finally locate where you are now. 

Thanks for your comments on Mary Beard's  article on the new Latin "Grace" at Newnham College.  I see what you mean about the confusion in the students' new version of the prayer at meals.  It's a prayer, I suppose, that could be recited by a Christian, Jew, Muslim, or even a secularist, with equal amounts of confusion as to whom or what is being addressed. 

I am happy to say that, after several stops and restarts, I am still with the LatinStudy list on the Internet.  Unfortunately I am no further than Chapter 8 of Wheelock at the moment, although I am enjoying it.  I'm also using the book "Thirty-Eight Latin Stories" by Groton and May to supplement my translation work, and have recently purchased the "Latin by Ovid" textbook by Norma Goldman and Jacob E. Nyenhuis.  Between the three books, I stay busy enough!

Hope your Latin courses are all going well!

Vale,    David

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on May 18, 2009, 07:19:36 PM
Congratulations on finding us at all, David, that's not easy, well done!

I am delighted you've continued your Latin study! Good for you! 8 chapters of Wheelock is super and a heck of a lot better than none, for sure! We have ...two I think.... classes using the 38 Stories this summer in summer session workshops,  and a LOT of our students employ Wheelock as a reference, and enjoy it too.

Funny, another student just mentioned the Latin via Ovid to me,  I've got it right here big handsome thing:  nymphs and bears,  let us know how you like it as a reader.

So glad to see you again!
Title: If You Can Read This Thank a Latin Teacher Dept. hahahaa
Post by: ginny on May 19, 2009, 06:38:16 PM
I did find one of many of Mary Beard's many blogs on the subject: http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_life/2009/05/christianity-banned-and-some-better-news.html

And she has given this super link to an article on why should college diplomas be in Latin? I had read almost the entire article (which is super) when I found that the elaborate script I had skipped over was, in fact, not a diploma from some college  at all but something every Latin student should be able to make out. So give it a shot, but don't put the answer  here, what fun!

(Also Mary Beard says her  new book on Pompeii has been "longlisted" for an award. Good for her.  I think it should have one, am enjoying it daily, it's good.)

Here's the article on Latin in Diplomas, don't skip like I did the illustration, it's not what you think, but can you read it? No spoilers here, let's let everybody have a go! :)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/15/opinion/15Francese.html?_r=2&emc=eta1

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: DavidF on May 20, 2009, 10:43:30 AM
ginny,

Yes, I was able to translate the diploma, and it's very clever.  I doubt that I would have attempted a translation if you had not suggested attention to it in advance.  It's Latin after all, and it must have some profound meaning.  No need to translate. 

My college diploma is of course in English (from the Univ. of Texas at Austin), but I probably have a rare college transcript in that the courses from my junior year were written on the transcript in Latin.  I studied philosophy during that year at the Catholic University of America, and no, I am not really that ancient!   :)

David 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on May 20, 2009, 10:58:25 AM
"Latin Via Ovid?" Is this the connection? A friend lends me the book and I mention it to Ginny and ask on the Latin List whether anyone else has an interest in working with it and it turns out that many people do have an interest and .... Am I correct David, that you're one of them?

And, the diploma translation is a hoot!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: DavidF on May 20, 2009, 11:57:00 AM

Hi CatBrown,

You are right on.  That is how I got interested in the "Latin Via Ovid" book.  I saw the expression of interest in it on the Latin List, looked the book up on Amazon.com, and decided I had to have it. 

I will be following the discussion about the book on the Latin List, but I probably won't be joining the translation work on the schedule the group sets for itself, since my primary commitment is to finishing the Wheelock text first, and I am only on Chap. 8 so far with that book!

I am starting to develop an interest in Greek and Roman mythology, and I think that Ovid's "Metamorphoses" (the background text for study in Latin Via Ovid) is an excellent source for reading (either in English or Latin) about many of the classical, mythical stories of Greece and Rome.  I understand that Ovid is our only source for some of the mythical stories he relates in "Metamorphoses."   I also have heard that Ovid wrote a manual for the seduction of women ("Ars Amatoria"), but the authors of Latin Via Ovid wisely stuck to "Metamorphoses" to keep at least a PG-13 rating for their Latin text.

David
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on May 22, 2009, 10:50:43 AM
 Wonderful discussion here on the Latin Via Ovid and mythology! I am glad to see so much interest in the classics, and great minds run together: I've actually got another Metamorphoses in mind for the 201 next year,  but hold on to your seats!!! A spectacular stunning development worthy of any Indiana Jones movie  has just happened!

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/ViaAureliaFlavianBridgeFrance.jpg)
Photograph by Clay McLachlan, printed in the new  Smithsonian magazine, June 2009, and readable here on the internet at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Road-Warrior.html#

Where in the World Is This? Guess?

Did you guess Timgad? Spain? Africa?  Where do you think this IS?

Would you have said Gaul? Or rather southern France?!?

It's the Flavian Bridge on the Via Aurelia in Southern France! This article appearing in the just arrived Smithsonian Magazine for June 2009 contains some of the most exciting reading I have ever seen! Amazing!

Think one man and one not so young can't make a difference? Read on! Think that Indiana Jones is just a fairy tale? Read on!  You can probably get more out oif this one article (the Peutinger Table! The Ancient I-95 with 500 illustrations of rest stops noted and graded, even!  An "Amateur Archaeologist," (website in French: http://via-aurelia.net/) and his 9,000 mile quest!  A No Man's Land of Celts (the Gauls)  who cut off the heads of their enemies and attached them to their horse's harness!) Ancient ruins in danger of being forgotten!   What more could you want in reading!!!

Read Road Warrior at the link above, it's probably the best thing you'll read this summer. :)

Huzzah for this man! And for you and all those trying to keep the Classics alive!

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on May 23, 2009, 12:48:03 PM
Ginny Thanks -  that article is just amazing. The guy's tenacity and dedication are way out there.  Have put the link on my favourites to read again at leisure...enjoyed the comment by someone called Ginny.  8)





Title: Classical Salutations and Closings in Ancient Roman Letters
Post by: DavidF on May 25, 2009, 05:48:48 PM
I found an interesting site on the Internet that I wanted to share.  The site describes the rules for classical salutations and closings in ancient Roman letters.   Greek salutations and closings are discussed as well, but you can easily ignore the Greek portions of each unit, unless you are also interested in the Greek.   The site can be found here:

     http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/OM/CSC.html

What I found interesting is how formal the ancient Roman structure was for greetings in personal letters.  In the salutation, the sender is designated in the third person, as usually evidenced by the verb ending (e.g., dicit).  The sender is shown in the nominative case, while the recipient of the letter is shown in the dative case.  In essence you have the sender (nominative case) sending greetings (salus) to his or her recipient(s) (dative case).  If a Roman named Marcus was penning a letter to his best friend Brutus, the opening greeting would look like this:

Marcus Bruto salutem plurimam dicit.  (Marcus sends (says) many greetings (or much greeting) to Brutus.)

There was usually a brief, common formula following the salutation that expressed a wish of good health.  An example, for instance, might look like this:  

     Si vales, bene est; ego valeo.    (If you are well, that is good; I’m well too.)

The closings for Roman letters could take a number of forms, but apparently very common were two often used examples:

Example 1:   Vale (sing.),  or Valete (plural)    (Meaning “be sound, vigorous, or healthy”; or meaning “fare well.”

Example 2:  Cura ut valeas (sing.), or Curate ut valeatis (plural)    (Meaning: “take care that you fare well.”)    The verbs in example 2 are in the subjunctive mood, something I haven’t gotten to in my Latin grammar study yet.

With these rules and examples in mind, here is my necessarily very brief letter to the members of the Classics Bulletin Board:

Davidus omnibus salutem plurimam dicit.  

Si valetis, bene est.  Quoque valeo.  

Nomen mihi est Davidus.  Sum discipulus linguae Latinae, in primo anno meo.  

Quid sunt nomenes vobis?  Estisne quoque discipuli aut discipulae linguae Latinae?  Quis est magister vester, aut magistra vestra?

Valete,    Davidus

P.S.:  Very definitely not the King’s Latin here, so I would be very open to any corrections or suggestions from Ginny or more advanced Latin students reading this.  
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on June 10, 2009, 04:41:53 PM
Why David, what a great  website, love it, thank you for bringing it here.  I don't  know why my indicators did not show it as new, so sorry!

Your composition is excellent!! A few thoughts: The plural of nomen, a neuter, is nomina and you'd probably want vestra (your) to agree with it. And you'd want the interrogative adjective quae to agree also:  Quae  sunt nomina vestra?

Good work!



 I came in to say that although we can't see any of the Latin classes here or activities in the public eye,  we're quite pleased to say that even tho our classes are out for the summer,  many of the students in our 104, 200, and 201 classes  are in the process of doing readings in self directed workshops here on the site  to keep their hand in. THAT'S exciting!  They are really translating well, too.

David, we also have a Latin conversation area where people, should they desire, can practice just as you have, so good work, I like seeing it in public also. :)



The new issue of Newsweek, June 10, 2009  has a super article on the  Elgin Marbles: Who Owns the  Elgin Marbles? It is quite an interesting article, apparently it's not correct to call them the Elgin Marbles any more.  

http://www.newsweek.com/id/200852  



We're also learning a great deal about details of the Villa of the Papyri and all kinds of interesting classical stuff  in our exciting discussion of a mystery  by  former Latin teacher and award winning author Carol Goodman: The Night Villa. We're half way through the discussion and Carol is very generous in her responses to our questions. It's  an Author Event here actually.  Select Discussion Index from the buttons in the heading to find it  if you like and join us all there.

Lots of interesting stuff going on in the world of classics and those who love it!  Join us here if you like!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on June 12, 2009, 12:06:01 PM
I only have to be away from this section for a couple of weeks to miss all these great posts! That will teach me.

David, we have a Lounge where you are very welcome to come along and meet us. We talk about everything, really, not just the Classics. It's a way of getting to know one another. Here is the URL:


LOUNGE

and we also have a section where we try/tried to correspond in Latin. I think we found that rather daunting!

http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=143.new

 (http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=20.0)
.................

EXCITING FIND IN DORSET THIS WEEK



BURIAL PIT
                      
 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jun/11/skulls-dorset-road-burial-pit)
Title: Classical Salutations and Closings
Post by: DavidF on June 14, 2009, 11:46:22 AM
Ginny,

Thanks for your corrections to my brief Latin script.  I had forgotten that "nomen" was a neuter noun, and I was trying to decline it as a masculine, third-declension noun instead, as you can tell.  Thanks also for the suggestion to use "quae" as the interrogative adjective.  I have seen the idiomatic statement "Nomen mihi est Paulus" used in Traupmann's book on conversational Latin to mean "My name is Paul."  I was trying to do a somewhat similar construction with the "idiomatic" use of vobis in my question about names (instead of using vestra as an accompanying personal adjective), but I wasn't entirely sure whether that was correct grammatical usage or not.

I would be happy to try out (from time to time) some additional conversational Latin attempts in this public forum if it is appropriate, although no one should expect any kind of lengthy correspondence from this beginner.  English to Latin is much harder work than Latin to English! 

David

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: DavidF on June 14, 2009, 11:52:58 AM
Maryemm,

Thanks for providing me with the URL address for the Lounge.  I will definitely have to check it out. 

If your Latin group has attempted to engage in actual Latin conversation,  I can well understand why they found it be "daunting."  It definitely is not an easy skill to master!

David
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on June 18, 2009, 12:34:43 PM
Latin is so HOT, isn't it? Love all the excitement about it.

For those of you interested in Archaeological Digs, here's a site with on the spot updates:  Sagalassos!

You may recall that Sagalassos is the spot where they found several colossal Roman statues last year, it's in  Turkey but this site is just so engaging, interesting,  and compelling, it's hard to tear yourself away from it.  AND  you can be on the spot when they find something else:

 http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/sagalassos/

Enjoy!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on July 07, 2009, 12:15:34 PM
Good heavens, I don't know how to describe this one! Pete in the UK alerted me to this new cloud formation, they are thinking of calling it Asperatus! Everything old is new again?


Quote
Asperatus clouds over Illinois, US. The Royal Meteorological Society would need more information about weather patterns that form so-called aspertus cloud to define it as distinct from undulatus clouds, which means wavelike in Latin

I don't know about you, but if #2 here or #7 ever appears in the sky here, I'm heading for the hills, they look like the end of time OR like somebody has been fooling around with a Paint Shop Pro image, aren't they SCARY?

Golly moses.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2009/jun/01/2?picture=348217740
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: pedln on July 16, 2009, 07:11:52 PM
Did anyone see this article in today's USA Today.  The ruins of Pompeii are getting ruined -- due to exposure to everything -- weather, tourists, excavations, etc.  Also some interesting figures here and comments by Mary Beard.

Archaeologists race to show Pompeii daily life (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2009-07-15-pompeii_N.htm)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Pete7268 on July 21, 2009, 11:25:39 AM
The URL is an article by Mary Beard with advice on visiting Pompeii.  Her book, now out in paperback is a good read for those interested in Pompeii, she does mention that a fair amount of the site is being lost by weather erosion etc.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/5834953/Pompeii-guide-A-trip-back-to-AD-79.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/5834953/Pompeii-guide-A-trip-back-to-AD-79.html)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Susan on September 15, 2009, 04:53:52 PM
Hi all,

The following article took prominence on the front page of today’s
Toronto Globe and Mail.  Thought you might enjoy it.

Susan Latin 104a

Cogito, ergo Latin 

INGRID PERITZ

MONTREAL — From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Last updated on Tuesday, Sep. 15, 2009 03:26AM EDT
 

.For students of a dead language, the undergrads in Initiation to Latin are a remarkably lively bunch.

They chat animatedly at the start of class before grabbing pens and laptops and turning to the teacher's lesson on the ablative, nominative and genitive. These first-year University of Montreal students are a small but emerging breed that had been given up for extinct on Canadian campuses: Latin lovers.

The Latin language may be dead, but rigor mortis has yet to set in. The language of Julius Caesar is finding renewed life among members of the Twitter generation, who are helping shake off Latin's long association with tweedy scholars and soporific high-school classes.

As a result, Latin is enjoying a marked, if modest, revival.

Enrolment in college- and university-level Latin is up across the country, according to the Classical Association of Canada.

The University of Montreal's introductory Latin class was so popular last year that students had to be turned away, and this year, enrolment swelled to 60.

York University, which doubled its number of introductory Latin courses a few years ago, is starting a course next year to train high-school Latin teachers.

Educators say the ancient language is getting a boost from glamorous modern allies - Hollywood blockbusters such as Gladiator and Troy, and the popular HBO television series Rome. (That Angelina Jolie has a Latin tattoo below her navel doesn't hurt).

"Latin is a bit sexy now, after the movies and TV series," says Prof. Jonathan Edmondson, chairman of the history department at York University and president of the Classical Association of Canada. "It has shed its slightly fusty image. And there's an awareness now that there are different ways of presenting Latin that are more interesting than it used to be."

In fact, the students at the University of Montreal grew up without the memories of rote repetitions of amo, amas, amat. Latin has vanished from Quebec's high-school curriculum. Once a staple of the province's collèges classiques, the church-run schools that groomed the province's elite, Latin was jettisoned during educational reforms in the 1960s.

Today, it survives in a handful of schools, almost all of them private.

"Quebeckers have a love-hate relationship with Latin," said Prof. Patrick Baker, director of Laval University's Institute of Ancient Studies.

"Latin was associated with men walking around with Roman collars and black robes," Prof. Baker said. "It was the language of the church, and the people of Quebec turned their backs on the church." But by abandoning Latin, he said, "Quebeckers threw out the baby with the bathwater."

Educators say Latin offers not only a strong base for Romance languages like French, but also a key to Quebec's past. The first history of Canada, the Historia canadensis, was written in 1664 in Latin, as were seminal Jesuit texts.

"When we lost Latin, we lost a very powerful link with Quebec's roots," said Jean-François Cottier, a Latin professor at the University of Montreal who has received a federal research grant to study Quebec's Latin heritage. "It's a piece of Quebec's own memory. And if you forget your roots, it's very sad."

Ontario high schools have seen an increase in Latin enrolment, according to the classical association. Yet high schools in Quebec say parents are more interested in getting their children into Chinese or Spanish classes.

Patrick Letendre, who teaches the Initiation to Latin course at the University of Montreal, said some students tell him they enrolled because they never got to take the subject as teenagers. "They never had a chance to study it in high school, so they're catching up. They feel they missed out."

True, several of the students who filed into Mr. Letendre's class say their choice of Latin confounded their friends. But the students said Latin not only helps their language skills, it also helps them understand the foundations of Western civilization. And it adds a certain cachet to a résumé.

"Some people say it's useless," said Nicholas Goudreau, an anthropology and classical studies undergraduate. "But I find it fascinating. And I know it will help me."

So Latin may or may not be cool, per se, in the digital age. But as any smart Roman knew, it helps to have a good curriculum vitae.

******

NEW WORDS, OLD LANGUAGE

The Vatican publishes a Latin dictionary, the Lexicon recentis Latinitatis, that offers translations for words that weren't in circulation when Julius Caesar was around. Entries include:

Barman

tabernae potoriae minister

Blue jeans

bracae linteae caeruleae

Cigarette

fistula nicotiana

Computer

instrumentum computatorium

Gang

praedatoria manus

Gas

gasium

Karate

oppugnatio inermis Iaponica

Merlot

vinum rubrum Burdigalense

Miniskirt

tunicula minima

Pizza

placenta compressa

Skyscraper

caeliscalpium

Taxi

autocinetum meritorium

Terrorist

tromocrates
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on September 21, 2009, 05:47:52 PM
 Thank you so much Susan, Latin is hot right now, and we're proud to have such vibrant, enthusiastic classes studying it here on SeniorLearn.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on September 23, 2009, 10:40:09 AM
Mary Beard has review a new bio of Cicero in the London Review. As seems to always be the case, what she writes is fascinating:

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v23/n16/bear01_.html (http://www.lrb.co.uk/v23/n16/bear01_.html)

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Pete7268 on September 25, 2009, 08:53:06 AM
Check out the following extract from the new edition of the Smithsonian Magazine.
An article on a walk along Hadrian's wall in the north of the UK.  There is a video link on the first page with views of the wall.


http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/Trekking-Hadrians-Wall.html# (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/Trekking-Hadrians-Wall.html#)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on September 25, 2009, 01:45:42 PM
 Thank you Cathy. I was so excited to hear of another Cicero book by Everitt because his first one was just so great,  but it appears the article is  on a British edition of the first one..the cover is different. and for a moment, hope sprang up, however it's a book everybody needs to know about....and, as you say, she's always incredible.  I've gotten a positive fixation for her writing. Thank you!

Thank you Pete, that is something else! If I lived in the UK I'd dig up everything in my back yard.looking for Roman ruins.

I love Hadrian's Wall, can't wait to read that. I wonder if they still offer those week long courses in Hadrian's Wall, what a trip that would be.

I can say one thing from having visited Vindolanda and Housesteads, (forts along Hadrian's Wall), the British really know their Roman history, I was very impressed with not only the breadth of  knowledge but enthusiasm of the volunteers there.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on September 25, 2009, 02:02:47 PM


Incredible Anglo-Saxon gold hoard, (over 1500 pieces),  found in Staffordshire. 

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp/hi/dhtml_slides/09/anglo_saxon/img/image1.jpg)



Quote
This gold strip carries the Latin inscription: "Rise up O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and those who hate thee be driven from thy face." It has two sources, the Book of Numbers or Psalm 67, taken from the Vulgate, the Bible used by the Saxons


Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on September 25, 2009, 02:14:25 PM
Good heavens, what a treasure! Thank you, Mary!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on September 29, 2009, 05:22:14 PM
 Just seen this!! You MUST have a look!

 

http://www.piurl.com/1uJw (http://www.piurl.com/1uJw)

 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on October 01, 2009, 03:49:11 PM

...............and another one!

 http://www.piurl.com/1uQC


(http://www.soton.ac.uk/images/inline/mediacentre/portus_amphitheatre.jpg)

Computer -generated image of the amphitheatre
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Pete7268 on October 02, 2009, 03:31:54 PM
I put this in the lounge yesterday, just in case you missed it, here it is!!

Interesting Roman finds, today's BBC news item.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8283195.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8283195.stm)

Make sure you click on  the Portus Project link on the right hand side of the above item.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: briscoe on October 03, 2009, 09:58:10 AM

First link works - next two do not.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on October 03, 2009, 10:11:28 AM
I'm sorry, Briscoe, they're working for me?

 Thank you, Mary and Pete, love the photos, very exciting time to be studying Latin.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: briscoe on October 03, 2009, 10:19:45 AM

Ok, I get a page not found - I will try my other computer. Maybe it is my line...

And I agree with your comment - getting cack to latin after 50 years is great and different. Although I do missing the sound of 50 boys chanting case endings!

:)

Thanks - Bill
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on October 03, 2009, 10:31:58 AM
Oh there's nothing like the sound of 50 male voices chanting Latin. hahaha I agree with you there. And there's nothing like Latin in mature years, either.    You'll have to recruit more male voices and go about the campus chanting together? hahaha
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on October 03, 2009, 10:53:44 AM
Cicero: De Senectute: On Old Age:

And I have done the same, for in my old age I have learned Greek, which I seized upon as eagerly as if I had been desirous of satisfying a long-continued thirst, with the result that I have acquired first-hand the information which you see me using in this discussion by way of illustration. And when I read what Socrates had done in the case of the lyre, an instrument much cultivated by the ancients, I should have liked to do that too, if I could; but in literature I have certainly laboured hard.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on October 04, 2009, 09:31:17 AM
If you live in the States, and you get the History Channel International, here are three shows coming on this Wednesday, October 7,  which may be of interest:


8-9pm -- Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire - The Dacian Wars
Despite the Empire's successes, the extensive military campaigns begin to take their toll on Rome's finances. When Dacian tribes ravage Roman lands, the unpopular Emperor Domitian is forced to raise taxes. He has never been on the front lines himself, but one of his generals, a young man named Trajan, soon proves to be a worthy leader while battling Germanic tribes on the Rhine. After Domitian's murder, Trajan is proclaimed emperor and sets out to rebuild the troubled Empire. He solves its financial problems by attacking the Dacian chieftain, Deceblas, uncovering his golden treasures, hidden in a river. In 106 AD, Deceblas flees, but Trajan's men hunt him down, only to find that he has killed himself to avoid the humiliation of defeat. Trajan's victory is immortalized in Trajan's Column in Rome, and under his reign, the Empire reaches its maximum extent of power.

9-10pm -- Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire - Rebellion and Betrayal
It is 162AD. Marcus Aurelius inherits the empire at its peak. Peace and prosperity have reigned for a hundred years, and the imperial boundaries stretch from the Irish Sea to the sands of Syria. But the greater Rome grows, the bigger a target she becomes. War breaks out on two fronts -- in the east and in the north -- just as plague takes a terrible toll on the empire's population. Marcus Aurelius would rather stay home and write about philosophy, but duty dictates that he save the empire. His German wars are a prolonged, bloody quagmire that seems to stretch on without end. But with his death, his long dream of conquering the German lands is lost, when his son, Commodus, fails to pursue the mission, preferring the luxurious life in Rome to the dangerous life of a soldier.

10-11pm -- Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire - Wrath of the Gods
In the beginning of the 3rd century, Rome is in crisis. Ravaged by civil war and foreign invasions it now faces an even greater challenge, the new religion of Christianity. When barbarian Goths attack the Empire's borders, and traitors rise against Emperor Philip, his trusted general Decius blames Philip's leniency toward the Christians. But Decius soon becomes a traitor, as well, as he faces Philip in battle, taking the crown for himself. As emperor, Decius sets out to win back the pagan gods favor, and his reign's first victims are the Christians. Yet, the wrath of the gods only continues as plague strikes, and the Goths launch full-scale invasions into the Empire. Decius and his son, Herennius, are forced to meet the Gothic king, Cniva, in a deadly clash that will mark the first time a Roman emperor is ever killed by a barbarian in battle. Unfortunately, for the Empire, it will not be the last.



This appears to be somewhat dramatized, and, as with all things Roman, you may need to take what's said here with a judicious grain of salt.  If you get a chance to see any of these, let us know how they were.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Mippy on October 07, 2009, 09:28:05 AM
Herb Stein wrote in 1998, upon rereading De Senectute by Cicero:

http://www.slate.com/id/9139  (http://www.slate.com/id/9139)

And here he thanks his Latin teacher...

http://www.slate.com/id/9139/sidebar/42879/ (http://www.slate.com/id/9139/sidebar/42879/)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: sandyrose on October 07, 2009, 11:40:44 AM
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.

Interested in Latin Courses?  Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)


Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.



I see that Mippy has already posted the Stein links, but as an explanation...

Has anyone noticed the "News" at the very top of the pages. It does seem to change, but I like the one with the picture of Cicero on aging from De Senectute.

I wanted to see when he wrote that and found those links on the Slate site.

On Rereading "De Senectute" by Herbert Stein posted in 1998

Sandy
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Pete7268 on October 15, 2009, 12:46:50 PM
Statue possibly of Nero at Fishbourne Roman Palace. UK.
Not a lot of info as this is an early NewsFlash.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8309076.stm

Maryemm If you are online there may be an update or expanded report on tonight's BBC News, local news South at 1830 this evening.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Pete7268 on October 15, 2009, 03:25:01 PM
Latest newscast of the earlier Nero's head item.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8309774.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8309774.stm)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on October 18, 2009, 09:53:51 AM
Thank you Pete, my gosh I was just at Fishbourne Palace  in 2008 and they at the time kept saying that the statue was possibly that of Cogidubnus, could it be him at an eariler age? Wow. That one bears watching!

Fishbourne is a testament to Volunteer Power, having been excavated by teams of volunteers.

_____________________________________

If you're in the States and get the History Channel International, Hannibal and Carthage are featured Saturday, October 24, 2009:
____________________________________________________

7-8pm -- Engineering An Empire - Carthage.

Carthage, a remarkable city-state that dominated the Mediterranean for over 600 years, harnessed their extensive resources to develop some of the ancient world's most groundbreaking technology. For generations, Carthage defined power, strength and ingenuity, but by the third century B.C., the empire's existence was threatened by another emerging superpower, Rome. However, when the Romans engineered their empire, they were only following the lead of the Carthaginians. From the city's grand harbor to the rise of one of history's greatest generals, Hannibal Barca, we will examine the architecture and infrastructure that enabled the rise and fall of the Carthaginian Empire.


Hannibal, son of Hamillcar  Barca, who usually appears in 2009 as the pivotal question on big money TV quiz shows,  is somewhat  of a puzzle. I am interested to see how they take it up, or if they do. Having crossed the Alps, Hannibal  progressed through the whole of Italy, but never took Rome, tho he could have, easily,  or Italy, it's somewhat of a mystery. The background should go a long way to explain his rationale.  I am interested to see this program, they always do a fantastic job with those Engineering an Empire things.


Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on October 24, 2009, 12:22:06 PM
Here's a news item sent in by a student,    Underwater City Starts Yielding Secrets: Divers Find Pottery, Streets, Courtyards, Tombs and Buildings  (http://news.aol.com/article/divers-get-first-look-at-underwater-city/732031)

Oct. 22) -- "Scientists have known for 40 years that a 5,000-year-old city lay obscured by water off southern Greece. But divers haven't had a chance to study the ruins until now."

WOW!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: CubFan on October 29, 2009, 10:44:49 PM
Greetings -

WGN Television's (Chicago) teacher of the month is Miss Glen of Lincoln Way Central High School - Latin Teacher.  One of the students interviewed was taking his 4th year of Latin.     Mary
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on October 30, 2009, 08:07:35 AM
Greetings, CubFan! Good for her, building up a 4 year program alone in Latin deserves that!

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on November 08, 2009, 11:00:48 AM
IMPORTANT NEWS re ECCE.

Ginny
has suggested that as we only have  a little time to go in this semester, we aim for an end of the year extravaganza?
I think this is an excellent idea. I forget that we don't study till the end of December!
So to the few, the very few, who have sent in articles/images, my apologies. I shall keep these for our issue 2010.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on November 10, 2009, 01:12:46 PM
Quote
Coins buried by anxious Italians in the first century B.C. can be used to track the ups and downs of the Roman population during periods of civil war and violence.

In times of instability in the ancient world, people stashed their cash and if they got killed or displaced, they didn’t come back for their Geld. Thus, large numbers of coin hoards are a good quantitative indicator of population decline, two researchers argue in in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science Monday.

And it turns out that during the periods we know to have been violent — the Second Punic War, the Social War and various civil wars — hoarding behavior soars, providing a statistical peek into the life of your average Italian 2,000 years ago.

“During that period, we have a good literary record. Caesar died because he was killed by assassins,” said Peter Turchin, a population ecologist at the University of Connecticut. “We don’t know what happened to common people. [Coin hoards] tell us what happened to common people.”

The new work (War and Peace and War: The Life Cycles of Imperial Nations (Hardcover)
~ Peter Turchin)
could help settle a long-standing historical debate about the Roman population. Census figures from the end of the second century B.C. show a population of adult males of around 400,000. Then, the record goes blank, and census figures from around a hundred years later show a population of 4 to 5 million. Some of the population explosion is explained by the extension of Roman citizenship to various groups, but far from all of it. From this evidence, a group of historians known as the “high-count” hypothesizers have argued there was excellent population growth during that period.

Another group of historians had an alternate explanation for the appearance of population growth. They figured that the later census takers had started to count women and children, rather than just adult males, as part of the official population stats.

Without more information about the ancient world, it was difficult to settle the argument one way or another. Turchin, though, knew from previous work that warfare and instability don’t tend to deliver robust population growth in societies.

“Population growth and instability are negatively correlated,” Turchin said.

He teamed up with Walter Scheidel, a Stanford classicist and historian, to create a model of population growth and decline based on coin-hoard data gathered over the years. Their model’s predictions match well with the early census data. The population projections they derive make the “high-count” hypothesis “highly implausible,” they argue.

That has important implications for Roman history, but not too much history will actually be rewritten. It was the high-counters who were hoping to revise the Italian population up from what earlier historians had assumed.


Alexis Madrigal
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on November 25, 2009, 09:59:17 AM
In yesterday's paper ,Latin proved yet again that it "lives". I deliberated about mentioning the case reported and decided against it for fear of offending anyone here. However, in another paper today, Tom Holland has written an article about the "controversial" lines, and their author.

If you are offended easily(?), please read no further. Here is yesterday's account :


http://www.piurl.com/1yyK


Tom Holland writes under the heading:

SEXUS MAXIMUS! THE POET WHO MADE EVEN THE ROMANS BLUSH

You can read it for yourselves here at:

http://www.piurl.com/1yyJ

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on December 08, 2009, 03:16:48 PM
And this from G. Keillor's daily email:

It's the birthday of the Roman poet Horace,  born on this day in Venusia, in southern Italy (65 B.C.E.). His father was a former slave, but by the time Horace came along, he was well-off and had a lot of money to spend on his talented son. He sent him to Rome as a boy, and then to Athens to learn philosophy and literature.

He is probably best known for his Odes, which he began publishing in 23 B.C.E., often considered the best lyric poetry ever written in Latin. He also coined some famous phrases that we still use, like Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, which roughly translates as "It is sweet and honorable to die for one's country," and carpe diem, "seize the day."

(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m193/joycepair/Christmaskitty001.jpg)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on December 11, 2009, 10:46:34 AM
IMPORTANT NEWS re ECCE.

Ginny
has suggested that as we only have  a little time to go in this semester, we aim for an end of the year extravaganza?
I think this is an excellent idea. I forget that we don't study till the end of December!
So to the few, the very few, who have sent in articles/images, my apologies. I shall keep these for our issue 2010.


Maryemm, this makes me happy as I have always had my doubts about the very short piece I sent to you and I'd like to change to another if that's ok with you. I'll be in touch...want to write/find something of more import!

I love this site and all the other SeniorLearn sites I've been finding since start of vacation. It seems that this is what short vacations are for.

aliki

p.s. athena...love your Christmas Cat!!  Oh how lovely...
Happy, Happy Holidays to each and every one of you!!  Cheers!!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on December 19, 2009, 11:29:45 AM
Maryemm...I was fascinated by your article on Roman coins, as I've always been interested in coins--just the thought of touching something from another time in history amazed me since childhood!

Thanks! 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on December 19, 2009, 11:39:30 AM
The Tenth Doctor (Dr. Who)
(David Tennant)

“David Tennant is the tenth actor to play the Time Lord. David John McDonald was born in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland, and grew up in Ralston, Renfrewshire, where his father was the local minister. Because there was already an actor called David McDonald, David adopted the stage name David Tennant (inspired by the Pet Shop Boys lead singer Neil Tennant).

Performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company were followed by lead roles in several high-profile dramas for the BBC, including Takin' Over the Asylum, He Knew He Was Right, Viva Blackpool, Casanova, The Quatermass Experiment, Secret Smile, and Recovery. Upcoming roles include the film Einstein and Eddington.”

This may be of some interest to us “Latinists”…it caught my ‘ears’ for sure!  According to David Tennant in one of his ads he says that they either take a trip or find themselves in—ta da—Pompeii…and it’s in 79 A.D….yes, during the eruption or shortly afterwards. I haven’t been able to find a date for that episode but will keep an eye and ear out. Meanwhile if any of you hear about it please post here.

The first episode of the new series is tonight, Saturday, Dec. 19 at 9pm Eastern. I don't know when the 'Pompei' episode is presented so will keep you posted.

Thanks!  aliki
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on December 20, 2009, 02:44:04 PM
I apologize for hyping up that Dr. Who item but as it turns out the only mention of Pompei last night was a less than a minute 'blurb' at 8:47 pm Eastern in a series they were having remembering Tennant who had been the tenth Dr. Who. I understand in 2010 they will have a new Dr.

If they ever have that episode on re-run I'll post it in here.

Again...sorry!   :-[
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on December 20, 2009, 02:55:06 PM


I don't know about you, but if #2 here or #7 ever appears in the sky here, I'm heading for the hills, they look like the end of time OR like somebody has been fooling around with a Paint Shop Pro image, aren't they SCARY?

Golly moses.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2009/jun/01/2?picture=348217740[/color]

I thought the same thing! One look at #7 and "dooms day" popped right into my head! Oh dear!!!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on December 20, 2009, 03:13:55 PM
Mippy via  sandyrose:

I was touched by Herb Stein's thanks to his Latin teacher. Thanks for those links.

I brought home only one book from the Philadelphia Classics Convention (sic) we went to about 7-8 years ago (time eludes me) and it was "On Old Age" (de Senectute), Marcus Tullius Cicero. It has Latin text with notes and vocabulary by Charles E. Bennett. Does anyone know a better or simpler version?

Thanks, aliki
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 22, 2009, 08:45:45 AM
Here is an interesting website and article from the 15th December on the fabulous Oplontis, sent in by a student, looks like a great site!

 Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: An Italian Notebook  (http://www.italiannotebook.com/art-archaeology/oplontis/)
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Graphics/Christmaspoinsettia.gif)

 Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to All!

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 27, 2009, 04:35:47 PM
If you get the History Channel in the US, Tuesday night December 29,  you are in for a treat:

____________________________________________________

Tuesday, December 29, 2009
____________________________________________________

7-8pm -- How the Earth Was Made - Vesuvius
Mt Vesuvius is the world's most dangerous volcano, and it threatens three million people. It was responsible for the most famous natural disaster of ancient history, the eruption that destroyed the Roman city of Pompeii. And its most recent blast was caught on film in 1944. Today Vesuvius is the most densely populated volcano in the world. Now recent scientific discoveries show that it is capable of an eruption larger than ever before thought possible and that hidden beneath Vesuvius there is a vast magma chamber of boiling hot rock, ready to come out
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on December 28, 2009, 01:52:08 PM
Dear Ginny, thanks for the heads up above. I hadn't known about it and would not want to have missed it!

aliki
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on December 30, 2009, 02:39:54 PM
Ginny, the show last night was even better than I expected. What surprises me most is that the people of Naples don't seem to be very concerned. Maybe I'm overreacting but  I'd probably move up the shore north...even though my grandmother was born in Naples. Now that she's gone I'm sorry I can't ask her if that is why her family left when she was only 15 years old.

aliki
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on January 04, 2010, 12:25:57 PM
While searching for Roman amphitheaters for an assignment I found this article interesting—especially the way the writer interspersed the article with local flavor.

Anatolia—A History Forged by Disaster(republished by Rick Gore, July 2000)
I will have to research further to see how they have progressed with the  Roman Amphitheater theory. According to the article (see url below) this was noticed while geologists were studying earthquakes in Anatolia.

“Along Turkey’s southern coast the process of extension has caused land on the shore to drop into the Mediterranean. At the town of Ucagiz  I hire a boat to sail across a bay that once did not exist. Scientists tell us there is a Roman amphitheater below us.’  says the captain, İbrahim Turan.”

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/the--dynamic--earth/anatolian-history.html

(I haven't had any luck with the link...maybe because the article was from 2002.)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on January 04, 2010, 05:08:56 PM
Thank you, Allie, I thought the Vesuvius show was very interesting as well, nothing new, but well combined, the WWII footage particularly.

I can't get it either, which is odd because it's National Geographic, I'll do some searching. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: kidsal on January 08, 2010, 01:57:57 AM
I am signed up to receive the newsletter from http://ancienthistoryabout.com.  In the recent issue they said they will be discussing Gaul.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: sandyrose on January 22, 2010, 11:25:13 AM
In case anyone will be in Milwaukee this summer,

UNIVERSUM  LATINITATIS  CURRICULUM

A.    Annua Exercitatio Communis

•    Milvauchiae mense Octobri ad Maium
•    in triginta quinque congressibus gratuitis
•    quinque “Experientiarum” sive graduum ab imo ad summum
•    feriis opportunis interpositis
•    pluribus cum lectionibus ‘ad libitum’.

B.    Aestiva Eruditio Altior

•    ibidem mensibus Iunio et Iulio
•    sexies in hebdomada gratis
•    duorum ordinum superioris institutionis: Iuniorum et Seniorum
•    itineribus litterariis propositis
•    liberis cum sessionibus ‘sub arboribus’.

PETE  SCRIBE  QUAERE :

Reginald Thomas Foster
1233 South 45th St
West Milwaukee, Wisconsin – 53214
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on January 29, 2010, 12:13:31 PM
(I've also posted this in the Students Lounge. Never know which site is appropriate.)

Has anyone else seen the news of a new find. It's a Roman Aquaduct. I only caught the tail end so don't know the location and not sure of the source but water continues to flow through it and archeologists are paying a lot of attention to it.

Anyway, that's how it was described in the program but you know how old some of their reruns can be.

If anyone else has seen it and has more info I'd love to have it. Somehow I don't think it was the History Channel for some reason.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: PEGGY on January 30, 2010, 08:09:18 PM
Aliki
I was just reading about the Aqueduct this morning at

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60S4LK20100129

Also a very interesting article about "Cracking the Codex  - Long lost legal document found -Fragments of an important Roman law code that previously had been thought lost forever.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/news/cracking-the-codex-long-lost-roman-legal-document-discovered-1881769.html
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Aliki on February 01, 2010, 05:35:51 PM
Aliki
I was just reading about the Aqueduct this morning at

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60S4LK20100129

Also a very interesting article about "Cracking the Codex  - Long lost legal document found -Fragments of an important Roman law code that previously had been thought lost forever.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/news/cracking-the-codex-long-lost-roman-legal-document-discovered-1881769.html

PEGGY, how absolutely fascinating! I was so hoping the Aquaduct wasn't a 'dead end'!! Both sites are informative reading that I'm glad, thanks to you, I've been able to read.

aliki
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on March 18, 2010, 12:34:55 PM
See Hadrian's Wall in a new light:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/mar/14/hadrians-wall-lights-illumination (http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/mar/14/hadrians-wall-lights-illumination)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on April 07, 2010, 09:02:21 AM
Thank you Cathy, what a sight that must be, I'd love to see that! I've come in with some glorious news!!!!!



(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/GoldMedal2010.jpg)

 




SeniorLearn has  received the results of the National Latin Exam for 2010 and we are very proud to announce the following:

 In 2010 150,000 students from all 50 states and 13 foreign countries including Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China,  England, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New  Zealand, Singapore and Zimbabwe took the National Latin  Exam this year. This was our first year of entering any student from our program.

17  of our students took the test. One test result is still pending in transit, from out of the country. Of the 16 received so far, EVERY one of our students who entered got an award! This is totally unheard of.  We are  so proud of our students and our program.  They  have shown on a national/ international level that you can learn Latin online and that students of a "certain age"  can learn Latin in addition to their busy schedules, just as well as any teenager. There's no question who is "smarter than a fifth grader"  now, or whether you can learn Latin online or whether one is too old to try!

The testing service  also sent two spreadsheets of statistics comparing our students with  the national/ international averages of those who took the test. In every case without exception,  our students were way above the averages,  Four of our 16 had perfect scores.

The second spreadsheet concerned each question's performance in relation to that of the others taking it. They explained that an ! would symbolize 100 percent correct for that question. It's a good thing they explained this, because our sheet looks like !!!!!!!!   85 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!92 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Those who went out on a limb and dared to take the test splendidly represented all of us, each of you  on this site, who exemplify a love of  and dedication to livelong learning, and the strength of our program, and they  deserve to be recognized. . Here are our students listed  in alphabetical order by exam:

They are:
Introduction to Latin:

Cielolama: Introduction to Latin: First place: Blue Ribbon of Outstanding Achievement

MelandraII: Introduction to Latin: First place:  Blue Ribbon of Outstanding Achievement


Latin I:

Anne Allen:  Certificate of Oustanding Achievement: Magna Cum Laude

Bow_Belle:   Gold Medal: Summa Cum Laude

Hidaroupe:   Gold Medal: Summa Cum Laude

Jim Farmer:   Gold Medal: Summa Cum Laude

Joan Roberts: Gold Medal: Summa Cum Laude

Sandy Reese: Gold Medal: Summa Cum Laude

Susan:          Gold Medal: Summa Cum Laude



Latin II:

Asterix:      Gold Medal: Summa Cum Laude

Christymo: Gold Medal: Summa Cum Laude

Janet:        Gold Medal: Summa Cum Laude

LucyLibr:     Gold Medal: Summa Cum Laude



Latin III:

HelenP:       Gold Medal Summa Cum Laude

Pedln:         Gold Medal: Summa Cum Laude

SandyRose: Silver Medal: Maxima Cum Laude


Euge!  Gaudeamus, we're all proud today of your achievement, we're all winners today!

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/applause25.gif)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: marcie on April 09, 2010, 11:16:12 AM
Congratulations to each of you who took the test. You must be very proud. The results are awesome!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on April 10, 2010, 04:41:51 AM
What a stunning result! Congratulations to all  - you did us proud.  Ginny deserves special praise for making it all possible.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on April 10, 2010, 09:24:49 AM
Spectābilis! Grātulātiō!

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Zulema on April 11, 2010, 05:31:39 PM
I haven't been here for ages and maybe I should have started on Latin again after our Greek classes ended on such an unfortunate note.

Congratulations to all of you, from the Summa Cum Laudes to all the great achievers.  Ginny truly does an extraordinary job and totally deserves to feel that the entire group's achievement is hers multiplied geometrically (if that is not the term, you get what I mean).

Fantastic!!!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: JoanR on April 11, 2010, 06:32:40 PM
I'd say congratulations, Ginny, to the 10th power.  I don't think my keyboard would show that mathematically!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Brian on April 11, 2010, 07:29:02 PM
Ginny - - -   Please accept my congratulations for all the outstanding students, you must feel proud of their achievements.

Furthermore, you must take a large share of the credit, so please accept my congratulations for your teaching also.

A grateful ex-student (Latin 101).
Brian (Adrbri).
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: BarbStAubrey on April 11, 2010, 08:45:36 PM
Congradulations! Pulchre perfectus quis satisfaction vos must totus sentio per is factum iustus mirus.
(http://www.hellasmultimedia.com/webimages/birthday/images/balcon.gif)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: joangrimes on April 12, 2010, 01:33:46 AM
Congratulations to each of you.  What a wonderful achievement.

Congratulations to Ginny for her teaching .

Joan Grimes
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on April 19, 2010, 06:45:29 AM
(http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss323/Euler5853/Congratulations/Congratulations3.gif)
to ALL the Latin students who did so well in the National Latin Exam. 


and to Ginny, whose enthusiasm and teaching skills played no small part in their achievements
.

(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:G1bGgafyZmAdRM:http://www.homeroomdirect.com/cat-images-lg/RJ442.jpg)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on April 23, 2010, 11:04:41 AM
New Biography: Empress of ROME: The Life of LIVIA by Matthew Dennison





(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WzDSb1UoL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)



Quote
Matthew Dennison presents Livia as a quiet ,wise, noble-minded, deeply -
loving wife and helpmeet who had to bear the extraordinary number of deaths in her family with noble resilience.
  Christopher Hudson

.....................

Matthew Dennison's puts up a well-researched defence of Empress Livia and this book should make very interesting reading.

I know my impression of Livia was coloured by the fantastic TV series "I, Claudius" in which she was portrayed by the actress Sian Phillips.

(http://th84.photobucket.com/albums/k36/scalphunterfire/uk/th_sian-2.jpg)


I have read that Livia got away with it all , lived into her 90's and died peacefully in her bed!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Bow_Belle on April 25, 2010, 07:36:07 AM
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.

Interested in Latin Courses?  Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)


Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.



After Seven months I have only just discoved this bulletin board. wonderful interesting topics which I have spent ages reading.

I would like to add to what others have written about the super teaching I have received from Ginny! Her patience and abilty knows no bounds!  Many many thanks to you

I loved the article about Vespasian and how he is remembered still We had a window tax in this country (UK) from 1696 until 1851 and you can still see bricked up windows to this day (done to save money!) Vespasians tax however is more Bizarre than William II's !

Gay hector

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on May 01, 2010, 05:43:57 PM
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m193/joycepair/Flora-1.jpg)

Flora Fresco, Castellammare di Stabia, Varano Villa Arianna
First Half of the First Century C. E.


Today is May Day. Even though spring officially begins in March, today is the day that celebrates the height of spring, a day of spring festivities and celebrations.

Like many of our modern holidays, May Day has its roots in ancient, pagan celebrations.

Beginning in the third century B.C. in Rome, the festival Floralia, for the goddess Flora, was held in the days around May Day, April 28th to May 3rd. Flora was a goddess of flowers and fertility, and the festival was held to please her so that she protected flowers and other blossoming plants. There was a circus and theater performances, there were prostitutes and naked dancers, and a sacrifice to the goddess. Deer and goats were let loose to symbolize fertility, and beans and lupines were scattered for the same reason. Romans usually wore white tunics, but during Floralia, they got to wear bright colors. Although Floralia wasn't instituted until the third century B.C., it evolved from an ancient celebration of spring and fertility traditionally held at that time. Ovid wrote: "Mother of flowers, Flora, present be, / We raise the chant midst jocund games to thee. / Begun in April, unto May deferred, / For both are thine, the jocund song is heard. / Upon the confines of both months we stand / Embellished with the bounties of thy hand."

In the Celtic British Isles, May Day was celebrated as the festival of Beltane, or Bealtaine or Bealtuinn — Bel was the Celtic god of light, and taine or tuinne meant fire. It was the summer half of the year — a time when the sun set later, when the earth and animals were fertile. Beltane lasted from sundown the night before to sundown on the first of May. On the eve of Beltane, people lit bonfires to Bel to call back the sun. People jumped over the fires to purify themselves, and they blessed their animals by taking them between bonfires before leading them to their summer pastures the next day. It was a day to walk around the property lines and assess your land for the summer season, to mend fences. Women washed their faces with the spring dew so that they would stay beautiful, and there was dancing, tournaments, parades, feasting, and general revelry. There were lots of flowers — men walked around the fires with rowan branches to keep evil spirits at bay, and May trees, or Maypoles, were set up covered in rowan or hawthorn flowers as a blessing. People danced around the Maypole, seen to be a phallic symbol to promote fertility, and villages would compete with each other to see who could produce the tallest maypole. Young couples went off into the forest to spend the night together and came back the next day with flowers to spread through the village. A young woman was crowned May Queen, and she would ride naked on horseback through the village.

Many of these celebrations continued as late as the 17th century — the Puritans were not too pleased, especially since so many young women went off into the woods and came back pregnant. Maypoles were made illegal in 1644.

Since the Puritans discouraged May Day, it was never a major holiday in America. Eventually it was reinvented as a holiday for children, with flowers and candy. And elements of it — rabbits for fertility, colored eggs (also for fertility), which had been scattered around the Maypole — were incorporated into Easter traditions. But May Day has its followers in America. The largest May Day celebration is in Minneapolis, where up to 50,000 people turn out for puppets, dancing, and music in a joyful community parade and a ceremony calling back the sun, put on by In The Heart of the Beast Puppet Theater with the help of about 2,000 volunteers.

(Thanks to Garrison Keillor for above quotation)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on May 08, 2010, 02:56:31 PM
Thank you all for taking the time to put such wonderful submissions here. They make fascinating reading, don't they?  And there's a new discovery in Carlisle England as well. It seems something is turned up literally every day which casts interesting new light on the  Romans.

Thank you also for the kind words to our Latin students who did so spectacularly on the National Latin Exam. We have always thought we would do well; we know our program is strong and filled with exceptional people,  but even we  never dreamed of such a result and there's even more:

We have now received word that 4 of our students attained a perfect score on the 2010 National Latin Exam!

Over 150,000 students of all levels  from all over the United States, Australia, Zimbabwe, Canada, England, Italy, New  Zealand, Poland, Korea, Bulgaria, China, Japan and Singapore took the National Latin Exam in 2010.

Of the 18,800 students  taking the Introductory Latin,  only 795 attained the distinction of a perfect score, and one of them was ours:

Congratulations to Melandra II for that incredible feat!

Of the 138,000 students who took the National Latin Exam in Levels 1-  VI, only 568 achieved the distinction of having a perfect score.

Of those 3  are our students!

Congratulations  to Christy Molzen, Jim F and Hidaroupe for that incredible achievement!

I love the way the letter from the National Latin Exam (who will be sending on a certificate for this accomplishment also) ends the letter and want to share it with you:

"At this time of such honor and pride for you, the teacher, the student, and your school, permit us to say, Gaudeamus igitur!"

YAHOO!!



 All of our students this year deserve applause because of their hard work and accomplishments!

____________________________________

This summer, as just another example of the strength of our students,  we have 4 Summer Latin Book Clubs operating, entirely student led, another first for us.

Gaudeamus (let us rejoice), indeed! :)






Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on May 30, 2010, 11:10:28 AM

     Re: Classics Lounge
« Reply #557 on: May 25, 2010, 01:38:45 PM » Quote 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Exciting news!




Divers explore sunken ruins of Cleopatra's palace 


Tuesday's dive explored the sprawling palace and temple complex where Cleopatra, the last of Egypt's Greek-speaking Ptolemaic rulers, seduced the Roman general Mark Antony before they committed suicide upon their defeat by Octavian, the future Roman Emperor Augustus.
Dives have taken Goddio and his team to some of the key scenes in the dramatic lives of the couple, including the Timonium, commissioned by Antony after his defeat as a place where he could retreat from the world, though he killed himself before it was completed.


http://www.mail.com/intl/Article.aspx/world/middleeast/APNews/Middle-East/20100525/U_ML-Egypt-Sunken-Treasures?pageid=1
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on May 30, 2010, 12:28:44 PM
Maryemm, thanks for posting the article. I knew they were diving in the area to see what they could see, but I had no idea what if anything they found.  Someone posted in another discussion the upcoming exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Phila. George and I are planning on going, when is still up in the air. Anyone planning on going to the NY book shindig in Sept. may want to plan and extra day and mosey on down to Phila to see it. 


http://www.fi.edu/cleopatra/?gclid=CIyCm66c-qECFUJx5QodlTeoEQ
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on May 31, 2010, 06:37:58 PM
Heads up! In case you haven't heard, the Roman colosseum is opening more areas previously not open to the public beginning in August.

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/rome-colosseum-underground-areas-open/story?id=10760310
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on June 07, 2010, 10:55:52 AM
LATEST REPORTS ON YORK'S SKELETON FIND


ROMAN GLADIATORS LINK

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48009000/jpg/_48009711_skeletonyork.jpg)
(photo from article)


See:   http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/york_and_north_yorkshire/10253483.stm                      (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/york_and_north_yorkshire/10253483.stm)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on June 07, 2010, 01:11:10 PM
Really neat, Maryemm. I wonder how long it will take for them to show the program listed at the bottom over here.


I remember that one of the Didius Falco series (forget which one off hand) included gladiatorial combats in London.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on June 07, 2010, 02:45:19 PM
Quote
I remember that one of the Didius Falco series (forget which one off hand) included gladiatorial combats in London.
 Frybabe

That was "The Jupiter Myth".

Lindsey Davis describes the death of a female gladiator and writes:

Quote
"Gladiators are outcasts from society. Their infamy means their graves lie not just beyond the town, as happens with all adult internments, but outside the public cemetery too. Established and wealthy groups of fighters may buy their own tombs, but Londinium so far possessed no townships of elaborate mausoleums for the dead."

See:

 Roman burial site suggests that female gladiators fought in Britain      

at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/roman-burial-site-suggests-that-female-gladiators-fought-in-britain-698754.html           (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/roman-burial-site-suggests-that-female-gladiators-fought-in-britain-698754.html)

Note that Dr Mary Beard of Cambridge University's faculty of Classics, said:
Quote
"The evidence for this particular grave being that of a female gladiator seems thin. Lamps with images of gladiators are 10 a penny in the Roman world and we have no idea whether gladiators were buried inside or outside cemeteries."
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on June 10, 2010, 09:39:24 AM
Roman finds 'are unique'

Quote
THE discovery of what look to be two Roman settlements have helped the campaign to stop increased gravel extraction in South Oxfordshire.

 Reg Little


http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8209959.Roman_finds__are_unique_/ (http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8209959.Roman_finds__are_unique_/)

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on June 26, 2010, 09:56:48 AM
Discovery of babies' skeletons exposes the dark side of life in Roman Britain


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/news/discovery-of-babies-skeletons-exposes-the-dark-side-of-life-in-roman-britain-2011017.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/news/discovery-of-babies-skeletons-exposes-the-dark-side-of-life-in-roman-britain-2011017.html)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on June 29, 2010, 03:07:03 PM
Just discovered that History International will have a History's Mysteries program on the homes of the Roman Emperors at 6pm today on Comcast in my area.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on June 30, 2010, 12:08:54 AM
What a bust. The History's Mysteries program was mostly about the emperor's with just cursory mention of the palaces, at least as far as I watched. I would have thought that they would have concentrated a little more on the palaces since it was billed as such. They said a little about Augustus' home, but very little about Tiberius' place on Capri. I gave up on it before they started on Nero.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on July 04, 2010, 05:30:53 PM
(UK)Primary schools 'should teach Latin'


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/primary-schools-should-teach-latin-1999958.html
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on July 08, 2010, 03:22:12 PM



 

Hoard of Roman coins unearthed

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4771892086_3ab64038c9_m.jpg)
See:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/finds/sets/72157624319051565/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/finds/sets/72157624319051565/)









 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on July 08, 2010, 05:45:50 PM
WOW, Maryemm. I had to go look Roman coin hoards to see if it was the largest. It isn't but it isn't much smaller that the over 54,000 coins in the largest found.

Carausius' name is all over a bunch of the coins in the hoard MaryEmm just posted.
He was the first Roman Emperor to mint coins in Britain. I am going to have to reread the chapter about him in Defying Rome by Guy de la Bedoyere. It includes a lot of information about his coin making and earlier hoards found. In the meantime, the first link is a history of Carausius and the second more specifically addresses his coins.


http://www.roman-empire.net/decline/carausius.html

http://www.romanbritain.freeserve.co.uk/CARAUSIUS.HTM
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on July 11, 2010, 09:33:07 PM
I love this Board, but thought I would bring some Classical Greek to it.

The link below will take you to the story of Athena's little owl.  The owl and Athena's head appear on many ancient tetradrachms from Ancient Greece.  I am karahaz on Flickr.

www.flickr.com/photos/roxanataj/2077495526/
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on July 24, 2010, 06:40:21 AM
Golden bulls horn pestle 'used by rich Roman to mix ancient Viagra' unearthed in Cornish field

By Daily Mail Reporter
(Last updated at 3:11 AM on 24th July 2010)


(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/23/article-1297131-0A89E672000005DC-784_468x286.jpg)


Read all about it at:



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1297131/Golden-bulls-horn-pestle-used-mix-Roman-Viagra.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1297131/Golden-bulls-horn-pestle-used-mix-Roman-Viagra.html)




Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 01, 2010, 07:28:48 AM

Remains of Roman villa near Aberystwyth* discovered


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-10753974 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-10753974)



(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48478000/jpg/_48478720_51544a0c-e649-4926-8ccd-d6b070504b5c.jpg)


Villa outline as seen from the air.


(BBC NEWS : MID-WALES)
* mid-Wales.

 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on August 13, 2010, 11:33:53 PM
I am now a little more than half way through the free Yale U. course on Roman Architecture. The Pompeii and Herculaneum lectures were great. Lecture 13 really held my interest. It is about the Domitian Palace on the Palatine Hill and Trajan's Arch. Ginny, have you been there?

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on August 19, 2010, 10:42:40 AM
Ahh, Frybabe, you're way ahead of me. I came in here to post about having just watched the first lecture in the Roman Architecture series and how much I liked it and how much I am looking forward to the rest.

I have one of the books for the course already, the Oxford Archeological Guide, but am wondering if I really need the other one. Do you have it? What do you think?

Cathy
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on August 19, 2010, 06:13:09 PM
Catbrown, I haven't bought the books, but I may later for reference. The lectures are really holding my interest.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on August 19, 2010, 08:16:12 PM
Thank all of you for keeping us up to date here with the amazing finds being discovered all over the world and the great things available on the internet pertaining to classics.

Quote
I am now a little more than half way through the free Yale U. course on Roman Architecture. The Pompeii and Herculaneum lectures were great. Lecture 13 really held my interest. It is about the Domitian Palace on the Palatine Hill and Trajan's Arch. Ginny, have you been there?


Trajan's Arch in Benevento, Italy? Yes I've been there, if it's the one you're talking about, took an entire day to go and see it, it's harder to see than one might think. There's a fabulous tiny museum there too in the old church with the curled columns in the cloister, very interesting town,  Benevento, ancient Beneventum.  I've been to the Palatine, too,  many times.

I must get beyond the Africa segment which just blows me away, I keep starting it and having to quit because of storms and the loading time.  I wish these were available in another format, even with satellite it takes me forever to see them. I wish they could be purchased. I'd buy them!

I am so glad you found them for us.

Cathy, I don't have that  book, do I want  it?  (Need I ask?  Anything with "Oxford" on it is fabulous), do you recommend it?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on August 19, 2010, 10:03:55 PM
http://oyc.yale.edu/history-of-art/roman-architecture/content/downloads

Ginny, I didn't see any lectures on disk to buy, but I did find this. You can get the lectures in text, audio and video. I haven't downloaded  Adobe Reader on my new machine yet so I can't open them, but I did download the text files. Hopefully they will include the floor plans as well.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on August 20, 2010, 08:40:22 AM
Frybabe, I see, by watching the first part of 13,   you are not  talking about the Arch of Trajan at Benevento but rather the Arch of Titus in Rome, oh yes you can't miss that and I've been to the Forum more times than I can count, but never with her own commentary ahead of it.

 (Note her use of Google Earth, I just attended a half day seminar on the use of this thing and it's absolutely amazing what you can do. You can route,  for instance, Caesar's progress thru France, using the modern day city names,  and then it will plot and take YOU on a magic carpet trip thru the alps or the valleys, the very places he went,  at any speed you like-- (they recommend 10,000 mph!)

It's incredible what resources you can find on the internet to enhance your own understanding of the classics. I love it.

 Amazingly,  this morning using this link: http://academicearth.org/courses/roman-architecture.  I am finding that when you click on one of the photos of the individual lectures,  the thing just rolls out like a movie  with no loading and no problems, it's awesome.

Just like renting it with Netflix. Had you not mentioned the text on Adobe, I would not have found it at all, thank you!! If anybody is having trouble loading these lectures from another site, use this one, it's fast and SO much more enjoyable. What a gift!

 I am so pleased to have found, thanks to your mentioning the text, this site which allows one to just watch the lecture!!! Thank you!

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: kidsal on August 20, 2010, 09:37:40 AM
If you download the free software DVD Video Soft Free Studio you can download YouTube files.  You must find the Yale courses on YouTube, then under Share a URL appears.  Right click on the URL and then enter as download in the DVD software after selecting where you want to store it.  I put mine under my pictures.

Also when you are watching the lecture be sure to find above the picture the place to "dim the lights" or find the icon on lower right to fill the screen with the picture.  ESC to get back to normal.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on August 20, 2010, 11:17:08 AM
Ginny, the 'Oxford Archeological Guide: Rome' is definitely worth having in your arsenal. The second edition is just published in the UK (Aug 10) and is available from Amazon UK, but in the US the pub date is listed as Oct. 15. I have the 1998 edition, and even though I just bought it about 3 weeks ago (from Amazon UK), I'll probably get the updated edition when it finally arrives at Amazon US.

Cathy
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on August 20, 2010, 03:57:43 PM
Thanks, Kidsal, for the DVD Video Free Studio info. I will definitly look into it.

Ginny, Kliener briefly mentions the Trajan Arch at Benevento near the end, I think.

For those interested in Greek history, there is a free lecture course on Ancient Greek History.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 21, 2010, 09:29:03 PM
catbrown - I really do adore your cat image.  Did you do it?

ginny - I think we kind of touched upon what the Roman World offers in relation to the Greek World.  Was it aquaducts?  (Monty Python).  I remain intrigued, but must I complete the first part of your Latin course in order to know?  Because I studied Modern Greek for four years full time at Uni, I came away with a certain bias against Romans and Turks.  I learned a lot of Modern Greek poetry, much of it written when Greece was occupied by the Turks.  There is a very strong sense of hatred towards the Turks.  Unfortunately, that hatred is still very much in evidence, particularly in Cyprus.  As for the Romans - the Ancient Greeks called them "Blockheads".  I have always been interested to know what the Romans thought of the Greeks.  Come to think of it the Greeks called anyone who didn't speak their language "oi barbaroi".  I love their arrogance.   :o  Stirring the pot!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on August 22, 2010, 03:55:28 PM
Yep, you have to take the course. hahahaa  But you can make a case here for the Greeks, the controversy is actually taken up in all 12 chapters. :)

Thank you Kidsal, that's good information to know, I'd like to do that and have it on my own computer.

Thank you Cathy, Amazon uk owes me an adjustment, so I can actually have it shipped free, yahoo!

I saw something in the new Smithsonian about Pompeii graffiti in the Smithsonian online and went to look: voila!

There appear to be two articles, this one: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Reading-the-Writing-on-Pompeiis-Walls.html#

And this one which is a slide show apparently with explanations:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/multimedia/photos/?articleID=99324199&c=y

The Romans are so HOT right now, even the Wiki leaker has a Roman alias, I mean really. Everybody wants IN on the Romans. :)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on August 22, 2010, 04:42:16 PM
Well my goodness my goodness. One of the additional books Amazon.uk thought I might like is called A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities: Strange Tales and Surprising Facts from the World's Greatest Empire.

The author is JC McKeown. Turns out  http://www.jcmckeown.com/contact.php  he's the author of a new text Classical Latin and he's also got a neato website with pig sounds where appropriate and fabulous audio recordings of many authors.  Here's the website:  
http://www.jcmckeown.com/contact.php

He's a Professor of Classics at the University of Wisconsin Madison

His Cabinet of Curiosities is not available in the US yet.

Here's his Caesar De Bello Gallico 6:27 with the Latin text: http://www.jcmckeown.com/audio.php

As I'm in the middle of making new  audios for our classes, I can't help but totally enjoy his readings. He does not roll his Rs (90 percent of the time),  and since I can't either, I am chuffed to hear it,  and he hesitates here and there, how well I know the feeling, took me 25 takes on the last one I did. :)

I love it! One thing leads serendipitously to another in the Classics.

 http://www.jcmckeown.com/la5103d1t04.php/la5103d1t01.php
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 22, 2010, 11:07:22 PM
Ah Yes the Romans are hot!  Surely we can thank an Australian for that, and, of course Harry Potter.  In truth the Greeks seem much too ethereal to be "Hot".  Although Sam Worthington showing his loins has helped  Greek mythology no end.  If you haven't seen "Clash of the Titans" you surely must.  The man who plays his rather aloof offsider is a Danish actor who "undoes" Medusa, the guy who played Le Fevre in the latest "Casino Royale" and Sam is Australian.  Ah ... movies!!  Tongue firmly in cheek re this para.  Ginny.  I didn't know that Latin rolled its "rrrrrs".  Greek does too and it drives me batty, also gamma and chi are both a challenge.  Just when you think you are getting it right they appear and completely ruin your little speech.  Talking about speech, my comments in this discussion are most definitely and firmly tongue in cheek.
There are many others here who are much more erudite than I on this subject.


Back to the Greek/Roman thing:

Well, we need to ask ourselves what has each civilisation done for us?  And, what is each still doing?

 Democracy, Theatre, Philosophy, Mythology

Of course their Democracy was skewed, as slaves, women and aliens weren't allowed to vote, but it did sow the seed.  

Theatre was/is the "big one".  Greece's playwrights were/are beyond comparison with the Romans.  Only Greece could promote the brilliance of Aristophanes and make fun of themselves in the process.  The first satirist?

Philosophy:  What needs to be said?  Perhaps that Greek philosophy idealised thought and the search for truth, where Roman philosophy was philosophy with "its sleeves rolled up".  Practical, more suited to daily life.  More "applied thinking" than the Greeks, although the Milesian philosophers' were certainly seeking explanation for the basics.  Philosophy and all that it purports to be is good whether it is Greek or Roman.  They are even on that score.

Mythology:  The Romans were on the right track with Romulus and Remus and Aeneas, but why? oh why? did they copy the Greek gods by just changing their names.  It is not as if they are just translations like Heracles and Hercules, but how can Artemis be Diana and Aphrodite be Venus in translation.  Very disappointing.  Mythological names, both Roman and Greek continue to enrich our vocabulary and our literature.

Leaving it at that today.  Comments most welcome.  

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 22, 2010, 11:26:21 PM
I forgot to mention re Democracy.  In Australia it is compulsory to vote.  If you don't you get fined.  We are still waiting for a result on the Australian Federal Election held on Saturday.  They are talking about things like "hung parliaments" and other esoteric terms.  Sounds like a Western movie to me. :-\
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on August 23, 2010, 09:44:27 AM
Well that is beautiful. So beautiful I think I'll save it for when we get to the "Great Debate," as I am short of Greek background and  appreciation and that will be easier and shorter  to read than what I usually put up. :)

I also had lofty ideals of the noble Greeks till I spent two weeks in Greece touring archaeological sites and learning some much needed  history. (Since I knew virtually nothing).  The Democracy depended on who you were in Greek society, and the Greeks had slavery long before the Romans, and killed each other incessantly. For all their lofty thoughts, they  seemed always contentious on every level, every single level, no matter how small, and always  at war, bitter awful war,  with each other,  (unlike the "blockhead" Romans who also called any foreigner barbarus). (Tongue also in cheek here).

 In fact the Greeks and their perfectly awful phalanx, (still trying get over the image of their own soldiers held up dead on  their spears because of the tightness of the formations, carried forward),  (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/iliad/iliad700700phalanx.jpg) for all their noble lofty philosophy actually (think Athens and Sparta) ...well I won't go into it.

Who is smarter, one wonders? The one who comes up with an idea or the one who actually improves on it and makes it actually work? The one who thinks up a concept which  many times, is then undeveloped, a theory,  or the one learns from it,   adapts it,  improvises it and improves it to a new standard?  The Romans respected Greek learning, literature and art,  and made them their teachers (as slaves), they took what they found,  from history, from the Greeks and the Etruscans,  and used it to create new and dazzling innovations, too.

I love watching the classes decide, who has given more to OUR society in 2010,  the Greeks or the Romans, it's a fascinating debate. Sometimes classes decide on the Greeks (mathematics, astronomy, science, literature) sometimes the  Romans (our Senate, our House, our  system of government, engineering, building, Caesar still studied in military academies, their inventions, on and on.. on both sides......it's fascinating).

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on August 23, 2010, 10:46:33 AM
Roshanarose, I'm glad you like my kitty. Yes, it's my creation and in one iteration (as an animated gif) it wiggles its ear.

Ginny, thanks for the audio links. Super cool. And, I'm jealous that you'll have the new edition of the Oxford guide before I do, but it's my own fault because I got tired of waiting and just gave up and bought the old edition only to find out that the new one arrived in the UK virtually days afterward. Dammit.

As for which civilization is cooler, Roman or Greek, well, I've always just adored the Romans and found the Greeks just a little too full of themselves. But that's an emotional response, not a considered one. But it's the only one I will ever have, because, for me, the discussion leads nowhere. Romans are different from Greeks; Greeks are different from Romans; but they share a great deal as they were close neighbors in what was first a Hellenistic world and then a Roman one, with concepts and technology never confined by geographic or political boundaries.

And that's my rant for the day!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 23, 2010, 09:19:34 PM
ginny - Cool comments.  I loved the pic of the phalanx and the image you described could easily be one of Monty Python's.  I agree with all you said, esp improving on what has gone before.  "Standing on the shoulders of giants" and the Greeks were indeed  Giants.  A two week archaeological tour of Greece is not enough, sadly.  You merely scrape the surface.  But at least you went and your opinions are valid. 

What you said about the killing is correct.  Greece was divided into "power groups" polis, and killing was going to be inevitable.  Greece had also been invaded by the Persians twice, once when the Persians won at Thermopylae, and again when the Persians destroyed Athens, but  lost at Salamis to a much smaller and lighter armed Greek navy.  They had to know how to fight, their cities and lives were at risk.  The Peloponnesian War was the worst and much blood was spilt there and treachery abounded.  However, when the Greeks colonised Naples, c.700BC, Syracuse, Nice and Marseilles their arrival was bloodless.  The Greeks did not invade and seek to conquer on a methodical basis to expand an Empire as the Romans did.  Their conflicts were internal.  So how can one measure blood-letting?  The Greeks were good at fighting, the Romans were good at conquest.

Slavery:  The Greeks had slavery earlier because as a culture they developed earlier than the Romans.  Some say that if it hadn't been for slavery that the Greeks would not have had the time to develop "the glory that was Greece".  This holds a grain of truth.

I have more arguments Ginny.  But I enjoy your emails, so if you need more just email me. ;)  I just wish I could meet the great people on here f2f and thrash this out.  I would love to visit NYC again.

catbrown:  Your kitty is so beautiful.  You have caught the moods and nuances of the cat so well is no easy task.  It may have been T S Eliot who remarked that he could just watch a cat all day and admire their lissome grace.

A tactful response about the Greeks and the Romans.  I think that ginny and I are so passionate in our love affairs with these two cultures that we could never be swayed.  You are right though, of course they are different.  The Greeks, like Australians, will bet on two ants walking up a wall and argue about if afterward.  Greeks remain "political animals" as noted by Aristotle.  When I arrived in Greece for the first time the first thing I was asked was my political persuasion; then if I was married and then how many children I had.  The second time this didn't happen - maybe because I looked older.





 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 23, 2010, 10:55:13 PM
Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit.
- Horace
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on August 24, 2010, 06:37:36 AM
hahaha  touché!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Dana on August 25, 2010, 05:45:17 PM
Hi Roshanarose, it is nice to read some comments about ancient Greece.  I don't know whether I prefer the Greeks or the Romans really, or why I find them both so fascinating--for me its not so much the archaeology etc, its the literature, which I am only getting started on, really.  There's a great Greek textbook, Athenaze, which I can highly recommend.  Since finishing it I have been able to read some Greek lyric poetry and at the moment Xenophon on "the training of a Greek housewife" which is fascinating.  The trouble with ancient Greek is that many of the verbs are irregular and both the beginnings and the ends change so memory is  important as often the particular variation one is translating cannot be found except in one's mind!  But the grammar is quite simple and translating it is pleasant because ideas are usually expressed in a very  direct way which almost translates intuitively (unlike Latin where I find one has to follow the grammar accurately to make sense of it).
Ginny I don't know why the classics are hot right now, perhaps there was just an aberration for a while, because I think they were always hot before  !!  Have just been reading something on Shakespeare --didn't realize some of his early plays are based on Plautus.......which gave me an idea for our class reading.....how about Plautus (and Shakespeare)??!!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on August 25, 2010, 09:40:37 PM
  Yeow, how about  them!  hahaa   Certainly an intriguing idea.  :)
 
hahaa What IS it about Plautus? I think he also is enjoying a renaissance somewhat akin to the one he enjoyed with Henry VIII and Shakespeare of course (Menaechmi) and Moliere.  It seems everywhere you go anymore somebody is performing the Mostellaria. I bet I've seen it 5 times in as many years.

He'd be a nice bridge between Greek New Comedy and Roman but given a choice I'd go for Medieval any day,  perhaps: he's diffy. Very.  That's one reason he fell into disuse, after the early Empire: nobody could read him.  Very old Latin. Somewhere I've got a great quote about that. I haven't read him in years!  I think the last revival of Plautus in Rome was in Cicero's day.

Since we're talking about him and I seemed to remember a lot of grunts and ejaculations in his plays, lots of exclamations, I got out my copy of Rudens and find that (no grunts in this one I must be thinking of another) in this tiny sweet book (it's a very small size book, the kind Oxford used to print out in 1901, called Editio Minor) but of the 176 little pages, 66 are the play and the other 110  are notes trying to explain the play. hahahaaa

A course in himself, is Plautus.  Fabulae palliatae, plays in Greek cloaks. Maybe someday. :)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 25, 2010, 10:39:44 PM
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.

Interested in Latin Courses?  Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)


Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.




Hi Dana (of the Danae) - I always say that Greek verbs, both Ancient and Modern, could only be learned and understood by the Immortals.  They are hell!  When I was studying, so in thrall was I of all things Greek, I learned Ancient Greek and Modern Greek together.  My best friend who is Greek joined me.  I remember so well one day our AG Professor holding his hands over his ears and grimacing, his eyes wild.  Maria and I had just finished reading something from "The Apology of Socrates" Plato and we thought we were pretty hot.  He told us sternly that if he had not had the text in front of him he would not have understood a word we had said, and Plato certainly wouldn't have either.  Then we realised we had both been reading the text using Modern Greek pronunciation.  We had problems with both classes because of this.  For some strange reason Modern Greek has slightly different pronunciation than AG, although the monks and Koine have been blamed.  For instance delta is pronounced thelta; beta is pronounced as veta; eta is only pronounced as eta; and omega and omikron have the same pronunciation, a short "o".  This may not sound like it makes a lot of difference, but it does.  Then AG has those absolutely awful little particles like  με και μεν και μην και εκ και ουκ και νυν and on and on, and on.  και means and  :o.  Also MG only uses one accent, whereas AG uses many accents/enclitics.  So MG has rid itself of enclitics and polytonics and particles.  I can understand AG if I concentrate on it and speak it out loud.  But the verbs, omg those verbs.  AG has kindly left MG with verbs in all their different forms and MG has introduced some new ones.  Irregular verbs are a nightmare and I still don't know them.  It is hell to teach them, I know because I have tried.  MG and AG are pure grammar, after all the Greeks were said to have invented it.

I am only just starting, but sense eyes glazing, (not mine) so will stop.  It is great to know there is someone out there who likes the Greeks, Dana.  Ginny knows I am just kidding.

Mistake alert:::::: με is NOT a particle, it means "with".  Sorry!!!!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 25, 2010, 10:51:03 PM
Someone told me once that Latin doesn't use definite and indefinite articles.  Greek on the other hand uses articles for every noun.  So you must know gender, whether you want to or not.  AG and MG both have masculine, feminine and neuter, of course, the articles change morphologically according to case.  It would be great if someone here knew both AG and Latin.  It would help prepare me for Ginny's Latin course.

I forgot to mention that another difference between MG and AG is letter combinations.  eu/ev; au/av; eg  euphony is pron evphony; automobile is pron avtomobile.  AG obviously doesn't have the word automobile, but auto means self, so you get my gist.

Also hoi polloi is pronounced ee pollee in MG.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Dana on August 26, 2010, 11:45:45 AM
Hi Ginny I think you are right about a revival of Plautus because without any trouble at all I was able to order an edited version of the Amphitruo from Amazon.  And when I looked thru it on line there were double as many notes as play!! (like you said)
Still waiting for it to arrive.  The Comedy of Errors is based on the Amphitrio so I shall give them my all, haven't read the comedy of errors.  A few yrs ago I found Folger's versions of the plays--so very useful, one page of Shakespeare, opposite page of notes.......life made easy!!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on August 26, 2010, 02:08:33 PM


Great, go for it!  You may like Plautus, since you have a Greek language background, I think you want to try his Menaechmi too tho.

Oh yes, depending on the commentary, they just about translate it for you, it should be quite enjoyable and I don't know too many people who are  reading the Amphitruo.  A good commentary also has a lot of background notes and notes on anomalies in the language and let's face it, Plautus has them all. I went to bed wondering why my old text for a college course  had so many notes,  but I also seem to remember taking copious lecture notes, so it seems more was needed than what I have in the book.

I  suspect my own memory is quite faulty,  however,  as I see, unfortunately  very clearly that I actually wrote, it's my hand, IN my Latin text which  to me as an instructor was anathema, I would never do that today. I also apparently was quite taken with a young man called Leon, my goodness the follies of youth. How embarrassing.  hahahaa

The sources I have (but these are the same ones who say it's the Menaechmi which influenced the main plot of the  Comedy of Errors,  what do they know?) hahaha say the theme  of Amphitruo  was popular with Moliere, Dryden with music by Purcell and Jean Giraudoux, so you have a lot to compare it with.  I think you'll have a wonderful time and a real adventure.

Plautus is tough. :)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Dana on August 26, 2010, 03:07:34 PM
Ginny, I know you think it bad to write in the texts but I have to confess that I always do it--only Latin & Greek texts--seems to make them more mine somehow.
According to "Shakespeare, his life and works" the comedy of errors is based on both those Plautus plays--the Menaechmi about twins and the Amphitruo about masters and servants becoming confused.  I shall attempt the translation and then look up a translated version, I won't beat my head over it endlessly........I did that with some Horace and it worked out well, I learned stuff and enjoyed the poetry much more that if I had just read a translation.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Bow_Belle on August 27, 2010, 03:46:20 AM
Hi folks!

have just found out that there is a roman villa about 15 miles from here!
here is the website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/somerset/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8908000/8908994.stm
regards Gay hector
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on August 27, 2010, 09:50:25 AM
 hahaha Dana, do you write in your book? :)   I forgot to tell the last F2F class at Furman last year about it until near the end, and you should have seen the faces of shock and dismay, lots of laughing.  What a joy that class was.  One of the students, a psychologist, told me that actually SHE had been taught  that writing in a book, notes, etc., gave the student or person making the notes a more personal connection (I can't recall how she put it) TO the work involved and was a good thing.  hahaha

This after I had expounded on the "disconnect" theory which I was taught (and apparently never espoused until I got up in front of a class) hahaha. And which I believe, actually, so continue to force self to look only at the text. One day I'll come a cropper, I have no doubt.

Sometimes I'd like to,  tho. hahahaa  I think, at our ages, we can present the idea and then leave it to the student to find what he feels is most advantageous and works best for him. It's only taken me 7 years to figure that out, but every year is a learning experience for me, too.  :)

Gay what a wonderful slide show you've brought here, and it shows something fabulous about Britain,  too, (not to mention you probably have one under your back garden, I'd be out there digging like an EF Benson character, night and day hahaha)  have you been out to the site yet?

But (1) look at that MOSAIC coming up out of the ground, and (2) note how they use volunteers from the public to dig.

Fishbourne Palace in Sussex was entirely done by volunteers with, of course, archaeologists heading it up, I would KILL to live in  England  and "help" on a dig.  I wonder what software they use for that slide show, it's fabulous.

Thank you for bringing it here!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 28, 2010, 08:25:14 PM
Unfortunately, the only things I find when I dig up my backyard are fire ants and snails; lizards and the odd snake.  Would much prefer to live where you live. 

Do you watch "Time Team"?  One of my favourite TV programs.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 29, 2010, 06:54:42 AM
 Have you wondered why men wear (white) socks with sandals? Wonder no more!
A snippet in today's paper reveals the answer.

Archaeologists on a dig in York have found fragments of cloth on a rusty nail that seem to prove that Romans wore socks with their sandals!

............................


Quote
Despite their apparent rarity in the sculptural record, we know that socks (udones) were fairly common. As most people reading this will already know, socks are in fact mentioned in one of the Vindolanda letters (which also tells us that soldiers could also receive clothing as gifts from their families) and are probably shown on the Cancalleria reliefs. Socks could be made in two ways, either by being cut from fabric and stitched together or by being made by the sprang work method, which is reasonably similar to crocheting. Examples of both types have survived, with the cloth type surviving not only from Vindolanda but also from a series of waterlogged graves in Gaul, and the sprang work type is known from examples which have survived in Egypt (the Egyptian examples were brightly striped and were designed with a separate toe to accommodate thong type sandals). The possible socks shown on the Cancalleria reliefs lack toes and heels and could have been made from a cloth or sprang work tube with a horizontal slit halfway down which would open around the heel when the sock was put on.


http://www.romanarmy.net/coldweather.htm (http://www.romanarmy.net/coldweather.htm)


................


I see quite a few "new names" here. Do, please, come on over also to the Classics Lounge where we talk about anything and everything.




Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 29, 2010, 09:34:02 AM
Maryemm

I thought that only academics wore socks with sandals.  In the Land of Cool one could not be more uncool.

I have not heard of the Classics Lounge.  Where will I find it?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on August 29, 2010, 10:28:50 AM
The Classics Lounge is not titled well, it's actually a Student Lounge with access to the Latin students so they can congregate and kvetch. hahahaa This one is open to everyone and seems to have taken on a new and exciting life. I love it, myself.

 We need some new titles and are working on that, anybody have any suggestions for this  one?

Thank you Mary for the socks info, that's just ...a prime example of how new finds are changing daily the way we think about the Romans. I have a feeling that there's a lot more to come!

RoshannaRose: No, I had NOT heard of the Time Team and I see they have several older programs one can view, they look fabulous. Is there one particular program you especially enjoyed?

The resources available today to those interested in the Classics online are simply breathtaking. We might need to put some links here in the heading for those coming by who might enjoy some of the programs.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on August 29, 2010, 11:47:02 AM
Well, here's a resource with all the current news, including a lot about socks (scroll down).
http://rogueclassicism.com/ (http://rogueclassicism.com/)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 29, 2010, 12:17:16 PM

 Oh dear! I forgot that the Lounge was  exclusive.    ;D   All students are welcome here at:

 http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=20.0 (http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=20.0)

( Agree about the title, Ginny!)
 
 I especially enjoyed one particular programme as it dealt with Green Island in Poole Harbour. The Time Team tried to emulate the production of a shale bracelet similar to the ones produced and distributed from there during the Iron Age, (along with other artifact.)
At that time the island was owned by a former neighbour, and she was presented with the bracelet at the end of the programme. It made interesting viewing.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on August 29, 2010, 01:37:12 PM
Time Team is a great hit with DH and myself. Have enjoyed a few series shown on TV. Love it when they try to make replica artifacts using the same (or what they think are the same) methods and tools etc. It's great when they unearth remains of Roman buildings - sometimes earlier stuff as well. Hilarious when the dig doesn't yield anything much of real interest.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 29, 2010, 08:41:26 PM
Ginny - I am sure you will enjoy Time Team.  Even when they don't discover anything, as Gum says, the program is always exciting with Baldrick running from one dig to another.  As for my favourites, I love it when they discover bronze age stuff. I am drawn to Bronze Age Greece as well.   And the Roman finds are fascinating.  There was one program where the local children helped dig for artifacts and that was great.  I think it brings out the adventurer in all of us, young and old.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 29, 2010, 09:56:42 PM
Oh dear - I am getting so frustrated.  I have tried cutting and pasting from my pix on my hard drive so I can show you something, but it is not working.  How did you cut and paste the phalanx, Ginny?  Or someone?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on August 30, 2010, 08:29:16 AM
Roshanna Rose, the illustrations will not simply paste here online as they would on a PC as a document in Word, for instance. In order to make that illustration display, you  put it in as a link and then use coding to make the link display.  To do this, while  composing your post,  you  paste the link and then highlight it and choose the bottom left button (over the smiley faces) and click it. This will add the coding of [img ]http://and [/img ] to it which makes it display.

So, the phalanx, if you right click on it, you get Properties. If you click Properties you see the Location is: http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/iliad/iliad700700phalanx.jpg

So you paste THAT, not the image.

http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/iliad/iliad700700phalanx.jpg

Then you highlight it by dragging your mouse over it and then while it's lit up you choose the square button to the left over the smiley faces and you get:

[img ]http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/iliad/iliad700700phalanx.jpg[/img ]

(Now I have made a space there in the [img ] so you can see the brackets but normally it would all be run together: thus:

(http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/iliad/iliad700700phalanx.jpg)

Any image displaying on the internet has a URL which is what you see above. Our site has built in restrictions as to size. Normally an illustration which is copyright needs to be done with a link,  or at the very least identified as to the owner of the illustration, they take legal  exception when their work is used in any way.

Does this make sense?


Sally I got up thinking how valuable your suggestion was about the Yale lectures, and I am not sure if I thanked you  properly, so if not, thank you so much, I am very grateful to you for telling us about that download.


Thank you ALL for your wonderful info and suggestions about Time Team, apparently a British TV program but now I see they have one in America too on American sites. I can't wait to watch my first installment, better use the British so I can see something Roman, love the spirit there.

The internet has become a very powerful tool for all of us, the trick is somehow to stay on top of it, (or at least run in place if possible). :)

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 30, 2010, 09:56:21 AM
ginny - In a word "gulp".  I will read again "in the cold light of day".  Thank you.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 31, 2010, 10:24:11 PM
My About.com Ancient History page revealed a book which you may be interested in.  It is historical Roman fiction.  The book is called "Empire" by Steven Saylor.  Sub titled A novel of Imperial Rome.  My TBR pile is threatening to tumble, but I will add it anyway.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on September 01, 2010, 07:48:27 PM
A lot of people really enjoy reading fiction about the  Republic and Empire, and a lot of people seem to enjoy  Saylor's books. Let us know what you think of it, and thank you for bringing it here.

Lindsay Davis also writes mysteries about the
Romans, and I know they sell her Body in the Bathwater at Fishbourne Palace in England because she is meticulous with her research. I read a little of it when I was there and was surprised, the series featuring Marcus Didius Falco as detective is nothing like I thought it would be: it's witty,  clever,  and really well done. In fact we have Latin students who have read all of her books and really enjoyed them and feel they learned a lot.

We have more big news! One  of our Latin 300 students, Helen Pulsifer, was interviewed for an article which appeared today, September 1,  in the Greenville News in the People section and it's a beautiful tribute to lifelong learning, not only at Furman, but mentions our classes here on SeniorLearn.org, and also  that 16 of our students took the National Latin Exam and all 16 got awards.   The reasons she gives for enjoying classes with seniors should be plastered on every bulletin board in the country. :)

It's a "good thing."

http://www.tribunetimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100901/CITYPEOPLE/309010053/1062/TRIBUNETIMES&template=printart

Helen is a poster child for engaged retirement. :) Congratulations, Helen!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Dana on September 03, 2010, 10:39:02 PM
Steven Saylor and Lindsay Davis don't have the depth of interpretation that Colleen McCullough has.  She is one smart lady. I acknowledge that she's not a good "writer" of prose BUT the more I know about the Republican period and Julius Caesar the more I admire her brilliant reconstructions  and manipulations of the available history. Starting with The First Man in Rome (Marius).   
 By far the worst book in the series is the last, the name of of which I can't remember--its about Antony and Cleo.
 She was a real Caesar fan and intended to stop after he died.  She should have.
 She is SO smart.  When I reread her I ask myself--would I have thought of that way of interpreting the facts, if I even knew them.....and the answer is no.......she IS brilliant.......she can make a lot of what has not been documented, tying it up with what has.  I think her classical series about Caesar is totally undervalued.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on September 03, 2010, 10:48:12 PM
dana - I haven't read any of McCullough's Rome based books but I have read a book she wrote about Troy that was so bad I didn't finish it.  Which book do you recommend in her Roman series?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Dana on September 03, 2010, 10:58:25 PM
Actually I don't agree with you about the Troy book.  I thought she took a different and interesting approach.   
 Start with The First Man in Rome. And then read them in order
She's very clever.  The history is authentic whenever one checks it out and her creative additions are smart.  (for example, marrying Sulla to a Julia based on a quote from Sallust, making Sulla Marius' quaestor and explaining in her notes why she thinks they were collegues at one time.)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on September 05, 2010, 10:22:46 AM
Dana, I agree about McCollough, including your assessment of, yes, "Antony and Cleopatra" as by far the worst book in the series. She's no stylist and the prose is clunky at best, but I too think she is marvelous in recreating Roman history. Her characterization of Caesar is masterful and her handling of politics during the late republic is amazing.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Dana on September 05, 2010, 04:08:42 PM
Hooray..... Catbrown, you're the first person I ever found who agrees with me about McCullough !
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on September 06, 2010, 05:15:44 AM
I haven't read all of Colleen McCullough's work and agree that she  doesn't have a great literary style but she certainly gets the history right. She is renowned here for her knowledge of the period and the accuracy of her research and assessment of the political scene of the time etc. I've started the Antony and Cleo book three or four times but her writing in that really annoys me -  'clunky' is the word.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Mippy on September 06, 2010, 07:04:08 AM
I've been posting for years about reading the Caesar series of Colleen McCullough, who does excellent research on Roman history.   I do agree that some of the writing is "over" imaginative, but why not have fun?   The last book in the series, about Anthony and Cleopatra,
as Dana posted, is not as good as the earlier ones.   
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on September 20, 2010, 09:49:12 AM
Latest Roman "discovery" :

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/49121000/jpg/_49121043_bones.jpg)


Read all about it here at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-11324607

and at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/sep/15/roman-child-murder-vindolanda


Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on September 22, 2010, 09:29:13 PM
I read in aboutcom this am about a new DVD about Roman England narrated by Bettany Hughes.

The Athena DVD "The Roman Invasion of Britain" comes out October 5, 2010, in the U.S. It is available from Acorn Media. The show aired on TV in the UK in July 2010.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on September 22, 2010, 09:32:34 PM
Thanks maryemm for those links.  So sad.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on September 23, 2010, 03:43:31 PM
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m193/joycepair/Decorated%20images/Euripides.jpg)

Euripides (ca. 480 BC – 406 BC) was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens (the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles). Ancient scholars thought that Euripides had written ninety-five plays, although four of those were probably written by Critias. Eighteen or nineteen of Euripides' plays have survived complete. There has been debate about his authorship of Rhesus, largely on stylistic grounds and ignoring classical evidence that the play was his. Fragments, some substantial, of most of the other plays also survive. More of his plays have survived than those of Aeschylus and Sophocles together, because of the unique nature of the Euripidean manuscript tradition. Euripides is known primarily for having reshaped the formal structure of Athenian tragedy by portraying strong female characters and intelligent slaves and by satirizing many heroes of Greek mythology. His plays seem modern by comparison with those of his contemporaries, focusing on the inner lives and motives of his characters in a way previously unknown to Greek audiences.

(Thanks to Parabola Newsletter)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on September 23, 2010, 03:45:33 PM
Mary,  My total blank about the weekend is so funny.  ??? I had canceled out by the deadline date, which was, I think, Sept. 8.  I was simply not up to going.  That was probably my last opportunity, so my next trip to NYC will not be Latin oriented I guess.  Thanks for asking. 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on September 24, 2010, 11:09:39 AM
Athena - Ahhh such a beautiful name that means so much to so many - particularly me.  I wear a ring - a gold copy of an Athenian tetradrachm c.400BC, which I bought in Olympia,  on my pinkie.  A constant reminder, as if I need it, of an extraordinary city and its divine patron.

Talking of playwrights, make that comedians, I think that Aristophanes is my favourite.  He was able to portray the social mores of Greek society so well.  I love Lysistrata,  quite risque, but a reflection and protest of Athenian sentiment about the Peloponnesian War.  Also "Clouds" as it introduced that irresistible notion of "Cloud Cuckoo Land".  A land in which many of our politicians still dwell.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on September 24, 2010, 11:52:56 AM
Roshanarose,  Athena's name means a great deal to me also, emotions that go back to being raised from toddler-hood by my father.  When I first bought (in 1985) a computer and was asked to give it a name, naturally I chose Athena with great hopes that some wisdom would emanate from it.  I so envy your pinkie-ring!

Lysistrata is a favorite, too.  All of Aristophanes, actually. 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on September 25, 2010, 12:27:44 AM
Athena : From toddler-hood - what a lovely way of putting it.  Was your father Greek?  Have you been to Athens?  I can never find adequate words to describe the emotion I experience about Athens and Greece in general.  

It is the first time I have heard of a computer called Athena, but it seems apt. 

Greece has been my dream for a very long time and I remember seeing the Parthenon for the first time.  After a very long flight from Australia (approx 23 hours) I hired a taxi cab at the airport.  It was in September, 1982, before Venizelos Airport was opened.  Taxi drivers in Athens, like in New York, are very entertaining.  The driver took off at least 60 mph, swerving, gesticulating and leaning to look behind to chat to me.  I remember thinking that I had come such a long way and that I hoped I would get into Athens proper before I died in a motor accident.  Anyway, we were hurtling along and rounded a corner.  The driver reached out his car window and said "There is the Acropolis".  I know that I am biassed, but I had never seen anything so beautiful.  Set against a early morning sky the sun was gently washing the white marble pink.  I have never forgotten that sight, and think of Greece every day.  A truer love I have never found or felt.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on September 25, 2010, 11:28:52 AM
No, Roshanarose, my father was an eleventh-generation descendant of an Irish immigrant to the colonies, folks who wended their way from Virginia down through Tennessee and the Carolinas into Georgia.  He just happened to inherit the responsibility for his three little girls. of which I was the youngest and the one who was most like him in appearance and intelligence.

Alas, I have not traveled to Greece, although visiting Athens is my lifelong dream.  After I retired from teaching, I visited Paris, London, Rome, Hong Kong, etc., but feel I have been cheated of the prize.  The taxi driver taking me down London's Pall Mall said "and there is Buckingham Palace," but that is a long way from being shown casually the Acropolis.  And now I may have waited too late, for my traveling is curtailed by health issues.   Talking about it, though, renews my decision to make an effort!  Other loves have gone their ways but, as you say, the Acropolis remains a constant.

Your long flight to Greece reminds me of my flight to Hong Kong.  Five hours to San Francisco and then sixteen hours to HK.  The airplane became a mess, filled with passengers slopping up the bathroom, clogging the aisles with trash, attendants trying to serve and keep the plane somewhat clean.  But Hong Kong and Macao were worth it.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Dana on September 25, 2010, 12:01:14 PM
Hey Roshanarose, your memories of Greece are the same as mine.
I first went as a student and I remember vividly the drive from the airport in the early morning and the sudden vision of the Acropolis bathed in sun up high above the city
...bliss was it in that dawn to be alive....but to be young was very heaven....

I also remember a trip to Delphi--ferry boat and mad taxi ride up the twisty road from the port with the car radio blaring exotic Morroccan music, I though if he drove off the road it would be a perfect way to go !
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on September 25, 2010, 03:47:56 PM
RoshanaRose and Dana: You were fortunate to see the Acropolis when you did. I viewed it on a hot afternoon surrounded by other tourists and led by a girl who was obviously bored and who had learnt her descriptions by heart. If asked a question she became angry as she could not recall the next sentence of her "speech".
I also recall a group of schoolchildren who looked at the Acropolis in silence and then, when I thought they had been awed by its beauty, one said in a loud and disappointed voice, "It looked better on the tele!"

I always wished I had seen it at dusk, or at dawn.

I remember the kindness of the people we met: the waiters who treated us to retsina(!)*; the gipsy who gave me flowers and refused payment. (I worried afterwards that I looked impoverished);  the young donkey boy whose name was Jesus. I still have the dark red Kaftan with gold embroidery I bought in Athens.

* Retsina: http://www.suite101.com/content/retsina-greeces-unique-wine-a142414 (http://www.suite101.com/content/retsina-greeces-unique-wine-a142414)

I am sure I have read somewhere that the earliest recorded detail of using resin with wine amphorae appears in "De Re Rustica"by Columella. Resin would be mixed with the wine or to seal the amphorae.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: JoanR on September 25, 2010, 04:21:35 PM
Ah, the Acropolis!  A treasured memory.
 As a child I loved the Greek and Roman mythologies and the stars of my stamp collection were the Greek stamps - particularly the one of the Acropolis.
 The year we retired my husband and I went to Greece on our own - one night we had dinner at a rooftop restaurant with a full and mind-boggling view of the Acropolis which was floodlit.  So beautiful!!!!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Pete7268 on September 26, 2010, 06:18:54 AM


Since taking a year off from the Latin course I have not let the Roman World slip into the background altogether, managing to read quite a few books that may be of interest to you all.

It seems ages since I last accessed the Bulletin Board, clearly I have loads of back - reading to do!

POMPEII The Life of a Roman Town by Mary Beard is an entertaining read, plenty of images to illustrate the comprehensive text.  Mary Beard does not hold back in challenging opinions or facts of established classicists where she sees fit.  Well worth reading for anyone with an interest in Pompeii.
 I have just finished reading Augustus by Anthony Everitt, I do like his style. A class member (I forget who, apologies!) recommended ‘A Natural History of Latin’ by Tore Janson. It is a short, very readable book on the history of the language. An enjoyable read that will remain a useful reference guide.
    The Everitt book, Augustus, lead me on to 'Res Gestae Divi Augusti', A good afternoon's read (No, not the Latin section, mores the pity).  Very expensive for such a small book but there are good second hand copies available. The book certainly makes an excellent reference guide to the world of Augustus, a large ‘notes’ section, good index, chronological table and a section on constitutional terms.
I have just bought a copy of 'Rome in the Late Republic' by Mary Beard & Michael Crawford, It recommends that 'From the Gracchi to Nero' by H.H. Scullard  together with 'Social Conflict' by Brunt should be read first. Brunt’s ‘Social Conflict’ is yet to be obtained.
I have started the ‘Gracchi’ but suspect it will take me some time to complete.
Books obtained but yet to be read;-
THE COMPLETE Pompeii by Joanne Berry. This book is image and text rich but by no means a ‘coffee table’ book.
‘CICERO’ by Anthony Everitt.
 ‘NERO, The end of a Dynasty’ by Miriam T Griffin
 ‘ROME IN THE LATE REPUBLIC’.by Mary Beard & Michael Crawford.
‘LUSTRUM’ & ‘IMPERIUM’ by Robert Harris. (Fiction books, a good writer who fully researches the subject!)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on September 27, 2010, 02:30:52 AM
CLASSICS BULLETIN BOARD

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.[/center]

Interested in Latin Courses?  Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)


Welcome to our Classics Bulletin  Board, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!





Hi Pete:  We have not met before, but I can recommend "From the Gracchi to Nero" highly, also have your read Suetonius "The Twelve Caesars"?  

"POMPEII The Life of a Roman Town by Mary Beard is an entertaining read, plenty of images to illustrate the comprehensive text.  Mary Beard does not hold back in challenging opinions or facts of established classicists where she sees fit.  Well worth reading for anyone with an interest in Pompeii."  I am sure that Ginny will love this one, if she hasn't already read it.
 
FYI Mary Beard has a blog on about.com's Ancient History site that you may like.

Back to Greece, just another quick flight ....  

Athena:  Reading about your pioneer ancestors reminded me of what stern stuff they must have been made.  Without them paving the way ....  well, where would we be?  As for returning to Greece, if I go again it will be my third trip.  People say "why don't you go somewhere else?"  Don't they understand what true love is? The problem for the tourist visiting Greece is the rather tortuous slopes one needs to negotiate.  Since my ankle was shattered 4 years ago, I can't walk distances, and it so far away from my country.  I vowed when I came back that I would never fly on a 747 again.  They are so uncomfortable and old and smelly.  As you say, most likely caused by those long flights.  The last time I went to Greece was in 2004 and the first leg from Brisbane (my hometown) to Singapore was bliss in a new jet,; then changed to a 747 for the long haul to Frankfurt; then changed to an Airbus for the final leg with Lufthansa.  I wished it could have been the Airbus all the way - beautiful plane and great staff.

Dana : What a coincidence that we both saw the Acropolis/Parthenon through the same eyes, so to speak.  It is great to share that memory with you.

Maryemm:  You are right!  The worst thing about travelling is the tourists :-)  When I visited Knossos, a site beyond compare, there were two other Australians behind me in the line.  They chirped "Oh.  So this was where all the Cretins lived?"  I had to control myself that day and felt ashamed of my fellow countrymen/women.  Travel is wasted on such people.

Your experience with the Gypsy lady was very similar to one I had at Monastiraki Metro station.  I was sitting on the steps of the station taking in the atmosphere and a gypsy lady offered me an orange.  I accepted and we had a chat.  After a while I left her there, selling exquisitely made tablecloths and such.  I would have been about a block away and felt a tug at my sleeve.  It was the gypsy woman.  I had left my camera on the steps and she was returning it.  The Greeks can sense if you are an Hellenophile and will treat you very kindly and graciously as a result.  A Kalimera or an Efharisto go a loooong way in Greece.

JoanR - I have never collected the stamps but I do know that the Greeks have a penchant for adorning their stamps with famous Greeks and gods and goddesses.  When I was in Greece in 1982 I collected all their coinage and drachma notes and had them mounted.  They are very beautiful.  Pericles, Themistocles and more recent great Greeks are  on the coins.  My favourite is of the Admiral Bouboulina, a heroine of the war against the Turks.  She was quite a woman

    
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Pete7268 on September 29, 2010, 02:02:35 PM
Hi roshanarose I am just getting into ‘Gracchi’, thanks for your recommendation, I can read it with added confidence.
 I read ‘The Twelve Caesars’ in the early 60’s and still have that copy.  It is back on my reading list, in fact it has been there for some time but keeps dropping down the list as further books are added to the pile.

Mary Beard certainly does not hold back on her challenge of accepted opinions of eminent ‘authorities’. 
One other book on my list of ‘yet to read’ is ‘The Complete Pompeii’ by Joanne Berry, it has a massive amount of illustrations but by no means is a ‘coffee table book’ as the text is very comprehensive. I look forward to reading that as well.
  I will check out the Beard Blog.
 Many thanks
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on October 02, 2010, 04:24:28 PM
Remains of Roman settlement discovered under Newnham

Sixth Formers take part in archaeological dig over summer

See: http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/2417 (http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/2417)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on October 02, 2010, 04:55:47 PM
Work unearths previously unknown Roman road in Kent



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-11418185 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-11418185)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on October 07, 2010, 10:44:10 AM
What wonderful reading choices here and recommendations. Thank you Pete for that splendid list and everybody for the suggestions. And what fabulous finds, KENT of all places, we're just reading about Caesar's thoughts on Kent in one of the Latin classes.

It seems there is a fabulous find  a day, thank you Maryemm for bringing them here!!! So exciting.

What a time to live in England! I would love to volunteer on one of those sites,  but I don't live there. I hear that in some of the digs there's a 2 year wait! Shame nobody is interested in Roman ruins! hahaha

But  speaking of reading, my eye was caught yesterday in a Barnes and Noble by Adrian Goldsworthy's gorgeous  new (2010) Antony and Cleopatra.

It has rave reviews and those who read the Cambridge II series about Egypt will be extremely informed on this subject. According to the flap, "Neither turns out to be quite what we expect."

I really look forward to finding out Goldsworth's take on the Battle of Actium, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton notwhithstanding (tho that movie had a lot more accuracy than anybody would suspect. I recommend it for comparison).

It looks like a great read and is right in time for the new Cleopatra exhibits and purported discovery of her palace. Is anybody reading it?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on October 07, 2010, 01:56:08 PM


Roman helmet and face-mask discovered


A Roman bronze helmet complete with face-mask - thought to be one of only three of its kind to be found in Britain - has been discovered by a metal detector enthusiast in Cumbria.



(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01714/helmet460_1714549c.jpg)

Read all about it here at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8000018/Rare-Roman-helmet-and-face-mask-discovered.html

TV News tonight reported that the helmet was sold for an amazing £2,000,000. It was expected to fetch around £400,000.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on October 08, 2010, 07:50:12 AM
In today's paper the quoted winning bid is said to be £2.3 million and this will be divided beteween the landowner and the finder. Both have elected to remain anonymous. The finder is said to be in his twenties, and an unemployed student!

Quote
Because the helmet was made of bronze, and did not form part of a large haul, their extraordinary find did not qualify in law as treasure, so they could have sold it without reporting to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), which protects valuable archaeological finds. They chose to do so voluntarily, however.

See:

http://gouk.about.com/od/tripplanning/a/Finding_Treasure.htm (http://gouk.about.com/od/tripplanning/a/Finding_Treasure.htm)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Fran on October 08, 2010, 10:22:18 AM
Ginny, I'm so glad that I checked into the Classic Bulletin Board this a.m. and saw your post.

I just reserved  Antony and Cleopatra by A. Goldsworthy from our library. Hope I get it soon!

Maryemm, Sometime this weekend I'm going to read about the article you posted. How exciting

to find such a treasure--I often see people in our park walking around with metal detectors and

often wonder what they find :)---if they only knew what they could find in the U.K.!!!

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on October 15, 2010, 10:30:40 AM
It's the birthday of the poet Virgil, (books by this author) born Publius Vergilius Maro near Mantua, Italy, 70 B.C.E.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on October 18, 2010, 08:55:46 PM
A belated Happy Birthday to Virgil!  Thanks Athena. :)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on November 09, 2010, 03:22:57 PM
Pompeii Ruin Collapses
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01755/pompeii_1755678c.jpg)

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/8333

 Photo: AP


Also at:

 (http://i.pbase.com/u33/hanjie/medium/21765645.DSC03223.jpg)

 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/8115830/Pompeii-ruin-collapses-amid-claims-site-mismanaged.html
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on November 09, 2010, 06:44:27 PM
Thank you Mary, that's a different photograph than I have seen and impressive.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on November 23, 2010, 08:14:26 AM
Here's something pretty awe inspiring, it's a new exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art thru April 3, and then will travel across the US before returning to Israel:

(http://www.metmuseum.org/calendar/images/lod_big.jpg)


The Roman Mosaic from Lod, Israel
September 28, 2010–April 3, 2011
John A. and Carole O. Moran Gallery, Greek and Roman Galleries, 1st floor

First discovered in 1996 during construction on the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv highway in Lod (formerly Lydda), Israel, this large and impressive mosaic floor has only recently been uncovered and was displayed briefly in situ to the public in Israel during the summer of 2009. Believed to belong to a large house owned by a wealthy Roman in about A.D. 300, the mosaic comprises a large square panel with a central medallion depicting various exotic animals and two rectangular end panels, one of which represents a marine scene of fish and ships. The floor, which adorned a richly appointed audience room, is extremely well preserved and highly colorful. It has now been removed from the ground and is being first exhibited to the general public here at the Metropolitan Museum. The Lod Mosaic is on loan from the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Center.

If you follow this link you can watch them remove the floor and roll it up, it's amazing! If you've ever wondered how modern archaeologists move huge mosaic floors, you can see them in action here and in some of the other films: incredible!

http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={6C51E9CC-0958-4743-A2FE-4A3304C3AAD9}
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Mippy on November 23, 2010, 10:51:08 AM
Ginny ~  Thanks very much!   That video was wonderful!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on November 23, 2010, 01:06:48 PM
Isn't it? Sure beats the result when they moved the Battle of Issus from Pompeii, too..
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: JoanR on December 01, 2010, 04:06:45 PM
I just saw this in the news:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/two-more-walls-collapse-at-pompeii/?ref=arts

I hope they will take action to keep the rest from crumbling!!!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 01, 2010, 09:18:11 PM
 Isn't that incredible, I came in myself with the very same thing, December 1? I can't believe it keeps falling!!  Here's the story and photo  from the News  Tribune: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/12/01/1446836/2-walls-give-way-in-latest-pompeii.html

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on December 01, 2010, 09:52:09 PM
That's so sad. Pompeii must generate a huge amount of tourist money. They really should take better care or they will start losing tourists too.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on December 02, 2010, 03:50:46 AM
I just saw the news as well and rushed in to share - too late!

As Frybabe says, they'll lose tourist dollars but more importantly the world will lose the ruins. I wonder what safeguards could be put in place to prevent future landslips. Can World Heritage do anything to help? 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on December 05, 2010, 07:37:56 AM



Roman armour discovery


Missed this September find;

 http://www.welshicons.org.uk/news/cardiff/roman-armour-discovery/ (http://www.welshicons.org.uk/news/cardiff/roman-armour-discovery/)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on December 05, 2010, 07:40:24 AM



Roman Re-invasion at Gelligaer*
(Nov.23rd 2010)



http://www.welshicons.org.uk/news/caerphilly/roman-re-invasion-at-gelligaer/ (http://www.welshicons.org.uk/news/caerphilly/roman-re-invasion-at-gelligaer/)

*
Quote
Gelligaer is a town in Caerphilly, South Wales, in the Rhymney River valley. It is on the B4254 road between Treharris and Blackwood. Its estimated population as of 1985 was 16,900. Current industry includes automobile and rubber products manufacturing.

Gelligaer is known for its stone Roman fort, believed to have been built between 103 and 111 A.D. and excavated in the early 20th century. There is also an ancient standing stone north of the village.
 
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on December 05, 2010, 08:23:28 AM
Thanks MaryEmm. I cruised around the news site to see else was going on. One of the things I didn't get to do when I was in Wales, eons ago, was to go through Caerphilly Castle. It wasn't open at the time due to safety concerns. Caerphilly Borough Council has an inviting web page. Also noted that someone was going around stealing man hole covers in Merthyr Tydfil.   :o  What an interesting idea, a Toy Library. I wonder how well that is working out.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Roxania on December 06, 2010, 11:12:40 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/arts/design/06silver.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/arts/design/06silver.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y)

A hoard of Hellenistic silver is being returned to the town of Aidone.  Apparently it had been buried by its Greek owners before the Romans took over their village, and then illegally excavated.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 06, 2010, 11:22:38 AM
 Wow, this is incredible, isn't it? Every day, everywhere just about, new finds, what excitement and thank you Maryemm and Roxania, and Gumtree and Joan  R for bringing these breaking news items here.

Frybabe,  they have earmarked, or so they say, all the proceeds from the tourists who visit the Pompeii for preservation, and it must be a humongous pack of money, I have forgotten maybe some of you can find it, how many people visit Pompeii alone, is it 2 million per year or 20 million? It's  a LOT of people!

But things keep falling. The actual percentage of buildings OPEN to the public is quite small and rotates so on any given day you may or may not be able to see a particular building.

I've come in with a couple of suggestions for holiday gift books, I'm sure there are lots more, feel free to mention anything which strikes YOUR fancy or is on your own Wish List!

(http://www.seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/hollysmall.gif)Possible Holiday Book Wish Lists for Classicists: 2010(http://www.seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/hollysmall.gif)


1. Our founding fathers in the US were rabid Classicists. They, revealed in the new book The Classical Tradition,  actually went about writing in pseudonyms like Publius, Brutus and Cato.  Our government is based squarely on the old Roman Republic. The Classical Tradition by Anthony Grafton, Glenn W. Most, and Salvatore Settis (Oct 25, 2010) is a huge reference book just out which will apparently astound the reader with the relevance of the Classical world to ours today, and throughout history.

2. The Complete Pompeii by Joanne Berry, PhD, a wonderful all you need to know book about Pompeii, recent and accurate.

3. CLEOPATRA: A Life. By Stacy Schiff. It's dizzying to contemplate the ancient thicket of personalities and propaganda Schiff penetrates to show the Macedonian-Egyptian queen in all her ambition, audacity and formidable intelligence.

4.  Antony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy, read excerpts online first to see if you like his style, he can be dry.

5. THE LOST BOOKS OF THE ODYSSEY: Fiction By Zachary Mason. The conceit behind the multiple Odysseuses here (comic, dead, doubled, amnesiac) is that this is a translation of an ancient papyrus, a collection of variations on the myth.

6. A Natural History of Latin by Tore Janson. Probably the least inspiring sounding best book you'll ever read.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 06, 2010, 11:26:18 AM
 Wow, this is incredible, isn't it? Every day, everywhere just about, new finds, what excitement and thank you Maryemm and Roxania, and Gumtree and Joan  R for bringing these breaking news items here.

Frybabe,  they have earmarked, or so they say, all the proceeds from the tourists who visit the Pompeii for preservation, and it must be a humongous pack of money, I have forgotten maybe some of you can find it, how many people visit Pompeii alone, is it 2 million per year or 20 million? It's  a LOT of people!

But things keep falling. The actual percentage of buildings OPEN to the public is quite small and rotates so on any given day you may or may not be able to see a particular building.

I've come in with a couple of suggestions for holiday gift books, I'm sure there are lots more, feel free to mention anything which strikes YOUR fancy or is on your own Wish List!

(http://www.seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/hollysmall.gif)Possible Holiday Book Wish Lists for Classicists: 2010(http://www.seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/hollysmall.gif)


1. Our founding fathers in the US were rabid Classicists. They, revealed in the new book The Classical Tradition,  actually went about writing in pseudonyms like Publius, Brutus and Cato.  Our government is based squarely on the old Roman Republic. The Classical Tradition by Anthony Grafton, Glenn W. Most, and Salvatore Settis (Oct 25, 2010) is a huge reference book just out which will apparently astound the reader with the relevance of the Classical world to ours today, and throughout history.

2. The Complete Pompeii by Joanne Berry, PhD, a wonderful all you need to know book about Pompeii, recent and accurate.

3. CLEOPATRA: A Life. By Stacy Schiff. It's dizzying to contemplate the ancient thicket of personalities and propaganda Schiff penetrates to show the Macedonian-Egyptian queen in all her ambition, audacity and formidable intelligence.

4.  Antony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy, read excerpts online first to see if you like his style, he can be dry.

5. THE LOST BOOKS OF THE ODYSSEY: Fiction By Zachary Mason. The conceit behind the multiple Odysseuses here (comic, dead, doubled, amnesiac) is that this is a translation of an ancient papyrus, a collection of variations on the myth.

6. A Natural History of Latin by Tore Janson. Probably the least inspiring sounding best book you'll ever read.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Roxania on December 06, 2010, 01:26:16 PM
The Schiff title is also available as an audiobook from audible.com, if anyone else loves being read to while they knit or  clean house as much as I do.  They also have Everitt's life of Augustus.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on December 08, 2010, 12:02:50 PM

And this from G. Keillor's daily posting:


It's the birthday of the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, better known as Horace, (books by this author) born in 65 B.C. in Venusia, in southern Italy. His father was a freed slave who farmed in Venusia and then got a well-paying job in Rome, acting as an intermediary at auctions for a cut of the profit. He put all his money toward his son's education, and sent him to the best school in Rome. From there, Horace went to Athens, and fought on the losing side against Marc Antony and Octavian, who became the Emperor Augustus. So he lost all his family property and he was out of a job.

Luckily, Octavian declared amnesty for all the soldiers, and Horace headed back to Rome. He became friends with Virgil and other contemporary poets, and one of Augustus' advisors became his patron and gave Horace a farm. Horace liked country life, and he often stayed in bed for most of the morning.

He ended up a favorite of Augustus, who once said, "Be as mindful of Horatius Flaccus as you are of me!" The emperor sent Horace gifts, called him pet names, wrote him letters, and complained that not enough of Horace's poems were directed toward him. In one letter to Horace, he wrote: "Disonysius has brought me your small volume, which, little as it is, not to blame you for that, I shall judge favorably. You seem to me, however, to be afraid lest your volumes should be bigger than yourself. But if you are short in stature, you are corpulent enough. You may, therefore, if you will, write in a quart, when the size of your volume is as large round as your paunch."

Horace is best known for his Odes, a collection of poems celebrating everyday things.
He wrote an ode about winter, which begins:
See how Soracte stands glistening with snowfall,
and the laboring woods bend under the weight:
see how the mountain streams are frozen,
cased in the ice by the shuddering cold?

Drive away bitterness, and pile on the logs,
bury the hearthstones, and, with generous heart,
out of the four-year old Sabine jars,
O Thaliarchus, bring on the true wine.

(translated by A.S. Kline)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on December 08, 2010, 07:58:25 PM
Some great links here.  I wanted to see some pix of the silver from Sicily.  Are any to be found on the net?  Also one link mentioned "acroliths".  I like to think that I am pretty well read on Greek statuary, but had never heard of this style before.  I shall pursue it further.  Thanks also for the book recommendations.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on December 09, 2010, 02:52:57 PM
Roshana Rose:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jDDqaelynCk/TE9WiWzZOrI/AAAAAAAABzM/i1ee_j-ZbbQ/s1600/morgantina_grp.jpg)


(http://i652.photobucket.com/albums/uu244/findingsicily/IMG_1301.jpg)


http://findingsicily.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/morgantina-silver-formerly-known-as-the-hellenistic-silver-hoard/ (http://findingsicily.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/morgantina-silver-formerly-known-as-the-hellenistic-silver-hoard/)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on December 09, 2010, 02:53:55 PM
York gladiator skeleton find points to Roman amphitheatre site.
See:

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8729001.York_gladiator_skeleton_find_points_to_Roman_amphitheatre_site/?ref=rss   (http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8729001.York_gladiator_skeleton_find_points_to_Roman_amphitheatre_site/?ref=rss)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on December 09, 2010, 08:30:46 PM
Maryemm - Thanks so much for finding those pix of the magnificent Morgantina Silver.  The small dish on the extreme right has what I always understood as the Macedonia insignia at its base.  The starburst is common in many of the pieces I saw in the museums of Pella and Vergina - Alexander the Great country.  Some irony in the name of the owner of the house under which the silver was found.  Eupolemos, literally means in Greek "Good war".  

The story about the "gladiator" was fascinating.  Thrown out with the rubbish - brutal times indeed.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 10, 2010, 12:25:27 PM
 Oh it is, thank you all so much for bringing here such interesting things.

The new magazine Archaeology just came and it's full of ancient wonders, starting with one we announced here, the Bronze  Helmet in Northern England and how it was lost to the museums of that country, in  From the  Trenches, a pretty eye opening article on page 9 of the new issue, not yet up on the website.

ON the website is a lovely outline of the  Roman Ruins of Provence:

http://www.archaeology.org/onsite/provence/

In addition they list the Top 10 Discoveries of the Year and  some tours to die for, and "Rome Wasn't Built in a Day," lectures across the US by  John Peter Oleson which may be coming to you. These are titled:

Herodotus, Aristotle, and Sounding Weights: The Deep Sea as a Frontier in the Classical World


  

Building for Eternity: Investigating the Secrets of Roman Hydraulic Concrete



Harena sine calce ("Sand without lime"): Building Disasters, Incompetent Architects, and Construction Fraud in Ancient Rome


These sound fascinating, hopefully somebody can see them and report in.

This coming Sunday December 12  in the US the National Geographic Channel will show what may be a very unflattering version of  Rome in:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/when-rome-ruled/4723/Overview

When Rome  Ruled the World: the Real Caligula. Any mention of  Caligula should send chills down our spines or should it? This website is packed with videos, and stills from the show itself and interesting things if you can get past the Gekko. hahahaa

And finally as a holiday gift I've brought a sing along!



 

                         
Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it

Snow!



Let It Snow was created by lyricist Sammy Cahn and the composer Jule Styne in 1945
Latin Rendition by SeniorNet's current Latin 300 Class:

Click and sing along!


O!  tempestas est terribilis
Sed focus est iucundus
Et nemo  ambulat,
Ninguat! Ninguat! Ninguat!  

  Non ostendit pausae signa,
Et ad crepanda tuli frumenta.
Et lux hebetata erat.
Ninguat! Ninguat! Niguat!  

  Cum postremo besiamus vale-
Haud amabo in procella- ire.
Si me- amplectaris firme--
Ad domum prodecam calide-

  Ignis moritur tarde-
Etiam nunc, Delicia, dicimus "vale-
Sed dum te-  amas me-
Ningue! Ningue! Ningue!


English Lyrics and Music and More  
 

         





 
(http://www.seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/snowball-tumble.GIF)



Ninguat, ninguat, ninguat!  A very happy holididay to all of you from all of us on SeniorLearn! 





Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on December 10, 2010, 06:41:21 PM
Marvelous silvers. I especially like the one in the top picture just below the big upside down pot. Lovely flower pattern.

Waaaaaaah! I miss my Archeology mag. It is one of the two that didn't get renewed this year in order to conserve my limited coinage.

I have a few assignments to do yet and exams at the end of this coming week, and then I am done with this semester. Now I will have time to get back to the online Rome lectures series I was in the middle of watching.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on December 11, 2010, 11:18:46 AM
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/12/10/article-1337555-0C6E0741000005DC-8_634x796.jpg)

Photo to be seen here, amongst others, at:

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337555/Workmen-discover-body-huge-gladiator-stabbed-times-thrown-rubbish.html?ito=feeds-newsxml (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337555/Workmen-discover-body-huge-gladiator-stabbed-times-thrown-rubbish.html?ito=feeds-newsxml)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on December 11, 2010, 11:25:56 AM

[
Queen of the underworld: Mary Beard is bringing the ancient city of Pompeii to life in a BBC documentary

By John Walsh

See:


http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/queen-of-the-underworld-mary-beard-is-bringing-the-ancient-city-of-pompeii-to-life-in-a-bbc-documentary-2154808.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/queen-of-the-underworld-mary-beard-is-bringing-the-ancient-city-of-pompeii-to-life-in-a-bbc-documentary-2154808.html)

In an e-mail Pete reminded me this programme is being shown on Tuesday, 9 p.m. in the Uk. Had already booked the TV! This programme should really be worth watching.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 11, 2010, 12:54:52 PM
 Gosh Mary, what exciting news, lucky you to be able to see it, I see the BBC will release it on DVD  January 4, it probably will take us a while to get it, hopefully the emphasis on sex in the review is exaggerated. hahaa Should have a wide viewership, thank you for this, and the gladiator photo and news.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on December 11, 2010, 09:53:48 PM
ginny - Thanks for the lovely Chistmas Carol.  I wonder what significance/meaning "Carol" has in this context?  I know that a Carol is a Christmas song, it is also the first part of my name, but how did it get to be called a Carol?

maryemm - The latest article you added about the Gladiator was extremely interesting.  Russell looks the way I imagine a gladiator would look in the pic.  Who would have believed that a little boy from New Zealand whose parents were caterers on film sets would reach such dizzying heights in the world of entertainment?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on December 11, 2010, 10:55:32 PM
Roshanarose - It seems 'carol' comes through Latin but from Greek -

[Middle English carole, round dance with singing, from Old French, probably from Late Latin choraula, choral song, from Latin chorauls, accompanist, from Greek khorauls : khoros, choral dance; see gher-1 in Indo-European roots + aulos, flute.]

I wonder how it came to be used as the collective  for a group of virgins and a circle of standing stones - at times it has been widely used as a given name in many countries with different spellings. Is it the origin of Charles - Carlos - Carolus - Karel - Karol etc etc ???   
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on December 11, 2010, 11:00:28 PM
Gum - Thanks for that explanation.  Nice linguistics connection there.  My favourite "Carol" word is Carolingian for the time of Charlemagne.  Carolingian is a word that is a song in itself. 

Have you been getting any rain over your way?  It has been raining for about two weeks here.  Parts of flooding all the way down the South-East coast.  It's good in that it keeps the temperature down, shame about the humidity though.   
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on December 11, 2010, 11:34:09 PM
Roshanarose:  Nope - no rain - not a drop of the blessed stuff in WA. I've been watching the flooding in the east quite closely as son was planning to drive over from Sydney for Christmas - he and DIL were going to leave this weekend and do the trip in easy stages stopping here and there and making a holiday of it but the Sturt Highway was closed at Wagga Wagga and then the floods hit both the more northerly route through Broken Hill and the southern one through Victoria... they're biding their time for a day or two to see how much the water subsides. They might have trouble getting back again too if the rain forecast for the Xmas period eventuates. 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: catbrown on December 12, 2010, 01:06:33 PM
CLASSICS BULLETIN BOARD

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.[/center]

Interested in Latin Courses?  Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)


Welcome to our Classics Bulletin  Board, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!




     
Ginny, where did you read about the DVD release of the Mary Beard Pompeii tv documentary? I looked on Amazon UK and they don't list it. Since I have an uncoded, all-region dvd player, I can play region 2 dvds .. so I'd love to get that one as a New Year's present (for me, of course).

Meanwhile, have any of you seen this Mary Beard lecture? I watched the first few minutes and will return to watch the entire thing at leisure after my Aeneid final exam next week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=B7Ss88HuCo8#! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=B7Ss88HuCo8#!)

Happy holidays to all,
Cathy


Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 12, 2010, 02:22:58 PM
 6 posts back, Cathy. So good to see you again, how are you?

You can see  Maryemm's post by either going back one page and looking toward the bottom OR going into the compose a post box and then before typing scroll down on the right, you'll see the last 40 posts or so below this box. (I put this here because a lot of people don't realize that).

How are things going with you?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on December 12, 2010, 09:03:07 PM
Gum - Good luck to your son and his wife.  I hope they make it OK.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 13, 2010, 08:27:50 AM
Good heavens, Gum, I did not even SEE that post. Sometimes this software does not show me all the new posts, thank you for mentioning it, Roshanarose! What news, Gum, from your son and DIL and the flooding? (Doesn't the Wagga Wagga sound impossibly exotic?)

What interesting conversations here about etymology!  Etymology to me is like a  Pandora's box, the words you'd swear are Latin in origin are not and the ones you would never suspect,  are, think speck and biscuit, just to take two recent examples from the Cambridge Latin 1 text.

Cathy, I meant to say thank you for the Mary Beard lecture and good luck on the Aeneid exam, not that you need it. :)

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Graphics/holly.gif)  Happy Holidays to All!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on December 13, 2010, 10:15:46 AM
Quote
What news, Gum, from your son and DIL and the flooding? (Doesn't the Wagga Wagga sound impossibly exotic?)

Ginny: They're not in any danger - we just don't want them to get stranded in the middle of nowhere - and have to catch a scrub turkey for their Christmas dinner.  :D
 My family lived in Wagga Wagga during my teenage years. It's not in the least exotic - just a major regional centre in the Riverina district of NSW and on a main route from Sydney through to Adelaide. It's located on the Murrumbidgee River which along with many others is currently in flood. 'Wagga' (wog ga) is an aboriginal word meaning crow (raven). The repetition of the word in the place name simply means  'crows and crows' - or place of many crows. There's a saying that Wagga is "where the wind starts and the crows fly backwards to keep the dust out of the eyes."  and if you stood on the outskirts of town on a hot, dry, windy afternoon in midsummer you'd believe it!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Bow_Belle on December 14, 2010, 06:17:13 AM
Good morning!

Pompeii

i was about to post details of mary Beards programme which will be on UK TV tonight I beleive but I think someone has got here first.

here is the BBC website details

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11952322
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on December 15, 2010, 12:36:01 PM
I really enjoyed the "Pompeii" programme on TV last night. Mary Beard is so enthusiastic (Reminded me of you, Ginny.) She was shown items others are not allowed to see and I did so envy her when she actually slipped on a gold bracelet last worn 2000 years ago. It had been worn by one of 54 people whose skeletons were found in a cellar in Oplontis.

The skeletons were segregated into two groups : the rich and the others. The former had many green bones, the result of acidic soil on metal jewellery, belts etc. The poor ones had no belongings.

One woman had two bags of coins : silver ones that showed signs of wear and gold ones that were "perfect".

 A young woman was found to have been 8 1/2 months pregnant and "they" thought this might have been the reason the group did not flee as others did.

There were also young twins who must have been dreadfully sick but who seemed to have received excellent care. They were found amongst the poorer members of the group.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on December 16, 2010, 07:20:45 PM
Here is a little something for the Christmas season. The first part is in Latin with English Translation. Click to start, and be sure to watch the whole way through. It is very nicely done. In fact, I checked out a few of Mr. Lawrence's other uploads. They are all very, very nicely done.

http://vimeo.com/8140484
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: JoanR on December 17, 2010, 03:11:21 PM
Here's a link to the notice of the Pompeii exhibit that will be in NYC next fall - probably elsewhwere too since I believe thse exhibits travel.  If we have another Seniorlearn soiree in NY we could add it to our activities!

http://www.discoverytsx.com/pompeii
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 17, 2010, 08:19:50 PM
Oh WOW!! Thank you Joan for that notice!!! We sure could! We sure should!

I was just wondering how long it would be before another Pompeii exhibit surfaced, and just LOOK! Pompeii is so HOT right now.

Meanwhile they have a sign up email list for Pompeii News, so if an exhibit is coming near YOU you will be the first to know. This one looks relatively small but apparently impressively done with never before seen artifacts too. They'll have to go some to beat that Day in Pompeii at the Field Museum, but this looks perfect, I mean NYC AND Pompeii? Wow!
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Graphics/holly.gif) Ho Ho Ho! Merry Merry!!  A nice gift for us all, here's hoping it travels the country (and world) so we can all see it!   

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on December 28, 2010, 10:08:46 AM




(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/50353000/jpg/_50353039_abermagwrcookingvesselbest.jpg)


A cooking pot found at Abermagwr has been partially reconstructed.


See:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/midwales/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9268000/9268853.stm (http://tp://news.bbc.co.uk/local/midwales/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9268000/9268853.stm)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on January 04, 2011, 08:02:29 AM
(http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt168/DevlindeSade/cicero.jpg)

Marcus Tullius Cicero (January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC; sometimes anglicized as "Tully"), was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.

He introduced the Romans to the chief schools of Greek philosophy and created a Latin philosophical vocabulary (with neologisms such as humanitas, qualitas, quantitas, and essentia) distinguishing himself as a linguist, translator, and philosopher. An impressive orator and successful lawyer, Cicero thought that his political career was his most important achievement. Today, he is appreciated primarily for his humanism and philosophical and political writings. His voluminous correspondence, much of it addressed to his friend Atticus, has been especially influential, introducing the art of refined letter writing to European culture. Cornelius Nepos, the 1st century BC biographer of Atticus, remarked that Cicero's letters contained such a wealth of detail "concerning the inclinations of leading men, the faults of the generals, and the revolutions in the government" that their reader had little need for a history of the period. Cicero's speeches and letters remain some of the most important primary sources that survive on the last days of the Roman Republic.

"Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents and everyone is writing a book."

—Marcus Tullius Cicero (43 BCE)


Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on January 06, 2011, 06:47:39 AM
Mary, another find! Thank you so much, they are just exploding in the UK, and that one in Wales, big, too, I like the coin there. Some of their cooking pots I'd like to have, and weren't they ahead of the time with their equivalent of the  George Foreman Grill!!

Joyce, thank you for that great note, catching his birthday. Isn't that quote au courant, tho!

And here's more news!!  Pompeii is HOT in 2011!

 In the  brand new January 3 2011 issue of Newsweek now on newsstands there is a fabulous article on (http://www.seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Mask.jpg) The Second Destruction of Pompeii  (http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/03/pompeii-s-second-destruction.html), available,  as you can see,  also online. I think the online version has photos not in the in print article, but it's staggering what has fallen just in the last couple of months, including stones from an arch in the Colosseum and the ceiling of the  Nero's  Golden House. A must read.

(http://www.seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Graphics/Colosseum/Colosseum350.jpg)And in the January 2011 issue of Smithsonian Magazine, big news of the opening of the hypogeum of the Colosseum in  Rome! Don't miss this issue:  Secrets of the Colosseum  (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Secrets-of-the-Colosseum.html)  

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on January 10, 2011, 11:57:06 AM

It was on this day in 49 B.C. that Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River and launched a civil war.

At the time of Caesar's birth, in 100 B.C., the Roman Republic was falling into political chaos. It had only nominal control of its provinces, which were really under the command of their powerful governors. A few wealthy individuals were becoming increasingly corrupt, and they found it easier to settle political issues with the military than to try and honor Roman law. Caesar was born into a wealthy and well-known family, but one without much political clout. Caesar became the head of his family at the age of 16 after his father died, and he worked his way up quickly through various official positions and appointments — he was an assistant to the consul, a chief priest, a governor of Spain, and then consul, the highest office in the Roman Republic. He formed the "first triumvirate" with Pompey and Crassus — Pompey was a military hero who was frustrated with the politics of the Republic, and Crassus was one of the richest people in the Republic, and is still considered one of the wealthiest people who has ever lived. Even though Pompey and Crassus hated each other, Caesar convinced them that it was worth getting over their differences, because the power and wealth that the three men had together made them hugely influential. The Triumvirate was secured when Pompey married Caesar's daughter, Julia.

Caesar was appointed governor of Gaul — what is now France and Belgium, but at that point was part of the Roman Republic. There, he recruited soldiers and conquered most of Western Europe, all the way to Britain. But back in Rome, his political alliances were falling apart. Crassus was killed in battle, hating Pompey until the end. Pompey turned against Caesar, and after Julia died, Pompey got remarried to the daughter of one of Caesar's enemies. Pompey had been appointed the temporary leader of the Senate and was turning the Senate against Caesar, declaring him an enemy of state.

In 50 B.C., the Senate announced that Caesar's term as a governor had ended, and demanded that he disband his army and return to Rome. According to Roman law, if a general was accompanied by a standing army when he entered the official Roman Republic from one of the Roman provinces, he would be considered a traitor. Caesar was afraid that if he obeyed Pompey's orders and disbanded his army, he would be prosecuted by the Senate for abusing power in the past, and would have no one to defend him.

The Rubicon River formed the border between Gaul and the Roman Republic. According to legend, even when Caesar got to the river with his army, he had still not made up his mind about what he would do. With the famous phrase Alea iacta est, or "the die is cast," he decided to cross.

The historian Suetonius was born around 70 A.D., more than a century after Caesar crossed the Rubicon. He published a history of 12 Roman emperors, beginning with Caesar. Suetonius wrote: "Overtaking his cohorts at the river Rubicon, which was the boundary of his province, he paused for a while, and realizing what a step he was taking, he turned to those about him and said: 'Even yet we may draw back; but once cross yon little bridge, and the whole issue is with the sword.' As he stood in doubt, this sign was given him. On a sudden there appeared hard by a being of wondrous stature and beauty, who sat and played upon a reed; and when not only the shepherds flocked to hear him, but many of the soldiers left their posts, and among them some of the trumpeters, the apparition snatched a trumpet from one of them, rushed to the river, and sounding the war-note with mighty blast, strode to the opposite bank. Then Caesar cried: 'Take we the course which the signs of the gods and the false dealing of our foes point out. The die is cast,' said he. Accordingly, crossing with his army, and welcoming the tribunes of the commons, who had come to him after being driven from Rome, he harangued the soldiers with tears, and rending his robe from his breast besought their faithful service."

With Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon, the Roman Republic was thrown into civil war. Eventually, Caesar defeated Pompey and his allies and emerged as the winner. As emperor, he made some radical changes in government. He decreased the power of the provinces, and centralized power in Rome. He eliminated much of the government's debt, disbanded powerful guilds, and rewarded people for having children in an effort to increase Rome's population. He set a term limit on governors, launched a huge rebuilding effort, established a police force, and modified the calendar. He made himself incredibly powerful and demanded that everyone revere him as part-deity.

Despite all he did and his huge legacy, Caesar's reign as emperor was short. He crossed the Rubicon in 49 B.C., and he was assassinated in 44 B.C.

Because of Caesar, the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" has entered popular culture, meaning "past the point of no return." And it is used in all sorts of contexts. In various articles written last fall, Google was "crossing the Rubicon" for the online shopping industry by making it possible for shoppers to see which local stores carry the products they want, in their store, at that very moment; Subaru was "crossing the Rubicon to sedan-hood" with its switch away from a hatchback for one of its models; Joe Biden said, "I crossed the Rubicon about not being president and being vice president when I decided to take this office." Rubicon is the name of a recently terminated conspiracy thriller TV show, and Crossing the Rubicon is the title of an album by the Swedish band The Sounds. The Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy said, "Sometimes you don't know if you're Caesar about to cross the Rubicon or Captain Queeg cutting your own tow line."

(thanks to G. Keillor's daily posting)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on January 11, 2011, 07:55:26 AM
Thank you so much for that Joyce, I have put it in all the classes. I don't follow Keillor,  maybe I need to start, I do like the modern applications of the term he cites!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on January 12, 2011, 10:26:05 AM


(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/01/10/article-1345586-0CB3D899000005DC-81_634x321.jpg)



Quote
A very grand design: New Channel 4 series challenges builders to construct a huge Roman villa using only ancient methods.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1345586/Rome-wasnt-built-day-Channel-4-series-build-Roman-villa-using-ancient-methods.html#ixzz1AppGsGQv (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1345586/Rome-wasnt-built-day-Channel-4-series-build-Roman-villa-using-ancient-methods.html#ixzz1AppGsGQv)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on January 12, 2011, 10:31:32 AM
I misssed this way back in August 2010. Hope you think It's worth posting!

(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/18/article-1304086-0AD62B99000005DC-534_634x423.jpg)


British villa fit for an emperor: Experts finally solve puzzle of Roman ruins at Lullingstone


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1304086/Lullingstone-Roman-Villa-treasures-reveal-home-future-Emperor.html#ixzz1Apr4CW2l (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1304086/Lullingstone-Roman-Villa-treasures-reveal-home-future-Emperor.html#ixzz1Apr4CW2l)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on January 12, 2011, 10:33:34 AM


(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/18/article-1304086-0AD5528B000005DC-759_634x523.jpg)

Quote
High-ranking: A coin featuring the head of Pertinax Publius Helvius after he was made Roman Emperor in AD193

Isn't this beautiful!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Roxania on January 12, 2011, 11:50:12 AM
I don't know whether it's appropriate to post this here, but I'm going to.  If any of you enjoy listening to audiobooks and are members of Audible.com, there is now a sale going on where you can buy three books for only two credits.  Two of the books on the list are Everitt's biography of Augustus and Harold Lamb's Hannibal:  One Man Against Rome.  I'm listening to the Everitt book, and enjoying it.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on January 12, 2011, 10:01:51 PM
Oh Maryemm - What a beautiful object!  I would love to hold it, or for that matter, keep it.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on January 21, 2011, 09:23:52 AM
Roshana Rose: I think we all would!

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/rome-wasnt-built-in-a-day

WARNING: Strong language!

I missed the first half but watched the second It was fascinating to see these huge builders struggling as they tried to copy Roman builders. Bad backs, injuries, seemed to be the norm and when the Professor in charge discovered they had used wheelbarrows at one point, I had to turn the sound volume down!

I found it really interesting and next week promises to be even better as they are taken to Turkey where they see some Roman buildings and experience Roman baths. 
 

 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Tomereader1 on February 03, 2011, 11:30:29 AM
I assume all you "classics" devotees have read it many times, but I found yesterday on the Amazon Kindle website that I could get Edw.Bulwer-Lytton's "The Last Days of Pompeii" for my Kindle...free! which I did!  I had never read it and assume I have pleasure in store.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on February 05, 2011, 08:03:19 AM




(http://images.dailyexpress.co.uk/img/dynamic/1/285x214/227222_1.jpg)

Read all about it at: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/227222/Experts-stunned-as-Roman-road-is-discovered-in-forest- (http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/227222/Experts-stunned-as-Roman-road-is-discovered-in-forest-)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on February 05, 2011, 08:42:49 AM
Awesome, Maryemm.  And the road is in Dorset.  Have you been to see it?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on February 05, 2011, 09:03:48 AM
Wow!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: sandyrose on February 07, 2011, 05:23:42 PM
Maryemm...is that Roman road in a wet area that it is built so high and with deep ditches?  Wow.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on February 09, 2011, 05:27:41 PM

Joyce:
Haven't been to see it yet. Something to look forward to when the weather is better!

Frybabe:
Agree!

SandyRose:
Don't know, Sandy. Must check.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Roxania on February 20, 2011, 11:40:55 AM
Looks like there's a new biography of Socrates:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/books/review/Isaacson-t.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Roxania on February 20, 2011, 01:19:03 PM
If anyone thinks that the classics have nothing to say to us today, show them this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0sgS-QCssE&feature=player_embedded#at=323 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0sgS-QCssE&feature=player_embedded#at=323)

It's from the  Theater of War/ Philoctetes Project:

 http://www.philoctetesproject.org/about.html (http://www.philoctetesproject.org/about.html)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on February 20, 2011, 10:18:45 PM
Roxania - Hughes' new biography on Socrates looks like  a winner.  Bettany has also hosted several TV programs on Greece, one I particularly enjoyed was set in Crete.  I have the Helen of Troy biography, but haven't read it yet.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Roxania on February 24, 2011, 12:08:30 AM
Did anybody happen to catch "Secrets of the Dead" on PBS tonight?  Archaeologists in York uncovered forty-four bodies that had been decapitated and generally brutalized.  DNA tests showed that they were from all over the Empire (rather than Caledonian warriors, which had been one possibility); cups in the cemetery dated the burials to the time right around 200 AD.

Between the archaeologists, Cassius Dio and modern historians, they finally concluded that these were the people Caracalla murdered after the death of Severus--his old tutor who was trying to talk him into getting along with his brother, the doctors who had refused to hasten Severus's death, assorted people who had prevented him from killing his father, and anybody he wanted to get rid of before returning to Rome to kill his brother.

Not often that archaeology and history mesh so neatly!  The full show doesn't seem to be available online, but here's the description:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/previous_seasons/case_headless/index.html
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on February 24, 2011, 11:47:29 AM
Oh nuts! I saw it was on and made a MENTAL note of it. Big mistake. I forgot. I'll have to see if it pops up in the On Demand listing.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on February 24, 2011, 12:03:58 PM


(http://www.ablogabouthistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/skeleton1.jpg)


 http://www.ablogabouthistory.com/2010/11/01/headless-bodies-in-roman-cemetery-came-from-exotic-locales/ (http://www.ablogabouthistory.com/2010/11/01/headless-bodies-in-roman-cemetery-came-from-exotic-locales/)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on February 24, 2011, 12:06:36 PM
(http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/110110-RomanStatues-hmed-0935a.grid-6x2.bmp)


Quote
A rich cache of ancient Roman statues representing a troubled imperial dynasty has been unearthed on the outskirts of Rome, according to Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41514048/ns/technology_and_science-science/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41514048/ns/technology_and_science-science/)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on February 24, 2011, 09:27:16 PM
Maryemm - Thank you for two very interesting links.  Also on the "headless bodies" page there is a story about a pit filled with Viking heads.  I realise that it was full-on war with the Vikings, but how they died was particularly brutal.  Shudder!   
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on February 25, 2011, 03:57:39 PM
Roshanarose: This is even worse!

Early Britons were cannibals who drank out of cups made from human skulls, hoard of remains reveal

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1357764/Ancient-Britons-drank-skulls-used-cups.html#ixzz1F0RcSMIA (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1357764/Ancient-Britons-drank-skulls-used-cups.html#ixzz1F0RcSMIA)

Recent evidence that Druids possibly committed cannibalism and ritual human sacrifice—perhaps on a massive scale—add weight to ancient Roman accounts of Druidic savagery, archaeologists say........


                  See: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090320-druids-sacrifice-cannibalism.html (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090320-druids-sacrifice-cannibalism.html)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: JoanR on March 04, 2011, 08:10:50 AM
The Pompeii Exhibit has just opened in NYC and will be there through Sept. 4  Here's a link to the article from today's NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/arts/design/04vesuvius.html?_r=1&ref=arts
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on March 06, 2011, 06:42:56 PM
Okay, here is one for you. First the article about the magnetic pole shift:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/adjust-your-compass-now-the-north-pole-is-migrating-to-russia-2233610.html

Then there is this comment from a reader:
Quote
his comes up all over; Herodotus. Histories volume 2 paragraph 142 on the Gutenberg online version (Translated into English by G. C. Macaulay).
The Egyptian priests told Harry that in 11,366.5 years;
'the sun had moved four times from his accustomed place of rising, and where he now sets he had thence twice had his rising, and in the place from whence he now rises he had twice had his setting; and in the meantime nothing in Egypt had been changed from its usual state, neither that which comes from the earth nor that which comes to them from the river nor that which concerns diseases or deaths'

??? what the hell does that mean? Anyone here read Greek?

So, does this sound like the Ancient Greeks knew something?  Well, maybe, maybe not. The magnetic shift would not flip the whole earth, so the sun would rise and set like it always does. But I guess that if North and South flip, then East and West might be redesignated. That is if you wanted to keep East to your right and West to your left as you face North.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on March 06, 2011, 09:43:25 PM
Who is Harry?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on March 06, 2011, 11:21:22 PM
I assume that was the writer's flippant name for Herodotus.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on March 07, 2011, 05:55:29 AM
CLASSICS BULLETIN BOARD

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.

Interested in Latin Courses?  Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)


Welcome to our Classics Bulletin  Board, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!







If the use of Harry is flippant and applies to Herodotus, perhaps the premise is flippant as well.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on March 13, 2011, 08:56:38 AM
Thank you ALL for the marvelous news of the Classics World.  I love the conversations here! hahaa

Druids! My goodness what will they find next? Every day what we knew changes as new discoveries are made.

Truly everything old is new again! New discoveries it seems every day and a book on a 2000 year old figure (Cleopatra) continues to rank high on the NY Times best seller list, it's almost like a Renaissance.

For those of you in the States, the History Channel International will air tomorrow night, Monday March 14:

8-9pm -- How The Earth Was Made : Vesuvius
Mt Vesuvius is the world's most dangerous volcano, and it threatens three million people. It was responsible for the most famous natural disaster of ancient history, the eruption that destroyed the Roman city of Pompeii. And its most recent blast was caught on film in 1944. Today Vesuvius is the most densely populated volcano in the world. Now recent scientific discoveries show that it is capable of an eruption larger than ever before thought possible and that hidden beneath Vesuvius there is a vast magma chamber of boiling hot rock, ready to come out.

I am willing to bet that it's on Youtube, along with the million and one splendid clips on Vesuvius and its eruption in 1944 (not to be missed), Montserrat,  the National Geographic program on volcanoes and many many more. These are pirated and put up until the producers catch them and order them removed, so they normally are not titled with the same title, but if you look long and hard enough you can normally find them. It's a boon for those  in any country to be able to see film you ordinarily could not.

I haven't seen this and don't know if it's worth the time, maybe some of us can watch it and report. A prize to anybody who can find it on Youtube. :)


Also tonight:


Sunday March 13: 8-9pm -- Ancient Discoveries : Impossible Army Machines
The amazing successes and stunning failures of ancient military engineers have directly affected the weapons and tactics we use today. In fact, an ancient Greek weapon is still used on modern aircraft carriers. How did the Chinese develop a catapult with a firing rate of 10 rounds per second? Did the living horse battlefield torpedoes of the middle ages battlefield actually work? And, how did the great Carthaginian general Hannibal cross the highest mountain range in Europe using equipment still used by today's Special Forces, dissolving solid rocks in his path using an ancient chemical version of dynamite?

9-11pm -- Last Stand of The 300
After Custer, Thermopylae is the most famous last stand in history. In a narrow pass in Northern Greece, seven thousand Greek soldiers await an onslaught of epic proportions. They will soon face the largest fighting force ever assembled--the war machine of the mighty Persian Empire, estimated at over a million men. The Greeks are led by three hundred of the most ferocious warriors of the ancient world--the Spartans. Their leader is the fearless King Leonidas, who after this battle would be catapulted into legend. When it is over, every Spartan in the pass will have sacrificed his life for freedom. Creating a fresh visual style and using new technologies we will dramatically recreate the significant events that lead to Thermopylae and the clash of arms.

Next Saturday:

Saturday, March 19, 2011
____________________________________________________

7-8pm -- Engineering An Empire - The Persians
The Persian Empire was one of the most mysterious civilizations in the ancient world. Persia became an empire under the Cyrus the Great, who created a policy of religious and cultural tolerance that became the hallmark of Persian rule. Engineering feats include an innovative system of water management; a cross-continent paved roadway stretching 1500 miles; a canal linking the Nile to the Red Sea; and the creation of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Mausoleum of Maussollos. The rivalry between Persia and Athens led to a 30-year war known as the Persian Wars, the outcome of which helped create the world we live in today. Peter Weller hosts.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: fairanna on March 15, 2011, 03:00:35 PM
MY ACCIDENT HAS MADE ME AN AHANDICAPPED Person I would appreciate hearing from you. [Edited: contact webmaster@seniorlearn.org
 for Anna's home address]  at anna alexander with  any suggestions and ideas Thank you  :) :) :)love anna
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: fairanna on March 15, 2011, 11:46:29 PM
THIS IS ANNAFAIR AND CAN,T SEEM TO SEEM THE PLACE I P0STED BEFORE HELP
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: marcie on March 16, 2011, 01:43:14 AM
Anna, I'm very sorry that you're suffering the effects of an accident. Are you looking for the Poetry discussion? It's at http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=176.2400
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Tomereader1 on March 16, 2011, 01:31:06 PM
And may I add, that even though we are all friends here, I don't think it wise to post your home address in ANY forum. Maybe you should have sent a Private Message to one of your friends here.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Mippy on March 17, 2011, 08:55:01 AM
Even I can be more Greek than Latin once in a while.    :D
This is even more gripping than usual, after the tsunami in Japan!

Reuters' news posted a story about finding the lost island of Atlantis near Spain, about which
Plato had written, as it had been found near the Pillars of Hercules, now called Straits of Gibraltar.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/03/12/us-tsunami-atlantis-idUKTRE72B2JR20110312 (http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/03/12/us-tsunami-atlantis-idUKTRE72B2JR20110312)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on March 20, 2011, 06:30:13 PM
Wow, thank you, Mippy!

This week for those of you who get History Channel International, the following programs might interest:

Wednesday, March 23, 2011
_______________________________

10:00 PM-12:00 AM -- Death Masks - Death Masks
Faces...and facts...fleshed out from the grave. Unprecedented technology brings to life extraordinary mirror images and powerful last impressions of history's most powerful men. Every line, every wrinkle, every expression tells a story. Forensic-science and anthropology experts have identified that history's most relevant figures left behind highly-detailed casts of their faces, created at their moment of death, to preserve their souls and physical memory for eternity. Using advanced facial-reconstruction techniques and 3-D imprint detailing, these death masks render an exact replica of every feature, and an intimate look at how their characteristics affected their lives. Includes startling new insights into the persistent mysteries surrounding these historic icons like Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon and George Washington, and just may reveal some secrets these men preferred to conceal.


Thursday, March 24,

9:00 PM-11:00 PM -- Rome: Engineering an Empire - Rome: Engineering an Empire
For more than 500 years, Rome was the most powerful and advanced civilization the world had ever known, ruled by visionaries and tyrants whose accomplishments ranged from awe-inspiring to deplorable. One characteristic linked them all--ambition--and the thirst for power that all Roman emperors shared fueled an unprecedented mastery of engineering and labor. This documentary special chronicles the spectacular and sordid history of the Roman Empire from the rise of Julius Caesar in 55 BC to its eventual fall around 537 AD, detailing the remarkable engineering feats that set Rome apart from the rest of the ancient world. Featuring extensive state-of-the-art CGI animation, and exclusive never-before-seen footage shot on a diving expedition in the water channels underneath the Colosseum.


Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: sandyrose on March 22, 2011, 09:08:45 PM
Mippy, such an interesting link.  Thank you. 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on March 25, 2011, 07:18:49 PM
 If you live anywhere near Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 25-27 the American Classical League (the big one) will hold it's 88th Annual Meeting, the 64th Annual Institute at the University of Minnesota.


There are always many days of interesting presentations. One which looks particularly interesting is from the Getty Villa:  Herculaneum by Way of Malibu: Teaching the Art and Culture of  Ancient Roman Villas.

Another interesting speaker this time will be Fr. Reginald Foster who will address those attending a Plenary in both Latin and English. Fr. Foster was called "The Pope's Latinist," and worked for "nearly half a century" in the "Latin Letters" section of the  Vatican Secretariat of  State.

He is quite famous and should be very interesting. FYI.

This is the first time I have seen them hold this in a hotel, normally they hold them on campus.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on April 04, 2011, 06:20:52 AM
I recall Sandy (I think it was you, Sandy: apologies if it wasn't), way back in 2009 telling us that Father Reginald was very ill in hospital. I read then that it was a serious illness so am so relieved to hear that he seems to be back to his enthusiastic,old self.

He now resides in Milwaukee, I believe, and is even on Facebook!

Read more about him here at:

 http://exlaodicea.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/fr-reginald-foster-not-returning-to-rome/ (http://exlaodicea.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/fr-reginald-foster-not-returning-to-rome/)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on April 05, 2011, 10:28:47 AM

 We were invited to afternoon tea at a friend's house yesterday and he took great delight in showing me a party invitation he had been sent. The party was to celebrate his son's 50th  and the invitation was written in a form of mock-Latin with photos super-imposed on images of Roman statues! What really interested me was the fact that the party was to be held at Saalburg, in Germany, on the site of an old Roman fort.

Read all about the place here at:

http://www.saalburgmuseum.de/english/home_engl.htm (http://www.saalburgmuseum.de/english/home_engl.htm)

(http://www.saalburgmuseum.de/english/aa/aapics/sbluft.jpg)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Roxania on April 05, 2011, 09:55:43 PM
Let it never be said that classical sculpture is dead!  Only now it's being done in corrugated cardboard!  http://artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=46255 (http://artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=46255)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on April 05, 2011, 10:20:27 PM
Just watched a very interesting program on National Geographic called Gladiators Back from the Dead. It was about the remains found at York, England. The bone man showed various markings and abnormalities of the bone to determine what role each of six gladiators played in the arena and how they died.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Roxania on April 07, 2011, 09:54:45 AM
There is apparently something of a controversy about using a line from the Aeneid to commemorate the victims of 9/11.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/07/opinion/07alexander.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212 (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/07/opinion/07alexander.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on April 13, 2011, 08:20:26 AM
My goodness what INTERESTING submissions here! Mary how fascinating, I spent a long time at that site!  Good heavens! I love the British and their never ending interest in all things Roman!

Sally how strange and wonderful, thank you for bringing that here!

Roxania, wow, what an article, seems like even using a quote nowadays it difficult and it does seem so apropos,  except for the original context, how interesting. Shows you  how people turn to Latin when they want to commemorate something and the resultant problems with that.

love all these, thank you so much!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on April 13, 2011, 08:21:58 AM
(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/images/goldmedal2010sm.jpg)


This morning we have some very exciting news!

 The results of the 2011 National Latin Exam are in. More than 150,000 students at all levels  including the university level took the National Latin Exam in 2011, from all 50 states and 12 countries, including  Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, England, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Zimbabwe, and for the first time, Iran and Malaysia.

Once again all of the students who took the National Latin Exam from our program received awards!!  This is the second year in a row!

We had 5 students this year to try their hands, all in the 101 and the 102 this year, as many of our upper classmen were not eligible this year for the next rung.

Of those 5, all received first place. That puts our average per school at 100 percent awards, unheard of!

In the Introduction to Latin we had 3 placing first:

Congratulations to:



Introduction to Latin:


Mogamom:  First place: Purple Ribbon (they don't give gold medals for the Introduction but this purple and gold ribbon is absolutely gorgeous, I want one) and Certificate  of Outstanding Achievement

Roxania: First Place: Purple Ribbon and Certificate of Outstanding Achievement

Yvonne Miller:
First Place: Purple Ribbon and Certificate of Outstanding Achievement

Latin I:

Cielolama: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude

MelandraII:  Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude

In addition two of our students got Perfect Papers!  Only 328 students out of over 18, 100 who took this level achieved this distinction.

Perfect Scores:

Congratulations to  Mogamom and Roxania for this incredible feat!

And congratulations to all those who assist with the program in any way, Jane who is our Registrar, and who does technical help and orientation,  Marcie who helps with the technical side,  Mippy and Pedln and Shelley as Teaching Assistants, and Edith Anne for the games.

Euge! Celebrate!!

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/balloons/balloons/4balloons.jpg)


Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on April 13, 2011, 10:45:17 AM
Perfect Scores - Far Out said the Fox!  Go you good thing!  and all those things!!!  The only excellent megabus scholar I know of is Roxania.  We are proud of you, baby!  And all of the others as well - quite an achievement.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: marcie on April 14, 2011, 01:29:21 AM
Congratulations to Ginny and the fab five for your great achievements in Latin!!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: sandyrose on April 14, 2011, 07:33:43 PM
Wow, congratulations to all who took the NLE 2011.  Fantastic!  Thanks to Ginny and all here who make that possible.

Maryemm, Actually it was you who told me originally that Father Foster was ill.   When it was said that he would not return to the Vatican, I recommended Ginny to replace him.   He was teaching free Latin classes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, so I too am glad to hear he is able to be a speaker at the Minnesota meeting.  He was still translating papal documents and whatever into Latin even though he lives in Milwaukee area.   
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on April 14, 2011, 10:43:34 PM
My apologies - I left out the other megabus (probably not Latin - but it seems apropos)scholars and support staff and Ginny.  Great job.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on April 18, 2011, 10:31:53 AM

 
Wonderful exam results. CONGRATULATIONS to ALL !



................


Experts have virtually reconstructed the first house built by the infamous Roman emperor Nero.

Take a visual tour of Emperor Nero's palace in this slide show.

http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/nero-palace-reconstructed-virtual-110415.html#mkcpgn=emnws1 (http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/nero-palace-reconstructed-virtual-110415.html#mkcpgn=emnws1)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on April 25, 2011, 08:04:25 AM
ROMAN FINDS UK : APRIL 2011



Uncovered: the remains of two Roman soldiers


http://www.essexcountystandard.co.uk/news/8974519.Uncovered__The_remains_of_two_Roman_soldiers/ (http://www.essexcountystandard.co.uk/news/8974519.Uncovered__The_remains_of_two_Roman_soldiers/)
................



Roman 'industrial estate' discovered near Peterborough


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13093877 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13093877)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on April 25, 2011, 10:23:51 AM
thanks Maryemm - seems there is no end to new discoveries about the Romans. I always watch the Time Team programmes - always interesting.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on April 25, 2011, 01:26:10 PM
Looking forward to seeing more on the industrial site diggings.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on April 29, 2011, 10:07:03 AM
Watched the Royal Wedding  (UK) all morning!

The following formed part of the ceremony:

THE MOTET


(Latin choral composition) sung by the choirs.

Ubi caritas et amor. Deus ibi est. Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor. Exsultemus et in ipso jucundemur. Timeamus et  amemus Deum vivum. Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.
Amen.

Wherever charity and love are to be found, God is there. The love of christ has brought us together as one. Let us rejoice and be glad in him. Let us fear and love the living God: and let us love one another with sincerity in our heart. Amen
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on April 29, 2011, 12:08:25 PM
Mary!! I was just thinking there should have been some Latin there somewhere and voila! Thank you for that, wasn't it beautiful?

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: sandyrose on May 04, 2011, 05:52:00 PM
Maryemm, thank you for that--so beautiful.  
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on May 21, 2011, 01:41:55 PM


 Have just returned from a visit to Cornwall. Did some reading about the Romans there and discovered that until last year it had been thought that the Roman settlements didn't extend much beyond Exeter.


(http://www.britainexpress.com/images/history/roman-britain.gif)



Now an amateur archaeologist has helped identify a site in mid-Cornwall as a Roman fort.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8753000/8753199.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8753000/8753199.stm)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on May 21, 2011, 06:35:05 PM
That is interesting, Maryemm. I always assumed there was a Roman presence in Cornwall because of the mining.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on May 23, 2011, 12:12:31 PM
To be honest, I had thought so too, Frybabe. It seems not a great deal is known about the Roman occupation of Cornwall.

(The "last year" I referred to seems to have been 2008!!) See:

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205202327.htm (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205202327.htm)

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Roxania on May 27, 2011, 06:16:21 PM
My daughter found--don't ask me how--a Finnish radio station that posts online in Latin:
http://yle.fi/radio1/tiede/nuntii_latini/ (http://yle.fi/radio1/tiede/nuntii_latini/)

Why they are doing this is not entirely clear to me.  On the other hand, there are probably more Latin scholars than Finnish speakers.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on June 03, 2011, 11:51:27 PM
An excellent book I have just finished reading may be of interest to our classicists.

"The Bull of Minos" by Leonard of Cottrell.  ISBN 960 226 2710

Non Fiction - About the discovery and work of Heinreich Schliemann at Mycenenae, and Sir Arthur Evans at Knossos.  Written in a simple, imaginative and scholarly way.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on June 04, 2011, 04:05:02 AM
O! Ho! : that's a blast from the past Roshanarose... I think I read it maybe in the 60s or early 70s. Still have it somewhere on the shelves - unless my son has purloined it at some time. Great read!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on June 07, 2011, 09:26:16 AM
Roman Ship Carried Live Fish Tank

Remains of the second century ship show signs of an ancient pumping system designed to suck sea water into a tank

http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/roman-shipwreck-fish-tank-110603.html#mkcpgn=emnws1
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on June 07, 2011, 09:28:03 AM
Roxania, if you have access to the "Ecce" magazines, you will read about :

Dr. Ammondt -Elvis In Latin

Also see:

http://www.drammondt.com/english/index.php
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on June 08, 2011, 07:56:47 AM
Quote
In Roman political culture, insanity and sexual perversity were often presented hand-in-hand with poor government.
From Wikipedia

Hmmmmm!


Now why would that quote make me think our latest government fiascos?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on June 08, 2011, 08:30:04 AM
Actually, (and I hate to say this) that quote reminds me of Wikipedia itself... hahahaa

Anyway, Maryemm, what a fabulous site, the Discovery one, thank you so much. I spent eons there yesterday, it's wonderful and so full of great videos.  Truly the internet can be a place of wonder and information. Who knew about Cornwall? It makes sense as Frybabe says about the tin mines, I'm looking forward to learning more. Lucky YOU on a vacation to Cornwall, I will never forget the week we stayed there on a cliffside  in a National Trust House. Absolutely love the place.

We need to put all the Ecce Magazines up in this heading! I'll see where they are, they are wonderful.

The Bull of Minos also sounds great, I've just gotten Mallowan's Memoirs by Max Mallowan, Agatha Christie's second husband,  and I peeked ahead into the parts on her. I was so intrigued by her wonderful autobiography Come, Tell Me How You Live, which begins with her trying to shop for suitable clothes for the plus size woman when going off to a dig with him,  absolutely hilarious.  In the latter chapters on her he'd written an Ode to Agatha on her Eightieth Birthday.  It's beautiful and funny, it's clear she was very lucky in her second husband who obviously adored her. I hear tho in our Library the book itself is  BORing, the worst. But I like dry things about archaeology. Anybody who was a classmate of Evelyn Waugh surely can't be that boring, so am proceeding with caution:  at any rate we start in Ur after a bit of background and then to Nimrud.

The new issue of Archaeology , the July/ August 2011 issue, which unfortunately as yet does not have anything to view online, does have a multi page huge photographs and article on  Assisi's Roman Villa. The earthquake there in 1997 led to some restoration and in 2001 in digging an elevator shaft they found only 20 inches down, the beginning of Roman capitals. Time and money ran out in 2003 but they resumed in 2006  and it continues as they have funding. Just imagine! I wish I were the proverbial rich man, I'd fund it in a heartbeat. Shades of Carnarvon and Carter!  

The photographs are dazzling, however and worth perusing even if in a B&N. That is a GREAT magazine.

Roxania, the Finnish radio station is marvelous! Their accent is slightly different but I love listening to it, thank you. It's decidedly fun to read today's news in Latin. :)

Isn't it truly amazing how the past still is being discovered today? Thank you all for your great submissions here!

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on June 21, 2011, 01:57:01 PM
Quote
Gladiator Chews Out Ref From Grave
An epitaph on the tombstone of an ancient gladiator may be the oldest evidence of a ref's bad call
.



(http://news.discovery.com/history/2011/06/21/tombstone-278.jpg)

See: http://news.discovery.com/history/gladiator-tombstone-epitaph-110621.html#mkcpgn=emnws1 (http://news.discovery.com/history/gladiator-tombstone-epitaph-110621.html#mkcpgn=emnws1)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on June 21, 2011, 06:12:27 PM
Thanks, Maryemm. I also watched the videos of the source of Hadrian's Aqueduct, and the Lost Army of Cambyses. I did not know anyone had located either.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on June 30, 2011, 03:55:00 PM
Has anyone read Swords Against The Senate: The Rise Of The Roman Army And The Fall Of The Republic by Erik Hildinger? If so, I would appreciate an opinion.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on July 03, 2011, 04:14:10 PM
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/myshot/jigsaw-puzzles#/recently-added/250701/1149831/

I ran across this pix of a tannery in Morocco. I imagine this is what they pretty much looked like in ancient times.  What do you think?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on July 04, 2011, 08:11:03 AM
Good heavens, I have no idea, how interesting. They had to do something to prepare leather for their shoes, and they have found vats for clothing cleaning.

  I haven't read Swords Against the Senate,  how would you review it?

Thank you also Mary for that interesting bit on the gladiators. On that same site is a Discovery News film  item about finding the source of Trajan's Aqueduct and the Nymphaeum, and that bit is quite fascinating, the decorations and the statement about Egyptian Blue, the only blue color the Romans used, is interesting, also.



Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on July 04, 2011, 08:54:31 AM
Ginny, here is a review of Swords Against The Senate: The Rise Of The Roman Army And The Fall Of The Republic . There is not much information about the UNRV (United Nations of Roma Victrix), but wow look at all the books and reviews about the Roman Empire.

http://www.unrv.com/book-review/sword-against-senate.php


The library is going to get a real workout finding some of these books. Just the kind I would rather buy for my permanent collection.  :( sigh!

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on July 04, 2011, 09:16:09 AM
 hahaha, well that's certainly an odd reviewer, anyway. :)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on July 04, 2011, 09:28:55 AM
  ;D

Did you get the feeling you were reading someone's book report for school? Apparently all the reviewers are using Latin names. Amazon has some interesting reviews.

There is a similar book review for Roman Medicine which is a book I wanted to get several years back but it was out of stock at the time.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on July 09, 2011, 12:14:26 PM
While nosing around on my state's website, I ran into this. Governor Corbett's commencement speech to the first graduating class of Boy's Latin of Philadelphia Charter School. He extols the importance of knowing Latin history and language as well as Greek. http://www.pacast.com/players/fbplayer.asp?video_filename=8947_BoysLatinSpeech_clean.m4v&title=Governor%20Tom%20Corbett%20Speaks%20to%20the%20Graduating%20Class%20of%20the%20Boys%20Latin%20of%20Philadelphia%20Charter%20School%20&image=http://pacast.com/thumbnails/8947_BoysLatinSpeech_clean_web.jpg

Here is the academics page from the school explaining their Latin Department (scroll down a little to find it). They get four years of Latin before they even get to college. http://www.boyslatin.org/academics


The only problem with this I see is Boy's Latin. Is there a Girl's Latin? Nothing shows up when I Google.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on July 09, 2011, 11:17:43 PM
Frybabe - Let me know if you find it.  Girls latin that is.  Maybe try coed Latin...

No DON'T do a search for coed Latin - the search page is for porn.  Ha ha ha.  Bit of a shock for an old girl.

Found one!  Look this one up.

Boston Latin Academy is a public exam school founded in 1877 in Boston, Massachusetts providing students in grades 7th through 12th a rigorous classical preparatory education.

Formerly named Girls' Latin School prior to 1977, the school was the first college preparatory high school for girls in the United States. Now coeducational, the school is currently located in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston and is part of the Boston Public School system
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on July 18, 2011, 09:15:19 AM


(http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Coin-Hoard-2011.jpg)


 
A hoard of twenty one silver denarii has been recovered during the recent excavation of the foundations of a clay floor in a centurion’s apartment of the late Antonine period (cAD180-200) at Vindolanda, northeast England

Read more at:
 http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/07/2011/archaeologists-discover-a-hoard-of-silver-roman-denarii-coins-at-vindolanda#ixzz1SSi8aToX (http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/07/2011/archaeologists-discover-a-hoard-of-silver-roman-denarii-coins-at-vindolanda#ixzz1SSi8aToX)







Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on July 25, 2011, 10:30:45 AM

( I missed this: June 23rd 2011)


Sacks of Human Waste Reveal Secrets of Ancient Rome

See: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/06/110623-ancient-rome-human-waste-herculaneum-science-diet-excrement-italy/ (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/06/110623-ancient-rome-human-waste-herculaneum-science-diet-excrement-italy/)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on July 26, 2011, 10:59:57 PM
Maryemm : What can I say?  It is good that someone got to the bottom of Roman sewers.  Interesting story.  Do you watch Time Team?

I liked the shark story as well.  Better to meet one IN a boat than UNDER a boat.  It would have been mighty scary though  :o
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 02, 2011, 09:49:37 AM



Pantheon's design put Hadrian in the spotlight


Read more:


http://www.smh.com.au/world/pantheons-design-put-hadrian-in-the-spotlight-20110801-1i876.html#ixzz1TsY3SNJi (http://www.smh.com.au/world/pantheons-design-put-hadrian-in-the-spotlight-20110801-1i876.html#ixzz1TsY3SNJi)


Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 02, 2011, 10:08:41 AM
Quote
It is good that someone got to the bottom of Roman sewers
RoshanaRose


Lindsey Davis actually descended into the Cloaca Maxima aqueduct in Rome as part of her research for her novel "Three Hands in the Fountain".

Now that's dedication!


 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on August 02, 2011, 10:25:59 AM
That one was one of my favorites (aren't they all?  ;D), MaryEmm.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 02, 2011, 04:48:49 PM


 Yes, I like that one and have read it many times.

 See that there are no Falco novels in the pipeline but a new "venture" :  "Master and God", a substantial novel set in the reign of Domitian, for new publisher Hodder and Stoughton and for St Martin’s Press, will be published in March 2012.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on August 02, 2011, 05:29:37 PM
I'll have to keep an eye out, Maryemm. Domitian was such a nasty piece of work.

I am getting quite a collection of books about Rome and Roman society downloaded from Project Gutenberg or ManyBooks.net. So, not only do I have a stack of print books (several in fact) to read, but now I have a stack in my Kindle cue.

Roman Women - Alfred Brittain
The Reign of Tiberius - apparently part of his Annals of Tacitus covering his account of Germany and the life of Agricola
Roman Britain in 1914 - F. Haverfield
The Wars of the Jews - Flavius Josephus
The Towns of Roman Britain - James Oliver Bevan
The Roman History of Ammianus Marcellinus - Marcellinus. This covers Emperors Constantius, Julian, Jovianus, Valentinian and Valens.
Conspiracy of Catiline and the Jurgurthine War - Sallust
Roman Farm Management - Marcus Porcius Cato (I'd really rather read Plinny's treatises on agriculture)
Dio's Rome, Vols I, II, IV, VI I guess the others are not translated or are missing.
The Roman Traitor, Vols I & II
Latin for Beginners - Benjamin L D-Ooge
Latin Literature -J. W. Mackail
Roman Pronunciation on Latin - Frances E. Lord
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 03, 2011, 11:16:08 PM
Thanks Maryemm and Frybabe

I just recently read on About.com (Ancient History) about the toilet habits of Romans.  Fascinating.  I saw lots of Roman toilets at Corinth and Dion in Greece.  According to the article many tactics and business deals were discussed upon these loos.  They had a communal sponge on a stick for cleaning up later.  The famous toilets of Knossos are thought to be the first flushing toilets in history.  The Romans didn't build them though.  Well, they didn't exactly flush like ours do, but they had running water through terracotta pipes.  

Coincidentally, the word "cloaca" refers to the male shark's private bits and pieces.

Frybabe - Thanks for those books that can be downloaded at the Gutenberg Project.  The Josephus is the one I want.  One of the very very few primary sources that mentions Jesus.

A quick glance at the Roman "denari" reminded me of my father who was born in England.  He often used to refer to money in general as "denars" or "dinars".  Interesting how the word is (or maybe was) still used in certain parts of England.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on August 04, 2011, 02:13:48 AM
Hi Roshanarose Hope you enjoy Josephus - I have an old and tattered or rather badly foxed Penguin edition which I read long years ago travelling to and fro to work on the tram. Wish my eyesight could cope with that now!

Denari - 'deena' used to be Aussie slang for one shilling in the same way that 'trey' was threepence (from Latin 'tres' meaning three)  and a 'quid' was a pound. I daresay the English slang was something similar.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 04, 2011, 12:26:22 PM
Quote
He often used to refer to money in general as "denars" : Roshanarose

Quote
'deena' used to be Aussie slang for one shilling : Gumtree


Those comments gave my memory a jolt. I recall my father using the term. Never gave it a thought that it referred possibly to the Latin words. My father was born in Australia so he might have picked it up there and a lot of Aussies originally came from the UK!!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 04, 2011, 11:18:12 PM
Thanks Gum.  I didn't realise it was Australian slang much of which was in the early days related to Cockney slang. 

Hey Maryemm - Where was your Dad born?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 06, 2011, 06:30:30 AM

Quote
Where was your Dad born?roshanarose

He always thought it was Ballarat but when he did get around to getting his birth certificate he discovered it was Coolgardie. My grandfather went out there gold-prospecting.

A neighbour lent me a book written by a 50+ Welshman who became a swagman and kept a diary. It made fascinating reading. Can't recall title or author (duh!), but he wrote about food prices and living conditions. Must ask my neighbour about it.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on August 06, 2011, 06:41:26 AM
Maryemm:  My dad was born in Coolgardie too - in 1901 - I think we talked about it one time.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on August 06, 2011, 08:31:14 PM
Nice coincidence there.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 08, 2011, 10:13:43 AM

Quote
An archaeologist works on a mosaic discovered in downtown Rome, Friday, July 29, 2011. Excavations in the bowels of an ancient Roman hill have turned up a well-preserved, late 1st Century wall mosaic with a figure of Apollo, naked except for a colorful mantle over a shoulder. The mosaic-covered wall is 16 meters (53 feet) wide and at least 2 meters (6.6 feet) high. Officials think the wall continues down some 8 meters (26.5 feet) more. Archaeologists say the wall appears to be in a tunnel built to help support Trajan's Baths, named for the emperor who ruled from 98 till 117. The mosaic, which also depicts a Muse, apparently embellished a room where wealthy Romans gathered to hear music and discuss art. Photo: Pier Paolo Cito / AP


Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Dig-through-ancient-Rome-finds-mosaic-1639883.php
 
...

Follow-up from GINNY


I've learned a lot about the Oppian Hill, and its origin. I was just there on the 25th and they are digging up Rome right and left. I finally made it to the Caelian Hill this year and had wondered idly what the Oppian was, and lo and behold  here's another one I had not gone to extensively.  I love the description here: http://rometour.org/colle-oppio-park-parco-del-colle-oppio-next-colosseum.html.

I understood the Golden House had partially collapsed earlier this year, so I am not sure it's open again. I first went thru years ago when it first opened and  you had to have reservations, etc., and since then they've had two collapses, have restarted the tours once  and I am not sure they are currently operating, but everywhere in Rome (and Pompeii) you see the orange fences and construction.

It's a very exciting time to be studying Latin!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 09, 2011, 06:10:25 AM



Heard recently that Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and an eccentric character, occasionally makes speeches in Latin! Then I read this interview:

 http://www.festival-latin-grec.eu/?lang=en&keyRubrique=boris-johnson-mayor-of-london
 









Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 23, 2011, 02:51:20 PM
Aldborough Roman amphitheatre       Tuesday, 23rd August, 2011


 
http://saesferd.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/ (http://saesferd.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on August 25, 2011, 11:11:04 AM
Maryemm : Thanks for posting about the Aldborough discovery- let's hope they get enough funding to carry on and discover what else is there.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on August 30, 2011, 01:05:07 PM


 
Mystery over Roman battle may rule it out from list




   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-14668152 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-14668152)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on September 03, 2011, 10:09:59 PM
Hail September!  

Octavius/Octavian/Augustus was born in September - not sure of exact date.  Looked it up - actually he is a born on the Cusp of Virgo and Libra.  D.O.B. 23 September, 63 BC.

Battle of Actium was fought 2nd September, 31 BC

Battle of Naulochus was fought 3rd September, 36 BC

Gibbon states - Fall of Rome September 4, AD 476
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on September 12, 2011, 11:55:14 AM
It's time for fall classes!

Hope everyone returns to the Classics Bulletin with a lot of good items.

 Maryemm, may your force be with us.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on September 22, 2011, 05:13:09 PM


Belated Report


Hoard of Roman coins found in Powys field :July 28 2011




(http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/icwales2/jul2011/2/2/roman-coins-947854751.jpg)


Read all about it here at:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/07/28/hoard-of-roman-coins-found-in-powys-field-91466-29132808/ (http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/07/28/hoard-of-roman-coins-found-in-powys-field-91466-29132808/)


Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on September 22, 2011, 05:18:11 PM
Southampton university archaeologists unearth Roman shipyard.

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/55518000/jpg/_55518285_portus_5-1.jpg)

See slideshow here at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-15021956 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-15021956)

More details here at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15016053 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15016053)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on September 22, 2011, 05:33:54 PM
Wow, MaryEmm! Thanks.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on September 23, 2011, 07:37:57 AM
This info from G. Keillor's "Writer's Almanac"

It's the birthday of Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, born Gaius Octavius Thurinus in Rome in the year 63 B.C. The great-nephew of Julius Caesar, Augustus was named as the childless statesman's heir upon his assassination. Despite Roman custom, Augustus dropped his middle and last name altogether to emphasize his new name, Caesar, probably hoping it would help legitimize his power grab. It did. The money he inherited helped, too. With the Senate in disarray, Augustus joined forces with two other leaders to form a three-headed military dictatorship. When that inevitably fell apart, Augustus remained in power. The Senate eventually decided to formalize his rule, changing the government's entire structure from a republican state to that of an empire. It was the beginning of an era that would last nearly 1,500 years, until the fall of Constantinople.

Augustus was widely respected during his reign, in part because of good works campaigns such as starting the first police and firefighting services and distributing funds to soldiers and veterans, in part because of his cultivated modesty, melting down statues of himself and restoring temples of Roman deities, and in part because of his creation of an imperial guard that acted as his personal intimidation team.

Augustus was not actually called Augustus until years into his reign; the term means "the revered one" and was given to him by the Senate. Roman emperors that followed him were also granted the term, and adopted the name "Caesar" too. Today, Caesar has come to be synonymous with emperor or ruler, but it began as simply a surname, probably from the Latin expression meaning "hairy." The word Augustus has found its way into modern-day language too; the sixth month of the Roman calendar was named in honor of the emperor — in English, we call it August.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on September 23, 2011, 12:33:32 PM
Maryemm:  Thanks for those postings - Some shipyard - and that hoard of coins would no doubt have been worth a pretty penny at the time.

Athena:  Haven't seen you for quite a while. Funny, when I was a child I wanted to be called Augusta - born in August and all that - couldn't understand why my parents didn't think of it - still can't  :D
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on September 23, 2011, 11:51:33 PM
Gum - It was a wise move of your parents' not to call you Augusta.  At school they would have surely called you "Gussy". 8)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Gumtree on September 24, 2011, 03:52:36 AM
RR Or maybe Gorgeous Gussie  - but you're too young to remember her - the tennis player  Gussie Moran who wore gorgeous scanties under her tennis skirt.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on September 26, 2011, 08:00:06 AM
I wish that I was so young, Gumtree.  I have heard of her from my parents, particularly my mother who adored tennis.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on September 26, 2011, 03:06:27 PM

 I remember Gorgeous Gussie. She brought glamour to the tennis courts, and some interesting newspaper headlines.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on September 26, 2011, 03:32:14 PM
Ginny has asked me to edit another issue of our on-line magazine "Ecce".

 It would be great if every person reading this were to write an article/pen a few lines/submit appropriate photographs to be included in Issue 5. It is our magazine and its success depends on every one of us.

Please put on your thinking caps now and send the item to me as soon as possible.

I look forward to hearing from YOU.

My THANKS
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: okietxjenjen on September 28, 2011, 11:19:27 PM


CLASSICS BULLETIN BOARD

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.

Interested in Latin Courses?  Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)


Welcome to our Classics Bulletin  Board, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!



Just out!
(http://www.seniorlearn.org/jane/jpgs_gifs/floormosaicsm.jpg)

We are very excited to announce the 5th edition of our Ezine Ecce, a publication of our SeniorLearn Classics Project and it's incredible this time. Our UK Editor, Maryemm, has outdone herself, and Marcie's work on the layout put the icing on the cake.

We have articles by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, a very interesting short piece on Sian Phillips, who played Livia in the I, Claudius production and who turns out to be, like Boris Johnson, a total fan of Latin.

We have articles by  prominent archaeologists,  Cambridge Don Mary Beard, articles of new finds and old places, and best of all, we have articles by our own current Latin students which are absolutely fascinating  on a variety of wide ranging subjects. What a talented and accomplished student body we have here! I particularly like the fact that each of our 6 Latin classes is represented in this issue.

Take some time to immerse yourselves in this exciting issue! We hope you enjoy it!

http://seniorlearn.org/classics/ecce/ecce5/titlepg.html   




Thought this was a neat discovery.



http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/09/24/huge-ancient-roman-shipyard-unearthed-in-italy/
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on September 29, 2011, 08:33:18 AM
Thanks okietxjenjen. I've seen something similar to the computer mockup somewhere (old TV documentary?),oh, maybe five or six years ago. There were two of them, both circular in shape, one for commercial and one for military. Alexandria? Phoenician? Does anyone remember anything like that? Anyhow, this is a great new find. I am looking forward to reading more or,hopefully, seeing a documentary about it.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on October 15, 2011, 11:22:26 AM
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m193/joycepair/Image7-1.jpg)


Saturday, October 15

Virgil

Publius Vergilius Maro (also known by the Anglicised forms of his name as Virgil or Vergil) (October 15, 70 BCE – September 21, 19 BCE) was a classical Roman poet, best known for three major works—the Eclogues (or Bucolics), the Georgics, and the Aeneid—although several minor poems are also attributed to him.

Virgil came to be regarded as one of Rome's greatest poets. His Aeneid can be considered a national epic of Rome and has been extremely popular from its publication to the present day. His work has influenced Western literature. His epic, the Aeneid, had followed the literary model of Homer's epic poems Iliad and Odyssey. The story is about Aeneas's search for a new homeland and his war to found a city. This type of character is similar to Western heroes in the books of Owen Wister and Louis L'Amour.

Virgil's father was a wealthy landowner, who could afford a good education for his son that included schools in Cremona, Mediolanum, Rome and Naples. After considering briefly a career in rhetoric and law, the young Virgil turned his talents to poetry.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on October 23, 2011, 08:46:24 AM
I've come in with  some very sad news this morning of the sudden unexpected death of our Gumtree in Australia, on October 7.
(http://www.seniorlearn.org/about/profiles/images/gumtree.jpg)


Her husband wrote of her love of the Latin program and her joy of being associated with it, and I am so sorry to learn of this devastating news.

We will really miss her, her sharp mind, her encyclopedic knowledge,  her sense of fun, and her unfailing support.

I thought you would want to know.  Here is a link to the profile of her she very kindly allowed us to use in featuring our participants when this website first went up:

http://www.seniorlearn.org/about/profiles/profilegumtree.html



Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on October 23, 2011, 11:37:51 AM
I'll miss Gumtree right here on the Classics Bulletin Board, as we all will, I'm sure.  What a wonderful profile piece she has shared with us, a testimony to a true Renaissance woman whose skills extended even to the presentation of herself in writing. Her family has been fortunate to share her life - and now her legend.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on November 10, 2011, 08:54:18 PM
It's been mighty quiet up here and in the Lounge. What is everyone up to? 

Since I am unlikely to be taking any spring accounting classes, I've decided to get back to my Latin studies. I downloaded Benjamin D'Ooge's Latin for Beginners just to see what it was like. I believe Ginny mentioned Dr. D'Ooge on occasion. So far, I am impressed by the extensive beginning section on the phonetics for speaking Latin. By next Fall's new classes I should be back up to speed.

I also downloaded a book called Latin Literature by J. W. MacKail. It is a history of, rather than writings from, Latin literature. It should be interesting.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on November 11, 2011, 07:03:12 AM
Glad you are jumping back into the pool, Frybabe.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Tomereader1 on November 11, 2011, 10:52:42 AM
I attended an author talk at my library on Wednesday. (Kathleen Kent/The Heretic's Daughter) and she mentioned someone whose name I had not thought of in years, but that I'm sure a lot of you here had read unstintingly:  Mary Renault and her books on ancient Greece.  I must go back and re-read some of those.  Just thought I'd pass that one on to all the Classics lovers.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Lucylibr on November 15, 2011, 12:02:09 PM
People living in or near NYC might be interested to know that classics scholar Mary Beard is speaking November 30, 7:00 p.m., at the 42nd Street library.  Tickets are $17 and can be purchased online at the New York Public Library website.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on November 16, 2011, 04:47:40 PM
Quote
Mary Beard is speaking November 30, 7:00 p.m., at the 42nd Street library
Lucylibr

Well if someone does go along, please, do write an account for "Ecce" !
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on November 29, 2011, 11:54:33 AM



Quote
I've really got down to pulling together the  big lecture I'm giving in New York on the 30th November (thereby -- all being well -- missing out on the strikes on this side of the Atlantic). It's at the New York Public Library, where I am ashamed to say I have never been -- but they have a wonderful website and loads of historic images online (really useful). And it's a lecture in honour of Bob Silvers, the editor of the New York Review of Books... who will be there. So I had better make it good!



Professor Mary Beard


Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Lucylibr on December 01, 2011, 12:53:38 PM
About Mary Beard: a very challenging and engaging lecture to a large audience at NYPL.  I can't summarize all my impressions here, because I have to go to Spanish class, which Mary thinks is alright; she just says that the best way to learn Spanish, let's say, is by studying Spanish and not studying Latin as a way to approach Spanish.  Too often we have said that Latin is the best key to other studies, and that's not really why we should study the classics. 


Everybody does not have to study Latin and Greek, just some people (I guess that includes us.)  But we need to have respect for those who do know Latin and Greek and use the classics responsibly, find out what they are really about instead of using platitudes about them such as that the Greeks "discovered" democracy: not true, just the word for it.  She is upset by misquotes and misunderstanding of classics that garble them.

People have been bemoaing the decline of the classics since the Renaissance, and talk about them as though they are a sick patient, or a dead one, for which an autopsy is in order.  But if they are truly in decline, why is so much written and said about their decline, why are so many interested in it?  Such conversations are mixed with nostalgia, a longing for the past.  We long for a dialogue across the gap of time with with our cultural past.

We need to have a sense of wonderment about the world of the ancients.  Scholars say we have so little that remains, but really there is so much, more than one person can read in a lifetime.  We need to ventriloquize the ancients, I take it that means to make them real and speak today.  Isn't that what you, Ginny, are doing, and Mary Beard in her book about Vesuvius which I bought?

By the way, Bryant Park, right next to the library, is a magical place this time of year, with very busy public ice skating rink and many specialty shops with mostly handmade goods and foods.  The Christmas tree (and I am not a big fan of such) is splendid in silver and blue.  There is seating, tables, and plenty of room for all.  I wonder if Mary got to see any of this or just where she was taken after the lecture.

I'll try to get something together for ECCE. When is the deadline?
 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on December 01, 2011, 03:13:28 PM
Hi, Lucylibr. Lucky you being able to attend the lecture.

Deadline for "Ecce" is December 10th. I look forward to hearing from you if you decide to go ahead.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on December 09, 2011, 07:56:54 PM
I just started reading an old book by Dudley Wright called the The Eleusinian Mysteries and Rites. Since the author stated that Eleusis is now Leusina, I decided to find out where it was exactly. Either the author misspelled it or they since added the E back on the name to make it Eleusina. Anyhow, I finally found it not too far north of Athens. Here is a link to the photos that I found through the Google maps. Impressive.

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&hl=en&biw=1096&bih=654&q=Eleusis&gs_upl=6545l11088l0l11360l9l9l1l0l0l0l225l1321l1.4.3l8l0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x14a1ae4c9ab8d99f:0x400bd2ce2b97e50,Eleusina,+Greece&gl=us&ei=1aniTsKmO6PW0QGB5I33BQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=3&ved=0CEAQ8gEwAg

Someone also put up a photo of a sarcophagus (Roman, it says) from the area.

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&hl=en&biw=1096&bih=654&q=Eleusis&gs_upl=6545l11088l0l11360l9l9l1l0l0l0l225l1321l1.4.3l8l0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x14a1ae4c9ab8d99f:0x400bd2ce2b97e50,Eleusina,+Greece&gl=us&ei=1aniTsKmO6PW0QGB5I33BQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=3&ved=0CEAQ8gEwAg
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on December 12, 2011, 08:38:10 PM
Hello Fry

Unfortunately Eleusina is probably one of the most neglected sites on the mainland.  The surrounds are heavy industrial and that bay is where all the big oil tankers dock.  Polluted very badly.  Sad to say that that bay is all that is left of Salamis, once the waters upon which Athens won a great victory against the Persians. 

If you keep going along that road, which is the main road to the Peloponnese, you pass over the Gulf of Corinth into Corinth (fascinating place) and onto Mycenae.  I have done that trip twice.  You can trace it on the map link you included.

I hope you enjoy the book.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on December 18, 2011, 08:24:06 AM
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Graphics/holly.gif)  What marvelous conversations here, thank you all so much!

Are you all finished with your holiday shopping?

Two days ago somebody picked up a fabulous bauble for under their own tree!  Sothebys auction Friday  in New York City revealed an incredible piece of Roman statuary, Leda and the Swan, 2nd century, which was expected to bring from $2,000,000 dollars to 3,000,000 but the Times of London reports that the price was run up 10 times by vigorous bidding by four bidders to a whopping winning bid of  19,122,500 USD. Wow!

The Times  reports that the 4ft 5 inch statue was owned by the current Marquess of Zetland, and was considered "part of the furniture" (wouldn't you love to see THAT house, Aske Hall in North Yorkshire?) and they were shocked.

It was discovered by an antiquities specialist on a  visit to the hall.  The 1st Earl of Zetland had brought it home after buying it in Rome during the late 1700s, which should not be a surprise, if you consider the state of archaeology at that time. It had been even exposed to the elements as a garden sculpture before it was taken inside 40 years ago.

So dust off that stuff in your attic and out in the garden, you might also have a Roman antiquity waiting. :)


(I remember seeing a British program once about right of way across some peer's field and we all trooped out with the film maker and the peer  to one of the storage sheds on the back of the estate to find something pertaining to the old signs,  and he had to try to push out of the way what appeared to be piece after piece  of  priceless Roman and Greek statuary stacked in any old fashion,  in a shed to get to what he wanted. It was jaw dropping.)

That's a nice bonus for all concerned, I bet.


http://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/ecatalogue.html/2011/antiquities-n08810#/r=/en/ecat.fhtml.N08810.html+r.m=/en/ecat.lot.N08810.html/16/






And of course what would the holiday be without the incomparable Ninguat, Ninguaat, Ninguat, translation by our current 301 class.  Bet you can't stop singing it. :)



 

                         
Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it

Snow!



Let It Snow was created by lyricist Sammy Cahn and the composer Jule Styne in 1945
Latin Rendition by SeniorLearn's current Latin 301 Class:

Click and sing along!


O!  tempestas est terribilis
Sed focus est iucundus
Et nemo  ambulat,
Ninguat! Ninguat! Ninguat!  

  Non ostendit pausae signa,
Et ad crepanda tuli frumenta.
Et lux hebetata erat.
Ninguat! Ninguat! Niguat!  

  Cum postremo besiamus valē-
Haud amabo in procellā ire.
Si mē amplectaris firmē--
Ad domum prodecam calidē

  Ignis moritur tardē
Etiam nunc, Delicia, dicimus "valē"
Sed dum tē  amas mē-
Ningue! Ningue! Ningue!


English Lyrics and Music and More  
 

         





 
(http://www.seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/snowball-tumble.GIF)



Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: mabel1015j on December 19, 2011, 02:15:59 PM
You all may know about this, but i was browsing the internet today and found this site that is a course about the Latin language. I immediately thought of this site and evened wondered if this was your discussion, but i read further and think not.

http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=406290&direct=1


I see you mentioned Mary Beard, might she be related to the Beard family historians in the U.S., mid 20th century? I love that Mary Beard's books of women's history and still use quotes from them when i do presentations on women's history.

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on December 22, 2011, 02:13:45 PM
I ran across a photo of Roman ruins at a place called Baalbek. I had never heard of it, so I looked it up. Lo and behold, it is what used to be called Heliopolis. Now that name I do know.  http://sacredsites.com/middle_east/lebanon/baalbek.html
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on December 22, 2011, 09:10:43 PM
Frybabe -Sun City - I wonder if they had a water slide too :)  Very informative about Baalbek, but my PC thinks it is already on vacation and wouldn't allow me to browse the site.  I hope to be able to convince it (my PC) to do its job soon.

Ginny - That Carol/Christmas song  is so beautifully presented.  Thank You.  I thought I would take a peek at the Sotheby's link you provided.  The peek was an hour long!  Great site - I was impressed with the excellent clarity of the videos and ask anyone who wishes, to buy me that pink diamond.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on January 05, 2012, 07:53:30 AM
I'm glad you enjoyed the carol, I love it, myself, they did a super job.

More big news about Latin!

3 days ago Newsweek came out with an article on 31 Ways to Get Smarter in 2012.

#10 is Learn a Language:

Quote
Mastering a second language gives a workout to your prefrontal cortex, which affects decision making and emotions. Enroll in a class, embed in deepest Sichuan province, or simply pick up Rosetta Stone software and teach yourself Latin.


Nothing equals being IN a Latin class, and for 9 years we here on SeniorNet and now SeniorLearn have offered Latin classes to literally hundreds of students world wide.

Music to the ears of the army of Latin enthusiasts all over the world, who knew that already. Here's hoping that the New Year will bring everybody just a little Latin!

The article goes on to say:

Quote
For more exalted cognitive functions, the strategy with the strongest evidence behind it is also the toughest: learn a second language. When a brain that is fluent in two languages chooses between, say, English and French, the cortical circuits that hold both languages become active. The prefrontal cortex must then step in to choose the right word—man or homme?—for the circumstances. The prefrontal is also the site of those higher-order functions. The workout it gets in bilingualism carries over, buffing such IQ-building skills as problem solving and attention switching, finds cognitive scientist Ellen Bialystok of Canada’s York University. That workout seems to postpone dementia by five years, she and colleagues reported last February.



Learn more:   http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/01/buff-your-brain.html
Here's the list:   http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/12/30/31-ways-to-get-smarter-in-2012.all.html

Happy New Year!

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on January 31, 2012, 05:48:19 PM
We are very excited to announce the 5th edition of our Ezine Ecce, a publication of our SeniorLearn Classics Project and it's incredible this time. Our UK Editor, Maryemm, has outdone herself, and Marcie's work on the layout put the icing on the cake.

We have articles by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, a very interesting short piece on Sian Phillips, who played Livia in the I, Claudius production and who turns out to be, like Boris Johnson, a total fan of Latin.

We have articles by  prominent archaeologists,  Cambridge Don Mary Beard, articles of new finds and old places, and best of all, we have articles by our own current Latin students which are absolutely fascinating  on a variety of wide ranging subjects. What a talented and accomplished student body we have here! I particularly like the fact that each of our 6 Latin classes is represented in this issue.

Take some time to immerse yourselves in this exciting issue! We hope you enjoy it!

http://seniorlearn.org/classics/ecce/ecce5/titlepg.html  
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on January 31, 2012, 08:35:37 PM
I am speechless. Well almost. What a supremely outstanding edition of Ecce. You've all outdone yourselves this time. Grātulātiō!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: nancymc on February 01, 2012, 04:21:15 AM
I have just finished reading Ecce I should be somewhere else but could not stop reading once I started, what a superb publication.     It was hard to take it all in at one reading so I will go back again and again,   There was so much to learn.  Congratulations to Mary and all concerned.

What a honour to have my poor old visage printed for all to see.

Nancy
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Babi on February 01, 2012, 08:54:52 AM
GINNY, ECCE looks positively scrumptious.  It's gorgeous.  I've saved it to a
text file so I can read it at my leisure.  My congratulations to Marcie for the
beautiful layout.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Athena on February 01, 2012, 05:44:40 PM
CONGRATULATIONS TO MARYEMM, FOUNDING AND CONTINUING EDITOR OF ECCE!  YOU HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB FOR ALL OF US AGAIN.

AND TO MARCIE FOR THE GREAT LAYOUT JOB GO MORE KUDOS. 

(http://i1037.photobucket.com/albums/a454/redwine-n-strawberries/Greetings%20Funny%20or%20Flirty/Happy%20Birthday-Anniversary-Congratulaions/04c.gif)












Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Mippy on February 03, 2012, 08:45:31 AM
Well done, Maryemm!   Jolly well done, as some say!!  Fantastic !!
also
to Marcie!  Great work on the layout!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on February 05, 2012, 12:32:59 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GINNY!

I know I am a day late, shame on me.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on February 05, 2012, 05:18:43 PM
:) Thank you, Frybabe! :)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on February 05, 2012, 08:38:11 PM
Ginny - ...... and so say all of us!!!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on February 05, 2012, 09:48:41 PM
:) hahhaa  Thank you!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on February 06, 2012, 06:34:34 AM
At Chedworth Roman Villa (Glos.)a  new conservation shelter has been built to protect some  of the largest and most impressive Roman mosaics still in situ.The mosaics will now be better protected from frost and damp.

Read all about the Villa here at any of these links:



http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chedworth-roman-villa/ (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chedworth-roman-villa/)

http://www.chedworthromanvilla.com/ (http://www.chedworthromanvilla.com/)

http://www.chedworthromanvilla.com/chedworth-roman-villa-photographs.htm (http://www.chedworthromanvilla.com/chedworth-roman-villa-photographs.htm)

http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/roman%20britain/chedworth_villa.htm (http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/roman%20britain/chedworth_villa.htm)

.........................

My THANKS to ALL who liked "Ecce" and said so!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Babi on February 06, 2012, 08:37:07 AM
I'll echo Roshana Rose. At least I'm not the only one late to
wish you well, GINNY.  My heart is in the right place, even when
my mind isn't.
 
 MARYEMM, I love to visit places like that, sit, and imagine
people going about their daily lives there. That third link
has some really good pictures. The mosaic floor, all tiny tiles,
is beautiful.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on March 01, 2012, 04:19:35 PM
February 2012

Discovery of a Roman Cemetery in Djerba


See: http://www.tunisia-live.net/2012/02/14/discovery-of-a-roman-cemetery-in-djerba/ (http://www.tunisia-live.net/2012/02/14/discovery-of-a-roman-cemetery-in-djerba/)



..............................



Reconstructing the Hallaton Helmet


See:  http://www.archaeology.co.uk/uncategorized/reconstructing-the-hallaton-helmet.htm (http://www.archaeology.co.uk/uncategorized/reconstructing-the-hallaton-helmet.htm)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Babi on March 02, 2012, 08:23:08 AM
 Great links, MARYEMM.  I expect we'll be hearing more, eventually, from Djerba. I love to
mentally 'reconstruct' a place and a time.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on March 06, 2012, 02:05:10 PM


 
  Students to study little-known scholarly language of the Renaissance
 

                                         
by Cynthia Lee and Aaron Dalton



Mar 01, 2012 
[


Read more here at:   http://today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/learning-the-little-known-language-229883.aspx (http://today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/learning-the-little-known-language-229883.aspx)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on March 06, 2012, 06:15:24 PM
Oh, how interesting MaryEmm. I didn't know there was a Renaissance Latin, only an Ecclesiastical Latin. So they are not the same?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on March 08, 2012, 09:39:26 AM
No and how fascinating, and exciting. Thank you SO much Mary!! The very thought of untranslated Latin texts out there is mouth watering to any Latinist, kind of like finding the Fountain of Youth. How exciting to read this and the new finds in Tunisia.

I read not very long ago in the latest issue of Archaeology what the Arab Spring has really done to the endangered archaeological sites in those countries: it's quite sobering as you might expect:

http://www.archaeology.org/1201/features/topten_arab_spring.html

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on March 17, 2012, 12:55:35 PM



Set in the reign of the Emperor Domitian Lindsey Davis's new book


                                                       
Master & God



                                         
will be published in the US  5th June 2012   


See:     http://www.lindseydavis.co.uk/master&god.htm (http://www.lindseydavis.co.uk/master&god.htm)
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on March 17, 2012, 02:57:56 PM
Goodness. Not my favorite Emperor. Thanks for the heads up, MaryEmm.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on March 22, 2012, 05:46:40 PM

               Hoard of Roman coins found near Roman Baths in Bath


Read all about it here at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-17480016 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-17480016)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 22, 2012, 06:03:53 PM


The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)




Just out!
(http://www.seniorlearn.org/jane/jpgs_gifs/floormosaicsm.jpg)

We are very excited to announce the 5th edition of our Ezine Ecce, a publication of our SeniorLearn Classics Project and it's incredible this time. Our UK Editor, Maryemm, has outdone herself, and Marcie's work on the layout put the icing on the cake.

We have articles by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, a very interesting short piece on Sian Phillips, who played Livia in the I, Claudius production and who turns out to be, like Boris Johnson, a total fan of Latin.

We have articles by  prominent archaeologists,  Cambridge Don Mary Beard, articles of new finds and old places, and best of all, we have articles by our own current Latin students which are absolutely fascinating  on a variety of wide ranging subjects. What a talented and accomplished student body we have here! I particularly like the fact that each of our 6 Latin classes is represented in this issue.

Take some time to immerse yourselves in this exciting issue! We hope you enjoy it!

http://seniorlearn.org/classics/ecce/ecce5/titlepg.html  


MaryEmm. When something is declared a treasure. Do the finders get what, a percentage of value or auction price, or a set fee for finding them? If it is not declared a treasure then I assume that the finder is free to do with it as he/she pleases.

George was just telling me last night that he watched a program where people were metal detecting along the Thames. He told me that there is a license that people have to get to do metal detecting and that the fee price depends on the size of the metal detector head. On top of that he said that the license fees are different depending on which side of the Thames the detecting is being done. Sounds strange. Is the licensing of metal detectors a local revenue thing or is it a national thing?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on March 26, 2012, 10:27:40 AM


 Fascinating questions. I have never found any "treasure" and so  I have never really thought about the answers!  


Quote
Today the common law of Treasure Trove, which dictates that all treasure found, belongs to the Crown until an owner is established is no longer in effect in most of the UK.  Instead, the Treasure Act of 1996 replaced the Treasure Trove laws carefully outlawing what qualifies as treasure and what does not.
 
However, those who go metal detecting in Scotland still are obliged to follow the Treasure Trove laws as they are still in place and thus must turn over any treasure they find to the Crown by heading to a local museum who can determine if the item needs to be given away or if the finder can keep it.

from :  http://www.treasuretrove.org.uk/

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/24/contents

http://finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/summary

http://finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/finders

http://finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/adviceonbuying

http://finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/forearchaeologists (http://www.treasuretrove.org.uk/

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/24/contents

http://finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/summary

http://finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/finders

http://finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/adviceonbuying

http://finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/forearchaeologists)

MUDLARKS : the name given to people who search for items in rivers.

The following link has an excellent video that will give lots of information.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8496000/8496903.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8496000/8496903.stm)

The following link is truly interesting as there are loads of images of finds. But BEWARE : the language is a bit iffy  and some of the "cartoon" comments are a bit rude! I am aware of the sensitive natures of the readers here!  ;D

http://www.thamesandfield.co.uk/ (http://www.thamesandfield.co.uk/)





Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on March 31, 2012, 12:02:50 PM
 I have just finished reading "Master and God" and have to admit that although I enjoyed reading it and, as usual, Lindsey Davis brought Rome to life, I felt that two books are combined here : an historical one dedicated to Domitian, and a "romantic" one detailing the love affair between Lucilla, court hairdresser, and Gaius Vinius, Praetorian Guard.

As a L. D fan I hate adversely criticising her work but I found the book too long and my attention wandered. Sometimes a bawdy earthiness seemed to be dragged in and I found this irritating and off-putting.

I have read each one of all her other books at least four times but this one will be lucky (!) to get another read.

I hope it's me. I like Lindsey Davis's novels.

On the plus side I want to find out even more about Domitian. I had no idea he was such a tyrant. I can see why Frybabe does not list him amongst her favourites!



 
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Babi on April 01, 2012, 08:13:56 AM
 I generally like Lindsey Davis, too, MARYEMM.  I agree, tho', that when anything gives the feel
of having been 'dragged in', it definitely spoils the flow of the story.  Haven't read this one, but
may read it anyway to learn more about Domitian.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Mippy on April 07, 2012, 11:50:34 AM
UPDATE on restoration of Pompeii, in NY Times today:

THE GREAT POMPEII PROJECT, as the program has been named, received a contribution of $137 million (euros ? or dollars? ) from the European Union.  The Italian government announced a four-year plan for the protection of Pompeii.  Around 2.3 million people visit the ruins each year.   Some of the funds will be used for diagnostic purposes to determine which areas are most at risk.


                   
As all of you probably have read, the state of the ruins have become more precarious lately.   In 2010 another area gave way.
Ginny ~  are you going again this summer?
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Maryemm on April 15, 2012, 09:12:54 AM

Here in the UK., starting this coming Tuesday, Professor Mary Beard will be presenting a new programme,
"All Roads Lead to Rome".

Read all about it here at:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ghsjx (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ghsjx)

Sounds great!

(She was kind enough to allow us to publish some of her work in "Ecce")
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on April 15, 2012, 04:25:13 PM
Mary, thank you for that, I hope that somebody will put it on Youtube so we can see it in the US. I hear somebody has put up her Pompeii series on youtube, also.

Mippy, yes, I am planning, if nothing happens, to make my 19th visit this summer.

But look what's new: see next post!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on April 15, 2012, 04:38:56 PM
The waiting is over and the results are in and once again our Latin students have distinguished themselves by winning awards on the National Latin Exam!!!

This year 148,000 students from all 50 states and 13 foreign countries including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe from all levels including college and university, took  the National Latin  Exam.

We are very proud to announce our winners:
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/2012NLE.jpg)

Introduction to Latin Exam: First Place, Outstanding Achievement, Purple and Gold Ribbon: Perfect Paper: Perranza

Introduction to Latin Exam: First Place, Outstanding Achievement, Purple and Gold Ribbon: Perfect Paper: Suetonius

Introduction to Latin Exam: First Place, Outstanding Achievement, Purple and Gold Ribbon: Harry10

Introduction to Latin Exam: First Place, Outstanding Achievement, Purple and Gold Ribbon: Marilyn

Introduction to Latin Exam: First Place, Outstanding Achievement, Purple and Gold Ribbon: Collie Rose

Latin I Exam: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude, Perfect Paper: Geoff

Latin I Exam: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude, Perfect Paper: Josh Young

Latin I Exam: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude, Perfect Paper: Mogamom

Latin I Exam: Gold Medal,  Summa Cum Laude, Perfect Paper: Roxania

Latin I Exam: Gold Medal, Summe Cum Laude: Yvonne Miller

Latin II Exam: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude, Perfect Paper: Hidaroupe

Latin II Exam: Cum Laude: Bow_Belle


Many congratulations to all of you for this incredible achievement!!
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Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on April 15, 2012, 11:11:11 PM
Fantastic effort all!  How beautiful those medals and their ribbons are.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on April 15, 2012, 11:15:43 PM
Congratulations everyone!
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: ginny on April 18, 2012, 08:50:50 AM
ISN'T this exciting? And thank you for the nice comments, they deserve them. We are so proud of ALL of our students, those who took the test and those who didn't, it's exhilarating!


Here's something everybody who is interested in Classics might appreciate, brought to my attention yesterday by a 200 student.

(Did everybody see The Swerve won the Pulitzer for Non Fiction?) The Classics is certainly hot right now. This article is about a year old,  but  new to me, and well worth reading:


The Classics Rock

Eleven reasons Plutarch and Herodotus still matter.
BY JAKUB GRYGIEL | APRIL 2, 2010

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/04/02/the_classics_rock?page=0,1&hidecomments=yes

Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Tomereader1 on April 18, 2012, 11:22:00 AM
For those here who love the Greek history, etc, this month's "Bookmarks" magazine has a wonderful article "Novels of Ancient Greece".  Even I recognized some of the titles by Mary Renault. There is a fairly recent (2011) book by Madeline Miller, "The Song of Achilles", which I had previously read a review of in some magazine in a waiting room.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: eyelcu on April 18, 2012, 12:36:15 PM
Roshanrose, I am fascinated to read your quote below your posts;
Quote
How can you prove whether at this moment we are sleeping, and all our thoughts are a dream; or whether we are awake, and talking to one another in the waking state?  - Plato

My reason is that there is a new, mid-season TV show called Awake (NBC, thursdays at 10 pm Eastern), whose premise is that a detective is having separate but intertwined days, and he doesn't know which is a dream and which is his real, daily life.

Who says that the classics have no relevance to modern life??!!
JimF
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: Frybabe on April 18, 2012, 02:03:30 PM
I've separated out my Roman History ebooks and my Latin language/literature ebooks into their own folders now. I am up to seven ebooks in the language/literature folder; the latest download is "Beginning Latin Poetry Reader: 70 Great Passages from Classical Roman Verse and Drama" by Gavin Betts and Daniel Franklin. It is from McGraw-Hill's Latin Reader Series. It was a freebie. At least I don't remember seeing a price on it, but I might be surprised when I get my bill. Copyrighted 2007, it is also in print.
Title: Re: Classics Bulletin Board
Post by: roshanarose on April 18, 2012, 10:41:59 PM
Thanks Jim for your post.I do believe in parallel universes.  I think that when people mistakenly label people as schizophrenic that they are not cognizant with the fact that many people do live separate lives in their heads, I know I do.  Schizophrenia, although "schizo" is Greek for split does not mean split personality at all.  What it does mean is a separation from reality.  My daughter, who is a Clinical Psychologist and I were discussing this last night actually.  She said, and I agree, that like pleasure and pain that there is a very thin line dividing sanity and insanity.  I actually hate using these labels, but apart from telepathy between humans it is difficult for me to describe.  btw my other daughter was schizophrenic.

Tomereader - I have Miller's "The song of achilles" on my Sony Touch reader.  It is in a long line of TBR's but I will let you know what I think of it.  Yes.  We Hellenophiles cut our teeth on Mary Renault, but probably the most influential in introducing me to Greek myths and heroes was a writer called Gustav Schwab.  He made them come alive.  And they were all waiting for me on my first trip to Greece  ;) and we remained good friends up to and including my second trip.  Now I just love them from afar.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on April 19, 2012, 05:59:25 PM
 WOW!!! I am so proud of our Latin students.  I brag to my family about
the brilliant people I associate with daily.  8) ;D

  If I were better at graphics, I'd add one of my own.

CONGRATULATIONS!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 20, 2012, 08:44:19 PM
Don (Radioman), just posted the rest of the pix from his most recent trip to Israel. He has some wonderful pix of Caesaria on posts 223 and 221. I had no idea that Caesaria was so large. The chariot race circuit looks like it is right on the beach. If you don't have a Senior and Friends account you can still see the pix. Just click on page 8 and scroll down to the pix.

http://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=1239.0
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on April 21, 2012, 11:13:27 AM
Thank you so much for all the nice comments and wonderful bits of news! This is a great place to talk about books  about the classics, we're interested in all your opinions on each, so don't spare them.

Frybabe, those are wonderful photos! Thank you for bringing them here.



Latin sure is hot lately, I  just saw this on the Merriam Webster site today:



Top 10 Latin Words to Live By:

Over the centuries, certain Latin phrases have been used widely enough in English to get included in the dictionary. This list contains some of our favorites:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/top-ten-lists/top-10-latin-words-to-live-by/amor-vincit-omnia.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 23, 2012, 12:13:21 PM

 GREAT RESULTS


(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT4ElG3jcztVehMetPB9gJkRTfDLjckQ34j99-BkNfuoyIEBQVO)



Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 23, 2012, 12:14:13 PM




Rome's desperate housewives: Forget orgies, over-eating and incest, Mrs Average in Caesar's reign was just like us (but x-rated).

By Mary Beard



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2133010/Romes-desperate-housewives-Forget-orgies-eating-incest-Mrs-Average-Caesars-reign-just-like-x-rated.html#ixzz1ssdJPG95 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2133010/Romes-desperate-housewives-Forget-orgies-eating-incest-Mrs-Average-Caesars-reign-just-like-x-rated.html#ixzz1ssdJPG95)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 23, 2012, 12:22:54 PM


Italian 'finds' sculpture of Antony and Cleopatra's twins

Work identified in Cairo's Egyptian Museum


http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/2012/04/20/Italian-finds-sculpture-Antony-Cleopatra-twins_6752091.html (http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/2012/04/20/Italian-finds-sculpture-Antony-Cleopatra-twins_6752091.html)


Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: roshanarose on April 23, 2012, 11:56:08 PM
Ginny and Maryemm - Thanks for those interesting links.  Ginny, I shall attempt tp slip those Latinisms into my next "Friends of Antiquity" meeting at the University.  8)  The first and last are my favourites.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on April 25, 2012, 05:38:01 PM
Excellent! You'll WOW them!




The hottest thing on tv today in the UK is a series running in several parts by Mary Beard on the BBC called Meet the Romans. This series is not available in the US yet but there are three excerpts here on youtube from it, including an spectacular catacombs like structure, not to be missed.  Each snippet is 5 minutes long but her entire program on Pompeii is also there and it's a treat:


Pompeii: Life and Death in a Roman Town

The Mary Beard BBC Special not available in the US:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sap5A4Vk-Wo&feature=related


The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in the year AD 79. The eruption buried Pompeii under 4 to 6 meters of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1700 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1749. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire.

_________________________________________________

Mary Beard, Cambridge don and professor of classics, is currently being shown on the BBC in a several part series called Meet the Romans.

It's not available here, but here are three 5 minute segments from each to whet the appetite: first a trip into an incredible columbarium and tombstone reading:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_VcMlQsrzE&feature=email

Mary Beard Shows us a Remarkable Ancient Roman Communal Tomb - Meet the Romans - Episode 2 - BBC Two


____________________________________________

Then series I:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRf42bh-BlE&feature=email

Mary Beard Shows Us a Roman Gladiator's Helmet - Meet the Romans with Mary Beard - BBC Two


_____________________________________

Then finally from the 3rd series:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUiNHWDPgog&feature=email

Some of the Remarkable Objects the Romans Left Behind - Meet the Romans with Mary Beard - BBC Two

Enjoy!

We can only hope that we can see these in their entirety soon.





Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 26, 2012, 03:53:45 PM
I loved Mary Beard's "Meet the Romans" Part 1. Missed the second one and hav been frantically trying to find out if it is being repeated.

Horrified to read that the Professor is being criticised for not looking like a bimbo. AA Gill journalist for a Sunday newspaper has been scathingly rude in his criticism of her appearance and this has created quite a furore.

One article in her defence:

AA Gill, drop the cheap jibes about Mary Beard – and learn something


http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/25/aa-gill-jibes-mary-beard (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/25/aa-gill-jibes-mary-beard)


Mary Beard hits back at AA Gill after he brands her "too ugly for television"  

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/celebritynews/9223149/Mary-Beard-hits-back-at-AA-Gill-after-he-brands-her-too-ugly-for-television.html[/url]


What an obnoxious man! I hope Nemesis notes all this.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on April 26, 2012, 06:57:14 PM
I cannot believe people are commenting negatively on  her appearance!  What is the matter with people today?

What  a ridiculous inconsequential thing to address and quite stupid: I think she's very attractive, tho that's not the point of the program, and I love her enthusiasm for what she's doing and her obvious knowledge.   Have we come to this in 2012?

 I'd rather watch her read a tombstone  than the most gifted and beautiful actor read his or her lines: (which somebody else, probably her,  would have to write first). SHE'S the original and  real and she's doing something nobody else is.  I think she's absolutely  fabulous.


I loved the snippets I put here and saw, and just look at this one, here's another:


It shows the Porta Maggiore in Rome, up close,  but does not identify it.  Our Latin 101 students  remember the Porta Maggiore from our aqueduct chapter as showing the Aqua Claudia as it enters the city, but here you can get a real idea of the size of it close up!  And she explains the strange tomb of Eurysaces the Baker which everybody always wonders about.  Not to be missed: the best couple of minutes you'll spend today:

Mary Beard Introduces Us to a Resident of Ancient Rome - Meet the Romans with Mary Beard - BBC Two

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSB-kRfyWD4&feature=email



I am on fire to get a copy of that DVD, in any format.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 26, 2012, 08:45:02 PM
I think Mary Beard hit the nail on the head. I wouldn't have called Gill's remarks misogynist. I would have called HIM misogynist. He seems to have a habit of putting down educated women. Feeling a little inadequate are we Mr. Gill?  

Oh, and the youtube bit about the furniture. How wonderful to see these. I am surprised she was touching them without gloves on.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on April 27, 2012, 08:28:26 AM
  I can remember way back when, a columnist whose name I've happily forgotten, who was
so infuriatingly chauvinistic people hated him. Oddly, I read him for a while just to
see what snotty remarks he had to make that day. Maybe Gill is pitching for that kind
of following. I didn't continue to irritate myself for long; soon decided it wasn't worth
the aggravation.
  I agree, GINNY. From the picture in the link, Mary Beard looked to me to be warm,
attractive, with a face alive with humor and intelligence.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on April 29, 2012, 01:46:48 PM
Our May book club online is "Women in Greek Drama": reading three Greek plays featuring strong women. Find out why these women have been famous in literature for two thousand years. The pre-discussion is here:

http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=3156.0 (http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=3156.0)

We’ll start the first play, Sophocles’ Antigone, on May 15, so there’s still plenty of time.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: rosemarykaye on May 02, 2012, 08:44:45 AM
I know i don't usually post in here, but just had to let off steam - that truly appalling Samantha Brick woman has just been extensively quoted in the Daily Mail (one of worst and most reactionary newspapers) as saying that Mary Beard should not be allowed on TV because she is too ugly.  No kidding. 

Fortunately I think Mary B is very sensible and quite robust enough to ignore this rubbish (she was in fact a graduate student when I was at Cambridge, and taught some of my friends who were reading Classics,  They loved her.), but just who does this Brick woman think she is?  Last week it was how hard it is for her to be as beautiful as she thinks she is, now she is having a go at an intelligent, interesting, independent woman.  AA Gill is clearly terrified of clever women, but Brick has even less excuse.  She is just dreadful.

Rant over  ;D

Rosemary
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 02, 2012, 09:09:25 AM
Oh for heaven's sake.

Here's one article on it:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9240477/Samantha-Brick-Mary-Beard-is-too-ugly-for-television.html

I can't get over how the pot is calling the kettle black here. First Mr. Gill who appears to be some sort of vampire movie hold over and now  this woman.  Huh?

I don't find Ms. Brick beautiful, at all. I'm astounded she thinks she is, perhaps it's a publicity stunt. SHE'S the one who wrote people hate her because she's pretty?

She  can mark one more person in me who "doesn't hate her because she is beautiful,"  off the list. She isn't, to me, anyway.


In her argument tho she keeps talking about being  a "presenter," there's a difference in a "presenter" and Mary Beard.

Did you know Mary Beard when you were at school?

Pretty is as pretty does.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 02, 2012, 01:50:18 PM
The difference between a "presenter" and someone like Mary Beard is that a presenter doesn't usually know beans about their subject other than what is scripted. Ms. Beard is the real deal, and therefore, much more appealing to me.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on May 03, 2012, 08:29:35 AM
 I would suggest that Samantha Brick is too ignorant and thick-headed to be allowedin print.   :P
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: rosemarykaye on May 03, 2012, 09:22:08 AM
 ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 05, 2012, 11:53:15 AM
 I am beginning to believe that this is a publicity ploy on Ms Brick's part. She actually said that at a dinner party ten out of ten men would be attracted to her.

 Another so-called celebrity, Nancy Dell'Olio, has gone a step further: she says any man would want to flirt with her. If he doesn't, he's gay!  :o

 Well that's their opinion and they are entitled to it but when Ms Brick is disparaging about Professor Beard then that's another matter.

 It seems to me that the world today has become a place where bullies flourish. No wonder there are bullies in schools, on Facebook etc., when people like AA Gill and Ms Brick get away with their nasty little comments.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 05, 2012, 03:15:16 PM
Absolutely! I agree 100 percent, Mary, and with you all here too, so well said.

We have become a culture of Appearance. Look at John Edwards and his 700 dollar hair cuts. He is a nice looking man on the surface but apparently below it he's the worst of the worst: a scum bag by any definition.

The thing I can't come around to, aside from the impropriety of even being ignorant enough to comment on such an insignificant  thing as Mary Beard's appearance, is, at the end of the day,  this  Brick woman is not pretty? She's not beautiful by any standard and to me she's not even pretty, she's kind of plain or something, is that a bad photo of her?  And who cares what she looks like anyway: she's uncharitable and hateful and would not be pretty now to anybody,  no matter what she did.

The woman currently doing the potato chip commercials to the Al Green song Let's Stay  Together in the US is beautiful. Her features are beautiful. The Brick woman is plain, I'm sorry, if that's the best they can do with all that million dollar "presenter"  make up, she's just not pretty. It's got to be a joke. Maybe it IS a publicity stunt, if so it's going to backfire: she's what we call here a plain jane.

 I can't believe she thinks she IS beautiful? Are the two countries that different? Wasn't Elizabeth Taylor from the UK? 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on May 06, 2012, 08:31:10 AM
  All of which reinforces my happy decision to totally ignore the 'celebrities'. If their
'celebrity' consists of being highly visible, rich, and scandalous, I really don't
care to know the details of their private lives, or what their opinion is on any
matter.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: rosemarykaye on May 06, 2012, 09:58:39 AM
Ginny, yes Elizabeth Taylor was English.

I don't know anyone here in the UK who thinks that Brick woman is pretty.  Or that oily woman either.  And I too hate the way bullies are playing an increasing role in society.  Was forced (well sort of - too lazy to move!) to endure Top Gear on TV last night.  Jeremy Clarkson (who is a great chum of AA Gill but considerably stupider) and his sidekicks are just awful - horrible public school boys who've never grown up and who think anyone who doesn't laugh at their puerile, sexist, comments 'doesn't have a sense of humour' or is 'frigid', etc.  Awful, awful, awful.  Unfortunately also v popular.

And of course the worst public schoolboys of them all are our current leaders, though I'm glad to say they have received a major drubbing in last week's local elections.

Rosemary
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 06, 2012, 12:50:17 PM
I too was forced (like you to lazy or polite to get up) to watch Top Gear a few times. One thing that sticks out, other than I am not interested in the program, is one of the shows they did in the US. I had seen the same one before, but didn't a nickname they used for their driver didn't mean anything to me the first time. The second time, after I had read several of Jasper Fford's Thursday Next series, I got the reference. One of the guys called the driver "Stieg" (or Steig, forget the spelling). That is the name of a Neanderthal character in the books. I am wondering which one was truly Neanderthal.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 06, 2012, 05:13:45 PM


Quote
She's not beautiful by any standard and to me she's not even pretty
: Ginny

That is the general consensus here but her "reply" is that we are all jealous.

 Now I would LOVE to look like Anjelina Jolie, or the late Ava Gardner, or Hedy Lamarr!

Incidentally, did you know that the latter "was co-holder in 1942 of a patent on spread spectrum radio, a technology that would eventually underlie today's mobile and cordless telephones, the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS."

Read more: http://digitaljournal.com/article/315458#ixzz1u7siF2v3

If I'm going to be envious of anyone i'm going to be envious of Ms Lamarr.  ::)

 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: roshanarose on May 07, 2012, 12:48:48 AM
Frybabe - I believe the "pet racing car "driver you are referring to is "The Stig" and much has been made of him.  Evidently there was a rumour that he was a real-life racing car driver, some even said Schumacher, who enjoyed the part of "pet racing driver".  It cannot be denied that he drives a whole lot better than any of the others.  I think "The Stig" retired/or was sacked and his true identity never revealed.  I am rather partial to seeing the beautiful cars and I used to watch the program a lot.  I haven't seen it for ages, though.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on May 07, 2012, 08:10:06 AM
 


The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)




Just out!
(http://www.seniorlearn.org/jane/jpgs_gifs/floormosaicsm.jpg)

We are very excited to announce the 5th edition of our Ezine Ecce, a publication of our SeniorLearn Classics Project and it's incredible this time. Our UK Editor, Maryemm, has outdone herself, and Marcie's work on the layout put the icing on the cake.

We have articles by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, a very interesting short piece on Sian Phillips, who played Livia in the I, Claudius production and who turns out to be, like Boris Johnson, a total fan of Latin.

We have articles by  prominent archaeologists,  Cambridge Don Mary Beard, articles of new finds and old places, and best of all, we have articles by our own current Latin students which are absolutely fascinating  on a variety of wide ranging subjects. What a talented and accomplished student body we have here! I particularly like the fact that each of our 6 Latin classes is represented in this issue.

Take some time to immerse yourselves in this exciting issue! We hope you enjoy it!

http://seniorlearn.org/classics/ecce/ecce5/titlepg.html   



 Oh, there have always been bullies, as I'm sure you know.  They're just getting more
blatant now. There seems to be a quirk in human nature that we also watch those
people who make us angry; we want to know what idiocy they up to now. And since their
primary goal is, imo, publicity, it works out well for them. I think the only way
to get rid of them is to let their backers/funders/producers know they're losing our
business because of it.

  I've never watched Top Gear, and thanks to you ladies I can now be careful never
to do so.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 21, 2012, 10:24:07 AM
Here's something interesting. One of our Latin students, currently in Paris, writes that Le Figaro is running an  article on Pompeii, the subject being  are the Unesco funds  for preservation really being used FOR preservation? I hope to see if I can find it Wednesday at a B&N but I did find this one, 2 years old but really interesting, called The Second Death of Pompeii. It's in French but Google has translated it:

(http://www.lefigaro.fr/medias/2010/12/11/f6932d90-046d-11e0-986b-e47de607828b.jpg)


 The second death of Pompeii]=http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2010/12/11/03004-20101211ARTFIG00096-la-seconde-mort-de-pompei.php&ei=CU66T-ClOOPM6QHG5O3yCg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CFIQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DLe%2BFigaro%2BThe%2BSecond%2BDeath%2Bof%2BPompeii%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DvEp%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D853%26bih%3D351%26prmd%3Dimvnsb] The second death of Pompeii  (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2010/12/11/03004-20101211ARTFIG00096-la-seconde-mort-de-pompei.php&ei=CU66T-ClOOPM6QHG5O3yCg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CFIQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DLe%2BFigaro%2BThe%2BSecond%2BDeath%2Bof%2BPompeii%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DvEp%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D853%26bih%3D351%26prmd%3Dimvnsb)



One really interesting thing here is a youtube video about part way down which shows the truly deplorable state of things, and it was an eyeopener, but of course is in French. I don't think you need to be able to translate tho when faced with the photos.

PS: Sorry about that mess of a link but it works. There are actually two links embedded there, one for the original article in French one for the English translation, but it works so I'm going to leave it. :)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 21, 2012, 05:40:42 PM
That's a shame, Ginny. I had heard about a wall collapse and some talk about the deteriorating conditions. The pictures bring it home as to just how bad it is.

BTW, have you been down to Ostia to see the ruins there? I watched episode 16 of the Yale lecture series on Roman Architecture the other night. It appears that all of the mosaics are in black and white (with maybe one exception). Ms. Kleiner did not say why. I thought it odd since it was a great import/export city. I would have thought there would have been more color.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 21, 2012, 08:25:50 PM
 Yes I've been to Ostia several times and each time they've had something new to see, but I can't make it this year due to my extremely short time in Rome and Pompeii.


That's a really good question!  There is a Plaza of the Corporations or Guilds,  which Rick Steves does a fine job with in his DVD, and those, it's always been thought, were shops or entrance ways to shops which were advertising of what that particular service offered. See below.

Apparently  the Romans  of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD seem to have  preferred the black and white colors and patterns,  and the mosaics of the time  tended to be those colors.. The geometric designs are felt if I remember Fishbourne correctly, to be earlier than the more ornate ones.  There are several books on this now, here's a quote from one:

 
Quote
The Romans seemed to like simple black motifs on a white background. Some of the best of these can be seen at Ostia, the port of ancient Rome. In the various baths the favoured design is of Neptune and sea monsters. In the Square of the Corporations, by the theatre, there are individual designs in the ‘offices of the corporations’ which portray a wide range of merchant vessels, images of the port’s lighthouse and items traded. They also give us some of the sources of trade with Ostia. There are also many floors covered in simple black and white patterns or with the addition of purple, as in the Baths of Caracalla.

That comes from: http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/classical/roman-mosaics.pdf which is an excellent article.

Then there's this statement from the Sussex UK  Historical Society (dealing of course with Fishbourne but touching on the Roman Empire of the same period):
Quote
During the 1st century BC in Italy black-and-white geometric mosaics came to dominate the mosaicists’ industry, perhaps as a reaction to the fact that figured panels now appeared more often on walls of rooms. Polychrome mosaics now became a rarity and black-and-white geometric mosaics were still predominant in Ostia during the 2nd century AD. It is, of course, in this context that the geometric mosaics of Fishbourne were situated, being works of the last quarter of the 1st century AD. With the emergence of black-and-white geometric mosaics borders seem to have become simpler, often consisting simply of two or three solid black lines (as in some of the Fishbourne examples).



 Here's  one of many interesting websites on the mosaics of Ostia with photos of them:
 http://www.ostia-antica.org/piazzale/corp.htm


Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 22, 2012, 09:36:04 AM
Thanks for the links, Ginny. I've saved the pdf article for later reading. The link to the pix of the mosaics and inscriptions is terrific. I do love the floor plans. Now I am curious about the Claudian level and why the stalls may or may not be linked to commercial activity. Also, I want to go back over which wall panel styles were prevalent at the time. Maybe they didn't want the floor mosaics clashing with the wall art? Sounds mostly like a change in decorative fashion. For a commercial emporium, I suppose b/w is best for conveying information. They were not after an artistic statement there, so why spend the extra money for color? Also, the building owners may have had a stricture on stall rental/ownership that the mosaics be all the same color/style.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 28, 2012, 06:21:28 PM
I've just added a toolbar to my Firefox browser that is supposed to help learning Latin. It is called Alpheios Project. It looks like they also do Greek and Arabic. It comes with inflection tables and Charles Bennetts New Latin Grammer, 1918 edition. It also has a place for me to make a word list and something for "diagrams". I don't know what the latter is for yet. I can save my data too. Since I have this on my downstairs computer, I don't have to lug my books upstairs and I have extra room to spread out (unless the cat gets too helpful  ;D).
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on May 29, 2012, 08:56:05 AM
 When my younger cat starts parading across my keyboard, FRYBABE, she is simply announcing
"I'm going to keep doing this until you get up and let me out!"  ;D
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 31, 2012, 07:40:15 AM
American author Madeline Miller has won the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction with her debut novel The Song of Achilles (Bloomsbury)




Quote
The Song of Achilles Greece in the age of Heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to Phthia to live in the shadow of King Peleus and his strong, beautiful son, Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper — despite the displeasure of Achilles’s mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

Available from Amazon
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 08, 2012, 07:40:38 AM
The Twelve Caesars : Matthew Dennison

Available from Amazon


Matthew Dennison has updated The Twelve Caesars written by Suetonius in AD 117. Although this has been "re-written" many times, Dennison's account is said to be colourfully embroidered for a modern audience.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 08, 2012, 07:46:40 AM

 JULIUS CAESAR
  ( Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK)

 This new production, directed by Gregory Doran is set in sub-Saharan Africa.

 Caesar carries a fly whisk, just as Jomo Kenyatta did

 Lucius (Brutus's young servant) is a boy soldier, as seen in Rwanda.

 The plotters wear the sort of robes sometimes worn by South Africa's President Jacob Zuma.

 The streets of Rome are patrolled by sjambok-wielding policemen who keep the populus just about under control.


Interesting!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on June 08, 2012, 08:38:47 AM
 Sub-Saharan Africa and a fly whisk...in Rome!  It seems there are endless possible twists or
settings for a classical story.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 08, 2012, 11:45:03 AM


 What will they think of next?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ANNIE on June 14, 2012, 06:38:30 PM
My sister, Mary, and I are kicking around going to NYC in September.  We are looking at dates of Sept 18 thru 25th.  If anyone wants to join us for just a good visit, nothing planned ahead, we will try to make Leo reservations by Friday when those dates should be firmed up. ANYONE WANT TO JOIN US?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ANNIE on June 16, 2012, 10:49:37 AM
Well, evidently, no one wants to go to NYC with us.   :'   Boo Hoo! (Maybe its because we haven't planned anything for a group.) 

We have talked of a few things--like seeing the Tenement Museum, seeing that park that Pedl'n told us about but we never made it up there.  Visiting the new Tower, always another peek at the Met Museum of Art or the Cloisters (when are those free guided MET tours, Ginny?)
 
Taking a tour of Brooklyn or NYC or a chocolate tour, something on a boat again? well,maybe.  Attending a musical if tickets are available.

See the Morgan Library!

Would like to go to another 8th Ave Festival and see if I can replace my ceramic leaf.  I broke the first one about a month ago.

And of course, perusing the restaurants that we have recently been told not to miss.  Might go back to ''The Boat House" restaurant in Central Park. We are looking into what else Central Park has to offer that we haven't seen. They advertise walking tours of park.

Most important for Mary is the shopping but Alf won't be there to keep her company and I am not long for this world after the 30 minutes of shopping.  But there's always something to do in NYC!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 22, 2012, 09:34:31 AM
Google has launched a project specifically for saving endangered languages. Check it out.

http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 22, 2012, 03:39:34 PM
AdoAnnie :
Quote
Well, evidently, no one wants to go to NYC with us.


 I'm in the UK!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on June 23, 2012, 08:45:51 AM
 You should contact them, FRYBABE; be sure they know about GINNY and her international
prize-winning students!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 23, 2012, 09:16:06 AM
I don't think Classical Latin is listed as an endangered language, Babi. With the school districts dropping foreign language and Latin in some places because of the budget cuts, it sure feels like it though.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on June 24, 2012, 08:03:34 AM
 I can certainly understand why ethnic groups would like to preserve their language, and scholars
and researchers would find it a great boon.  At the same time,  we keep trying to develop a
world-wide 'language' that everyone would speak and people would be able to understand one
another wherever they go.  Once upon a time every educated person could speak the language
of the Roman Empire. Then it was French.  Now English is spoken all over the world, though of
course not by all people.
  It's a bit embarassing, isn't it, that people all over the world have learned to speak English, and
usually other languages as well, while here in the USA we are cutting foreign languages out of
many of our schools.  We have been on a 'dumbing down' cycle for too long now.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 26, 2012, 11:16:32 AM
Roman road found over top an older Greek road in Thessaloniki.

http://news.yahoo.com/subway-unearths-ancient-road-greece-215137746.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 28, 2012, 08:34:58 AM
Another interesting site:  http://orbis.stanford.edu/  This site attempts to calculate the time and expense of traveling from one place to another around 200CE. If you click on the word maps at the bottom left corner of the maps, you are taken to another map and a calculator program which you can enter start, destination, method and time of travel, etc. to come up with an estimate.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on June 28, 2012, 08:48:48 AM
  FRYBABE, I know you have a curious mind, but you do come up with some odd interests.  ;)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 28, 2012, 09:59:19 AM
 ;D That's why George says I likes me; I'm not a one subject person.

Roman history is something of an interest of mine.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on June 29, 2012, 08:25:32 AM
 That's why I like you, too, FRYBABE.   :D
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 10, 2012, 11:58:25 AM

Sea surrenders pristine Roman sarcophagus




See:

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Sea+surrenders+pristine+Roman+sarcophagus+/26909 (http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Sea+surrenders+pristine+Roman+sarcophagus+/26909)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 10, 2012, 12:00:45 PM


Large Roman cemetery discovered in Norfolk


See:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-18693970 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-18693970)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on July 10, 2012, 02:45:57 PM
What a lovely sarcophagus. It does look "new" doesn't it?

While looking around to see if I could find more information this one, MaryEmm, I ran across an article about another which was found in 1931. Lots of close ups of the sculpture. http://www.kuriositas.com/2011/01/portonaccio-sarcophagus-amazing-relic.html

I believe this is the first time I've seen a gravy with a decapitated head placed between the legs at the feet. The article says this is not uncommon. I wonder why they placed it there?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 11, 2012, 06:17:18 AM


 Frybabe:
  Lots of interesting facts here at:


http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba69/feat2.shtml (http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba69/feat2.shtml)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on July 11, 2012, 08:16:03 AM
Good Lord, I must have been hungry when I did that last post. "gravy"?  ::)

Thanks for the additional info Maryemm. I will take a closer look at it when I get back from the grocery store.  Again with food. Hah!

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 12, 2012, 03:56:14 PM



SEMPER PLUIT


We have had the wettest "Summer" since weather records began and I live in the so-called "sunny South"!

I used to feel sorry for the Romans who were here but according to the papers today the weather wasn't so bad then!!

See:  http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/how-the-romans-wore-togas-in-winter-1.1339824 (http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/how-the-romans-wore-togas-in-winter-1.1339824)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ANNIE on July 14, 2012, 07:59:39 PM
Miracles of miracles!  I heard from Joan Roberts!  Her computer crashed about 4 months? ago and she has lost everything including all her Latin work.   
But, she got my message about NYC and will be coming in for just one day to visit with those of us who will be there.  Physical problems prohibit a stay at Leo House.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 20, 2012, 02:30:04 PM
I am reading Andrew Lang's Adventures in Books. He is talking about Herodotus' writings in, I believe, The Histories: The Peloponnesian Wars.
Quote
…the tale keeps its pathos; the calm, grave stamp of that tragic telling cannot be worn away by much handling, by long time, by the many changes of human speech. “Others too,” says Nicias, in that fatal speech, when
   “All was done that men may do, And all was done in vain,” –
   “having achieved what men may, have borne what men must.” This is the very burden of life, and the last word of tragedy. For now all is vain: courage, wisdom, piety, the bravery of Lamachus, the goodness of Nicias, the brilliance of Alcibiades, all are expended, all wasted, nothing of that brave venture abides, except torture, defeat, and death. No play not(sic) poem of individual fortunes is so moving as this ruin of a people, no modern story can stir us, with all its eloquence, like the brief gravity of this ancient history. Nor can we find, at the last, any wisdom more wise than that which bids us do what men may, and bear what men must. Such are the lessons of the Greek, of the people who tried all things…

Quite striking, I thought.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on August 21, 2012, 08:20:41 AM
A wonderful excerpt, FRYBABE.  Now I really must find that Herodotus book. 
  One thing I'm not clear on. Was the part of the quote beginning "having achieved what mean
may do...", written by Herodotus or Andrew Lang. If it's Lang's writing, I want to read more
of his work.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 21, 2012, 08:45:36 AM
Those lines quoted (") are Herodotus, the rest is Lang. Although I first encountered Lang when we read The Odyssey, I've since discovered that his translations were only a small part of his works. I believe I downloaded his Books and Bookmen, too, but haven't read it yet. What an incredibly prolific writer he was.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on August 21, 2012, 09:03:19 AM
 Thanks, FRYBABE.  I went back and re-read the post carefully, noting the placement of all
the quotes.  Both men are unmistakably great writers.  I definitely want more.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on August 31, 2012, 12:06:46 PM
In Memoriam:


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/latin/photos/helensm.jpg)
Helen Pulsifer
August 8, 2012



I've come in with some sad news concerning one of our Latin community. Helen Pulsifer passed away August 8.  

That's Helen on our Home Page with her Latin III gold medal.  She was an incredible scholar and person; really a model for what anybody would hope to be in the golden years, and so valiant and always upbeat.

I am so sorry to hear this news.

I was able to convey to her the get well wishes of her 303  class when I saw her right before I left for my trip July 13. We will send a memorial from our Latin program here to the family.

You can see from the Obituary that her Latin meant a great deal to her. I thought you would like to know.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/greenvilleonline/obituary.aspx?n=helen-pulsifer&pid=159537120&fhid=11935#fbLoggedOut

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on September 01, 2012, 08:29:09 AM
An outstanding lady.  I'm sorry to hear she is no longer with us.  It's good to see she had a full
life doing the things that meant most to her.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Corfield18 on September 06, 2012, 10:07:38 AM
 :)Hats off to St. John's College, Annapolis, Md. one of the oldest and most classical colleges in the United States.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on September 07, 2012, 08:12:57 AM
 Welcome, CORFIELD!  It's always a pleasure to meet a new name on SeniorLearn. From Maryland, I
assume?  :)  You'll find some other Maryland readers and posters somewhere in here.  Look around in
the other SL locales.  Since you are apparently a classics fan, you might be interested in looking into
the upcoming discussion of "The Tempest".
  If you haven't already checked them out, you will find all the topics discussed here in the index.
You'll see the link in the blue bar at the top of the page,  right after 'HOME".  Make yourself comfortable.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Bow_Belle on September 13, 2012, 07:15:01 AM
Re Rude ignorant comments about Mary Beard.

Recently on TV in the UK was a four part series Called "She wolves" by a Dr Helen Castor It dealt with England's early queens "Mathilda" and her daughter in law "Eleanor of Aquitaine" and their amibitions to become queens in their own right.

it showed their strength of character and determination and other fine qualites. Also how they were thwarted!

In the final moments of the series  Dr Castor said "that because they were intelligent and thinking women they were despised as not being how women should be and were branded " She Wolves"  she mused that could not the same still be said about many contemporary women?

Mary Beard is enthused with what she is doing. Who needs eye candy ? The programme Substance is what really matters not not superficiality!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on September 13, 2012, 08:42:08 AM
 


The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)




Just out!
(http://www.seniorlearn.org/jane/jpgs_gifs/floormosaicsm.jpg)

We are very excited to announce the 5th edition of our Ezine Ecce, a publication of our SeniorLearn Classics Project and it's incredible this time. Our UK Editor, Maryemm, has outdone herself, and Marcie's work on the layout put the icing on the cake.

We have articles by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, a very interesting short piece on Sian Phillips, who played Livia in the I, Claudius production and who turns out to be, like Boris Johnson, a total fan of Latin.

We have articles by  prominent archaeologists,  Cambridge Don Mary Beard, articles of new finds and old places, and best of all, we have articles by our own current Latin students which are absolutely fascinating  on a variety of wide ranging subjects. What a talented and accomplished student body we have here! I particularly like the fact that each of our 6 Latin classes is represented in this issue.

Take some time to immerse yourselves in this exciting issue! We hope you enjoy it!

http://seniorlearn.org/classics/ecce/ecce5/titlepg.html   



Bow Belle, I'm sure Ms. Beard would be pleased to be compared with Eleanor of Aquitaine.  May I ask, does
'Bow Belle' reflect involvement in archery?  That would be an ingenious choice.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Lorac625 on September 20, 2012, 03:19:18 PM
The Ecce is fascinating!  I am reading it eagerly.  Nice to know I am not the only American who realizes there was history before 1776, no matter how often it feels that way.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on September 20, 2012, 08:29:26 PM
Isn't it good! I am so glad you are enjoying it! I hope Maryemm will do another one this year.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Lorac625 on September 21, 2012, 02:28:30 PM
Now,now, we all know that Alexander was an immortal and so has no tomb! LOL
        A big thanks for all of these wonderful sites-now the laundry will NEVER get done!  The only tip I have is NS Gill at About.com has a great Classic Fact of the Day post that I signed up for.  That's where I found an article about learning Latin online that sent me here.  Thank you for that,Ms Gill! 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on September 21, 2012, 03:46:50 PM
Really? How interesting. Would you mind sharing that link where you found us to studying Latin online? I'm very grateful, too!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 21, 2012, 03:51:55 PM
I used to read NS Gill's posts regularly on About.com. Don't much go over there anymore, for no good reason.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on September 22, 2012, 09:43:29 AM
   ;D Laundry's not hard. Toss it into the washer, and wander off. Go back later and switch
it to the dryer and wander off again to whatever pleases.  Fold clothes while watching
TV. (Housework, of course, consists of tackling the job most oviously in need of it, ...
if one is able, that is.) 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on September 23, 2012, 03:53:17 PM


Quote
I hope Maryemm will do another one this year.
  Ginny


 I have just seen this!   :o
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on September 25, 2012, 11:43:06 AM
ARCHEOLOGISTS will follow a buried Roman road in the hope they will find an ancient fort.


See:  http://rogueclassicism.com/
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on September 25, 2012, 12:06:42 PM


Andrew Mitchell MP is said to have referred to police officers as "plebs" when they were carrying out official duties at Downing Street. He denies using this term.

Classics Professor Mary Beard in the "Daily Mail" explains the true origins of the word "pleb":

Quote
The irony then is that most of the mega rich, pushy and snobby Roman politicians of the first century BC were, in formal terms, plebeians. Cicero was, Pompey was, so was Mr Moneybags himself ("Count no man as rich unless he can raise his own army"), Marcus Licinius Crassus. So when Cicero was being snooty about the sordida plebs (and plebs is just short for plebeius), we have to remember that strictly he was actually a plebeian himself. So I think that the best way to get at Mr Mitchell might be to point out to him that, snob as I guess he is, he is probably just as plebeian as those he was insulting. Pots and kettles.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 25, 2012, 12:18:06 PM
I never realized that Anglesey is an island. Never noticed the channel separating it from the mainland.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on September 25, 2012, 03:49:16 PM

 Anglesey :  Mona  (Latin)  Sir Fon (Welsh)

 Paulinus, the Roman commander, led the forces that crossed the straits and massacred the Druids and the Celtic tribespeople opposing him.

 Prince William and his wife currently live on Anglesey where the Prince serves at at RAF Valley


Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 04, 2012, 12:04:34 PM
I have just started reading Dr Sam Parnia's book, "What Happens When We Die" The doctor is researching near death  and out of body experiences  and has been doing so since around 2005.

 My own NDE was reported to him  although it isn't included in his book as mine did not conform to the required "number" of criteria.

I was amazed to find that NDE's are not a new phenomenon. Well read all about it here at:

 http://near-death.com/experiences/evidence12.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on October 04, 2012, 08:04:37 PM
 I once worked with a lady who had such an experience,  MARYEMM.  She was a very serene personality,  and said that it
had entirely changed her view of death.  She had no anxiety whatever about someday leaving this life.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 09, 2012, 11:28:05 AM


 Babi: Dr Parnia writes about this "serenity. Mine was a state of euphoria that lasted from February until June. It was wonderful. Twelve years on, it has vanished, alas!

 I'm amazed that Plato, in the "Republic" tells the story of Er, who awoke on his funeral pre and described his journey to the Underworld.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on October 10, 2012, 08:33:16 AM
  I'm curious, MARYEMM.  How did Plato describe it?  Was it similar to the description we hear from near-death
experiences today?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 11, 2012, 03:36:45 PM
The link above gives all the details. Here it is quoted from that site;


Quote
In Plato's Republic, he concludes his discussion of immortal soul and ultimate justice with the story of Er. Traditional Greek culture had no strong faith in ultimate justice, as monotheistic faiths do. Ancestral spirits lingered in the dark, miserable underworld, Hades, regardless of their behavior in this life, with no reward or punishment, as Odysseus learned in his Odyssey. But Plato, perhaps importing some Orphic, Egyptian or Zoroastrian themes, drew on the idea of an otherworldly reward or punishment to motivate virtuous behavior in this life. The first point of Er's story is to report on this cosmic justice; it is:

"..the tale of a warrior bold, Er, the son of Armenious, by race a Pamphylian. He once upon a time was slain in battle, and when the corpses were taken up on the tenth day already decayed, he was found intact, and having been brought home, at the moment of his funeral, on the twelfth day as he lay upon the pyre, revived, and after coming to life related what, he said, he had seen in the world beyond. He said that when his soul went forth from his body he journeyed with a great company and that they came to a mysterious region where there were two openings side by side in the Earth, and above and over against them in the heaven two others, and that judges were sitting between these, and that after every judgment they bade the righteous journey to the right and upward through the heaven with tokens attached to them in front of the judgment passed upon them, and the unjust to take the road to the left and downward, they too wearing behind signs of all that had befallen them, and that when he himself drew near they told him that he must be the messenger to humanity to tell them of that other world, and they charged him to give ear and to observe everything in the place." (Rep. X,614 b,c,d)
 

From the other tunnels came souls preparing for reincarnation on Earth. From above came souls happily reporting "delights and visions of a beauty beyond words." From below came souls lamenting and wailing over a thousand years of dreadful sufferings, where people were repaid manifold for any earthly suffering they had caused. Journeying on, the newcomers saw:

"..extended from above throughout the heaven and the Earth, a straight light like a pillar, most nearly resembling the rainbow, but brighter and purer ... and they saw there at the middle of the light the extremities of its fastenings stretched from heaven, for this light was the girdle of the heavens like the undergirders of triremes, holding together in like manner the entire revolving vault." (Rep. X, 616 b,c)
 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on October 12, 2012, 09:10:55 AM
  How fascinating, MARYEMM.  Obviously, I didn't get far enough in my reading of Plato.  (I consistently bogged down in
Republic,  V,  because it made no sense to me.  After about the third time, I thoughtfully decided that was because the
revered Plato was wrong there.  ::) )  I'll have to dig it out again and go straight to X.  Then, maybe, I'll take a look at
the propositions in between.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 13, 2012, 12:19:19 PM
(http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/121011-julius-caesar-stabbed-hmed-321p.grid-6x2.jpg)



Spanish archaeologist finds exact place of Caesar’s murder


See:

http://rt.com/art-and-culture/news/spanish-archaeologist-caesar-assassination-275/

and

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49380552/ns/technology_and_science-science/
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 13, 2012, 12:51:58 PM
Wow! Thanks, Maryemm.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on October 14, 2012, 08:00:39 AM
 Yes, thank you, MARYEMM.  I had always thought Caesar was murdered just outside the
forum after a meeting.  Shakespeare's influence, no doubt.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 17, 2012, 04:31:05 PM


(http://i1.mail.com/318/1636318,h=425,pd=1,w=620.jpg)




LONDON (AP) — A large batch of 4th-century Roman gold coins found by an amateur treasure hunter will go on display today (Oct. 17th) in the English city near where they were discovered.

Quote
Staff at St. Albans' Verulamium Musem showed off the 159 coins for TV cameras on Wednesday. The coins are examples of the solidus, high-value coins that would been used for major transactions such as buying land or ship cargo, said David Thorold, a curator at the museum.

Officials say the coins were found on private land north of St. Albans, but have not identified the site. The town, which is 22 miles (35 kilometers) north of London, also boasts a Roman theater and ruins of ancient walls. Brick salvaged from the Roman city can also be seen in parts of the city's medieval cathedral.

The solidus coin, plural solidi, dates to the closing years of the fourth century and was issued under the Emperors Gratian, Valentinian, Theodosius, Arcadius and Honorius. Thorold said coins typically were buried as a sacrifice to gods when the owner was going on a journey or in times of war.

"Gold solidi were extremely valuable coins and were not traded or exchanged on a regular basis. They would have been used for large transactions such as buying land or goods by the shipload," he said.

Officials said it appeared that the hoard was disturbed in recent times by quarrying or plowing. A date has not yet been set for the public to have a look, said Claire Wainwright, the city's communications and marketing officer.

While the find is significant, it is not as large as the hoard of nearly 15,000 coins plus 200 other pieces of gold and silver jewelry and tableware found by an amateur treasure hunter near Hoxne, England in 1992. That find included 569 solidus coins.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on October 19, 2012, 04:53:11 PM
  Aren't they gorgeous?!  I would love to have a few of those to mount in black velvet for display.   Of course, if I showed
them off I'd soon be a target for thieves.  :-\   
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 21, 2012, 03:12:54 PM

 They are beautiful and isn't the condition great?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on November 07, 2012, 09:48:31 AM
 GINNY, I wanted to share with you some of the fascinating background I'm finding in Saylor's
book, "The Seven Wonders, a Novel of the Ancient World".  The protagonist, with his tutor,
is traveling to each of the seven wonders of the world of that time. The little 'mysteries'
he encounters at each site are intriguing, but the background information is what I'm finding
especially interesting.
  The site of the Olympiad is described beautifully, and he wrote of many things that were
new to me, tho' you are likely much more familiar with them.  For example, Mount Kronos,
which loomed just behind Olympia, was identified as the spot where Zeus fought with his
father for control of the universe.  I also read that Apollo defeated Ares in a
boxing match, and out-ran Hermes in a footrace. Wow. That must have been embarassing to
the god of war and the fleet messenger-of-the gods.

 There was also a statement that married women were not allowed in Olympia, but that "other
sorts of women" were. Hardly seems fair; I'm sure the married women would have enjoyed
watching the games, too. Which, of course, may be precisely why the husbands didn't want
them there....possibly making unflattering comparisons.

  Were you aware of any of this?  Stephen Saylor is supposed to be an excellent scholar
and has written other books about ancient Greece and Rome. I would greatly appreciate your
input.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on November 08, 2012, 01:17:53 PM
Babi, I'm afraid I can't be much help. I haven't ever read a Saylor and I can't really say if he's accurate or not. I'm finding it difficult to find much of a Vita on him, other than he "studied" xXX or YYY at college, and so that's not much help, it could have been one survey elective course, I just don't know.  Does the book offer any other credentials as an historian or a classicist?

I know he writes novels, and I know a lot of people read them, but I have not a clue if they are accurate or not. I'm going to see if I can find this one because I like the idea of the 12 Wonders of the Ancient World.

I'm afraid the historical novel is not my strong suit, I'm sorry not to be more help. This is why I wanted YOUR opinion. :)

(Of course the Olympic games featured naked men, maybe that was why married women were not encouraged as spectators?)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on November 09, 2012, 08:49:41 AM
  My opinion is simply that  I'm thoroughly enjoying the book.  He is descibed as a scholar
of classics and history,  and is a popular speaker at universities both here and abroad.
He has woven his stories into real events and times; I just don't know how much of it is
accurate history and how much is literary license.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on November 11, 2012, 09:46:30 AM
Well of course, that's the bottom line. If you enjoy something you hope it's fairly accurate, you trust the author, who is taking you on such an enjoyable ride,  is  correct, because you are probably going to repeat something in the book sometime, like "did you know that..." Or "I read that..." If what's being repeated turns out NOT to be true, it certainly causes one to have egg on one's face, like the movie Gladiator with Commodus dying in the amphitheater. Happily that movie has page after page of the errors noted, books often do not.

I always wonder why, if they have all these facts, they have resorted to a novel form instead of writing a history. And this is the main reason that I have so many problems reading historical fiction.

I've got a copy  of it now, I don't see anything at all about any sort of credentials of the author. I'm also reading Alexander McCall Smith who puts a lot of Latin in his books,  even down to a drawing of  Cave Canem, and I'm also reading Micro by the late Michael Crichton, finished by another author, and it's also full of Latin. Somehow Latin seems to be coming back which is very exciting to me, and OH did you see the news yesterday?

Hang on...
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on November 11, 2012, 09:58:26 AM
Latin in the News!

Pope Starts New Vatican Department to Promote Latin

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/PopeBenedict.jpg)



 Yesterday Pope Benedict announced the founding of a new academy to promote Latin.

In an article reported by Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/10/us-pope-latin-idUSBRE8A90EQ20121110

"He said Catholic seminarians studying for the priesthood were weak in studies of the humanities in general and Latin in particular. They would benefit from a deeper knowledge of the language and be able to read ancient Church texts in the original."

and...

"It appears necessary to support a commitment to a greater understanding of the use of Latin, both in the Church and in the greater world of culture," Pope Benedict wrote in the letter setting up the academy."

And he wrote that in Latin, of course.

What exciting news!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on November 11, 2012, 11:42:17 AM
It certainly is exciting news, Ginny.

Quote
The new academy's statutes, written of course in Latin, say its goal is to promote both written and spoken Latin through publications, conferences, seminars and performances.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on November 11, 2012, 11:50:39 AM
 Boris Johnson*  is in the news again. His "romantic allure", according to one blonde admirer, is the result of "his melliflous mastery of the Classics.

"If I had my way, everyone would be speaking Latin" declares London's Mayor.

"Causam magnae linguae nostrae amplectamur", booms Boris. "Let us embrace the cause of our great language".


* Boris Johnson was kind enough to allow me to quote one of his speeches in our recent issue of "Ecce".
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Pete7268 on November 12, 2012, 06:55:50 AM
Ginny,

I am not sure if this is the correct place to subscribe to your Thanksgiving/Christmas turkey side dishes but here goes.

You called it an old Chestnut, it could not be more appropriate! see the following extract from Kew, The Royal Botanic Garden near London.

The sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) is a deciduous tree, widespread across Europe. In autumn it produces edible nuts that have been eaten for centuries. Indeed, during the Roman Empire troops going into battle were fed on a sweet chestnut porridge.

Very popular here in the UK as an ingredient for stuffing at Christmas time. 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on November 12, 2012, 08:43:13 AM
Pete,  how nice to see this here. I wonder if others not in the Latin classes might also  enjoy adding to our feast, it never occurred to me, what fun!

You may have started something! Let's add the turkey here as well, folks might be amazed at the prevalence of Latin roots at their dinner table this Thanksgiving! I'll put yours in the heading of the class as well.


Here is our platter for Thanksgiving, (http://seniorlearn.org/latin/turky/Turkey.1.jpg) but it looks like something is missing! Where are the sides?  As we sit down this year to tuck in, we want to add to the table conversation by realizing how many of the foods we eat have Latin roots!

 Help us add "all the trimmings" to our turkey for our holiday feast this year.  You can bring more than one "side," too! Use a dictionary to research the origin of some of the side dishes we enjoy on this day.

Bring them to class and watch the platter magically get bigger! We can bring things any day during or after regular class activities and we'll put the submissions right here~!


Here is an example:

(1) cabbage:   mid-15c., caboge, from M.Fr. caboche "head" (in the Channel Islands, "cabbage"), from O.Fr. caboce "head," from L. caput "head" (see head). Introduced to Canada 1541 by Jacques Cartier on his third voyage. First written record of it in U.S. is in the 1660s.


Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on November 12, 2012, 09:26:17 AM
GINNY,  I would suppose a history text would require much more work than historical fiction.
The historian must document all his sources, and hopefully provide a useful index, etc. The
fiction writer is allowed literary license and doesn't have to verify anything, though of
course he may opt to do so.
  Oh, how thrilling for the Latin lovers! Brace yourself; this might mean a surge in hopeful
students for you. Don't get so committed you no longer have time for SL.  :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on November 12, 2012, 11:45:42 AM




(http://www.coastlineproduce.com/images/products/photos/14/large_leeks.jpg?1336884383)






Quote
The leek, Allium porrum, originated in the Mediterranean basin, it is one of our most ancient cultivated vegetables, already much consumed in many variants by the ancient Greeks and Romans


The genus name, Allium comes from the Celtic "All," meaning pungent, the species name comes from The Roman name for leek "porrum"
"The most esteemed leeks are those grown in Egypt," wrote Pliny, the first-century Roman. His contemporary, the Emperor Nero, ate so many leeks he was nicknamed Porophagus -- leek eater.

The Anglo Saxon word for Leek was "Por leac" while the name for onion was "Yul leac" The medieval Anglo Saxon kitchen garden was called the "Leek-garden" and the gardener the "Leek-ward." To this day many English towns derive their name from the Leek including, Leckhampstead, Latton and Leighton Buzzard.
The word "porridge" originally referred to a vegetable soup containing leeks.

In French, the leek is called le poireau, harking back to its Latin name. It is also known as ‘l'asperge des pauvre’ meaning "poor man's asparagus". There is even a French word to describe the edible part of the leek. It's called le fût; which also means "barrel."

http://www.seedaholic.com/leek-gros-long-d-ete.html (http://www.seedaholic.com/leek-gros-long-d-ete.html)




The Leek is the national emblem of Wales. According to Mr Andrew Dixey, Estate Manager for National Museum Wales,

Quote
"The wild leek is a pretty poor plant for eating. It's fair to say, even if the wild leek was a native plant, then the Romans brought more domesticated varieties.
 
"They had domesticated varieties that were much more beneficial from a nutritional and taste point of view."




Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 01, 2012, 02:38:07 PM


Ancient tunnels in Rome reopen to the public

(http://www.theartnewspaper.com/imgart/Mithraeum-Caracalla.jpg)






http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Ancient+tunnels+in+Rome+reopen+to+the+public/28073 (http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Ancient+tunnels+in+Rome+reopen+to+the+public/28073)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Lucylibr on December 19, 2012, 10:57:16 AM
 http://www.italiannotebook.com/art-archaeology/gladiator-tomb/

This is a link to information about the Roman Gladiator's tomb.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on December 20, 2012, 08:48:23 AM
 That is a shame, LUCY.  Maybe some wealthy lover of antiquity will read about this and
offer to fund an excavation.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 23, 2012, 11:30:22 AM


(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRg1eGSU1JcM4_NsUP7u2_KiDNWQOlHYs2nb-OfHJnMWFkhzbJL)

Quote
Saturnalia was a popular Roman midwinter festival celebrating the god Saturn, which lasted for several days. Saturn was the god of agriculture and worship of him hopefully encouraged prosperity to come. It was a time to eat,drink and be merry and there was a tradition of tomfoolery and role reversal, where masters became servants and vice versa in a  similar way to the Lord of Misrule of later Christmas celebrations. As Chester was a major Roman centre in the UK and the residents are proud of their heritage, it is celebrated here with a torch-lit parade of Roman Centurions to the beat of a drum with dancers and entertainers as well as rites to Saturn himself.

See:

 http://calendarcustoms.com/articles/chesters-saturnalia/ (http://calendarcustoms.com/articles/chesters-saturnalia/)

Be sure to view the video:

 CHESTER: SATURNALIA 2010

This year it was celebrated Thursday, December 20th.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on December 24, 2012, 09:45:05 AM
Babi :)

hahaa Mary, only in England! Thank you for that timely video and info about the Saturnalia and that eyeopening article, Lucy, on the Gladiator's Tomb and the astounding information it reveals.  I wish I were a Bill Gates, I'd fund some of these archaeological digs.  Also thank you Mary for the article on the opening of the underground tunnels in Rome! Rome seems  to me to be  like Disney World, something new every year  to see and get excited about!

Loved the etymology of the leek!

And the classics continue to permeate our society in more subtle ways, too. You can't open a magazine here at the end of 2012 and not see something about the Romans or Latin in the news, it's amazing, the allusions. In the General Petraeus scandal, articles about him mentioned his coming into a room like a "proconsul."   I would bet a lunch nobody at all knows what that was or how that entrance might be different from any other man's.

The December 24th issue of Newsweek mentions Vladimir Putin's calling upon the women of Russia to have  at least 3 children,  and promising a dole of rewards to women who do so, this may have rung a bell with Latin scholars, as it harks back to the Emperor Augustus's plans to increase the population, promising tax cuts for those who did and a lot of other benefits:

Quote
The consul (of a pair of consuls) who has the larger number of children is to be considered the senior consul. If each has the same number, the one who is still married is considered senior. If both are married and each has the same number of children, only then is the elder in terms of chronology considered the senior (Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticae 2. 15).

Possessing chilcren can lead to exemption from civil obligations. Justinian Institutes 1. 25 praefatio: "There are certain grounds on which persons are exempt from serving in the office of guardian or curator (tutor vel curator), of which the most common is their having a certain number of children, whether in power or emancipated. If a man has, in Rome, three children living, or in Italy four, or in the provinces five, he may claim exemption from these as from other public obligations." [In 9 B.C., Augustus' wife Livia, who had reached her fiftieth birthday) was accorded the ius trium liberorum, even though she did not qualify under the law: Cassius Dio 55. 2.]

Freedmen who have two or more children are exempted from certain of the obligations which could be placed on them by prior oath by their former masters as conditions for emancipation.


Women who have three or more children (if they are freedwomen, four or more) are exempted from the law which requires them to have a guardian [ius trium liberorum].
From: http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/AugMarriage.html


In a December 24th issue of Time, in an article on General Disorders, the list of misbehavior by the military higher ups is chronicled with the statement, "the spate of generals acting like caesars has led to...."

The Romans, it seems, are never far from our thoughts. :)

  Thank you all for providing such fascinating reading here in 2012!

And Happy Holidays!  (http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Graphics/holly.gif)







Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 02, 2013, 02:46:36 PM
 


The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!


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It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)




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Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: bellemere on January 16, 2013, 01:54:30 PM
For ginny"
Wanted to let you know that my son,  Ph.D. Classics candidate at C.U.N.Y. has found and adjunct prgessor job that will ive him free tuition as well as salary, althouh modest.  He will be teaching two courses at Hunter College in New York City, part of the C.U.N.Y. system.  The courses are: Mythology  and Grek and  Roan Toots of English.
 If I lived neary New York
City I would ask to audit.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on January 16, 2013, 07:31:12 PM
Bellemere, what wonderful news! I am so happy for him and you, and that's a good college, too.

Sounds like he's well on the way to making significant contributions to the field. How marvelous!

Thank you for letting us know!

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on January 17, 2013, 05:11:41 PM
  Congratulations to your son, BELLE.  That is an auspicious beginning for a young man.
Best wishes to him.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 18, 2013, 07:55:35 AM
This just popped up on my radar:

http://ancientweb.org/index.php/global
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on January 18, 2013, 09:21:16 AM
 Beautifully done site, FRYBABE, with fascinating subjects.  I've added it to my favorites
list and will be going back to register.  I had to stop long enough to read about the Anglo-
Saxon finds.  Learned some surprising things in just that one article.  Thank you so much
for posting that link.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on January 18, 2013, 09:34:53 PM
How interesting! Thank you, Frybabe! I watched Hannibal's Elephants from the BBC, with Adrian Goldsworthy, different and interesting.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 21, 2013, 09:36:04 AM
 Have been ill for two weeks so only catching up with news here.

FryBabe: Had a look at this link and was fascinated to see the video about Celts and North American Indians. Have heard about a possible link between Welsh explorer(s) and some Indian tribes but thought it was just a tall story. See that Irish/Celtic words were possibly incorporated at some time. Amazing!

In papers today : Pope's Baffling Tweet in Latin.

The Pope seems to have tweeted in Latin for the first time yesterday.

See:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/sci-tech/twitter-on-message-in-pope-s-latin-revival-plan-1-2748847 (http://www.scotsman.com/news/sci-tech/twitter-on-message-in-pope-s-latin-revival-plan-1-2748847)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 21, 2013, 11:02:16 AM
Yes, I've known of the claims for a long time. Someone was looking into getting the Smithsonian to try some DNA testing, but I can't find if they actually did or not. In the meantime, I found this article. http://xo.typepad.com/blog/2003/10/genetics_make_w_1.html If the Welsh have a Y chromosome that is passed on by the male, you would think if they got a DNA sample, they could say with some certainty whether or not the Welsh got here early on. Unfortunately, it looks like Native Americans also share the chromosome which came from the Ket people of western Siberia. Apparently, they think that is ultimately where the Welsh originated too. No help at all, there. But, it could explain why they found a family of red-haired and blue-eyed mummies in China and why some NA Indians looked "European".  Just a speculation. I don't have info on what this particular gene does. Could it hold eye/hair/skin color info that only rarely pops up in populations?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 22, 2013, 10:19:07 AM


 I always believed the red-haired, fair skinned Celts were of Scottish origin.

 South Walians are short in stature, with very dark eyes and eyebrows.

Interesting article. my thanks.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on January 22, 2013, 12:37:27 PM
Mary, we're without a macronizer again. Are you in contact with the young man who started it?

I am sorry to hear you've been under the weather! I hope you are feeling much better now.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 23, 2013, 09:28:32 AM



 Sorry, Ginny, when my PC was restored to factory settings I lost all contact. I expect you have tried Googling?

 Keith (UK) might be a possibility also.

 Yes, yjank you,  I feel alive again! Some nasty viruses going the rounds!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 23, 2013, 10:57:27 AM

 I don't know what this (free) sofware entails but it mentions a macronizer.

 
http://latinteach.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/legible-latin.html (http://latinteach.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/legible-latin.html)
 
Quote
Legible Latin is a Latin dictionary and text reader software package written by Thomas McCarthy and available from Perlingua Language Tool..................
 The program also includes a "macronizer" for adding macrons to Latin text.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 25, 2013, 06:44:00 AM


Claudius became emperor shortly after his nephew was assassinated by his bodyguard, on January 24, A.D. 41.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on January 25, 2013, 10:04:25 AM
Thank you Mary, I looked that up and am not able to see how it might work here for us. Yes I've googled and googled. Found a lot of great stuff but not that. (I even found a 2007 post to a computer website asking for  help from one of our students, in trying to put macrons in his emails with my comments. hahaaa)  I found this http://www.motive.co.nz/glossary/macron.php but it's a million ways to type in the old code thing. :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: marcie on January 25, 2013, 10:33:56 AM
I found a free software program called Legible Latin that you can download at http://www.perlingua.com/LatinHome/Legible/

At the bottom of this page of screen shots of the program, it indicates that it has a built in macronizer. You can add accents to vowels: http://www.perlingua.com/LatinHome/Legible/screenshots.html

Maybe you can use it and copy and paste the macronized text here?


Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: marcie on January 25, 2013, 10:42:19 AM
I found other macron info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Macrons
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on January 25, 2013, 10:50:22 AM
Thank you for looking into this, Marcie.

The Legible one appears to be putting some strange symbols over the Latin vowels instead of macrons? I have forgotten the terminology for the ^ but it's using that and some French accent marks over the Latin vowels?

I'll look at the second one. They use one on Quia which would be perfect but apparently we'd have to make the whole site java in order to choose one and use it.

I wish the young man who developed the macronizer  first would have allowed people to pay for it, it really worked well. I hoped Mary still  had his address (I keep forgetting how long ago that was. hahahaa)  I am confident he could make us one and we could  link to it on .com or something on our other sites. Possibly.  

I looked at the wiki one. It does not say it works online. Word has a good program for insertion of symbols and you can do shortcuts but they don't work online unless  you cut and paste there. We know about  pop char.

We HAD a little box which would float on the screen and which you could use to post the macrons on the website in discussions. The site which sponsored it (and the one which took over for it) suddenly stopped working.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 25, 2013, 04:39:20 PM

 I hoped the Legible Latin link would have been useful.

Can't recall the young man's name now.  I lost a lot of stuff when my PC was restored to factory settings. Shame!

I am now clutching at straws. Have a look at:


 http://maori.typeit.org/ (http://maori.typeit.org/)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on January 25, 2013, 05:31:28 PM
Well now that's nice, Mary, thank you. You'd have to  have two windows open or switch back and forth, but some people may do that anyway. So that might work unless we can get one here for our Latin students that originates from us, somehow.

Thank you!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: marcie on January 25, 2013, 09:23:24 PM
The following site has info about typing macrons for Macs and PCs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Macrons

Following the instructions for the Mac, I am able to type the macron here.

mācrōn


 Do you see the long mark over the a and o in Mācrōn? After enabling the extended keyboard for the Mac, I pressed the option key on my keyboard and the letter a then typed a; to get the mark over the o  I pressed the option key on my keyboard and the letter a then typed o.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: marcie on January 25, 2013, 09:31:08 PM
Maryemm, the maori site works well too.
mācrōn
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Pete7268 on January 26, 2013, 04:24:30 PM
Not sure if this BBC i player link works.  Interesting first of a series programme on the art of Rome.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00wpvpr/Treasures_of_Ancient_Rome_Warts_n_All/
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on January 27, 2013, 09:21:17 AM
Unfortunately it doesn't work outside the UK. You  all are just drowning in wonderful Roman programming, makes me green with envy as you can see. hahahaa

Thank you for thinking of us tho. The BBC does great classics stuff, and occasionally you can find it pirated on youtube.

On the macrons, thank you Mary and Marcie, I think I'll put both of those links up and see if people would like to try them!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 30, 2013, 12:35:36 PM

 I've just checked the maori link

http://maori.typeit.org/ (http://maori.typeit.org/)

  and found this in the bottom right hand corner of the page. (Did you see it?)

Quote
Help
Press Ctrl with the appropriate letter. For example, to type ā, press Ctrl + A; to type ō, press Ctrl + O.

Stop the mouse over each button to learn its keyboard shortcut.

You can select text and press Ctrl + C to copy it to your docu­ment. In your target document, press Ctrl + V, or, if you want to paste the text without formatting, try Ctrl + Shift + V.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Created by Tomasz P. Szynalski • Become TypeIt’s fan on Facebook
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 03, 2013, 02:23:20 PM
Kim Komando often has interesting sites to pass along in her newsletters. This is the latest:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/ If you are interested in early Christian religion/history.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on February 03, 2013, 06:07:43 PM
Mary, no I didn't see that. Thank you for pointing it out!

Margie, how interesting, thank you, also. We can really stay on top of everything  in this discusison  thanks to you all.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 04, 2013, 07:07:33 AM


 Nothing to do with the Romans but exciting news nevertheless:


Experts find remains of England's King Richard III


See:  http://www.mail.com/int/news/uk/1866894-experts-find-remains-englands-king-richard-iii.html#.1258-stage-hero1-2 (http://www.mail.com/int/news/uk/1866894-experts-find-remains-englands-king-richard-iii.html#.1258-stage-hero1-2)

As a Richard lll  fan I am really thrilled. Shakespeare and Thomas More did a real hatchet job on him and have a lot to answer for.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 04, 2013, 07:22:24 AM
Marvelous, Maryemm. When I turned the news on this morning, it was just about the first thing I saw. Thanks for the article. It has a bit more info than the newscast.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on February 04, 2013, 08:37:16 AM
  The Huffington Post also reported that bone studies indicate that Richard III did have scoliosis, but not the
hunchback described in Shakespeare's play.  Another 'exaggeration' for dramatic impact, or slander, we'll
likely never know.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 04, 2013, 03:16:38 PM

 I'm recording a documentary this evening  so will have all the details from the experts. There is even a reconstruction of his face.
 He was not a hunchback from what I've read lately.



Lots of images here:

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2273164/Richard-III-Scientists-reveal-DNA-results-confirm-kings-body-car-park-Leicester.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2273164/Richard-III-Scientists-reveal-DNA-results-confirm-kings-body-car-park-Leicester.html)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on February 04, 2013, 03:40:21 PM
My goodness, that's some curved spine he's got, would that be scoliosis? I know that hurt, just looking at it.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 05, 2013, 07:19:22 AM


(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/05/article-2273703-175BA468000005DC-44_634x434.jpg)

(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/05/article-2273703-175BA56C000005DC-809_306x388.jpg)



Quote
HOW EXPERTS RECREATED THE FACE OF KING RICHARD III
 

To make the reconstruction of King Richard III, forensic experts took a 3D scan of the skull unearthed at Greyfriars before using a computer to add layers of muscle and skin.
The king's facial structure was produced using a scientific approach, based on anatomical assessment and interpretation, and a 3D replication process known as 'stereolithography'.
 The result was made into a three-dimensional plastic model.

 'When the 3D digital bust was complete it was replicated in plastic using a rapid prototyping system and this was painted, prosthetic eyes added and dressed with a wig, hat and clothing,' said Caroline Wilkinson, professor of craniofacial identification at the University of Dundee.
The final head was painted and textured with glass eyes and a wig, using the portraits as reference, to create 'a realistic and regal appearance'.

 Janice Aitken, a lecturer at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD), part of Dundee University, painted the 3D replica of the head that Professor Wilkinson created.
'My part in the process was purely interpretive rather than scientific,' she said.
 'Guided by Professor Wilkinson's expertise, I drew on my experience in portrait painting, using a combination of historical and contemporary references to create a finished surface texture.'
. 'I think people will like it. He's a man who lived. Indeed, when I looked him in the eye, 'Good King Richard' seemed alive and about to speak.
'At last, it seems, we have the true image of Richard III - is this the face that launched a thousand myths?'
 
 The reconstruction will eventually be loaned to Leicester City Council to be displayed in their planned visitors centre adjacent to the Greyfriars site, dedicated to telling the story of King Richard III's life and death.
There are no surviving contemporary portraits of the king, making this reconstruction particularly important.
 
Historian and author John Ashdown-Hill, an expert on Richard III's reign, told the BBC that the reconstruction largely matched the prominent features in posthumous representations of the king.
 'All the surviving portraits of him - even the very later ones with humped backs and things which were obviously later additions - facially are quite similar [to each other] so it has always been assumed that they were based on a contemporary portrait painted in his lifetime or possibly several portraits painted in his lifetime,' he said.
 
Ms Langley, added: 'Seeing a true likeness of England's last Plantagenet and warrior king meant, for me, finally coming face-to-face with the man I'd invested four years searching for.
 'The experience was breathtaking - one of the most overwhelming moments of my life. I wasn't alone in finding this an approachable, kindly


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2273703/The-face-Richard-III-Reconstruction-reveals-slain-king-500-years-killed-battle.html#ixzz2K1hbVxNj
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 05, 2013, 05:46:57 PM
Thanks, MaryEmm. Don't you get the feeling he is trying to keep up a brave face through a whole bunch of troubles?

For your listening pleasure:
http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/book/De-Bello-Gallico-Libri-Septem
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 12, 2013, 10:12:27 AM



Rome - Current Discoveries


   http://www.crystalinks.com/romenews.html (http://www.crystalinks.com/romenews.html)


                     
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



Colosseum Cleaning Yields Ancient Art Discoveries Including Old Frescos, Graffiti


  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/18/colosseum-cleaning-yields_0_n_2502737.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/18/colosseum-cleaning-yields_0_n_2502737.html)



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Did Romans dump the remains of their dead children with their rubbish? Grisly discoveries reveal unsympathetic attitudes


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2259021/Baby-dead-Romans-dumped-bodies-rubbish-archaeologist-suggests-grizly-discoveries.html#axzz2KhHrR4Nm
 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2259021/Baby-dead-Romans-dumped-bodies-rubbish-archaeologist-suggests-grizly-discoveries.html#axzz2KhHrR4Nm)



                  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



Major archaeological discovery in Rome



http://www.wantedinrome.com/news/2001903/major-archaeological-discovery-in-rome.html (http://www.wantedinrome.com/news/2001903/major-archaeological-discovery-in-rome.html)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on February 12, 2013, 11:00:19 AM
Mary you keep us up on all the news, thank  you so much! I don't think Metro C will ever be able to run but isn't it exciting! The new site  will open in 3  years, something to look forward to.

Also on  Richard III, Time Magazine did publish the photo of his skeleton and did identify it as scoliosis and said it must have come on in his youth by the way it looked but it was a major bend, that's probably where the "hunchback" came from. And maybe one leg shorter than the other.

In our Latin classes we've posted the Pope's address in Latin and the translation. Students are excited to be able to recognize constructions and to read the Latin:



 Pope Benedict's Abdication Address:


 
Fratres carissimi

Non solum propter tres canonizationes ad hoc Consistorium vos convocavi, sed etiam ut vobis decisionem magni momenti pro Ecclesiae vita communicem. Conscientia mea iterum atque iterum coram Deo explorata ad cognitionem certam perveni vires meas ingravescente aetate non iam aptas esse ad munus Petrinum aeque administrandum.


Bene conscius sum hoc munus secundum suam essentiam spiritualem non solum agendo et loquendo exsequi debere, sed non minus patiendo et orando. Attamen in mundo nostri temporis rapidis mutationibus subiecto et quaestionibus magni ponderis pro vita fidei perturbato ad navem Sancti Petri gubernandam et ad annuntiandum Evangelium etiam vigor quidam corporis et animae necessarius est, qui ultimis mensibus in me modo tali minuitur, ut incapacitatem  meam ad ministerium mihi commissum bene  administrandum agnoscere debeam. Quapropter bene conscius ponderis huius actus plena libertate declaro me ministerio Episcopi Romae, Successoris Sancti Petri, mihi per manus Cardinalium die 19 aprilis MMV commissum renuntiare  ita ut a die 28 februarii MMXIII, hora 20, sedes Romae, sedes Sancti Petri vacet et Conclave  ad eligendum novum Summum Pontificem ab his quibus competit convocandum esse.

Fratres carissimi, ex toto corde gratias ago vobis pro omni amore et labore, quo mecum pondus ministerii mei portastis et veniam peto pro omnibus defectibus meis. Nunc autem Sanctam Dei Ecclesiam curae Summi eius Pastoris, Domini nostri Iesu Christi confidimus sanctamque eius Matrem Mariam imploramus, ut patribus Cardinalibus in eligendo novo Summo Pontifice materna sua bonitate assistat. Quod ad me attinet etiam in futuro vita orationi dedicata Sanctae Ecclesiae Dei toto ex corde servire velim.
Ex Aedibus Vaticanis, die 10 mensis februarii MMXIII  
BENEDICTUS PP XVI


Translation:



Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 12, 2013, 03:22:55 PM

 See also  Post  527 !

 In his first tweet yesterday, the pontiff said God asked believers to “Orare semper, iustitiam factitare, amare probitatem, humiles Secum ambulare,” which translates as “pray constantly, do justice, love goodness and walk humbly with Him.” (January 2013)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 12, 2013, 03:29:39 PM


 At the BAFTA Awards this week, the presenter, Stephen Fry. signed off with the word, 

 Salvēte!

 I think most people missed it!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on February 12, 2013, 06:28:00 PM
I'll be darned, he signed off? Said goodbye with Salvete? Interesting.

Also in Downton Abbey  Sunday night there was a Latin expression. Latin is far from dead, despite the article today on the BBC App. :)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 12, 2013, 10:51:46 PM
Here is an article I found today: "Pope resignation: Who speaks Latin these days?"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21412604

Ginny, sorry about missing class again today. I had errands in the morning, had lunch and then ended up with another CATastrophy involving Oscar. He jumped down from a low cabinet and managed to injure himself. I have had a cat bouncing off of walls a foot below the ceiling, and sailing of a deck and hitting the ground running. I have had cats climbing and jumping on all sorts of things, but never have I ever had one injure itself. Oscar really, really freaked me when his head started bobbing sideways and his eyes kept shifting back and forth at the same time and not in unison. He was having trouble walking without his back leg buckling or him losing balance. Off to the vet again. Vet thinks he popped the cat version of a kneecap, since his knee feels loose. Vet says it is not common in cats, but he sees it all the time in small dogs. Article I read later said that cats don't seem to go lame with these injuries, so it probably happens more than people realize.  As for the eye thing, he may have hit his head too, but the vet couldn't find anything. He did ask if Oscar had a seizure, but I didn't see him fall just heard the thump right behind me. So the little guy got more shots - cortisone and an anti-inflammatory. I am still pretty upset, more than Oscar at this point.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on February 13, 2013, 07:31:13 AM
  


The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!



(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/2012NLE.jpg)

Congratulations to the Class of 2013 and their awesome results on the National Latin Exam! See post 584 below!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)



Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on February 13, 2013, 07:33:20 AM
 Thank you. I have actually been looking for this article, which I read on the BBC App and had not had time to track it down. I think it's quite interesting in that there appear to be two distinct sides to Latin now, the Living Latin or spoken Latin and I guess the real Latin, depending on how you look at it.

I loved Mary Beard's response. hahaha

I am so sorry about Oscar, did the swelling on his nose decrease? Perhaps this latest problem could  have something to do with that? When do you see the Specialist?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 13, 2013, 07:57:10 AM
Oscar's bump has subsided considerably, but there is still a little one there. Nothing scheduled for a specialist yet. We are waiting to see if he has more trouble. He is recovering from the fall quite well, but I am still nervous about it. He is back to racing down the stairs whilst I cringe and tell him to slow down. Fat chance he listens. ::) He is not back to chasing Lucy yet.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 15, 2013, 07:00:39 AM
 As a cat lover I'm delighted Oscar is recovering from his "catastrophic" (!) fall. ("pause" for a groan).   ;D

We have two cats our daughter asked us to "look after" when she moved away to a more built-up area. That was fifteen years ago! Jasper and Horace, brothers will be 16 in May.

Horace was chased by a Dalmatian last year and ran up a tree to escape. When he jumped down and  came back across the lawn I was horrified. Horace was struggling to walk and rolling around in a most unsettling way. When he reached me he crouched down at my feet.  I held his hindquarters in a firm grip to lift him into the house and he gave an awful "shriek".   I carried him in and placed him on the floor, and in a minute he got up and started walking up the stairs. I couldn't believe it.

When I told a vet friend he said Horace had obviously dislocated a joint and I had somehow put it back in place! Well it certainly saved a few pounds in vet fees! The same cat cost £800 when he had a urinary infection and nearly died. Since pet insurance was introduced vet fees have shot up at an alarming rate in the Uk. As a result people are dumping animals to avoid these extortionate charges. Sad!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Babi on February 16, 2013, 08:28:01 AM
 Ouch!  The regular vet fees here are bad enough.  We certainly couldn't afford our two cats at that rate! 
I didn't know there was such a thing as vet's insurance, but it that is the result I hope we manage to avoid it.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 17, 2013, 08:51:25 AM


pet insurance. Of course the older the cat, the higher the premiums. Ours are not insured! Daughter paid as they are her cats ; we are just looking after them for her!! ::)

 All vets in our area seem to use one telephone number after hours and weekends. The private company then deals with animal problems............at a cost!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 17, 2013, 09:04:10 AM
Maryemm, we have a few emergency after hours veterinary service places scattered about. The one closest to me uses the same facilities as a local vet group, but is an entirely seperate company. When I still had Twerp I started looking at Pet Insurance. Unfortunately, they all stop coverage at about 13 years. They also don't cover pre-existing conditions and all, as far as I remember, regardless of policy cost, limit the amount they will cover. I hadn't thought about how that may have affected Vet charges.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 26, 2013, 09:51:46 AM


 One Million Brits Descended from Romans



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/9888402/One-million-Brits-descended-from-Romans.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/9888402/One-million-Brits-descended-from-Romans.html)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 21, 2013, 12:11:43 PM
I just ran across a book co-authored by Andrew Lang and, of all people, H. Rider Haggard. It is called A World's Desire, and is a story about Odysseus when he comes back from a second voyage to find Penelope probably dead and Ithaca suffering from the plague. The only reviewer so far gives it a five star rating. Needless to say, it had been downloaded to my Kindle, but who knows when I will get around to reading it.

http://manybooks.net/titles/langandr27632763-8.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 04, 2013, 05:09:33 PM

JRR Tolkien ring goes on display at The Vyne exhibition


   The ring, which is inscribed in Latin and has been linked to a Roman curse tablet, is being exhibited for the first time at The  Vyne, in Hampshire



 
See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-22008746 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-22008746)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 11, 2013, 03:38:59 PM

Archaeologists find 10,000 objects from Roman London




Discoveries include writing tablets, thousands of pieces of pottery and a large collection of phallus-shaped luck charms

See:   
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/apr/09/archaeologist-objects-roman-london-find


and: 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2306443/The-Bloomberg-Place-Construction-Site-Archaeological-dig-London-heralded-capitals-important-excavation.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2306443/The-Bloomberg-Place-Construction-Site-Archaeological-dig-London-heralded-capitals-important-excavation.html)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 11, 2013, 05:27:52 PM
Thanks, Maryemm.

Also, this morning I read an article about Welsh slate. They are hoping to have Welsh slate designated as a Global Heritage Stone Resource. The “Global Heritage Stone Resource” was first proposed at The 33rd International Geological Congress in Oslo in August 2008. They hope to award their first designation within a few years. Of course the Romans made use of the slate in their forts. What I was looking for and don't see is how extensive its use was in Roman times. Since it was considered a high quality products, I expected to see more info on uses and, perhaps, export. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22097403

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 12, 2013, 10:08:03 AM
Slate quarrying in North Wales is a very old industry and many Roman forts had a nodding acquaintance with Welsh slate.  When one travels around slate-producing areas  today one can see the landscape disfigured by huge piles of waste. One ton of saleable slate would produce around 30 tons of waste.

It was a hard life, and a badly-paid one.


See: http://www.wales-underground.org.uk/slate/history.shtml


My family home in Wales had a slate roof. If a slate was dislodged it had to be replaced with a new one as they broke easily. Each individual slate was quite expensive.

Today one can buy slate clocks, calendars etc. mementos of a bygone industry. In his garden or son has a very tall slate "obelisk" which is a water feature.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on April 18, 2013, 09:05:11 AM
Oh how interesting, Mary~! I always thought those old slate roofs were so pretty, and did not realize how breakable they were, what an interesting thing you've brought here, many thanks.

I once went down in the Big Pit at Abergavenny in Wales, it was while the last pony was still alive, it was wonderfully amazing to see. i still have a real miner's lamp I bought at the time with his number on it, they sold them then, they may now. Such a hard life.

Also in the news, the HQ for the new Bloomsberg building in London seems full of Roman ruins, they are calling it the Pompeii of the North: lots of fabulous photos: http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/04/10/archeological-dig-beneath-bloombergs-future-london-headquarters-reveals-ancient-roman-ruins-dubbed-pompeii-of-the-north/
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 18, 2013, 11:41:55 AM

Heartfelt sympathy towards all injured, or traumatised, by the Boston bombings or the Texas explosion, and to the families of those killed. So sad.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 19, 2013, 07:09:00 AM




(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/66822000/jpg/_66822682_housesteads1_18_7_12_010.jpg)



Hadrian's Wall: Aerial photographs 'could change history'

Read all about it here at:    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-22079835 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-22079835)       
 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 10, 2013, 04:14:56 PM

 Professor Mary Beard has a confession to make : she is a shoe addict. Most are flat-heeled and her favourite pair that carried her through the BBC series "Meet the Romans" were "once-gorgeous gold trainers"

She has this to say about the Emperor Caligula,
Quote
"When he held out his feet in the faces of his guests it wasn't , as some people said, so you should kiss them, but so they should admire his new shoes".


She further states that
Quote
"the ghastly Emperor Elagabalus - who ruled in the third century AD and was said to have outdone most Roman monsters in lavish excesses - is also said to never have worn the same shoes twice".
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: BruceGra on May 11, 2013, 04:03:04 PM
Just like the first day at school. Where do you go to register?
 ???
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: jane on May 11, 2013, 07:54:58 PM
Hi, Bruce...

Enrollment for Latin classes will open in mid July for the Sept. start.  It will be announced on this website and on the classics page:

http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics

I will put your name on the list to be notified when enrollment opens, but please check back here and on the classics page in July since emails can and do go astray.

For more information about the class, please see our course description page:

http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/courses/descriptions.html

If you have further questions, you can email me at janeiowaLatin@gmail.com

We'd be delighted to have you join us.

jane
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 11, 2013, 10:18:57 PM
Welcome, Bruce.

Since it will be a while until the next Latin classes start, please come and join us on some of our other forums. We have a wonderful group here; our discussions range over many subjects.

Margie
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: BruceGra on May 12, 2013, 03:34:01 PM
Any thing I can read now to get confused with so I don't have to do it all later???? ;)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: jane on May 12, 2013, 09:45:08 PM
Let me check and get back to you, Bruce.  Did you have any questions after reading the courses description page?  

http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/courses/descriptions.html

If so, email me, please.

jane
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: BruceGra on May 13, 2013, 02:04:55 PM
No I was just kidding.

Bruce ::)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: jane on May 13, 2013, 03:44:56 PM
Bruce....AHHHHH....saving up your work time for when the classes start, huh!  :)

Anyway, here's a listing of books from our Latin Instructor that maybe Latin students or those interested in the Classics in general would enjoy:


 
Recommended Reading:
 
1. Pompeii: The Day a City Died by Robert Etienne ISBN 0-8109-2855-8
 
This small paperback book, often sold in museums, is solid color plates packed with accurate information, history,  incredible photos, diagrams, paintings and literary references. Hard to get and worth every effort.
 
2. Pompeii A Guide to the Ancient City by Salvatore Nappo  ISBN: 13: 978-0-7607-1235-1
 
This book recently discounted by  Barnes and Noble at $9.00 hardback,  is a joy of illustrations and accurate material. It's authoritative and super. It takes each house in order and explains it individually.
 
3. The Lost World of Pompeii by Colin Amery and Brian Curran Jr. ISBN: 0-89236-687-7
 
Beautifully illustrated, meticulously researched, a super approach to understanding Pompeii
 
4. Vesuvius: A. D. 79: The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum: ISBN: 0-89236-719-9 by Ernesto De Carolis and Giovanni Patricelli
 
This book  takes a fascinating scientific look at what happened when Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. Fascinating and well illustrated.
 
5. Pompeii by Robert Harris.
 
A book of fiction  about Pompeii at the time of the eruption, now being filmed as a movie. Some knowledge of aqueducts can be gained here. If you like historical fiction, this book and any book by Lindsey Davis who writes mysteries with Roman themes, ex: Two for the Lions (on Gladiators) (endorsed by many Latin teachers) will place you immediately into Pompeii (Harris)  or  Rome (Davis) vicariously.
6. The Complete Pompeii by Joanne Berry.  Dr. Berry's book is a large book with tons of photos and the very latest thought as of 2007, on Pompeii including some information on the bombing of Pompeii in WWII and the fact that it's not a time capsule. Great to check out of the library.
 
7.     The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found by Mary Beard. This is the new (2008) American title of Dr. Beard's book, (the UK original is titled Pompeii), which debunks a lot of formerly thought information on Pompeii and postulates some startling thoughts as well. Dr. Beard, who teaches classics at Cambridge, has a blog online also. This one is the most scholarly of the bunch and the least illustrated but it's really good for spot information on different things.
 
8. A Natural History of Latin by Tore Janson. This book is not only eminently readable and enjoyable, it fills in the gaps and answers a lot of questions people have on what happened when the Roman Empire fell, how long Latin actually lasted, how Church Latin developed, and the surprising opportunities still available in the field. Highly recommended!          
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Large Books:
 
1. Pompeii: the History Life and Art of the Buried City: by Marisa Ranieri Panetta:
 
 Huge lavishly illustrated "coffee table type"  book authored by 19 specialists in different areas. This IS the book of books on Pompeii, if you can lift it.
 
2. Pompeii:  Filippo Coarelli, ed.
 
A $24.98 knock off of the Panetta, also huge and heavy but not quite as large. Another coffee table book, and just as heavy but sumptuously illustrated, like the Panetta.
 
3. The Gardens of Pompeii: Herculaneum and the Villas Destroyed by Vesuvius: by Wilhemina Feemster Jashemski  
 
The seminal, old, and extremely expensive ($250.00) examination of the gardens and other things of Pompeii is a classic, if you can find it and lift it.
 
 
Biographies:
 
1. Cicero by Anthony Everitt
2. Cleopatra: a Life by Stacy Schiff
3. Caesar: Life of a Colossus by Adrian Goldsworthy
4. Antony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy
5. Augustus by Anthony Everitt
 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 15, 2013, 02:33:39 PM
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/2012NLE.jpg)



The waiting is over and the results are in and once again our Latin students have distinguished themselves by winning awards on the National Latin Exam!!!

This year 150,000 students from all 50 states and 13 foreign countries including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe and the Netherlands  from all levels including college and university, took  the National Latin  Exam.

I4 students from SeniorLearn.org took the exam this year and all 14 brought home awards. You can't get better than that!


First our Perfect Scores!

For the Introduction to Latin Exam: only 688 students from the 19,100 who participated in this test made perfect scores and 3 of them are ours:

Congratulations to:


Cetomko

Susnagirl

Wendover

On the Latin I Exam and Latin II Exams: only 792 students out of the 140,000 who took the exams  achieved a perfect score, and 3 of them are ours.

Congratulations to:

Perranza (Latin I)

Suetonius (Latin I)

Geoff  (Latin II)


Here  is a list of all of our splendid winners of whom we are so proud, listed in the order received from the NLE:

Cetomko:  Introduction to Latin (1st place)

Wendover: Introduction to Latin (1st place)

Susnagirl: Introduction to Latin (1st place)

McTier: Introduction to Latin (1st place)

Fran Raymond: Introduction to Latin (1st place)

Perranza (Latin I) Gold Medal

Suetonius (Latin I) Gold Medal

Hepeskin (Latin I)  Gold Medal

Betelnut (Latin I) Magna Cum Laude

Marilyn (Latin I) Gold Medal

Harry10 (Latin I) Gold Medal

Geoff (Latin II) Gold Medal

Cielolama (Latin II) Magna Cum Laude

MelandraII  (Latin II) Gold Medal




Many congratulations to all of you for this incredible achievement!! And congratulations, too, to all  our other excellent Latin students who did not take the test this year. Whether one takes the test or not, the level of achievement and enjoyment in our classes is very high.




(http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/graphics/applause170.gif)




Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 16, 2013, 01:34:12 PM
Welcome, Bruce! You've come to the right place for Latin. :) Love your sense of humor!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 24, 2013, 02:34:10 PM


Oh WELL DONE EVERYONE! Congratulations also to you, Ginny.



(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQhQ803vU5k8BbzGprov6rETJ3_08JKzgU6kwNLSXVtOgF9IYxntg)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 25, 2013, 10:09:41 AM
:). Thank you, Mary.   They really did wonderfully. 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 14, 2013, 07:38:16 AM
I've just run across a philosopher I never heard of before - Plotinus. Classified as a major philosopher, he was born in Egypt and died in Campania (204/5-270 AD or CE, if you prefer). He belonged to the Neoplatonic group of philosophy and had been a student of Ammonius (I like that name) Sacca who was a founder of Neoplatonism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plotinus

I was just checking a timeline of Roman occupation of Egypt. Plotinus was born in Lycopolis while Egypt was still a Roman Province, and with Caracalla's proclamation, would have become a Roman citizen. He died about the time Rome lost out to Zenobia after a number of revolts.

His complete works, translated, are on Project Gutenberg, and now on my Kindle as well. I've never been a fan of Plato, but this guy has me curious. He influenced many people, including early Christians. On the surface, it looks like he was of the one God philosophy rather than the Holy Trinity side. Will all the other books on my Kindles, I wonder if I will ever actually read any of it.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 15, 2013, 07:46:05 AM
I was wondering about what happened to Zahi Hawass since he disappeared from the scene after the revolution in Egypt.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Rise-and-Fall-and-Rise-of-Zahi-Hawass-208348331.html?c=y&page=1#Pyramid-Scheme-Zahi-Hawass-and-Giza-murals-1.jpg
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on June 15, 2013, 09:06:17 AM
Wow~!!! Is that the new Smithsonian? I take that, it's in a stack which came while I was on my trip.  Let me run get it~!  Wow~

I can't wait to read it. He made a LOT of extravagant claims, and wasn't he the one who wanted to rebury a lot of the mummies?

Thank you for bringing it here. The Smithsonian used to offer a lecture by him as part of their excursions to Egypt. Wow~!!!

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on June 16, 2013, 10:02:56 AM
OK I've read it and wow. I was wrong it was the National Geographic Society which used to offer, on their trips to Egypt, a lecture at a tomb by him and he was getting $200,000 yearly for those little talks. I think that's fascinating and shows you why their trips are so expensive.

THAT is a fascinating article. it says that the 62 tourists killed in Egypt and then 9/11 cut tourism in Egypt in half. I am not surprised. I was supposed to go to Istanbul this time and Izmir and I sure am glad I paid attention to the government site here and its warnings and did not go.

I did not realize that if the US Govt advises against travel  (and they didn't put that final ban on Turkey before I left but there was enough to dissuade me) it means that they may not be able to help you should you get in trouble overseas in that region. We have this idea that I'm an American and the Embassy will zoom in and get me out and that might not be the case at all: they might not actually be able to.

We do live in a changing world.

Or, actually, maybe not, when you read about the travels of the ancients. :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on June 22, 2013, 08:36:30 PM
I'm reading Confronting the Classics by Mary Beard. It's a new book, 2013, and consists of a compilation of her reviews, and lectures and speeches and it's really excellent. It includes her 2011 address at the NYC Public Library which one of our students was lucky enough to hear. I am really enjoying the various essays.  The cover says "A provocative tour of what is happening now in Classics--learned, trenchant and witty."

It is that. Greatly recommended.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 24, 2013, 09:59:10 AM
I haven't seen that title around, Ginny, but I'll certainly look out for it. Thanks.

 Where did you get to this time? Nephew and wife have been to Turkey a couple of times this year as they love the country. Sad all these troubles prevent one from visiting countries that used to be so hospitable. What is happening to the world!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on June 24, 2013, 12:26:47 PM
I know. I was supposed to BE in  Turkey but instead I went to England, Italy and Germany, all Roman stuff.

I got that book in Blackwell's in Oxford and I think it's quite new.

The House of Caecilius was open, after 10 years of staring past iron gates. :) It may have been a fluke but it sure was different to step inside and gives you a completely different perspective. Only one of the three doors were unchained, however, and it may have been one of the Pompeii surprises they occasionally do. It sure suited me. :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Poppaea on July 11, 2013, 05:01:25 PM
Mary Beard's new book, ''Confronting the Classics'' is on pre-order at Amazon. It's coming here around mid-September. I have put in for it.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on July 20, 2013, 06:16:27 PM
My latest library book should prove very interesting. It is called  A Most Dangerous Book: Tacitus's Germania from the Roman Empire to the Third Reich by Christopher Krebs.

Here is Mary Beard's synopsis: "An important and riveting story, A Most Dangerous Book shows not only that classical literature is still relevant in the modern world, but it can be dangerous, explosive, and positively dynamite. This is a brilliant history of the long life of  ancient Germany and the Germans---from the first century to the Third Reich. And it's all through the lens of Tacitus, the ancient world's most brilliant and cynical historian."
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 13, 2013, 03:22:53 PM
Quote
"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all.  The conscientious historian will correct these defects."
- HERODOTUS

Ok, so is Herodotus advocating that historians should fill in the blanks or change things to "correct" history? It is an odd statement coming from an historian.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 23, 2013, 03:51:04 PM

 Well "historians" certainly filled in the blanks as far as Richard III was concerned. It was a case of classic character assassination followed by genocide!

  I believe some people claim today that the Holocaust did not happen.

 Herodotus, though, advocating this?  Hmm!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 08, 2013, 12:00:30 PM
Smithsonian article about how the Chinese saw Rome in the 3rd CE. Don't forget to check out the list of goods the Romans had available for trade.

http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/09/how-third-century-china-saw-rome-a-land-ruled-by-minor-kings/?utm_source=smithsoniantopic&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130908-Weekender

Here is an article about chemical warfare that killed Romans at Dura-Europas in the Syrian desert around 256CE.
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/09/one-of-the-first-known-chemical-attacks-took-place-1700-years-ago-in-syria/?utm_source=smithsoniantopic&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130908-Weekender
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on September 09, 2013, 01:28:24 PM
News You  Can Use: A Theater Event!
Coming soon, to a theater near you? For one night only, September 25! The blockbuster exhibit at the British Museum will close September 29.

On September 25 at 7:30  (http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/2013PompeiiadBritishMuseum.jpg) will be presented in local theaters in the US.

This trailer shows what it's about:

http://www.fathomevents.com/?utm_source=Fathom&utm_medium=PressRelease&utm_campaign=Pompeii#!pompeii/video/10611 (http://www.fathomevents.com/?utm_source=Fathom&utm_medium=PressRelease&utm_campaign=Pompeii#!pompeii/video/10611)

Quote
"Pompeii from the British Museum" Brings Ancient Roman History to Life in Exclusive Cinema Even


CENTENNIAL, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Offering an exclusive look deep into the ancient past of a lost Roman civilization, NCM Fathom Events and More2Screen present "Pompeii from the British Museum*" on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. local time. Presented in select movie theaters nationwide for only one night, the event tells the story of life in the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum nearly 2,000 years ago before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. "Pompeii from the British Museum" marks the first cinema event to be produced by a museum for a major exhibition, providing a private view of the British Museum's blockbuster show Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Accompanied by music, poetry and eyewitness accounts, attendees will be taken behind the scenes to explore the homes and lives of the inhabitants of the thriving industrial hub of Pompeii and the small seaside town of Herculaneum prior to the devastating volcanic eruption of the volcano, Mount Vesuvius.

"Pompeii from the British Museum" will be presented in more than 460 select movie theaters around the country through NCM's exclusive Digital Broadcast Network. Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Introduced by the British Museum's director, Neil MacGregor, this stunning presentation will take viewers on a fascinating tour of the exhibition, featuring insights from renowned experts who will bring these extraordinary objects to life, including Paul Roberts, the curator of the exhibition; Mary Beard, professor of Classics at Cambridge University; historian Bettany Hughes and interviewees such as Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli and gardening specialist Rachel de Thame. Audiences will be taken along a Roman street and into various rooms of a local house, with objects on display from the citizens' daily lives, including intricate pieces of jewelry, sculpture, mosaics, cooking equipment, food and even an extremely rare find of wooden furniture—carbonized by the high temperatures of the ash that engulfed Herculaneum.

"NCM Fathom Events and More2Screen will take audiences on a fascinating journey into the ancient past during the highly acclaimed 'Pompeii from the British Museum' cinema event," said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. "Attendees will become globe-trotting archaeologists in this unforgettable adventure for one special night - all in the comfort of their local movie theater."

The British Museum's incredible exhibition on Pompeii and Herculaneum has already received glowing, five-star reviews from press outlets including London's The Times as well as The Sunday Telegraph, The Daily Telegraph ("stunning...superb"), The Independent on Sunday ("a wonderful show of wonderful things"), and Metro ("a brilliantly told story of love, life, sex and death"). The exhibition is the first of its kind on these important historical cities that has been hosted at the British Museum and the first such major exhibition in London for almost 40 years. The result of close collaboration with the Archaeological Superintendency of Naples and Pompeii, the exhibition brings together more than 450 fascinating objects—including both recent discoveries and celebrated finds from earlier excavations—many of which have never before been seen outside Italy.

*Content not suitable for all ages

(Prominently shown in the trailer are two artefacts from the House of Caecilius!)

Check the theaters nearest you:  http://www.fathomevents.com/#!pompeii/more-info/theater-locations


(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/2013Pompeiiadseptember25.jpg)

What interests me is the Behind the Scenes at the British Museum promised:

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/2013Pompeiimovieseptember25.jpg)

If you didn't get a chance to get to England this summer, you may be interested in this event. (If it's not near you, however, it's a pretty good bet it will soon be out on DVD or on Netflix, this is just a  head's up in case you might like to experience it.)

Tickets can be purchased ahead at Fandango.com and printed from home or picked up at the theater.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 06, 2013, 07:58:06 AM
Someone sent me the following the other day. All facts supposed to be true................but not personally checked. Still, interesting!!
Apologies for any bad language!
                                           


 
Quote
Take a moment to read this  as you will learn something...if only right at the end.

Railroad tracks.
The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number.

Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England , and English expatriates designed the US railroads.

Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.

Why did 'they' use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they had used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.


Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England , because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts.



So who built those old rutted roads? Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (including England ) for their legions. Those roads have been used ever since.

And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels.

Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome , they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. Therefore the United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. Bureaucracies live forever.

So the next time you are handed a specification/procedure/process and wonder 'What horse's arse came up with this?' , you may be exactly right. Imperial Roman army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses. (Two horses' arses.)
 
Now, the twist to the story:

When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah


The engineers who designed the SRBs would have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains, and the SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses' behinds.


So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse's arse. And you thought being a horse's arse wasn't important? Ancient horse's arses control almost everything...
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 06, 2013, 09:07:14 AM
Hi Maryemm, that is amusing and very plausible isn't it.

Here is the myth buster website Snopes take on it. While they mark it false, they also say that it may be false in detail, but overall there is truth to it. An interesting read even if not as funny.

http://www.snopes.com/history/american/gauge.asp
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 09, 2013, 11:06:43 AM


 Had to include it because of the Roman reference!!     ;D

Thank you for that link, Frybabe. It's new to me
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 13, 2013, 11:45:40 AM
One can only hold off so long on the absolute NEED to buy a book or two. My latest so to arrive acquisitions are:

Greek and Roman Medicine - Ian Dawson

Beyond the Edge of the Sea: Sailing with Jason and the Argonauts, Ulysses, the Vikings, and Other Explorers of the Ancient World - Mauricio Obregon

Route 66 A.D. : On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists - Tony Perrottet

Just couldn't resist those titles. Why back, I had seen a title on Roman Medicine, but when I went back to actually find and buy it, it was nowhere to be found. The second listed has maps, charts and such; I think the author actually followed the suspected routes. The last reminded me, fondly, of Lindsey Davis's Didius Falco series and his holidays which included Alexandria and the Olympic games in Greece.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 30, 2013, 12:56:14 PM



Breathtaking Roman sculpture of eagle devouring a serpent is plucked from the London earth


(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/10/29/article-2478904-190EB68300000578-188_634x691.jpg)



See:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2478904/Roman-sculpture-eagle-devouring-serpent-unearthed-London.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on October 30, 2013, 06:09:01 PM
Wow!! Thank you so much, Mary! That's amazing!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on October 30, 2013, 08:40:54 PM
That is an amazing sculpture.  Did any of you, more experienced than I, share my feeling that the eagle's head is particularly Roman looking?

One thing really frustrated me:

Quote
It came out of the ground 'covered in soil and unrecognisable' in September in the last few hours of an excavation that had lasted several months.
To an archaeology fan, that means they were just starting to get down to the really good stuff, which will now be buried under that hotel or whatever is being built over the site.  Maybe the rest will be uncovered centuries from now.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on November 02, 2013, 08:17:30 AM


 Yes, too true, alas, and I shan't be here to report on the finds! :o
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on November 19, 2013, 09:59:17 AM



'Gate to Hell' guardians recovered in Turkey - unique marble statues warned of a deadly cave.



(http://www.sott.net/image/image/s7/157447/large/ff.jpg)



See:

http://www.sott.net/article/268879-Gate-to-Hell-guardians-recovered-in-Turkey-unique-marble-statues-warned-of-a-deadly-cave (http://www.sott.net/article/268879-Gate-to-Hell-guardians-recovered-in-Turkey-unique-marble-statues-warned-of-a-deadly-cave)




Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on November 19, 2013, 10:13:33 AM
Oh my goodness!! Thank you so much , Maryemm!! It's a pleasure to come in here and see what is new!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Dana on November 19, 2013, 11:40:07 AM
Wow!  I was just there this fall....Hierapolis and Pamukkale....saw the travertine terraces and the hot springs and the old ruins.
I wonder if that coiled snake motif could be an origin of that evil eye charm they have over there....
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 19, 2013, 04:27:56 PM
Stunning find. Wow is right.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 08, 2013, 10:18:52 AM
I ran across this article this morning about the tunnels and quarries under Rome.

http://www.fox4now.com/features/4inyourcorner/Secret-labyrinth-of-tunnels-under-Rome-mapped-234599321.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on December 09, 2013, 12:21:00 PM
Goodness, Frybabe, I had no idea of the quarry tunnels.  There is no mention of artifacts found in the tunnels--probably all cleaned out through the years.  And as modern buildings get taller and heavier, more and more tunnels won't be able to support the weight.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on December 09, 2013, 06:36:41 PM
Maybe that's why they say the Hall of Justice is sinking under its own weight. Very interesting,  thank you for bringing it here!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 20, 2013, 09:51:54 AM




(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/66920000/jpg/_66920174_9.pewterhoard_museumoflondonarchaeology.jpg)




 Don't know how I missed this!!

 See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22086375 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22086375)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 20, 2013, 09:58:35 AM
Thanks, MaryEm.

Here is another article about the scrolls found at Herculaneum. I don't think it is telling us much we didn't already read about earlier.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25106956
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 21, 2013, 07:55:30 AM

 Still so interesting, FryBabe.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on December 21, 2013, 08:04:20 AM
(http://www.seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Graphics/holly.gif) Both of those are of extreme interest, thank you for bringing them here, Maryemm and Frybabe.

The photos in both are wonderful. I thought also the rationale that we must excavate Herculaneum now before Vesuvius goes again, possibly sealing the ms. forever was interesting.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 21, 2013, 12:52:23 PM
It does add some to what we learned when reading Carol Goodman's The Night Villa, doesn't it Ginny?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on December 21, 2013, 01:38:55 PM
 Yes it does, and if anybody wants to know what  a Maenad is, they need look no further. :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 22, 2013, 10:32:15 AM



(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSx_jLcZ0sqFQbuPqpaH-onDbrED0FW290S8WcQ9f2eTOPm_f7a)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on December 22, 2013, 04:20:37 PM
Here's an interesting article in this morning's New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/arts/international/roman-classical-style-through-the-many-faces-of-augustus.html?ref=international (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/arts/international/roman-classical-style-through-the-many-faces-of-augustus.html?ref=international)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on December 23, 2013, 09:39:03 AM
(http://www.seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Graphics/holly.gif) Thank you, Mary,  what a beautiful decoration!

 I'm going to steal it.   :)


Thank you, Pat, for that fascinating article. I'm so glad you put it in here. I just put down the New York Times. Did I see that? No! And I'm very glad to hear it because I'm actually  going to get to see it.   It's leaving Rome, but  is going to Paris and I'm going to be there right there at it...cant miss that.

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Horrible Histories or Rotten Romans series?

But they have an hilarious one on Augustus.  And every time I see him and all his accomplishments especially the bit about building the city of brick I have to think back to this wonderful thing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngTSwzn7VtI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngTSwzn7VtI)


A little holiday present.   Enjoy!  And happy holidays.    (The one on Caligula invading Britain is probably the best of them all, though. )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-ZxyZUgtHs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-ZxyZUgtHs)

Clever clever people with a lot if truth to them.  
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 23, 2013, 10:20:54 AM
What fun those are, Ginny. My favorite is Tabellarii messenger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqCL6t41mjE
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on December 23, 2013, 07:22:00 PM
Ginny, I'm glad you're going to see the exhibit.  It was frustrating how few pictures the article had.

The Horrible Histories are hilarious.  That's a good Christmas present.

Happy holidays, all.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 24, 2013, 08:55:50 AM
The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia is exhibiting items from Pompeii. My sister and I are hoping to find a bus trip to see it. So far, no luck, although the Amtrak has an excursion listed. The price for the train and the exhibit are separate, and it doesn't include anything else. Expensive considering bus trips to Franklin usually run around $80-90 and include lunch. It might be a little more expensive for the special exhibits, but I kind of remember that the King Tut exhibit bus trip was less than $100.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on December 24, 2013, 10:32:23 AM
Frybabe!! What exciting news!! I went to the website:  http://www.visitphilly.com/events/philadelphia/one-day-in-pompeii-at-the-franklin-institute/ and it looks fabulous!! Through April 27 so hopefully we can all see it. I'll alert the classes when we return, many thanks!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 24, 2013, 02:36:10 PM
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Race-to-Save-Malis-Priceless-Artifacts-236271361.html?utm_source=smithsoniantopic&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20131222-Weekender#barbarians-mali-people-2-473.jpg

Not so ancient, but interesting never-the-less.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 02, 2014, 07:52:50 AM



(https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQLd-QmYKwPGSYAdqr-l7w73tQS3DRrauiia1D_-WBc2Rcd3xYy)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 05, 2014, 12:07:34 PM

   How Did People in Ancient Pompeii End Up Eating Giraffes?   
[/size][/b]




http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/01/how-did-people-in-ancient-pompeii-end-up-eating-giraffes/282795/ (http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/01/how-did-people-in-ancient-pompeii-end-up-eating-giraffes/282795/)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 19, 2014, 09:40:11 AM
I ran across this presentation about ancient art/artists while looking at YouTube stuff on Pompeii. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEZaLEgSzQI  Read the blurb (open the show more section to read all of it) My untrained eyes didn't start seeing changes until more than half way through.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: mabel1015j on January 29, 2014, 11:48:59 AM
Something you all might want to play around in:

From this morning's Open Culture newsletter.......as schools and colleges moved to be multicultural in the 80s and 90s, some moved away from Western literature. Howard Bloom wrote a book suggesting a "Western Canon" many of which are available for free online. Here's the article and the list along with some audio of Bloom discussing the battle. I wish i could find an interesting MOOC - college class - that discussed them for  me, i'll have to look.

http://www.openculture.com/2014/01/harold-bloom-creates-a-massive-list-of-works-in-the-western-canon.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 14, 2014, 08:27:15 AM
I discovered on Project Gutenberg a three Geography set (covering all 17 books) of Strabo's Geography, translated w/notes by Hamilton and Falconer. While I was at it I downloaded a book of Welsh lyrics and one of Magyar folktales.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on March 08, 2014, 02:19:25 PM
Wow, Frybabe! That Project Gutenburg is really a treasure, isn't it?

Thank you Mary and Mabel for those interesting links.

It might be a good idea to get up a page of these items, like the Strabo in translation, it's not new like most of our submissions are here but it's certainly worth knowing about for research.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on March 14, 2014, 10:22:06 PM
I got a real treat today—a chance to see a statue that impressed me from photos in 4th grade art history, one that stayed with me.  It’s The Dying Gaul.  It was dug up in Rome in the 1600s, and is a Roman copy of a Greek bronze  original from the 3rd century BC, Asia Minor, celebrating the victory of the king of Pergamon over the Gauls.  From the brochure: “From both the Romans and the Pergamene Greeks, the subject also held larger  significance: the triumph of civilization over barbarism.”  I would say that this sculpture gives barbarism a fair shot at nobility.

It hasn’t been out of Italy since Napoleon’s time, but it came to the National Gallery here, and I finally got my act together and saw it.  Wow: It’s even more impressive in person than in pictures, and like any really good sculpture, it shows good lines from all angles as you walk around it.

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Gaul1.jpg)
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Gaul2.jpg)


Here’s a National Gallery link, which has better pictures than mine, plus a link to the brochure.

http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/exhibitions/2013/dying-gaul.html (http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/exhibitions/2013/dying-gaul.html)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on March 14, 2014, 10:28:11 PM

Wow, Pat! That is fantastic. I did not know it was at the National Gallery, isn't that fine! (And exciting news).

Thank you so much for bringing it here, I think your photos are marvelous.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on March 15, 2014, 07:41:09 AM
It's not at the National Gallery for much longer, unfortunately.  I wish I had gone to see it sooner, so I could have seen it twice.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 15, 2014, 07:57:16 AM
Breathtaking!

I wonder what happened to the original bronze stature from which the marble was copied.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on March 15, 2014, 10:37:47 AM
  


The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!



(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/nle/2014NLEmedals.jpg)

Congratulations to the Class of 2014 and their awesome results on the National Latin Exam! See post 654 below!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)




Thank you, Pat!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on March 15, 2014, 10:38:40 AM
The brochure says  there were two bronzes (the other is a gaul committing suicide with his wife) which were evidently brought to Rome, possibly under Nero.  Doesn't sound like they have any idea what happened to them.  There is a marble copy of the other one too, pictured in the brochure.  It's not as impressive as this one.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on March 15, 2014, 11:38:04 AM
The brochure is wonderful to print out, I'm printing it out for my face to face classes and will put a link here for the online ones.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on March 15, 2014, 01:40:26 PM
Your tax dollars at work, and better spent than many of them. ;)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on March 15, 2014, 05:43:00 PM
Great pictures, PAT!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on March 24, 2014, 12:40:42 PM

                     
London skulls reveal gruesome evidence of Roman head hunters
[/b]

Improved forensic techniques have shed new light on 39 skulls excavated near Museum of London in 1988
[/b]



(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/1/14/1389743231816/Skulls-found-at-crossrail-008.jpg)

Read all about it here at:

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jan/15/london-skulls-roman-head-hunters (http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jan/15/london-skulls-roman-head-hunters)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on March 24, 2014, 04:20:06 PM
OMG!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 05, 2014, 10:46:11 AM
Sorry, Joan!!    ::)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 06, 2014, 12:13:23 PM
This month's newsletter from the Smithsonian came with a like to "Julius Caesar's Rome". I was especially interested in the Appian Way and the Theater of Marcellus. Check out the links on each page.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/explore-julius-caesars-rome-180950262/
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on April 06, 2014, 02:33:59 PM
Fascinating! I looked at the six pictures, but wish I could spend all day following all the links.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 02, 2014, 08:32:11 AM
I am curious to know if anyone has read any of the Marius Mules or Marching with Caesar novels. Worth reading?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on May 02, 2014, 06:46:25 PM
Thank you for that. I got a sample of Marius' Mules #1 on my kindle. couldn't tell where to start with the Marching with Caesar series. Do you knoe whe name of the first book?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 03, 2014, 07:05:02 AM
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27236869

Interesting article, includes Ostia and the recently found gladiator school near Vienna at Carnuntum, Austria.

JoanK, Marching with Caesar: The Conquest of Gaul is the first of the series. Here is a neat website for the series. I take it the bibliography is the list of books that the author consulted? Not sure. Check out the maps and the Caesar's World (lots of pix) pages. I'd say Mr. Peake is serious about his research for his novels. This is one of, if not the most, extensive websites I've seen for a novel series.  http://marchingwithcaesarbookseries.com/ Sad to say my library does not have any of this series.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on May 03, 2014, 04:45:39 PM
FRY: that's a fascinating article! I had no idea that imaging was able to do so much. And I share Mary Beard's mixed feelings about it.

On the gladiator school: have you seen PBS' reconstruction of the life of a gladiator? Fascinating.

Thanks for the title. I've ordered a sample.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 03, 2014, 06:17:03 PM
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/nle/2014NLEmedals.jpg)


2014 National Latin Exam Results:


Once again in 2014 100 percent of  our Latin students who took the National Latin Exam  have distinguished themselves by winning top awards!!

In 2014 more than 154,000 students from 49 states and 17 foreign countries including Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, south Korea, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe, at all levels of instruction including 24  colleges and universities,  took the National Latin Exam,  and we were absolutely thrilled to learn that  100 percent of  our students  won awards!  It doesn't get any better than that!.

We are very proud to announce our winners:


Introduction to Latin Exam: First Place, Outstanding Achievement, Purple and Gold Ribbon: Perfect Score: Marcustullius

Introduction to Latin Exam: First Place, Outstanding Achievement, Purple and Gold Ribbon: Perfect Score: Marie  R.

Introduction to Latin Exam: First Place, Outstanding Achievement, Purple and Gold Ribbon: topgrnpa

Introduction to Latin Exam: First Place, Outstanding Achievement, Purple and Gold Ribbon: cfhunter

Introduction to Latin Exam: First Place, Outstanding Achievement, Purple and Gold Ribbon: Mia Rohart

Latin I Exam: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude, Perfect Score: cetomko

Latin I Exam: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude, Perfect Score: palmtree

Latin I Exam: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude, Perfect Score: brook

Latin I Exam: Gold Medal,  Summa Cum Laude, Perfect Score: Vita

Latin I Exam: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude: Botttz

Latin I Exam: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude: Fran11

Latin I Exam: Silver Medal, Maxima  Cum Laude: Chase31

Latin II Exam: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude, Mogamom

Latin III Exam: Gold Medal, Summa Cum Laude,  Perfect Score: Hidaroupe

The following students received a perfect score:

Marcustullius: Introduction to Latin

Marie R: Introduction to Latin

Cetomko: Latin I

Palmtree: Latin I

Brook: Latin I

Vita: Latin I

Hidaroupe: Latin III


We are very proud of all our students, those who took the test and those who did not: all share in this wonderful achievement which helps exemplify a dedication to lifelong learning and the strength of our program.





(http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/graphics/applause170.gif)




Many congratulations to all of you for this incredible achievement!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 04, 2014, 07:35:03 AM
My congratulations to this year's winners.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on May 04, 2014, 11:17:30 AM
Impressive!  Congratulations to all.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on May 04, 2014, 06:19:44 PM
You ROCK!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 08, 2014, 11:04:23 AM

 Wonderful results, as always.

 Well done, ALL!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: pedln on May 12, 2014, 03:59:12 PM
Fantastic!! Congratulations to all of you.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Bow_Belle on May 15, 2014, 08:00:18 AM
per ardua ad astra!

congratulations!

Bow Belle
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 10, 2014, 03:37:10 PM
Nosing around in book sites again, I found De Bello Gallico Libri Septem read in Latin. It appears to be a Librivox file, but Librivox keeps hanging my Firefox, at least today.

http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/book/De-Bello-Gallico-Libri-Septem
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on June 10, 2014, 07:37:28 PM
I didn't even try the file, since my Latin knowledge is nil, but I was very interested in this bit from the description:

It is remarkable, that still today in all the lands of his conquest the word for "peace" is derived from latin pax (even basque "bake"). This peace is no friendship between equals, which is the idea behind the german word "Friede". Pax Romana implies subordination, and this concept was promoted by Caesar, first abroad and then at home.

Peace on his terms, not yours.  My German isn't nuanced enough to know the implications of Friede, but it fits my impression.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ASTERIX on July 10, 2014, 05:38:34 PM
Salve omnes.

Magna res gesta!  Gratulationes.

Asterix Britto  scripsit!

Vale.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Dana on July 11, 2014, 11:00:20 AM
I have been translating Caesar for a lot of years now and actually am nearly through book 7 which is one of the best (Vercingetorix and Alesia).  I have certainly been fascinated and a little repelled by his drive to subdue and conquer peoples who were independently living and fighting between themselves without Rome's interference.  Sometimes I compare it to our interference in the middle east.  Not that we have, or have ever had  a genius to lead us.  I suppose it is always said that the pax Romana brought many advantages to Europe. (Which is more than can be said for the US middle east adventure)
  But one really doesn't get the impression that Caesar did it for any altruistic reason, or even a patriotic one (However much he tries to pretend.) He was personally driven, he really does seem to love waging war.  Why, I keep wondering.... but we don't know enough about him to figure that out. Wd love to get him on the couch.....psychiatric......
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on July 11, 2014, 04:45:06 PM
DANA: that's fantastic! I admire you so much for sticking with it. Years ago, I had a project to read the Torah (first five books of the Bible) in the original Hebrew. It took me about a year to get two thirds through, and I had a side-by-side English translation to bail me out when I got stuck. I didn't make it to the end.

There do seem to be people who love waging war. I wish we could figure it out, and develop a pill or something. Or isolate them on an island so they could fight each other, and leave us alone!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Dana on July 12, 2014, 02:44:21 PM
It is so much easier nowadays to translate. Like your Torah if you have a textbook they usually have the notes and vocab on the opposing page, and if no textbook everything is available on the internet.  There is a great website for anything Latin--Corpus Scriptorum Latinorum--and for Greek there is the perseus reader, altho I have not really used that except when we were reading the Odyssey.  Greek textbooks are mind blowingly helpful, and they all seem to be written by charming people who reply in the most friendly way if you email them.  
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on July 12, 2014, 03:02:43 PM
That sounds delightful. Probably the community of people interested in Greek is small, and they're glad to welcome someone.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 04, 2014, 03:31:55 PM

 



Sexism? It's what the Romans did for us: Academic Mary Beard who received death threats from online trolls says men have discriminated against women for thousands of years


The Cambridge University academic, an expert on ancient Rome who has presented historical programmes for the BBC, said society’s tendency to see opinionated women as either ‘mad’ or ‘witches’ can be traced back 2,500 years – and is a view still taught to British elites today.


The 59-year-old mother-of-two said: ‘Classical Greek and classical Roman culture was actually fundamentally based on the explicit silencing of women.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2712678/Sexism-I-blame-Romans-Academic-Mary-Beard-received-death-threats-online-trolls-says-men-discriminated-against-women-thousands-years.html#ixzz39SA54SoV
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on August 04, 2014, 03:48:33 PM
"society’s tendency to see opinionated women as either ‘mad’ or ‘witches’ can be traced back 2,500 years – and is a view still taught to British elites today."

Yep. But we only trace it back to the Greeks because that is the oldest literature we read. I'd be willing to bet it's much older.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on August 04, 2014, 05:07:14 PM
Who's read Gilgamesh?  What's the take on it there?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 04, 2014, 07:01:53 PM
I remember reading it a number of years back, PatH. Don't remember much about it. Remember Star Trek: Next Generation? My favorite episode was Darmok. That was the episode where Picard and his counterpart of an alien race are transported to a planet and together must fight a nasty creature. They communicate by using metaphors. Picard tells the tale of Gilgamesh during part of their communications.

Hi Maryemm, how have you been?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on August 05, 2014, 02:41:58 PM
FRY: do you think it would make a good discussion?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 05, 2014, 05:31:21 PM
Oh, I think there is plenty to discuss in Gilgamesh. He is on the Sumerian Kings List as having ruled city of Uruk around the 27th century BC. So we have place, semi-god, friendship, grieving and fear of death, various adventures, and the tale of The Flood. Have you seen the Spark Notes on it? http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gilgamesh/summary.html  When I looked it over, I realized that I hadn't read the whole thing at all, just the most famous part with Enkidu.

The 1985 book, Gilgamesh by John Gardner (Editor) and John Maier (Translator) looks good. It has about 50 pages of introduction, maps, and lots of notes. This translation was written for "non-specialists" according to the preface. I suppose that means us. There are other translations, but I want something that can explain to some of what was going on that I know I didn't get when I read it years, and years ago.  I know I didn't understand all of it.

This article is interesting:  http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gilg/hd_gilg.htm
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on August 05, 2014, 05:55:38 PM
I've got a literal translation, and I've read chunks of it.  I can see some problems.  It's fragmentary, and in places it's not very lively.  But there's lots of material there too.  And you have to be careful what book you read.  There was one that made a big splash about 10 years ago, and the author had made nice poetry out of it, but he had also made up stuff to fill in some of the gaps, very likely changing the tone of it.  I stopped reading it as soon as I realized what he was up to.  Gardner would probably be good; he would have a feeling for it.

I only remember two females: a harlot who helps civilize Enkiddu, and a goddess.

I'm going out to see Joank in 2 weeks.  Maybe I should bring what I've got and we can look it over and see if we think it would work.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 05, 2014, 06:19:22 PM
There are so many translations. There is a new translation out just this last month by Gerald J. Davis. I did read, probably in Spark Notes, that the story is a bit fragmentary. Somewhere, I also read that there are several different versions from way back before any of it was ever translated into English. That, BTW, apparently didn't happen until sometime in the 1800's.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on September 18, 2014, 01:47:54 PM
Belated greetings, Frybabe. I am still in the land of the living though getting progressively lazier! I was 84 on August 18th and so, perhaps, have a slight excuse!

Am still in touch with Joyce, (Athena) and Peter from the UK. Keith (Asterix?) tells me Ginny is as busy as ever. Must be all that wine she imbibes! (Hope she doesn't read that!)

Have just returned from a holiday in Yorkshire, the UK's largest county. Visited numerous abbeys and marvelled at the skill of the old craftsmen. How sad that Henry VIII's advisors dreamt up the dissolution of the monasteries.

Passed through Middleham where Richard III had his castle and where his young son died. Was surprised to find the village twinned with Agincourt. History at every turn!

His body was discovered under a car-park in Leicester and, spookily, the letter identifying the car space was the letter "R". He is to be re-interred in Leicester though the Yorkists fought hard to have his body taken to York Minster and I agree with them.

Trust you are still enjoying your Latin studies.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on September 18, 2014, 01:53:04 PM


 I missed this article!

 
New finds make Roman port 'bigger than Pompeii'




New discovery of walls and buildings shows Ostia Antica was 35 per cent larger than previously thought


             (http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02885/Ostia-Antica_2885988b.jpg)

See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/10773465/New-Roman-ruins-site-bigger-than-Pompeii-found.html

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on September 18, 2014, 02:11:05 PM

 The following Roman villa site was mentioned on TV the other evening. Druce farm is near Puddletown, about five miles from Dorchester, in Dorset.

A new Roman villa for Dorset


(http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/614EdRomans4.jpg)

Read all about it, here at:

http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2014/06/a-new-roman-villa-for-dorset/
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 18, 2014, 02:55:08 PM
Hi MaryEmm, Happy belated Birthday.

Thanks for posting the two articles. The Dorset villia site doesn't look like it was too far below ground. I guess all that plowing over the site didn't help the top layers very much.  :(

I think Ginny is "busier than a one-armed paperhanger" what with over 100 students over 11 classes here. My class is gotten very small. Hidaroupe checks in when she can while traveling in France. Eyeclu is here, and me so far. I miss seeing Athena's posts. Keith must still confine himself to another Latin class because I haven't seen any of his posts either. So say hello to them for me.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on September 19, 2014, 04:48:29 PM
 


The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!



(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/nle/2014NLEmedals.jpg)

Congratulations to the Class of 2014 and their awesome results on the National Latin Exam! See post 654 below!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)






Hi, MaryEmm. Glad to see that our knowledge and findings from the classical world are still popping. Now if someone would only find copies of all the lost classical works of literature, buried in some library somewhere!

I'm like you: At 81 feeling too lazy to initiate another classical discussion. But if someone prods me enough, maybe I'll wake up.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 21, 2014, 01:41:05 PM
This cracked me up. I found it on a Latin Q&A site.

Q: How do you decline a proper name?
A: Just say no!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on September 21, 2014, 04:27:19 PM
 ;D
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on September 21, 2014, 04:35:32 PM
 :D  ::)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on September 25, 2014, 12:00:26 PM
In another vein, I must comment on something that has impressed me from Day One in this Forum and others too.  I stand absolutely awestruck regarding the level of intellect displayed here.   Would each of you mind too much posting the names of your colleges/universities, and the level of degrees earned??  Be assured this is not "data mining" in any way, shape or form.  I simply would love to know where you gleaned your "classical educations".   
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on September 26, 2014, 04:28:37 PM
I know almost nothing about the classics, except having read a few of them. I have degrees in other subjects: math and social science. But I got the small amount I do know about the classics from childhood and adult reading.

As a child, PatH and I read versions of the classics meant for children. We even wrote our own versions of some of the classical stories. As an adult, I continued to read some (in translation) but for every classic I have read, there are three or four which I haven't. The wonderful discussion we had a few years ago here of the Iliad sparked my interest again.

With the kindle, I have no more excuses. I have at my fingertips translations of most of the classics free or at nominal cost. It is just mental laziness that I haven't taken more advantage.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on September 27, 2014, 03:08:08 PM
One of our Latin students  has found this notice of a spectacular tomb discovered  in Greece (http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Greektemplefound2014.jpg), the article dated September 22, which is absolutely fascinating reading!

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29239529 (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29239529)


Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 27, 2014, 06:33:58 PM
Oh, Wow! I almost think I saw a photo similar to this not too long ago, but I don't know where. The others are new. Oh, how exciting.

I also read the other article, "Greek Tomb is Important Discovery".  It answers a question I've had for a long time but never really researched. What happened to Roxana? Not a surprising answer, sad to say.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on September 27, 2014, 08:56:11 PM
Do you mean Roxania? The Latin student? She's in another class. We haven't lost too many students, but they do shift from class to class.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 28, 2014, 06:25:55 AM
No, sorry, I was talking about Alexander the Great's wife.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on September 28, 2014, 10:44:13 AM
HAhahahaha, oh THAT Roxana! haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Boy what a morning.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on September 28, 2014, 04:13:39 PM
The History Channel was rebroadcasting an interesting series of programs on "Ancient Discoveries". I didn't know (I'm sure Ginny did) that the city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the great and a center of ancient culture, has disappeared. It is now underwater, and nothing remains onshore. Underwater archeologists are doing excavating there, and in other ancient sites. Can you imagine the difficulties? They showed how they set up the grids, and how they gently fanned each grid with their hands to move the sediment without damaging any fragile objects buried there.
 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 04, 2014, 12:39:11 PM



(http://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/otherslabelled-300x273.jpg)




The Fenwick Treasure at Williams & Griffin!

Quote
During the last week of the Trust’s excavation at the Williams & Griffin store in the High Street at Colchester, we discovered buried treasure…

Read on:

http://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/?p=14844 (http://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/?p=14844)



Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on October 04, 2014, 03:59:33 PM
What a story. Buried jewelry and an uneaten meal. It gives me chills.

Note this: "Strangely, human remains are almost unknown in the debris," That gives some hope that people survived. O maybe they were just taken somewhere out of town to be killed. Sigh.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on October 04, 2014, 04:32:57 PM
Mary, thank you so much! We can always count on you for the latest news.  Colchester was the brunt of a particularly brutal attack by Boudicca's forces, because it was a colony. The fact that many tribesmen had in fact settled there too seemed not to make a lot of difference. There's a wonderful film about it on the History Channel and available on youtube, but there are a lot of films on it on youtube and  you'd need to get the right one.

The portrayal of the Roman commander is particularly fine, by Mark Noble who also speaks in Latin for the film. Lots of talking heads of some authority, it's a good film. Let me go see if I can find the url to it. In Edit: nope, I don't see it, only excerpted parts of it. It's not the one with Alex Kingston, but it's available from Netflix. Very good film. Surprising acting.

Unfortunately the only one which seems left  (there are full versions in German and Spanish but not in English) is one in three parts which only takes up the last battle, and that's a shame. I'd go for the entire one, it explains the situation from Colchester to St.  Albans to London to the final battle. Really well done.

JoanK, yes and before the Arab Spring and the constant upheaval in Egypt they were planning a new underwater archaeological museum where you could walk down inside and view the artifacts which remain under water. I'd really love to see that someday if it gets built. And order is restored to Egypt and it's safe to go again.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 05, 2014, 12:59:50 PM

 Never thought of checking UTube. Find I am "not permitted" (in the UK)  to watch the videos of Boudicca's rebellion I wanted to view.  Can watch the Alex Kingston one and it is downloading so well. Usually have the stop /start problem. Alex Kingston was the perfect Boudicca I thought.

Glad you liked the above account, Ginny. When the items are displayed in the Museum I hope to go and see them.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 05, 2014, 03:48:19 PM
Oh, NO!

If you are interesting in UFO sightings in ancient Roman times, someone has written a short paper about it.

http://www.michaelsheiser.com/UFOReligions/Wittmann%20Flying%20Saucers%20or%20Flying%20Shields.pdf
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 06, 2014, 12:25:11 PM

 Trust the following will not offend anyone here.The series was shown on UK TV in 1988 and is available  at:


www.channel4.com/programmes/chelmsford-123 (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/chelmsford-123)


QUOTE: A comedic take on the undignified power struggles that took place between a Roman general and a British tribal leader in the ancient city of Chelmsford. UNQUOTE

(https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQAq-7Si7CM3Pe4j&w=470&h=246&url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.bips.channel4.com%2Fbse%2Forig%2Fchelmsford-123%2Fchelmsford-123-20090610152346_625x352.jpg&cfs=1&upscale=1&sx=0&sy=8&sw=625&sh=327)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 06, 2014, 12:27:51 PM

 It is possible that you might not be permitted to access the above site. If so, some scenes are shown on YouTube.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on October 08, 2014, 04:19:05 PM
MARYEMM: you're right on both counts. Here's an episode: (it's hilarious)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kZQS78V5vA
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 09, 2014, 06:21:04 AM

 Rude but hilarious, as you state, Joan.    :o
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 09, 2014, 06:27:47 AM


Head of goddess found at Arbeia Roman fort

(http://www.thehistoryblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Head-of-Brigantia-109x150.jpg)

Read all about it here at:  (http://Read all about it here at:)


http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/32719 (http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/32719)

and at:

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/roman-goddess-stone-found-during-7897902 (http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/roman-goddess-stone-found-during-7897902)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 09, 2014, 07:10:05 AM
Interesting, Maryemm. Of course, I had to look up more information about the fort itself and found this site.
http://www.roman-britain.org/places/arbeia.htm
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 09, 2014, 07:15:27 AM
 "Forgot" this site would be new to many people. It's an excellent description of the place. Not sure if we will be going that far North again, but if we ever do........................!

 Thanks, Frybabe.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 15, 2014, 07:53:48 AM
This morning I watched a documentary I found on my Amazon Prime called Carnuntum: Metropolis in the Land of Barbarians. Carnuntum is/was near Vienna. It is all enactment showing the rise and life of Carnuntun rather than photography of the ruins. There is some commentary on the wildlife in the area at that time with some very nice wildlife photography. I especially liked the shot of the lightening in the mountains at the beginning of the show. What it doesn't have is any photography of the ruins today. You Tube has the full program in several languages, but not, as far as I could find, in English.

This is what the Austrians have on offer at the site now - a few ruins, a lovely museum, and lots of reproduction buildings. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdRwU5z025U   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfODH52XS9g    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCGRorlQztk

Interesting note: Marcus Aurelius spent about three years there during a campaign against the Marcomanni. While there, he wrote part of his Meditations.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 18, 2014, 07:08:49 AM
My morning cruise through the free booksites turned up Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3 by W. E. Gladstone http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/47356 It looks like an interesting reference. Too bad I didn't run across it when we were reading The Odyssey.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 19, 2014, 07:03:31 AM
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30019338

More on the Greek excavations posted earlier.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on November 24, 2014, 11:11:19 AM
 Thank you Frybabe and everybody here for these wonderful submissions of the classics in the current news!

That one's very exciting. I bet the Greeks are beside themselves, but WHO can it be?

Here is a good example of Latin Lives Today, sent to me by one of my students at Furman:

Ted Cruz: Confused About Cicero


http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/11/ted-cruz-confused-about-cicero/383066/
[/color]
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 24, 2014, 11:35:46 AM
Oh, that is interesting, Ginny. Cicero is one character who I want to read, but I don't particularly like him. He seemed to have a nasty habit of changing alliances depending on the political winds.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on November 24, 2014, 11:43:49 AM
OH he's so interesting!! A very dangerous time to live. His failure TO adhere to the power is what cost him his life.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 24, 2014, 10:56:48 AM
(http://caccioppoli.com/Animated%20gifs/Merry%20Christmas/0259.gif)

GREETINGS TO ALL
[/b][/size]
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on December 25, 2014, 04:37:34 PM
Merry Christmas!

I've heard some funny stories about Cicero. One is (for some religious or omen reason), he would only make love to his wife when there was a thunderstorm. If Rome weather is like my Southern California weather, that would explain why he always looks so grouchy in pictures.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 26, 2014, 06:30:28 AM
 ::)  ;D

Happy Holidays to everyone!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 28, 2014, 02:31:05 PM
Latin version of Wikipedia homepage

https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicipaedia:Pagina_prima
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 02, 2015, 07:00:37 AM
Ran across this this morning on Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/47833

It is a book of essays by Sir James Y. Simpson, BART., M.D., D.C.L.
Listed as one of Her Majesty's Physicians for Scotland, and Prpfessor of Medicine and  Midwifery in the University of Edinburgh, and edited by John Stuart, LL.D., Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

In the book there are essays about about the modern use of a drug called Lykion that was found in ancient Grecian vases. I have no idea what Lykion is - yet.

Another essay, and more in line with my interests, is one about what the Roman army provided it's medical officers, and another essay about ancient Roman medical-stamps.

This is Volume 2. Volume 1 is not on Gutenberg's site. Wonder what interesting essays that one holds.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on January 03, 2015, 09:56:13 AM
When was the book written?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 03, 2015, 12:52:17 PM
This second volume was published in 1872, Pat.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 19, 2015, 10:54:06 AM
http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/update/2015-01-16/bid-to-unearth-exeters-roman-baths/ (http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/update/2015-01-16/bid-to-unearth-exeters-roman-baths/)




(http://news.images.itv.com/image/file/571028/stream_img.jpg)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on January 19, 2015, 03:01:00 PM
Mary, thank you SO much for that! How fascinating, I love the little clip! 60 A.D. he said!!

So good to see you again!!

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 25, 2015, 06:37:14 AM
Thomas Hardy must have visited Rome at some time. He wrote several poems about Rome.
I love the last two lines.

ROME: ON THE PALATINE
(April, 1887)

We walked where Victor Jove was shrined awhile,
And passed to Livia’s rich red mural show,
Whence, thridding cave and Criptoportico,
We gained Caligula’s dissolving pile.

And each ranked ruin tended to beguile
The outer sense, and shape itself as though
It wore its marble hues, its pristine glow
Of scenic frieze and pompous peristyle.

When lo, swift hands, on strings nigh over-head,
Began to melodize a waltz by Strauss:
It stirred me as I stood, in Cæsar’s house,
Raised the old routs Imperial lyres had led,

And blended pulsing life with lives long done,
Till Time seemed fiction, Past and Present one.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on January 25, 2015, 02:15:46 PM
 


The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!



(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/nle/2014NLEmedals.jpg)

Congratulations to the Class of 2014 and their awesome results on the National Latin Exam! See post 654 below!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)





"And blended pulsing life with lives long done,
Till Time seemed fiction, Past and Present one."

that's the way I felt in Florence.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 27, 2015, 09:52:04 AM
Featured in Ruth Downie's third book of her Medicus series, Persona non Grata:

The Port of Augusta:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%AEmes#mediaviewer/File:N%C3%AEmes_La_porte_Auguste.png

The Amphitheater at Nimes:
http://mondesetmerveilles.centerblog.net/161-les-arenes-de-nimes
The text is in French, but the pix are great. They apparently use the amphitheater for bull fights. Amazing.
(Bullfights in France?)

If you are interested in Roman Medicine and Roman historical fiction, this is a good mystery series. It is set around 100A.D. during Trajan's reign.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on February 27, 2015, 10:33:32 AM
 Super, thank you for those recommendations.

Yes and in the south of France, in the summer, some places in France has  different kinds of "bullfights," in which the idea,  if I understand it, is to grab and live through the process, little bits of ribbons or such tied to the bulls horns, it's bloodless and fun and  not cruel. That supplants the normal bullfights which I think do return later on.  They have a name but I can't recall it, perhaps somebody else has seen one or knows the name.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: MarieR on February 28, 2015, 10:44:27 AM
Fellow logophiles may be interested in A.Word.A.Day, which emails a word and its definition to its subscribers every day (Monday to Friday). Every week has a theme, and this past week's was "Latin terms in English".

http://wordsmith.org/words/yester.html (http://wordsmith.org/words/yester.html)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 09, 2015, 01:18:44 PM
While sitting in the service center waiting for my car to be inspected, I continued my reading of Christopher Kelly's, End of Empire: Attila the Hun and the Fall of Rome. In it he told about how Constantine VII (905-959) felt about libraries, "the vast quantity of material induces fear and dismay." He ordered his minions to "break up that great mass of scholarship which is so ponderous and dull that just thinking about it is exhausting." The result was 53 volumes. This cut and paste job, of which much was lost, still escaped as much loss as most of the rest of the written histories, according to Kelly.

The chapter I am on now describes dinner with Attila the Hun. I read the account years ago in a book edited by John Carey titled Eyewitness to History. So now, I see that this compendium made for Constantine is the source for the account. Priscus of Panium had written the account in his History of Attila. Priscus' eight volumes got reduced to thirty-five fragments in the compendium; the dinner account was one that made it intact into the compendium. It appears that Priscus' original eight volumes did not survive the ages. The "Dinner" is worth read. And here it is:
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/attila.htm

BTW, I don't agree with Constantine's assessment of libraries. The guy must not have liked to read or didn't have time.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 11, 2015, 07:41:02 PM
Another interesting tidbit. I am reading the fourth of Ruth Downie's Medicus series, Caveat Emptor, which is set in part in Versalium (near present day St. Albans). What interested me is the statement below the translations that the bit about Domitian was badly defaced. Domitian was not a nice guy. I wasn't aware that there was a "Damnatio memoriae" issued against his memory, so most likely it was done on orders.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verulamium_Forum_inscription
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 12, 2015, 06:29:44 AM
Me again. Just discovered an essay on ManyBooks.net titled The Economist by Xenophon. It is written in dialog form between Socrates and Christobulus about profitable estate management along with a retelling to Christobulus of a conversation on economics Socrates had with Ischomachus.

One of these days I will actually get around to downloading Pliny's writings regarding grape horticulture. For some odd reason I haven't done that yet.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on March 14, 2015, 07:45:27 PM
Frybabe, you've been posting all sorts of interesting things here, and I've been enjoying without responding.  I went to Nimes half a century ago (yikes, time flies) and saw the amphitheater, though we couldn't get in, but the thing that really impressed me was outside the city, the Pont du Gard, the bridge carrying the aqueduct that supplied Nimes over the river Gard.  Aside from how beautiful it is, you can actually walk on it, in the dry aqueduct channel.  Here's a link to the official site.

http://www.pontdugard.fr/en/groups (http://www.pontdugard.fr/en/groups)

The picture is a little different from my memory; I remember the walls being shoulder height, but I also don't remember the wood planks underfoot.  Maybe they built up the footing to give a better view.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on March 15, 2015, 04:35:13 PM
                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                  THE IDES OF MARCH


(http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/v2_article_large/public/2015/03/13/rtr23qv5.jpg?itok=wTfULqjh)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on March 15, 2015, 04:39:13 PM
BEWARE!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 24, 2015, 09:01:17 AM
Smithsonian report on ancient Roman fort found near Trieste, Italy.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/oldest-known-ancient-roman-fort-has-been-discovered-italy-180954616/?utm_source=smithsoniantopic&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20150322-Weekender&spMailingID=22322331&spUserID=NzQwNDU4NDU5NTIS1&spJobID=522060268&spReportId=NTIyMDYwMjY4S0

I expect BBC or the Archeology Magazine website will have info too. Will look later.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 27, 2015, 07:45:03 AM
An interesting tidbit I found in a book from Project Gutenberg called English Industries in the Middle Ages by L. F. Salzman (1913) in which he begins with a section on mining.
Quote
...Yet excavation has proved beyond all doubt that coal was used by the Romans, ashes and stores of the unburnt mineral being found all along the Wall, at Lanchester and Ebchester in Durham, at Wroxeter in Shropshire and elsewhere. For the most part it appears to have been used for working iron, but it was possibly also used for heating hypocausts, and there seems good reason to believe that it formed the fuel of the sacred fire in the temple of Minerva at Bath, as Solinus, writing about the end of the third century, comments on the 'stony balls' which were left as ashes by this sacred fire. That such coal as was used by the Romans was obtained from outcrops, where the seams came to the surface, is more than probable. There appears to be no certain evidence of any regular mining at this period.

He went on to say that after the Romans left, coal use was discontinued until it was rediscovered at the end of the 12th century.

He also mentioned this observation made by Caesar:
Quote
Julius Cæsar relates that iron was produced along the coast of Britain, but only in small quantities, its rarity causing it to be considered as a precious metal, so that iron bars were current among the natives as money.The coming of the Romans soon changed this. They were not slow to see the value of the island's mineral wealth and to turn it to account.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 04, 2015, 03:02:39 PM
Researching a little bit about Alesia, the site of Vercingetorix's last stand against Caesar, I found this site with old postcards from the town and excavations.
https://cartes.bougeret.fr/index008.php

If you like old postcards, this is an interesting site. Click on "accueil" and it will take you directly to the general page listing for countries, etc.


Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 12, 2015, 07:06:08 AM
This interest in translating books (especially children's books) into Latin is not new. Here is one published in 1914, Pericla Navarchi Magonis  (The Adventures of Captain Mago) by Léon Cahun translated by Dr. Arcadius Avelanus. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48681

I found this information about "the excellent Dr. Arcadius Avellanus."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadius_Avellanus Apparently there was some controversy over his translations.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on April 12, 2015, 10:00:44 AM
Oh how interesting all your research is, Frybabe!  I'm going to the Museo Parc in which they have built a new museum about Caesar's clash with Ariovistus in June and that Place de la Gare - Les Laumes - Alésia is the very train station stop I need to get off at. There have been some protests from the archaeologists that this is, in fact, not the spot but apparently Napoleon declared it WAS, and it's so interesting to see the old postcards talking about the very place one has to go today.

Thank you for sharing your interesting discoveries!

And hello Maryemm! Thank you for doing the Ides and that bust of Caesar. We were out for Spring Break and it was good to see that put here upon our return.

I saw an hilarious cartoon last year on the Ides. It was somebody in a toga saying "People are losing the spirit of the Ides of March. It's not about just stabbing. It's about coming together to stab in groups." hahahaha

I COULD put it here but it would probably violate  copyright so I won't. But it's so funny and so 21st century.

Love coming in here!

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on April 12, 2015, 10:28:26 AM
Ha ha.  I don't say much here, but I always enjoy the tidbits you all bring in.  Frybabe, are the Latin children's books aimed at adults?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 12, 2015, 03:31:54 PM
I'm not entirely sure PatH. He translated at least one volume mostly for his children, per the book intro. He believed, and practiced what he believed, that everyone should know Latin and be able to converse in it. Among the other books he translated were Treasure Island and Robinson Caruso . I can't find much information on him. His name is a Latin translation of his birth name, Mogyoróssy Arkád, according to Wikipedia. Wikipedia is about the only place I can find info on him, everything else posted refers back to that. What a shame.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 12, 2015, 05:59:09 PM
Gosh, I'm finding all kinds of interesting things lately. I am reading a non-fiction book essentially about Kim Philby (remember him?) and his friends, and how he managed to dupe them all. Anyhow, Philby was asked to head up a group within MI6 called Section V. They were operating out of St. Albans (Verulamium). Their cover for being there was that they were a group of archaeologists from the British Museum who were excavating the Roman ruins there.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on April 13, 2015, 04:57:39 PM
I do remember Kim Philby. When he became famous, it came out that he had been living in a house a few blocks from where I was living, and I remember feeling creepy that we had had a spy in the neighborhood!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 14, 2015, 09:35:32 AM

 Greetings Everyone.


In 2007 Kenneth Williams' famous quip "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got in for me!" was nominated the funniest line in movie history.

He uttered the words as Julius Caesar in the 1964 film "Carry On Cleo."

(As you can see, I am getting more and more flippant in my old age!)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on April 15, 2015, 03:33:20 PM
Of course! What better time to do it!

here's a scene from the movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZWo8Sxmlc8
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on April 15, 2015, 05:09:41 PM
Heeheehee.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 15, 2015, 08:37:16 PM
Never heard of Carry on Classics. I especially liked "Marcus et Spencius"
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on April 16, 2015, 01:06:57 PM
Well there's always Horrible Histories and the Rotten Romans, I am particularly fond of them: how about Caligula invading Britain?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwvfyvyZldM
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 21, 2015, 06:00:24 AM
Congratulations to all our NLE winners.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on April 21, 2015, 08:01:16 AM
OH absolutely right, Frybabe! Let me put this here so everybody can know:


(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/balloons/balloons/4balloons.jpg)



Every single one of our 20 students from SeniorLearn who took the National Latin Exam this year won a first prize!

Every single one! All 20!!  The scores are incredible. On 4 levels of the test.

Every single one is a winner!

 Out of 153,000 students in 20 countries, every single one!


Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations, all 20 students!!!  This has got to be a record which will never be broken!

 WHOOPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!


Unbelievable, and just to make it perfect, all 5  Furman students also got firsts.

Never be another year like this one, let's enjoy it!  We are proud of all of our students, those who took the test and those who did not; we are all operating on the same levels.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on April 21, 2015, 11:38:03 AM
           WOW!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on April 21, 2015, 04:38:21 PM
https://www.youtube.com/embed/dY_3ggKg0Bc

I don't know if this link will work, but it is an animation of the end of the city of Pompeii.  It is from the Melbourne Museum. (if the link doesn't work)  Nicely done animation.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on April 21, 2015, 04:38:27 PM
SENIORLEARNERS ROCK!!!!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on April 21, 2015, 04:38:46 PM
Hey, I tried it and it worked!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on April 21, 2015, 04:50:32 PM
OMG that was scary! I was going to send it to my grandson who just returned from Italy, visiting Pompeii. But I don't think I will.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: pedln on May 08, 2015, 12:03:02 AM
Fantastic!!  Congratulations to all.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 08, 2015, 03:30:13 PM

Belated CONGRATULATIONS to ALL and to GINNY.
[/b]
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 08, 2015, 08:10:22 PM
 Thank you, Mary, and Pedln, and Joan K, and Pat H and Frybabe!   :) This is really one of our best years ever!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 23, 2015, 05:45:17 AM
During my morning's web browsing, I found these quotes, both attributed to Herodotus.

"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all.  The conscientious historian will correct these defects." Many sites attribute this to Herodotus in his Histories, but one site claims that he did not write it. Mark Twain actually wrote it, attributing it to Herodotus, in A Horse's Tail. It supposedly reflected what Mark Twain thought was Herodotus' attitude toward history.


"It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed." Now I know where the Post Office got its motto. 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 26, 2015, 11:34:04 AM

Something I missed last year!

 
(http://www.vindolanda.com/images/Press_releases/Toilet%20seat.JPG)

Read all about it here at:

  http://www.vindolanda.com/_blog/press-releases/post/press-release---earliest-known-wooden-toilet-seat-discovered-at-vindolanda/ (http://www.vindolanda.com/_blog/press-releases/post/press-release---earliest-known-wooden-toilet-seat-discovered-at-vindolanda/)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on May 26, 2015, 02:07:57 PM
Ah, progress.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 12, 2015, 07:15:10 AM

 If you enjoy light reading occasionally Lindsey Davis's latest book "Deadly Election" might be of interest to you.

 About the Author

She has won the CWA Historical Dagger, Dagger in the Library, and a Sherlock for Falco as Best Detective. She has been Honorary President of the Classical Association, and Chair of the Crimewriters Association. In 2010 the city of Rome gave her the Premio Colosseo, awarded `for enhancing the image of Rome` and in 2011 she was awarded the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement.
 (ftp://She has won the CWA Historical Dagger, Dagger in the Library, and a Sherlock for Falco as Best Detective. She has been Honorary President of the Classical Association, and Chair of the Crimewriters Association. In 2010 the city of Rome gave her the Premio Colosseo, awarded `for enhancing the image of Rome` and in 2011 she was awarded the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement.)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 12, 2015, 08:41:58 AM
MaryEmm, good to hear from you again. Thanks for the heads up on the next book in her Flavia Albia series.

I've been reading R.W. Peake's Marching with Caesar series. I am in the middle of the Civil War and have just taken a ride down the Nile with Cleopatra and Caesar. It is a lengthy book. The next two are about Anthony and Cleopatra. The first focuses Anthony and the second on Cleopatra. I am not sure I want to read those two because I am not that interested in Cleopatra and her liaisons with Caesar and Anthony. But, if I find a copy at a really good price, I may. The battle scenes should be interesting, anyway. Otherwise I'll skip to The Rise of Augustus and The Final Campaign which ends Titus Pullus's involvement as narrator/chronicler. The newer ones are about his adopted son and grandson who follow in his footsteps. Interesting historical fiction from a lowly legionary's point of view.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 21, 2015, 09:29:37 AM
Apologies for my infrequent postings. I am getting on now and I don't seem to want to use my PC/i-Pad these days. Am forgetting my Latin. Sad, that!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on June 21, 2015, 03:52:02 PM
 


The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!



(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/nle/2014NLEmedals.jpg)

Congratulations to the Class of 2014 and their awesome results on the National Latin Exam! See post 654 below!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)





We're glad to see you whenever you post.

I'm a Lindsey Davis fan; I'll check out her new book.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on June 21, 2015, 05:55:24 PM
 I second that, Mary! We are always glad to see you and hear how you're doing and hear any news!

I am sure you haven't forgotten your Latin.   Doubtless  it's just lying there waiting to be called upon.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Lorac625 on July 06, 2015, 01:59:14 PM
Looks ok to me, but that doesn't mean much with computers!  Anybody else read SJA Turney?  He's got some great series!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 29, 2015, 12:30:36 PM
THE BRIGHTLINGSEA HARPY

(http://www.archaeology.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/HarpyConserved-202x300.jpg)


Read all about it here at:

http://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/features/revealed-the-brightlingsea-harpy.htm (http://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/features/revealed-the-brightlingsea-harpy.htm)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 29, 2015, 12:37:17 PM
Roman skeleton discovery could rewrite British history

(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02962/Bournemouth_roman__2962956b.jpg)

                                              Read all about it here at:


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/archaeology/10943259/Roman-skeleton-discovery-could-rewrite-British-history.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/archaeology/10943259/Roman-skeleton-discovery-could-rewrite-British-history.html)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 10, 2015, 12:10:40 PM
Heard on the news today that the mosaics discovered at Druce Farm, Puddletown, Dorset,  will be re-covered with soil to protect them. Not quite sure why site is being closed. It seems to have been a very large villa.


(http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/74621000/jpg/_74621034_mosaic.jpg)


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-27266690 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-27266690)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 10, 2015, 12:23:17 PM
(http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/10DE4/production/_84729096_coins1.jpg)

A hoard of 500 coins discovered by two metal detector enthusiasts near Leominster,  Herefordshire, The farm where we've holidayed for around sixteen years is nearby!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-33815609 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-33815609)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on August 10, 2015, 12:47:32 PM
Wow, thank you SO much,  Mary,  for this Report from the UK. How I envy you all there with no end of Roman remains in the back yard.

I expect they are recovering the mosaics to protect them because they don't have the funding to do much of anything else.

But how exciting it is to read these things, Latin Lives Today!! THANK you, hope you are well?



Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 12, 2015, 11:21:55 AM

 Still ticking on. 58th wedding anniversary on the 17th and my birthday the next day so each day counts now!!  ;D

I see you are going great guns with the Latin lessons. Wish I could remember all I learnt from you.  :-[

 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on August 12, 2015, 11:45:10 AM
My goodness!  Many congratulations on both of those very important occasions!

Well remember or not, you're certainly providing a super service here. I'm loving the articles!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on August 12, 2015, 02:08:14 PM
Me too, even though I don't always comment.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 12, 2015, 08:30:34 PM
HI MARYEMM. It's always great to see yours posts. Happy Anniversary and Birthday!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 13, 2015, 12:55:03 PM

 You might have waited to be sure I would celebrate them!!   ;D


....but THANK YOU ALL.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on August 14, 2015, 11:27:41 AM
WE might not make it that long. :) This way our good wishes are there regardless.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 16, 2015, 12:09:23 PM


 Never thought of that!!   :D
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: sandyrose on August 18, 2015, 10:35:00 AM
Happy Birthday Maryemm!  And congratulations on your anniversary!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on August 18, 2015, 11:33:15 AM
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Felix%20Dies%20birthday%20cake.jpg)

Happy Happy Birthday, Maryemm, and many more!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on August 18, 2015, 11:33:59 AM
 SandyRose, how lovely to see you here! I think of you often and still use your work! How are you getting along?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 29, 2015, 02:25:00 PM
A while back, I found The History of Julius Caesar (two volumes) by Napoleon III on Project Gutenberg. The preface to the first volume starts out,

"Historic truth ought to be no less sacred than religion. If the precepts of faith raise our soul above the interests of this world, the lessons of history, in their turn, inspire us with the love of the beautiful and the just, and the hatred of whatever presents an obstacle to the progress of humanity."

I have no idea when I will get around to reading this; I still have Goldsworthy's Caesar staring at me from my shelf of Roman history books as yet unread.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 30, 2015, 06:57:02 PM
I just watched a program about discoveries of early Christian graffiti and evidence of crosses in Pompeii and Herculanium. Ginny, have you seen any of these? Some of the graffiti only exists now in photos. Apparently the bakery owner had across at his bakery, and some graffiti on the doorway of his home. Simka Jacobovich (of The Naked Archeologist fame) was speculating that the Vesuvius eruption actually helped give Christianity a boost. Wrath of God and retribution for the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem a few years earlier by Titus.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 06, 2015, 07:05:46 AM
Ginny, regarding my last post: This is who Simka J. states was the owner of the bakery. http://www.ancient.eu/uploads/images/961.jpg?v=1431036068 He also claims that he was a retired Roman soldier and that the scroll he holds is his official discharge papers. I've never heard this before, only that it was a scroll he is holding.

The last episode of this particular series featured the Sator Square. Interesting palindrome that seems associated with the early Christian church. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sator_Square This, Simka claims, was also found in the doorway of the baker's house. I think he sometimes overreaches with his theories of early Christian and Jewish history. I am wondering if, in your travels to Pompeii and Herculaneum, if you ran across any Christian symbols.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on September 06, 2015, 11:42:34 AM
Not really. Here is Mary Beard on the famous Palindrome:

Quote
The idea of finding Christians in Pompeii or Herculaneum has been a holy grail for centuries. But nothing has ever proved their presence (the most famous sign of the cross appears to have been the traces left by a set of shelves). One suggestion has been that this word square with its apparently Christian message was the scratching of people who dug down into Pompeii after the eruption. That's not impossible. But much more likely is that it wasn't a Christian message at all.

Read more and find out why: http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_life/2012/11/were-there-christians-at-pompeii-the-word-square-evidence.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on September 07, 2015, 11:23:54 AM
The mention of discharge papers reminds me of visiting Roman ruins in Budapest 20 years ago.  In the museum was a soldier's honorable discharge, the words cut into a thin piece of copper.  Was this common?

http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/aquincum/ (http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/aquincum/)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on September 07, 2015, 11:30:03 AM
If it confirmed that he was a Roman citizen, it was. It was important enough to be on tombstones.  There was a practice of granting Roman citizenship to those serving in the army ( usually as auxiliaries but not always) after a certain number of years of service (usually 25 or 26). It granted to him and to his heirs Roman citizenship which was a prized commodity and worth a great deal.

What a neat thing to see!

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on September 07, 2015, 11:52:27 AM
So, it was important enough to put on copper, which wouldn't be cheap.  I don't remember the details, whether the label made that point, but seeing the discharge was indeed memorable.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Lorac625 on September 11, 2015, 03:41:01 AM
I was glad to read in the Smithsonian magazine that Italy is working on Pompei and Herculaneum.  Hope they do it right this time!  I liked both sites,but the one that resonated with me most was Ostia Antica.  I don't know if it was because it had its own subway stop,or because I was doing a paper on B&W mosaics and there were a ton of them, or just because the thermopolium seemed so McD like! Ginny tried to help me post a photo of it,but I'm still not getting it to work. This is a link that might work. 

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/ThermapoliumKBlair.jpg)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 11, 2015, 06:36:39 AM
Another example of builders damaging and hiding historical finds to avoid work stoppage on a site. Were they going to destroy the sarcophagus later or try to sell it on the black market? Idiots!
http://www.livescience.com/52079-rare-roman-era-sarcophagus-discovered.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Lorac625 on September 11, 2015, 12:49:42 PM
 ;D Hey, I did it!!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on September 11, 2015, 02:07:33 PM
Great shot of an interesting mosaic.  I saw Ostia Antica once, but it was over 50 years ago, and the memory has faded.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 16, 2015, 06:20:59 AM
My morning cruise though Project Gutenberg turned up this little gem by Dionysius of Halicarnassus.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50212

Dionysius was an historian and teacher who spent 22 years in Rome during the reign of Augustus. The book is both in Greek and English. 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 18, 2015, 07:20:38 AM


 Belated thanks for my birthday greetings.

Have been to Somerset since my last visit here and climbed Glastonbury Tor, something I had always wanted to do. I gave up three quarters of the way from the top and my Other Half went on alone, then I thought, I came to Somerset to climb the Tor so I had another go and made it. A baby there was the youngest and I think I was the oldest! So many ley lines meet at the Tor it's a spiritual place.

The Colchester Trust makes fabulous find at Colchester Royal Grammar School

(http://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/tombstone-thumbnail-y.jpg)

Read all about it here at:

http://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/?p=21842



Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on October 18, 2015, 08:34:40 AM
Congratulations, Mary! That is quite an achievement! What a wonderful thing to do something one has always wanted to do!

Thank you also for the notice of the find  from Colchester. I love that bulletin.

Thank you Frybabe for your latest treasure from Project Gutenberg, an incredible resource few people know about.

I came in to put up another one, too, we're humming today!


You all may  be interested in Mary Beard's newest opinions in the Wall Street Journal, Ancient Rome and Today’s Migrant Crisis

The Romans would have been puzzled by today’s hostility to migrants—and the EU’s lack of political unity by Mary Beard: Wall Street Journal 10/7: http://on.wsj.com/1LSpsvL
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 26, 2015, 07:14:20 AM
For those who might like a reference of the Roman provinces, I found this on Project Gutenberg: The Provinces of the Roman Empire from Caesar to Diocletian by Theodor Mommsen.

Volume 1: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48966
Volume 2: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49483

I have a print copy of both in one volume. My copy was published by Barnes and Noble in 1996.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on October 26, 2015, 09:13:32 AM
OH my word, the great  Mommsen! What a find! Thank you for telling us about that!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on October 26, 2015, 06:31:00 PM
I LOVE SENIORNET!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on November 22, 2015, 10:01:30 AM



(http://f.tqn.com/y/ancienthistory/1/L/P/E/4/GettyImages-493343054.jpg)




Watch out for Professor Mary Beard's new book : SPQR.

If you've read any of her books or seen her  on TV you will know you have a treat is store.

Read some of her thoughts  in an exclusive interview with about.com here:

http://www.ancienthistory.about.com






Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 03, 2015, 10:24:59 AM
WHEN THE OLD MEETS THE NEW!



See:

http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/news/broadband/bt-encounters-roman-fort-while-laying-broadband-00860?partner=BCnewsletter~December03~fullsend~25~CID773075&utm_source=bcnewsletter&utm_medium=email&_$ja=tsid:45649%7Ccgn:BCnewsletter~December03~fullsend~25%7Ckw:CID773075 (http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/news/broadband/bt-encounters-roman-fort-while-laying-broadband-00860?partner=BCnewsletter~December03~fullsend~25~CID773075&utm_source=bcnewsletter&utm_medium=email&_$ja=tsid:45649%7Ccgn:BCnewsletter~December03~fullsend~25%7Ckw:CID773075)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 03, 2015, 02:53:23 PM
Maryemm, you have managed to get me over to About.com. I have not been on that site in years, ever since they got bought out by Primedia. I just found out that have since been bought by first The New York Times, and then by an outfit called IAC/Interactive Corp  My how About.com has changed.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 03, 2015, 06:06:01 PM
SPQR, the print book, is out of stock on Amazon. I can get it for the Kindle, but I like my history books in print.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 04, 2015, 08:03:32 AM
Frybabe: Proof, if needed, how popular Professor Beard is.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 06, 2015, 12:14:14 PM
 


The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!



(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/nle/2014NLEmedals.jpg)

Congratulations to the Class of 2014 and their awesome results on the National Latin Exam! See post 654 below!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)





 On A MUCH LIGHTER NOTE!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPOXuJseU0ZTgLpZbcL5bdg (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPOXuJseU0ZTgLpZbcL5bdg)

Ginny Lindzey was kind enough to let us use one of her (learn Latin) card games for our "Ecce" magazine.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 09, 2015, 02:16:48 PM
Maryemm, I'm sure you've seen the news about Stonehenge.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/dec/07/stonehenge-first-erected-in-wales-secondhand-monument


PS: Adore the cartoons.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 10, 2015, 07:45:32 AM
No, I missed that Frybabe, (have been feeling under the weather),  so thanks for drawing it to my attention. Always knew the stones came from Wales but not the rest of the information.

Have not visited the site for years. Still recall our first visit. One could go up to the stones and touch them, and sit on them! ( I found a woman's handbag and handed it in to the attendant at the entrance. My archaeological find!)

I think the Avebury stones are "better". Visited these on a drizzly day and took the following image. Strange thing: apart from the sheep we hadn't noticed anything/anyone else around at the time! I call it the Watcher on the Hill!

(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc292/Maryemm_photos/Avebury010.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/Maryemm_photos/media/Avebury010.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 10, 2015, 08:15:14 AM
Great photo, MaryEmm. I was actually a little disappointed when I saw Stonehenge. It looked so much smaller than it did on TV. I was sixteen at the time.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 11, 2015, 08:08:17 AM
I was disappointed because the site was so near a main road. It needed to be in a remote spot, I thought.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 11, 2015, 09:55:07 AM
That too, MaryEmm. I would have liked very much if it wasn't so populated with tourist traffic (says one who was). I've just never been big on crowds. They are way to distracting. I avoid heavy shopping days and big sales for the same reason.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 11, 2015, 01:55:42 PM
I do practically all mine on line!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 12, 2015, 07:42:11 AM
Julius Caesar battlefield unearthed in Southern Netherlands

 

(https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f72776def48996151eb38efba7cc9ce3b217ed52/0_38_640_384/master/640.jpg?w=700&q=85&auto=format&sharp=10&s=a9d66244d023e67a5727291f11916674)

Read all about it here at:


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/11/julius-caesar-battlefield-unearthed-southern-netherlands-dutch-archaeologists (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/11/julius-caesar-battlefield-unearthed-southern-netherlands-dutch-archaeologists)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 12, 2015, 07:46:36 AM
Ancient Rome History Comes Alive With New App


(http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/blogs/dnews-files-2015-12-ancient-Rome-queen-of-roads-becomes-digital-151103-jpg.jpg)

See: http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/ancient-rome-history-comes-alive-with-new-app-151203.htm (http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/ancient-rome-history-comes-alive-with-new-app-151203.htm)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 12, 2015, 07:49:09 AM
Wreck Full of Ancient Roman 'Ketchup' Found


(http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/blogs/dnews-files-2015-12-ancient-ketchup-670-jpg.jpg)

See:   http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/wreck-full-of-ancient-roman-ketchup-found-151211.htm (http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/wreck-full-of-ancient-roman-ketchup-found-151211.htm)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on December 12, 2015, 09:28:40 AM
My goodness what a flood of new information! Thank you so much for these, Maryemm and Everybody!

The article on Caesar's possible mini strokes is fascinating, especially given his father's and ancestor's deaths.

It's a joy to look in here. So many interesting things to read!  Now I'm going to look up the APP.

Thank you!

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Graphics/Christmaspoinsettia.gif)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 12, 2015, 10:48:24 AM

Julius Caesar May Have Suffered Mini Strokes, Not Epilepsy



(http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/blogs/dnews-files-2015-04-julius-caesar-suffered-mini-strokes-150416-jpg.jpg)

See:   http://news.discovery.com/history/julius-caesar-may-have-suffered-mini-strokes-not-epilepsy-150416.htm (http://news.discovery.com/history/julius-caesar-may-have-suffered-mini-strokes-not-epilepsy-150416.htm)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 12, 2015, 10:49:49 AM


 The above was next on my list. Ginny!!

 Do the new students know about this section?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on December 12, 2015, 12:09:16 PM
I have put links in the Assignments, yes. I hope so. :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 13, 2015, 06:50:29 AM
Super collection of new articles.

The comments at the bottom of the Caesar stroke article are priceless. I love a good laugh first thing in the morning. For some reason they don't show up on the direct link to the article, but if you go into the article about the battlefield and click from there, you can see the comments posts.


Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 18, 2015, 09:34:51 AM





(http://quotesideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/happy-winter-season-quotes-3.gif)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on December 18, 2015, 11:24:32 AM
This is lovely...thank you and Season's Greetings to you also.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: BeckiC on December 24, 2015, 03:34:19 PM
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/dec/24/pompeii-homes-mosaics-and-frescoes-among-latest-sights-for-tourists

I saw this in my news feed. I was hoping for more pictures.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 24, 2015, 04:45:08 PM
Thanks for the article, Beck.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on December 24, 2015, 08:20:19 PM
OH my goodness! Look at the bottom image!~  That's the House of Paquius Proculus which it doesn't say.  Could it be OPEN after all this time?  The caption says one of 6 newly restored.   I tried in vain to find it last year only to be stopped by orange construction barriers.

What a present this  news is! Thank you, Becki!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 25, 2015, 06:14:57 AM
Gorgeous isn't it? It is wonderful to see the whole floor, not just the canis tile. I actually didn't realize (or remember) it being part of a larger grouping. Could it be that the tile design is a common sight in other houses and I am remembering one of those? Guess I know what you are planning for the next summer trip. 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Zulema on December 30, 2015, 11:18:34 PM
Hello and Happy New Year.  I just came here again after a year, to visit you all.  I don't know where time goes and before I know it, it's months and months that I have not posted.  I do think of you all and see that you keep travelling, which is wonderful.  Wish you all the best and hope to come and read your news and thoughts more often.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 31, 2015, 06:50:57 AM
It is wonderful to hear from you again Zulema. The best of the New Year to you.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on December 31, 2015, 07:45:39 PM
How lovely to see you again, Zulema!~ I was so pleased to see you in the Holiday Books discussion.  How is NYC, my grandson's favorite city? (He absolutely LOVES NYC). He's just turned 9.

Frybabe, I meant to get back in here earlier. No, that's not a common pattern, it's very distinctive. I think what you might be thinking about is the documentary called City which was on PBS which we recommended  in one of our classes,  (and is now on youtube, it's wonderful),  and shows David Macaulay in Pompeii, standing in the atrium of that house  in a rain storm?  Once you see it you never forget it.


The Telegraph has named all six in a beautiful article with breathtaking photos: (http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03535/dry-cleaner_3535062b.jpg) The mosaics are spectacular.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/12068416/A-2000-year-old-ancient-Roman-laundromat-open-to-public-for-first-time.html

The 6 houses are:  The Fullonica di Stephanus, La Casa di Paquius Proculus, la Casa del Sacerdos Amandus, la Casa di Fabius Amandio and la Casa dell’Efebo were also unveiled to the public.

Somebody working for Pompeii once said to me that Pompeii was like Disney World, there was always something new to see and I think they were right. If I'm still alive and mobile it will take something pretty drastic to keep me from it this year. :)


Happy New Year, Everybody!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Zulema on January 01, 2016, 10:05:20 PM
Ginny, every time I read you I learn so much from you!  And I envy you having a 9-year old grandson.  Mine, who is now 19, used to love to come to NYC and his favorite place to visit was the Metropolitan Museum.

Be well, everybody, and happily occupied, which I see you are.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on January 02, 2016, 09:59:46 AM
Zulema, YES!  The Met! I think  his mother thought that would be about a 5 minute drop by, and she sort of was thinking when I got the audios for all of us that no, that wouldn't be necessary, he was 7,  but she's good matured and went along with it.  And behold! That child led the way all day long,  and I have priceless photos  my DIL took of him and me with our headphones, we look like mirror images even as to posture, as we look at something.

 Wonderful memory. We literally spent the day there. And of course didn't see it all.  The Met is very clever in how they present that to children. Not so, perhaps, the Museum of Natural History, flooded with children, not the first audio. I think that's a mistake, but we still spent half a day there and he was much taken with it, too.

I am so glad because I did want him to love NYC and he did, every single minute of it. Even got to stand in the front of the El which I loved as a child, have photos of that too, remember standing and looking out the front? They still do it, apparently.

I think my  DIL was much taken with the friendliness of the people who offered endless advice. We were wondering where the echo thing is in Grand Central Station and people came and told us exactly where to stand, he was amazed by it.  I was very proud of NYC. Really a wonderful trip, I'm sure you can tell. :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 11, 2016, 09:42:50 AM
Greetings, Zulema. Good to hear from you and trust 2016 will be a happy and healthy year for you.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 11, 2016, 10:02:14 AM
Those who remember ATHENA (Joyce) in the Latin class will be saddened to hear of her death on December 22nd 2015. She had been battling cancer for three years but never complained, never even mentioning any health problems.

Joyce and I kept in touch and played Scrabble every day. In fact we had just started our umpteenth game just two days before I heard the sad news, so it was quite a shock. I shall miss her.


Joyce Morrow Pair, English language educator. Recipient George M. Sparks fellowship Georgia State University, 1975. Historian Women's Forum of Georgia, Atlanta, 1990-1992. Member Modern Language Association, South Atlantic Modern Language Association, National Women's Studies Association, Women's Forum of Georgia.

 Joyce Morrow Pair, Ph.D. edited the James Dickey Newsletter for twenty years.  She was a friend of James Dickey from 1984 until his death in 1997.  Since her retirement as English Professor, she edited manuscripts, chiefly on the work of Dickey.  She was Senior Editor of the digitized version of James Dickey Newsletter, to be found at http://www.jamesdickey.org
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 11, 2016, 04:24:53 PM
I'm so sorry to hear that, MaryEmm. I have been wondering about her for quite some time.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 22, 2016, 11:17:09 AM

Piecing together the gruesome story of York’s headless Romans

(https://www.york.ac.uk/media/news-and-events/pressreleases/2016/bcb874b6409056f9_800x800arfeat.jpg)


See:  https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2016/research/headless-romans/





Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 22, 2016, 11:18:56 AM



Quote
However, the nearest modern descendants of these Roman British men live in Wales rather than Yorkshire

In another paper it stated "South Wales" : my birth-place!!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 22, 2016, 11:52:51 AM
I hadn't seen that one MaryEmm. The one I saw a day or two ago was about the dinosaur dig at Penarth.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35364711

Anyway, back to your article...I am wondering about the Welsh genetics. I'll have to read into the published articles, I guess, to see what they say. I didn't see an approximate date for these burials, but with the Romans having so much trouble subduing the Welsh, I am inclined to think they were captive warriors either made to fight in the arena.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 22, 2016, 12:24:33 PM
Ah, okay. The gist of it is that the Welsh genes from populations already living in the area and are the result of earlier migrations rather than from those brought in as captives or slaves. Then there is the Welsh connection with Yorkshire through King Arthur and his Knights. Was he Welsh or was he from the Yorkshire area, but of Welsh descent? Things I should know, or remember, but don't.

That reminds me. I remember Mom telling me that she supposedly had relatives living in the York area. I don't think she ever knew who they were, though, or how long they had been there.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 24, 2016, 08:00:18 AM

Some interesting links:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/arthur_01.shtml (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/arthur_01.shtml)


http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsBritain/BritainSilures.htm (http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsBritain/BritainSilures.htm)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 04, 2016, 06:20:33 AM
During my daily cruise through Project Gutenberg, I fan across another volume of an old magazine called The Mentor. This volume is entirely about Julius Caesar. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/51110/51110-h/51110-h.htm

At the end was an interesting painting called The Conquerors. Because the print quality of the magazine left something to be desired regarding the art, I looked it up. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/images/fritel-the-conquerors-1.jpg Here it is unframed, in color, also not a good quality pix: http://www.artnet.com/artists/pierre-fritel/les-conqu%C3%A9rants-lRq6Jel2w3qavjD6xPa3bg2

Sothby's sold it in 1988, but no one (expept, perhaps Sothby's) knows who has it now or where it is.
http://articles.philly.com/1988-02-22/news/26242069_1_paintings-auction-house-sotheby

What a mystery! First it gets forgotten after John Wanamaker died (how do you forget such a large piece fo art?), then it gets sold in 1988 and disappears again. The artist, Pierre Fritel, is also obscure.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on February 04, 2016, 04:11:01 PM
history, a great painting and a mystery in one shot. Good find!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 20, 2016, 09:10:12 AM


Treasure trove of Roman artefacts found under the A1: Pots, beads and jewellery are among 177,000 pieces unearthed by roadworks



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3401618/Treasure-trove-Roman-artefacts-A1-Pots-beads-jewellery-
 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3401618/Treasure-trove-Roman-artefacts-A1-Pots-beads-jewellery-)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 20, 2016, 09:14:51 AM
Remains of 'extraordinary' Roman arcade found in Colchester



Ruins of the 120-metre-long Roman arcade - the largest of its kind in Britain - discovered in Colchester beneath land intended for new apartments

See:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/archaeology/12150373/Remains-of-extraordinary-Roman-arcade-found-in-Colchester.html#disqus_thread (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/archaeology/12150373/Remains-of-extraordinary-Roman-arcade-found-in-Colchester.html#disqus_thread)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on February 20, 2016, 11:28:41 AM
My goodness, look at those! Thank you so much, Mary!  What fascinating finds they label at the end of that article found in this or that store, like:

•   Napier Road: Eight Roman graves dating back to the third and fourth centuries unearthed at the site in 2013
•   Williams and Griffin department store: Three gold armlets, a silver chain necklace and two silver bracelets belonging to a wealthy Roman woman, found in 2014.


If I lived in the UK I'd be digging in the basement every night like Mapp and Lucia. :)

I haven't been to Colchester in years, I may have to plan a trip back.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 20, 2016, 12:04:19 PM
I don't know if any of you read the comments section below the article, but I am laughing myself silly over the comments under the arcade article.

The sidebar about the spread of parasites in the roadworks find article is particularly interesting.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 20, 2016, 02:51:47 PM
 


The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!



(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/nle/2014NLEmedals.jpg)

Congratulations to the Class of 2014 and their awesome results on the National Latin Exam! See post 654 below!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)




Talk of Umberto Eco's death reminded me of his Fouault's Pendulum , which I couldn't get through. While looking up the original (in Paris) I also discovered many others, some very fancy. This one, though, includes a Latin inscription. Can you read it? It is from line 284 of book 3 of Virgil's Georgics, but the words are rearranged slightly.

http://miamioh.edu/news/top-stories/2015/08/pendulum.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on February 20, 2016, 06:30:40 PM
There is also one at the University of Maryland.  as it goes so you can see the way it varies by the sand pattern it leaves.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 20, 2016, 06:56:43 PM
The only one I ever remember seeing in person is the one at the Smithsonian. The original one, in Paris I believe,is pretty utilitarian looking,but some are real works of art. The pendulum at Miami is such. It looks a little lonesome and out of place where they put it.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 23, 2016, 02:33:41 PM
Frybabe: I don't usually read comments as they so often deteriorate into slanging matches. However I had a quick look and, like your good self, had a laugh at some of them.

The "soggy chips wet fish, and hairy locals" struck home. As we were late home this morning we had some fish and chips from the local chippie for our lunch.  It was excellent fare: crisp chips, with delicious cod in batter and, I'm glad to say that though we are local, we are not hairy!!

Ginny: We found Victorian ink bottles in the garden when we first moved to our present home. No Roman remains, alas. However The Duke of Monmouth may have crossed the heath around our home as he was found hiding in a ditch not that far from us. (in 1685).

Have to say I was thrilled to learn that the Romans did come nearer to my family home in Wales that I had previously thought.( Formerly Silures territory!!)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on February 23, 2016, 04:42:47 PM
I envy you Brits, living with so many millennia of written history.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 23, 2016, 05:13:09 PM
Just got SPQR by Mary Beard. I was surprised to get it so soon because there was a long hold list. Super, I have on ebook on hold that should be ready in a day or two, and one of two books that I put on hold at the library is in (the other should be ready by Friday).

Anyhow, I can tell already that I am going to have to spend the bucks and order SPQR for my personal library. What a wonderful writer she is. Also, she starts with Cicero and the Cataline Conspiracy. I have First Oration of Cicero Against Catiline by John Henerson which is a in Latin but with Notes and a complete vocabulary. Oddly, it appears to have only the first chapter intact. Also, in my ebook library is De Bello Catilinario et Jurgthino by Caius Sallustii Crispi also in Latin with plenty of notes. I haven't attempted to read either one of them yet.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 27, 2016, 11:43:16 AM
SPQR: My next buy!!

Mary Beard was writing about her grey hair the other day. She was criticised viciously when she presented some programmes on TV . Posters said she looked "like a witch" etc. Made me so angry!

Anyway I expected her to write about grey hair (?) in Roman times so was surprised to find it was nothing of the sort. You have been warned!

 See: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3463108/Vanity-ISN-T-blame-addiction-hair-dye-insists-TV-historian-Mary-Beard-says-women-victims-great-grey-hair-conspiracy.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3463108/Vanity-ISN-T-blame-addiction-hair-dye-insists-TV-historian-Mary-Beard-says-women-victims-great-grey-hair-conspiracy.html)

Before I retired, 26 years ago, colleagues used to ask if I dyed my hair. I didn't, and I still don't. It is still my original mouse colour I don't know whether to be glad, or sad. I like grey/white hair!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on February 27, 2016, 11:53:31 AM
 First off, you'd love S.P.Q.R. I hated to see it end and am forever grateful to her for writing it.

 Secondly, I love Mary Beard and anything she says and does about classics. She has set out to debunk the myths about classics with scholarship and facts, not only of the ancient world but classics issues today. I don't agree with some of her political stances, but that's probably because unfortunately  I don't know enough, I don't know  as much as she does about some British  issues (like the Rhodes one),  and so I don't have any basis for argument.  Or opinion, for that matter. She says, in her blogs sometimes,  the most breathtaking things  about classics and sometimes they go totally unnoticed.  She says things nobody else does   and I tremendously admire her for it.

On hair,  since my own is its natural color, I think it's the most flattering to your own color. I think people resent the length of her hair, I think that's the actual complaint, nobody is complaining about Helen Mirren shown in the article,  and I say it's your hair, do what you want with it.

Mary Beard for President! I'd vote for her. :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on March 05, 2016, 10:57:06 AM
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/tv/2016/03/03/mary-beard-large_trans++pVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQf98oAmGZYX8Vqbq2hlobTFc.jpg)



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/03/03/pompeii-new-secrets-revealed-with-mary-beard-goes-beyond-the-cli/
 (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/03/03/pompeii-new-secrets-revealed-with-mary-beard-goes-beyond-the-cli/)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/campania/pompeii/articles/Mary-Beards-Pompeii-guide-a-trip-back-to-AD-79/
 (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/campania/pompeii/articles/Mary-Beards-Pompeii-guide-a-trip-back-to-AD-79/)



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/pompeii/ (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/pompeii/)



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/pompeii/11932368/Pompeiis-pilferers-punished-with-a-curse-from-the-gods.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/pompeii/11932368/Pompeiis-pilferers-punished-with-a-curse-from-the-gods.html)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on March 05, 2016, 11:02:03 AM
The other evening my husband and I watched the above programme: Pompeii New Secrets Revealed with Professor Mary Beard. It was utterly fascinating, She brought the whole place to life.

I am not sure if you will be able to access the following. Doubt it, but here's the link anyway. It's well worth watching!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b072nxtm/pompeii-new-secrets-revealed-with-mary-beard (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b072nxtm/pompeii-new-secrets-revealed-with-mary-beard)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on March 05, 2016, 11:23:16 AM
Thank you Mary, we CAN, on youtube, while it lasts:


 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAv_U_YkjLI

And it should not be missed!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on March 05, 2016, 05:42:57 PM
That was absolutely amazing! Thank you.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on March 11, 2016, 07:33:45 AM


 I see the link has now been removed, Ginny. Didn't know about it and thought I'd check it out.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on March 11, 2016, 09:06:39 AM
 So glad you liked it, JoanK!

Mary: The one on youtube? That one has been removed somebody has put up a new one which is strange, it appears to show a laptop and the movie is playing on the laptop. I'd wait until somebody else puts it up but you have to pounce on them when they do as they will be removed.

I don't believe that people in the UK are able to view it.

I'm sure we'd much rather all buy it in DVD so we can have good quality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnOnbbAy6e8
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Dana on March 12, 2016, 12:01:41 PM
Here in S Carolina a young chap just got thrown out of the American Idol contest.  I think he got down to 6th or something.  Anyway when he got home he said to the local paper,"First thing I'm looking forward to is to lay down on my bed.  Hotel beds are comfortable but I miss my bed so much."

That made me laugh and reminded my of my favourite piece of Catullus in a poem written when he came home from Bithynia where he had been for a while.

O quid solutis est beatius curis,
cum mens onus reponit, ac peregrino
labore fessi venimus larem ad nostrum,
desideratoque acquiescimus lecto?
Hoc est quod unum est pro laboribus tantis.

Oh what with cares cast off is more blessed,
when the mind puts to rest its burden,and
tired with foreign labour we come to our household gods
and rest on our longed for bed?
This thing is what is the only thing for such labours.

That's a lovely satisfying last line in Latin I think.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on March 12, 2016, 03:58:49 PM
DANA: that's great.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on March 13, 2016, 01:19:27 PM
Frybabe: See:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yRCgCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA48&lpg=PA48&dq=did+Hardy+visit+Rome%3E&source=bl&ots=SmcW0jGYEc&sig=hcFgQErG5Mi6oLg5q4hhALuJNAg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjyhZCTlb7LAhWF7RQKHQxVCOYQ6AEINDAB#v=onepage&q&f=false (https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yRCgCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA48&lpg=PA48&dq=did+Hardy+visit+Rome%3E&source=bl&ots=SmcW0jGYEc&sig=hcFgQErG5Mi6oLg5q4hhALuJNAg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjyhZCTlb7LAhWF7RQKHQxVCOYQ6AEINDAB#v=onepage&q&f=false)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on March 13, 2016, 01:27:28 PM

Dana: I read your post after nodding here in front of my PC and waking up with a stiff neck!

(The cat who spends her time with me here looks much more comfortable on the floor.)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 14, 2016, 06:06:57 AM
MaryEmm, your link didn't work for me, but I did find the book on Amazon. Pricey little bugger isn't it! I am reading the excerpt now.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on March 15, 2016, 10:44:25 AM
Frybabe: How odd! It works for me. Won't let me copy and paste, though.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 15, 2016, 05:02:54 PM
I know, MaryEmm. Now you mention it, I've been on the Amazon UK site before without problems.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 28, 2016, 12:44:55 PM
My sister is wondering if anyone knows of any online hieroglyphics classes, preferably free or inexpensive.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on April 04, 2016, 05:22:38 PM
Everyone who reads Homer remembers his description of the "wine dark sea." Now a scientist claims that he wrote that because people of his time could not see the color "blue."

It seems many languages are late in adding a word for "blue" to their language. At first, there are only words for black and white. Then red is added. Then green and orange. Blue is added last.

A study was done in a tribe that had no word for blue in their language. They either couldn't distinguish it from green, or had great trouble.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 05, 2016, 07:23:49 AM
I am remember reading an article (Scientific American, probably, or an early Smithsonian) about color perception in different groups of people, but I am not sure whether it included early peoples. The other one I read that definitely was about early peoples and vision had to do with depth perception, a big boon to hunting societies.

This all reminds me of the bicameral mind argument and the origins of consciousness. Julian Jaynes used Homer as an example in his argument for a bicameral mind before around 3000 years ago. Basically, Jaynes argued that early peoples did not have a sense of self, believing that the thoughts they heard in their heads from an outside force (god, spirit) rather than themselves. It is a bit controversial, but his theory seems to have stimulated and provided some insight into the study of consciousness and such abnormal thinking processes such as happens in schizophrenia among other disorders.

So, could such a theory explain or help to explain why early peoples did not "see" or recognize colors? I think, like many other things, this is evolution in action. But which came first or did they develop on concert with each o ther, the visual mechanism and the brain development needed to process the information?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on April 05, 2016, 04:37:47 PM
That's very interesting.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: marcie on April 05, 2016, 08:47:18 PM
My sister is wondering if anyone knows of any online hieroglyphics classes, preferably free or inexpensive.

Frybabe, there's a list of online resources that was posted in 2013 at http://archaeologyoftombraider.com/2013/03/11/10-fantastic-free-resources-for-learning-egyptian-hieroglyphs/
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 17, 2016, 07:48:36 AM
RECENT DISCOVERY


(https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/d3b318ca0a3a0473e41d3d1228abdf6373768f2c/273_576_3175_1905/master/3175.jpg?w=620&q=20&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&dpr=2&s=3183f2eca6c2f864bbb7f26c6ba5739b)

Read all about it here at:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/17/amazing-find-roman-villa (http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/17/amazing-find-roman-villa)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 17, 2016, 08:26:45 AM
That's amazing, Maryemm.

I am not sure how I would feel if something like that happened to me. One the one hand, I would be so excited and mighty curious to the point of helping out and learning more, on the other, all the people, the digging, and especially the severe limitations that would put on what I could do with my property would put me in a funk. I wonder what will happen to their home considering that it is built right on top of the central part of the villa.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 17, 2016, 11:40:43 AM
I think excitement would win the day for me! Nephew is an archaeologist so he would be put in charge and I would be there supervising (!!! Ha Ha)

Sad there are no ghosts though if place was devastated by Boudicca perhaps it is just as well.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on April 28, 2016, 09:36:07 AM
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/balloons/balloons/4balloons.jpg)

News You can Use:

The results are in for the National Latin Exam and this year all 15 of our students who took the exam received awards!!

This is either our 6th or 7th year, I've lost count, of accomplishment on the NLE and it's a wonderful tribute to all of our students, those who took the test and those who didn't, for their commitment to lifelong learning and achievement.

I'd like to recognize those who won honors this year:

Bill J, DNix, Carola, Tom, Xine, Vorenus, Eladnova, Halcyon, Hysteria2, Sue C, BeckiC, Ethannah, Venia, Karen, and Brook!


Congratulations, we are very proud of you all!
Hooray!!

 :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 30, 2016, 11:08:21 AM

CONGRATULATIONS: Bill J, DNix, Carola, Tom, Xine, Vorenus, Eladnova, Halcyon, Hysteria2, Sue C, BeckiC, Ethannah, Venia, Karen, and Brook!

and to

GINNY

on such great results.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 30, 2016, 11:12:14 AM

Park workers in Spain discover huge Roman coin trove

Read all about it here at:

 https://www.mail.com/int/scitech/news/4310032-park-workers-spain-discover-huge-roman-coin-trove.html#.1272-stage-set8-8 (https://www.mail.com/int/scitech/news/4310032-park-workers-spain-discover-huge-roman-coin-trove.html#.1272-stage-set8-8)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 30, 2016, 04:51:11 PM
That is terribly interesting, MaryEmm. I noticed first, that they are listed as "unused" coins, and second that one of the coins are "silver-coated". So, I wonder first, where these coins near or at a coin making facility? And Second, just when did coinmakers start making silver coated rather than all silver coins for official use rather than counterfeit?

I watched several Mary Beard programs last night on my new SmartTV which includes YouTube. I love YouTube.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 05, 2016, 09:20:05 AM
Another find in Turkey, this one a tablet with the rules for horse racing.
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-36186530
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 12, 2016, 10:47:03 AM
Interesting questions regarding the coins, Frybabe.

Watched Professor Mary Beard last night talking about what it meant to be a Roman citizen. Really interesting.

Wonder if you can view the following:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07bkn8x/mary-beards-ultimate-rome-empire-without-limit-episode-3 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07bkn8x/mary-beards-ultimate-rome-empire-without-limit-episode-3)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 13, 2016, 04:49:27 AM
Yes, that was interesting, wasn't  it, Mary?  I particulsrly envy her in Timgad, long on my Bucket List, abd apparently it will need to stay thete, due to the political situation.        Although those in the United States cannot view that player, all three of her episodes are now showing on YouTube and that is just a spectacular series! One more to go next Wednesday! 

Thank  you for mentioning it!   Nobody should miss it.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on May 16, 2016, 03:43:09 PM
My computer said it could be viewed in the UK only. How did you get it, GINNY.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 16, 2016, 03:57:44 PM
People copy  it and  put it on youtube where it is now, all 3 of the first episodes and they really are good. I'd watch it while I could although there are so MANY copies now that should not be an issue. They are allowing it to remain for some reason.  There are several of hers to choose from, the new one Mary  Beard's Ultimate Rome, (3 episodes so far, one more this Wednesday in the UK, probably appearing Thursday or Friday on youtube),  her old one, Meet the Romans, her lecture on her book S.P.Q.R., and her Caligula as well as others I can't recall.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 16, 2016, 06:11:46 PM
What really got my attention was the an example of Roman lower case letters she showed us at Timgad. I was surprised to see it, thinking that lower case was developed much later. As best as I can tell, it was not all that common until the 3rd century and was mostly used for informal writing. The change from all caps to caps and lower case was gradual. Do I have that basically right Ginny?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 16, 2016, 06:17:30 PM
Ginny, I've got Jerry Toner's translation of The Roman Guide to Slave Management: A Treatise by Nobleman Marcus Sidonius Falx on order from the library. I should get it on Thursday. Mary Beard wrote the forward, I believe.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on May 16, 2016, 07:27:10 PM
 

The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!



(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/nle/2014NLEmedals.jpg)

Congratulations to the Class of 2014 and their awesome results on the National Latin Exam! See post 654 below!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)




Is it like script? Graffiti? The lower case letters? I am hoping to have time to look at her 3rd one in more detail but I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, and am gone all day tomorrow, so I'll have to put that pleasure off till I get back.

Goodness on the slave management, is it a commentary on Cato's De Agri Cultura?

See you in a few weeks. :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 17, 2016, 06:46:30 AM
The Toner book, a review tells me, is narrated by a ficticious character (Marcus Sidonius Falx) but the material is non-fiction and taken from various original source material including Seneca and Pliny the Younger.

As far as the lower case writing, according to Wikipedia what MB pointed out in the 3rd episode is a form of cursive writing used mostly for informal writing, like letters and business transactions. Here is the Wikepedia page. I post it because it has a bit of Plautis making fun of the illegibility of the cursive writting and a pix of a Claudius era writing. So the use of the cursive on a stone feature must have been unusual? Formal Roman writing used the familiar Roman caps.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_cursive#New_Roman_cursive And here I thought the Romans only used capitol block lettering.

Of course, all this brings to mind the recent push to discontinue teaching cursive. http://www.today.com/parents/cursive-comeback-handwriting-lessons-return-some-schools-t41081
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 17, 2016, 12:37:33 PM
WARNING

I have received a message from someone called  jones-i3 with a link to fadivape.com. Normally I delete these without a second thought but this greets me as "Maryemm," followed by "Salutamus," and this did make me pause.

I Googled fadivape and am warned that this site may have been hacked. I am assuming it has been though the site is quite unknown to me.

I am, therefore, letting you know about this link which may be sent to you and others in a Latin (?) group.

To quote the worn-out cliché, Better to be safe than sorry!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 17, 2016, 03:32:27 PM
Thanks, MaryEmm.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 22, 2016, 06:45:00 AM
Watched the 4th Mary Beard episode last night. It wasn't quite as interesting for me as the others, but I did like seeing the many miniature, portable god idols.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 01, 2016, 05:10:08 AM
I have recorded the last two as we have been away. Now have a lot of catching up to do. Where does the time go?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 02, 2016, 09:53:47 AM

UK's oldest hand-written document 'at Roman London dig'    1 June 2016,  London


(http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/64D7/production/_89851852_89846402.jpg)

Read all about it here at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36415563 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36415563)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 02, 2016, 01:46:27 PM
Oh, thanks MaryEmm. There was a brief newscast about the find. I wanted to look it up this morning for more info, but forgot.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 03, 2016, 04:02:45 PM


 Great 2016 exam results, Ginny. So pleased for you......and for them!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 19, 2016, 02:46:22 PM
I am getting a kick out of reading a page in Racial Prejudice in imperial Rome by A. N. Sherwin-White where he references various early writers showing the jibes back and forth between the Germans and Romans regarding size and trousers. The Romans looked down their noses at the long-haired, trouser wearing Gemans, while the Germans made fun of the Roman's (Italian) small stature.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 19, 2016, 04:26:19 PM
Okay, now I am on another research hunt. I am into a chapter on how the Romans vs. Greeks viewed each other. Junenal is particularly nasty about Greeks being offered many jobs he thinks should go to native born Romans. (Sound familiar?) He also is one of apparently many who take exception to Greek gymnastic games because of possible homosexual overtones. That brings up an interesting point. The Romans seem to have had no problem with homosexual acts under certain circumstances and if they are discreet. I guess gymnastic games (generally held in the nude) were not discreet. Or, is the tide slowly starting to turn against such activities?

One thing I want to check on is the practice of not allowing soldiers to wed. I found a reference that this was something Augustus decreed. Now I want to know if he expanded or tightened rules already in place because I thought this was a rule that was already there, at least back to Caesar's campaigns where those below a certain rank (Tribune, is it?) were not allowed to marry. Maybe I will find info in one of my books on the evolution of the Roman Army. For now, I don't want to get too sidetracked with too many questions. I want to finish this book, read the one on Roman foreign policy and then a book called Roman Syria. The campaigns in Asia Minor and the East are a part of Roman history I know very little of except that they happened.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on June 20, 2016, 04:55:26 PM
FRY: trust you to find a book like that! It sounds fascinating. I had wondered, when we were reading Ovid, about  the attitude of Roman's to Greeks: somehow I got a whiff of "What makes you think  you're so great?!" (A perfect chance to use the interrobang (?! or !? if you prefer).
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 21, 2016, 08:01:06 AM
FRY: Agree with Joan. You have a knack of finding books I didn't know existed. Mind you, at the moment I am so busy de-cluttering that I daren't even think of bringing another item into the house.

(The Romans always thought the Greeks inferior, didn't they?)

I had always accepted that Roman soldiers were not allowed to wed, file and rank, that is. As they had to serve for 25 years they formed "Civil unions.," their  children referred to as "in castris". When money was involved things could get nasty, the "heirs" not being recognised.(still happens!).
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: mabel1015j on June 21, 2016, 07:58:57 PM
I've only read the posts on this page, so you all probably know that PBS is doing a 3 part series on Greece. On our station the first program is tonight at 9:00.

Jean
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on June 23, 2016, 06:08:11 PM
JEAN: I DIDN'T! See if I can catch it here.

MARYEMM: "The Romans always thought the Greeks inferior, didn't they?" Or did the literary Roman's have a bit of an inferiority complex? Reminds me of literary Americans vis-à-vis Europe at the beginning of the 19th century.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 26, 2016, 10:06:43 AM

Skeletons, coins found in dig of ancient Pompeii shop
 (http://Skeletons, coins found in dig of ancient Pompeii shop)
[/size]

(https://i1.mail.com/mcom/024/4438024%2Cpd=1%2Cf=teaser-card-xl/.jpg)

See:   http://www.archaeology.org/news/4600-160624-italy-pompeii-skeletons (http://www.archaeology.org/news/4600-160624-italy-pompeii-skeletons)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on June 26, 2016, 10:28:45 AM
Wow, fantastic, thank you, Maryemm!  Did you see the one this morning about Roman stuff being found in SW England and was Devon mentioned, too?  And maps now being rethought?  The Romans are literally popping up all over, aren't they, this summer.

I'd like to know where they are excavating this shop, is it in the area previously set aside? I'm not seeing a location in the article or I read it too fast in excitement.  That's a great magazine, by the way, if anybody is interested in a good archaeology magazine.That's not in the issue I have, it must be in a new one, very exciting. Thank you!

I also appreciate hearing about the Greeks series, I've gotten one episode on the DVR and hopefully it will catch the rest, it's available on PBS for a limited time in free video.

Maryemm have you seen a program called The Extraordinary Collector? If so, what did you think of it?

And what do you think of Brexit?

How are you doing?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on June 26, 2016, 05:38:36 PM
The first part of "The Greeks" is showing tonight at 6 (in LA). Now if my TV cooperates: it's been off and on all day!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on June 27, 2016, 04:11:53 PM
I haven't heard of "The Extraordinary Collector", Ginny. Mind you, I'm not surprised. Because of the football tournaments all programmes seem to have to give way to that sport. I don't watch as much TV as I used to. There are so many repeats and I don't like reality shows.

Brexit. Oh dear! Our PM has resigned and I am shocked as I think of it as quitting, a word he often used about others! Whatever one's feelings we should, and must, pull together now.
 The "losers" are clamouring for another referendum. That is not democracy in my opinion, but a case of "let's go on doing this till I get the result I want!" (reminds me of the Scottish Minister).
One woman, (on video), actually saying she wouldn't have voted "Out" if she thought that the "out" people would win.(What??)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on June 27, 2016, 06:48:12 PM
Watched the first part of "The Greeks" last night. It stopped before reaching the period of high culture that we associate with them. But it was very interesting in showing how geography shaped their character. Unlike every other great civilization of the past, they were not blessed with fertile land and a source of fresh water. Only rocky soil, the sea, and a bunch of small islands. So they turned to the sea and became traders. When they learned to make olive oil, it became to them what petroleum oil is to modern states that trade it: it was used for everything (except powering vehicles) and everyone wanted it. Who knew?

But then there was a period of decay: the Greek equivalent of the European "Dark ages".  the next program will take up what follows (I suppose the period we're familiar with is the Greek equivalent of the Renaissance.

Which are we in, do you think?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on June 28, 2016, 12:44:04 PM
Thought some of you here might enjoy this book!  This was on BookPage.
 
June 28, 2016 
 
 
https://t.e2ma.net/click/yi4d7/u3tci/yudt6n 
Living with a Dead Language
By Ann Patty
Review by Amy Scribner
MEMOIR
Ann Patty was at loose ends after being forced into early retirement from her high-powered job in book publishing. It was 2008, the recession was grinding everything to a halt, and suddenly Patty, the editor of the bestselling Life of Pi, was rattling around her home in upstate New York. She joined Match.com, read piles of books and weeded her garden. But something was missing from this new life.
Read more>>
 
 
 
ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: See what Ann Patty has been reading. 
 
 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 01, 2016, 04:09:56 PM
 Tomereader1: The book sounds interesting. I must watch out for it in my local library. Normally I would order it from Amazon, or download it, but I am on a de-cluttering mission. I read a book by a Japanese lady who advocates asking "Do I really want this?" rather than, ""Shall I get rid of this?". The object has to bring one Joy. Sounds very odd but seems to work for me. I have filled five sacks with clothes and shoes, and the hallway has a mound of objects for the charity shops. Have only just started!

Nothing to do with Romans or Greeks, though I am sure they had very tidy villas. Now where do I buy a slave?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on July 01, 2016, 08:02:11 PM
I read a book by a Japanese lady who advocates asking "Do I really want this?" rather than, ""Shall I get rid of this?". The object has to bring one Joy. Sounds very odd but seems to work for me. I have filled five sacks with clothes and shoes, and the hallway has a mound of objects for the charity shops. Have only just started!

I love that. Me too, I just started, too. JOY? I've just started too. My issue is books, all of which give me joy. I'm determined this time to de clutter.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on July 02, 2016, 06:02:59 PM
JOY? I'm remembering when I moved from the three story house I'd lived in for 37 years to an apartment. I really wanted to move, but I'd say "getting it over with" was more prominent than joy. Luckily, my wonderful son did a lot of the work, just showing me things and asking "keep, throw away, or donate?"

PatH is going through it now. Remember ,PAT, feel the joy!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on July 02, 2016, 08:24:45 PM
Yeah, I'm trying hard to feel the joy, but it's hiding.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on July 02, 2016, 08:28:43 PM
:) Did you move, PatH? So quickly? Wow, my hat's off to you, I couldn't have done that.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on July 02, 2016, 08:46:33 PM
No, I didn't move yet.  I couldn't have done that either.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on July 02, 2016, 09:04:24 PM
Oh good, well you're Superwoman,  anyway, in my book. :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 04, 2016, 10:33:58 AM
I used to try and de-clutter one room at a time but somehow it didn't work. Clearing by categories does,  for the present.  Have got as far as "Accessories", Ginny. Books further down the agenda,
Books will be difficult though children's annuals going back to the fifties will go first. Paperbacks went earlier this year though have complete sets for Lindsay Davies, Terry Pratchett, still. Like re-reading these.

Have been at the same address since 1962, Joan; that's the problem! Storage spaces filled with items from old family homes : not that valuable but with some value, apart from sentiment. Offspring don't want them. Other Half has nearly 100 paperweights and I have over 100 vintage powder compacts, and three corkboards filled with vintage brooches. Drawers full of costume "jewellery". It's called "Collecting". (I've only just realised "Clutter" starts with the same letter!!)

Pat: I think the Joy comes when you see the sacks of discarded stuff.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 04, 2016, 10:39:04 AM




(http://www.netanimations.net/Rockin-4th-of-july-animated-gif.gif)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on July 04, 2016, 12:11:07 PM
I'm still not feeling any joy, and I'm certainly not going to pitch any Terry Pratchett.  He's the funniest author I know.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 04, 2016, 01:40:02 PM
 Pat : The joy follows when you see all those bags piled up in the hall!   :O)

I expect you have read "Good Omens"? (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on July 05, 2016, 09:24:07 AM
It's called "Collecting". (I've only just realised "Clutter" starts with the same letter!!)


hahahaa, love it!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on July 06, 2016, 07:35:52 PM
Maryemm: I'm expecting to see you on Antiques Road show, being told your "clutter' is worth either three million dollars or three dollars.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 12, 2016, 11:18:39 AM
 Oh Joan, if only ! We are trying to get something done about our poor Broadband speeds here and have been told a privately-funded fibre cabinet would cost between £20,000 and £40,000. So a $3 million find would be great!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on July 13, 2016, 02:13:40 PM
Ginny here is the link to Episode 1 of Julius Caesar's Rome:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDQWe12RhJ4

Barry Strauss lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucvqNtfxxbk His take on the Assassination of Caesar.

His book page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Barry-Strauss/e/B0045ANWJM/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1468433468&sr=1-2-ent  I never heard (that I remember) of this guy. Has anyone read any of his books?

David Magie's book, Roman Rule in Asia Minor is expensive. Guess I will see if I can get an ILL.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on July 18, 2016, 06:16:47 AM
Cruising my science links this morning, I found this - volcano coming to life near Rome.  http://www.livescience.com/55397-extinct-rome-volcano-rumbles-to-life.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on July 18, 2016, 08:01:57 AM
 Thank you for those wonderful links, frybabe! I think that movie is one is one which had been recommended to me before, and i never could get the actual title straight to  find it,  so I look forward to seeing it!    And the Strauss lecture particularly.   But isn't that something about the volcano in Rome, looks like we've got another  1000 years!   Hopefully.   
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 21, 2016, 11:24:55 AM


Fashionable 2,000-Year-Old Roman Shoe Found in a Well


http://www.openculture.com/2016/07/fashionable-2000-year-old-roman-shoe-found-in-a-well.html



For some reason can't post image.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on July 21, 2016, 01:12:55 PM
Thank you, Maryemm! (It has an html extension which means it's words, too, and that won't display) but wasn't that an interesting article! My  youngest son was helping me reset all my Latin posters (over 100) for my face to face classes and when we got to The Saalberg, in Germany,  which I had made from a photo,  he stopped and said what is that?

I went a couple of years ago, what an adventure that was, let me put a photo of the reconstructed fort on the very edge (the limes)  of the Roman Empire:(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Saalburg.jpg) It's magic, I am so glad you put that up as I was struggling to recall the name of the fort.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on July 21, 2016, 05:59:16 PM
 

The Classics Forum

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in  Southern Italy.


Welcome to our Classics Forum, which is our public discussion for those interested in the Classics. Since our Latin Classes are not visible to the public but we have a great many people interested in talking about the Classics, we've put this discussion up for your interest.

Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles, movies or television shows and especially books  you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Everyone is welcome!



(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/nle/2014NLEmedals.jpg)

Congratulations to the Class of 2014 and their awesome results on the National Latin Exam! See post 654 below!


(http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/awards/jim_award.jpg)
It's never too late to learn Latin!



Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here:   Learn More About Our Latin Courses  (http://www.seniorlearn.org/classics/)




I love the shoe. it's not dissimilar to the one I'm wearing now.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 25, 2016, 11:25:07 AM
Ginny: You are a much-travelled lady! What a fascinating place that sounds.  Must be great to actually see it.

I had another look at the website and found this:

Watch the Destruction of Pompeii by Mount Vesuvius, Re-Created with Computer Animation (79 AD)

http://www.openculture.com/2016/02/watch-the-destruction-of-pompeii-by-mount-vesuvius-re-created-with-computer-animation-79-ad.html (http://www.openculture.com/2016/02/watch-the-destruction-of-pompeii-by-mount-vesuvius-re-created-with-computer-animation-79-ad.html)

Not for the faint-hearted!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 25, 2016, 11:26:48 AM
A Facetious Fact!!

Not sure if you have this size in the US.......

Did you ever notice: The Roman
Numerals for forty (40) are 'XL'.
                 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Dana on July 26, 2016, 07:59:48 PM
what a  nice Roman shoe!  One could wear it today I think.   Have been watching Theresa May's shoes with pleasure-not my style really but I love shoes, just sitting here now actually, breaking in a pair of fancy sandals....that means wearing them so I can see where to stick bits of bandaids or whatever....they are totally sleek but rather uncomfortable.....I wonder how comfortable these Roman shoes were...?!  What started me off with Theresa May really was a funny program I saw with Boris et al taking the p..s out of her shoes .  I think Boris is a scream, not very reliable but rather funny....I loved the press conference with Kerry where K. is being very serious as always and Boris is gently sending him up.  I don't think Kerry might even have noticed.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 28, 2016, 02:02:45 PM
Yes, I fancied that shoe, Dana. I have small feet and my size is difficult to find. I used to have shoes made for me in the Fifties and Sixties but no longer! Guess the Romans didn't have shoe shops as such but custom-made shoes. Nice!

Theresa May dresses well, I think, and I love the way she adds a quirky pair of shoes. They will be her "signature", I reckon.

Boris is cleverer than people think. He likes to give a false impression but I feel people will have to watch him.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on July 28, 2016, 02:09:37 PM
Maryemm, I'm so glad to know there is someone else who has small feet, and has a hard time buying shoes!  For years I was a 4 1/2, since I have gained a few pounds, I can sometimes wear a 5 depending on the make of the shoe.  I usually have to buy my sneakers in the boys department!  I can get a correct fit at the SAS stores, for walkers, sneakers, and unstylish wedge type shoes.  I have a pair of those wedges that I have had for about 10 or more years.  (I only wear them with my dress slacks or skirt outfits).  They serve their purpose nicely. 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on July 29, 2016, 10:55:13 AM
It's a problem at the other end of sizes too.  When I was young, I was size 9AAAA.  The stores would often only get in one pair in my size, usually too wide.  Fortunately my feet have spread, and it's easier now, but still most shoes aren't comfortable.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on July 31, 2016, 02:29:14 PM
Apologies, but I'm glad I'm not the only one with shoe problems!! I take a size 35 which is a 4.5/5 US size, I think.

Since the metric system came into being shoes seem to have become a little bit bigger. My Other half laughs at me when I say that but he gets fed up when I am out looking for shoes as it's so frustrating. He stands by the door ready to leave!

I love Flyflot shoes . I saw these on the shopping channel (!!) and sent away for a pair. They are so comfortable. Drawback? They spoil you for other shoes. I used to wear high heels and still have one or two pairs but I no longer shop in them. I can walk quite a long way in Flyflots.

I always wanted  a pair of Chanel two-tone sling back court shoes. Never managed to get a pair! I wonder why?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on August 01, 2016, 12:17:07 PM
Subject: Fwd: In 1850, A Farmer Found A Secret Door In The Sand. What HeSaw On The Other Side? Fascinating!
 




 



 
In 1850, A Farmer Found A Secret Door In The Sand. What He Saw On The Other Side? Fascinating!
 
History can a bit dry and boring at times.
 
It seems to exist solely between the musty pages of old books.
But once in awhile, you come across a bit of history that appears to come alive the moment you discover it.
 
That’s how I felt when I heard about this place.
 
In a small bay in Scotland, a well-kept secret is hidden among the green hills.
 
At first glance, it might not seem particularly impressive, but step inside and you’ll be amazed at what you see.
 
Thousands of years ago, it was a bustling society.
 
But time and weather buried it under the sand.
For millennia, no one knew that this place ever existed, but when a terrible storm swept over the Orkney Islands in 1850,
 
an incredible secret was revealed…
 
Nestled in the mossy, green hills on the Orkney Islands off Scotland is a secret older than the great pyramids of Egypt.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At first, it might not look like much, but the fact is, this is a unique and magical place.
 

 
Because within this rolling hillside is a perfectly preserved prehistoric village called Skara Brae.
 

 
The winter of 1850 hit Orkney hard. A severe storm caused great devastation and resulted in more than 200 deaths.
But it also revealed something long forgotten. When the storm abated, villagers discovered a settlement under the sand.
 

 
The settlement consists of eight stone houses and was inhabited between roughly 3180 and 2500 B.C., making Skara Brae one of the oldest agriculture villages in the UK.
 

 
Skara Brae has been called the “Scottish Pompeii” because the ancient monument is so well preserved.
Since the surrounding sand and the buildings’ architecture were well protected against the cold, both the buildings and their contents have been remarkably preserved throughout the millennia.
 

 
Archaeologists estimate that 50-100 people lived in the village. When the settlement was built, the houses were 1,500 meters from the sea.
Now, the sea has dug closer to the village and the view from the settlement has changed from pastures to the sea.
 

 
The settlement’s seven or eight houses were connected to each other by tunnels.
Each residence could be closed off with a stone door.
 

 
In every room, one bed was always bigger than the other, but no one knows why.
Each room also contains cabinets, dressers, seats, and storage boxes.
These boxes were built to be waterproof, suggesting that they might have stored live seafood for later consumption.
 

 
One house is distinct from the other, however.
Archaeologists didn’t find any beds or other furniture. The house is believed to have functioned as a workshop.
 

 
Amazingly, the village also had a sewage system and each house had its own toilet.
 

 
Skara Brae was a society which centered around families.
The dwellings are all quite similar, which led archaeologists to conclude that this society was a fairly equal one, without any authoritative leadership.
 

 
Some believe that the villagers were Picts, a people of unknown origin who settled in eastern and northern Scotland near the end of the British Iron Age.
But archaeological findings have shown that the people who lived here could have lived been much earlier than that.
 

 
A number of mysterious discoveries have been made at the site, including this carved stone ball, though no one really knows what it was used for.
 

 
And no one knows why the village was abandoned. But around 2500 B.C., the Orkney Islands became cooler and wetter.
Many theories speculate about how the people of Skara Brae met their fate; the most popular ones involve a violent storm.
 

 
What’s the future look like for Skara Brae?
Although the settlement was built nearly two kilometres from the beach, in recent centuries, it has been increasingly threatened by the sea.
Since 1926, the houses have been protected from the approaching sea and harsh autumn winds by a concrete wall.
 

 
There has been talk about building an artificial beach with boulders and breakwater to preserve Skara Brae and several other ancient monuments at risk of being destroyed.
But nothing has happened yet. Until further notice, tourists continue to visit this fascinating place, but the question is for how long?
 

 
I personally hope that the Scottish Government will do all they can to preserve this amazing place.
 

 
Please share this with others so that more people get the chance to discover the wonder that is history!


----- End forwarded message -----
 
 
 
 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on August 01, 2016, 12:20:42 PM
There were color pictures of this at the bottom of this message, but I'm afraid I'm not skilled enough to know how to send them along with the text.  I tried copy/paste, but that did not seem to work.  There was no link with the email message I received, so I couldn't do that.  Maybe if we put "Skara Brae" into a search engine, we might get the pics.  If you know how I could get the photos into a regular post here, please let me know.  (sorry about all the blank space, but that's where the pictures should have been).
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 01, 2016, 12:51:50 PM
Is this it Tome? I've heard of it. I think I saw a TV program about it once, but long ago.
http://www.ancient.eu/Skara_Brae/

Here is another website which includes other, similar Orkney archaeological finds.
http://www.orkney.com/about/history/archaeology

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on August 01, 2016, 01:06:29 PM
It was the one about Skara Brae, but I liked the other one also.  Your link had much more content than just the pictures I had received.  Thank you so much!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 02, 2016, 11:20:02 AM

Some of the objects found at Skara Brae:
http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/results.php?field=where&searchterm=%22Skara+Brae%22&searchdb=scran (http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/results.php?field=where&searchterm=%22Skara+Brae%22&searchdb=scran)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on August 02, 2016, 11:26:34 AM
thank you, Maryemm!

A wondrous thing history!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 24, 2016, 03:16:35 PM
Roman goddess unearthed at South Shields culture spot


(http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_620,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.shieldsgazette.com/webimage/1.8037114.1469631999!/image/image.jpg)


See: http://romanarc.blogspot.co.uk/ (http://romanarc.blogspot.co.uk/)


Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on August 24, 2016, 08:04:27 PM
Alas, tthe years have not been kind to Ceres in this statue.  That's really interesting.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on August 24, 2016, 08:27:41 PM
Any of you nearby to Washington, DC might be interested in this exhibition at the National Geographic Society: The Greeks--Agamemnon to Alexander the Great, here until Oct. 10.  Unfortunately, their website is only concerned with selling tickets, and doesn't tell you much about what you'll actually see.  Here's the link to their description:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/thegreeks/ (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/thegreeks/)

and here's what they said in case you have problems:

Quote
About the Exhibition
This summer, National Geographic will bring an extraordinary cultural experience to Washington, D.C. THE GREEKS: Agamemnon to Alexander the Great is an exceptional journey through 5,000 years of Greek history and culture. This exhibition features more than 500 priceless treasures—many of which have never been on display outside of Greece. Washington, D.C. is the only east coast museum to host the exhibit.

Featuring collections from 22 national museums in Greece, THE GREEKS tells the unique story of one of the world’s greatest ancient civilizations. Visitors will encounter the early origins of Greek writing and art from the Cycladic and Minoan cultures of the Aegean, meet the Mycenaean rulers and priestesses, the warriors of Sparta, the heroes, athletes and philosophers of Classical Greece and Alexander, the king that would spread Greek culture throughout the world—giving rise to civilization as we know it. The exhibition explores pivotal moments that led to the birth of Western democracy, modern art, science, medicine, theater and sports.

In addition to this blockbuster exhibit, join National Geographic this summer as we host events celebrating all things Greek—talks, tastings, tours and toga parties, this event lineup is not-to-be-missed!

I read elsewhere that it includes statues from the Acropolis, stone figurines from the Cyclopadic islands, and gold funerary masks from Mycenae.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 07, 2016, 07:52:39 AM
I just ran across a history textbook that looks interesting and easy to read. It is The Historians of Ancient Rome: An Anthology of the Major Writings (Routledge Sourcebooks for the Ancient World) 3rd Edition by Ronald Mellor (Editor). Has anyone seen this? I may try to pick up a used copy from somewhere.

It appears that Mr. Mellor has written a number of books mostly about Ancient Romans and Rome, but there is at least one that focuses on Greece. Strange, I don't think I've ever run across him before.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: mabel1015j on September 22, 2016, 04:45:57 PM
In my women's blogs this morning I read something I thought was fun and interesting and thought you might too.

What did they eay in the first century?


http://www.prismbookalliance.com/2015/06/faith-l-justice-on-sword-of-the-gladiatrix-blog-tour-excerpt-guest-blog-rafflecopter-giveaway/

Jean
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on September 27, 2016, 05:09:49 PM
Interesting!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 02, 2016, 03:30:01 PM

Roman sandal found at Hadrian's Wall looks just like David Beckham's football boot  (http://Roman sandal found at Hadrian's Wall looks just like David Beckham's football boot)
[/b]

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2016/09/21/shoe-composite-image-2016.9.21-17.13-large_trans++qVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwfSVWeZ_vEN7c6bHu2jJnT8.png)

Read all about it here at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/21/roman-sandle-found-at-hadrians-wall-looks-just-like-david-beckha/ (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/21/roman-sandle-found-at-hadrians-wall-looks-just-like-david-beckha/)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 02, 2016, 03:39:57 PM


Rare discovery of Late Roman official buried in Leicester (http://Rare discovery of Late Roman official buried in Leicester)

(http://cdn.phys.org/newman/csz/news/800/2016/2-rarediscover.jpg)


Read all about it here at:

http://phys.org/news/2016-07-rare-discovery-late-roman-leicester.html (http://phys.org/news/2016-07-rare-discovery-late-roman-leicester.html)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on October 02, 2016, 03:40:41 PM
Maybe the Romans played football?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 02, 2016, 04:06:06 PM
Not a football fan. I found the belt and its skeleton interesting.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on October 02, 2016, 04:18:33 PM
Wouldn't be surprised if the Romans had some game similar to football (soccer). Or maybe not. All the sports we hear of them doing are individual sports. Maybe they weren't into teamwork.

What do you think, Ginny?

Off to watch (American) football!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 03, 2016, 05:30:51 AM
Here is an article about some of the ball games the Romans played (including the ladies).
http://www.aerobiologicalengineering.com/wxk116/Roman/BallGames/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpastum
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 03, 2016, 07:36:54 AM


 frybabe: I dislike football and think it's given far too much importance in the UK.

Found the website interesting:

QUOTE:  The Romans enjoyed a variety of ball games, including Handball (Expulsim Ludere), Trigon, Soccer, Field Hockey, Harpasta, Phaininda, Episkyros, and certainly Catch and other games that children might invent. UNQUOTE

Guess there's nothing new under the sun ( nihil novi sub sole ). Gladiator sandals were still fashionable this Summer.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on October 03, 2016, 04:52:25 PM
Who knew! The pictures show them barefoot or naked, but I doubt that's true.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 03, 2016, 05:12:06 PM
The Greeks went naked for their Olympic games, and I suppose, for working out. The Romans were usually a little more modest, but they did emulate or admire the Greek arts and games.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JoanK on October 04, 2016, 04:41:30 PM
And it's hot enough in Rome to get away with it!? (Wouldn't want to see skiers going naked).
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on October 04, 2016, 06:02:09 PM
Well the Olympics were naked but women could not be in the audience. I'm afraid I'm not an expert on Roman sports but   Albert E Warsley is, and he says

"Roman boys and men had quite a variety of sports in which to participate and by which to keep in physical trim, as polo, falconry, archery, wrestling, boxing, racing on foot or in boats or on horses, javelin throwing, discus throwing, rowing, swimming, hunting,  fishing, and bowling."

"Besides the games generally enjoyed by Roman children, as they became a little older, they also  played a number of games in which some sort of ball was involved, as harpastum or harpitrum, which was a ball stuffed with tufts of wool and about the size  and shape of our football, made of leather, paganica, which was a ball slightly larger than our baseball but stuffed with feathers, trigon, which was a ball stuffed with hair, harder than the paganica and of the size of our baseball."

He doesn't say what they did with those balls. :)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Mkaren557 on October 05, 2016, 12:49:10 PM
Just read in Ritchies Easy Fables that Perseus was in a Discus competition and threw the discus into the onlookers and killed his grandfather.  Thus he fulfilled the prediction of the oracle.  No man can escape his fate.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 05, 2016, 03:30:23 PM
I wonder if they used pigs' bladders as balls. I recall playing with such an item ; lasts much monger than a  balloon!
My great grandmother used to store ice in one I was told (HOW?)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on November 21, 2016, 03:28:49 PM


Archaeological remains discovered that shed new light on Roman Whitchurch


(http://shropshire.gov.uk/news/wp-content/uploads//Roman-childs-shoe-resized.jpg)

The sole of a Roman child’s hobnail shoe that was found on site

Read all about it at:

 http://shropshire.gov.uk/news/2016/11/archaeological-remains-discovered-that-shed-new-light-on-roman-whitchurch/ (http://shropshire.gov.uk/news/2016/11/archaeological-remains-discovered-that-shed-new-light-on-roman-whitchurch/)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on November 21, 2016, 03:35:11 PM


IDEA FOR CHRISTMAS?

(http://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Monopoly-mayor-thumbnail-x.jpg)


(http://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/board-z-1008x1024.jpg)

See:


http://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/?p=31830 (http://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/?p=31830)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 21, 2016, 04:54:00 PM
A collector's item for sure. I used to love playing Monopoly.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 22, 2016, 03:02:12 PM
I've been watching these short programs, off and on for a while now, via YouTube. Little mini history lessons. The latest I saw was called "Nobody's Year: CHAOS (57 B.C.E.)

Historia Civilis  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=historia+civilis
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on November 30, 2016, 03:41:25 PM
Frybabe: I was going to spend five minutes checking out the YouTube videos and I have been there nearly 30 minutes.!

As you say, Mini History lessons. Thanks.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on November 30, 2016, 07:21:07 PM
 Those are interesting. I like the subject  matter and thought they might be fun  for our classes until  i watched one . It's  a shame he can't pronounce many of the names and words, which makes you wonder. I don't know who he is ..... does he give any background? I thought his conclusions, as he is very careful to say,  his personal conclusions on Caesar and the Helvetains were  spurious, and  I'm a little concerned about his pronunciation of Labienus  and Helvetains, but I've  only seen the first part of one.   
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 01, 2016, 08:16:09 AM
I am guessing this guy is not the only one to mispronounce Latin, including me. He is a bit "flip" with some of his remarks. I noticed a few times his opinion of the person involved or the actions taken, but I didn't take particular offense, well, maybe a huff or snort at them. I sincerely hope that his artwork shows a fairly accurate account of the battle formations and actions. I did think that the one about Caesar and the Helvetians was missing something regarding the final resolution of the problem. Unfortunately, I don't see a name with the clips and on Google search cannot find any name except Historia Civilis. The best I can find is that the clips are sponsored on a crowd-funding site called Patreon.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 02, 2016, 11:18:42 AM
Oh dear! That means I wasted 30 minutes of my life!   :O(
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 23, 2016, 05:44:22 AM

Restoring a Roman Villa to its former glory
Butser Roman Villa



Butser Ancient Farm will shortly be receiving a £25,000 grant from East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) to fund the restoration of its Roman villa.

The project will enable the villa to be restored to its former glory, giving the building its first major revamp since it was completed for TV documentary ‘Rebuilding the Past’ in 2003.

The work will include raising parts of the ceiling, redecorating the walls and levelling the compacted earth floor.

Throughout the restoration, builders will be teaching Butser staff and volunteers a range of traditional skills to ensure they can continue to maintain the site themselves, and conduct new and exciting workshops for members of the public.

The villa is based on original excavations of a Roman villa at Sparsholt, near Winchester, and every year more than 30,000 schoolchildren and 7,000 members of public visit the farm.

Once restored, the villa will also be fully accessible to disabled visitors.

Councillor Julie Butler, EHDC’s Portfolio Holder for Customer Service, said: “The farm and Roman villa are amazing resources that we are lucky to have in the district.

“With so many school groups visiting the site each year, it is crucial for us to protect it. The restoration project will ensure it can continue to be used for many years to come.

“Furthermore, there is a great volunteer workforce of over 150 individuals, and the training being offered will greatly expand their knowledge base, enriching visitor experience for everyone.”

Maureen Page, one of the directors at Butser Ancient Farm, is delighted with the news: “It’s amazing to have this grant because it will enable us to carry out work on the villa that we were struggling to find the money for.

“Renovating the villa will pave the way for other exciting projects such as laying floor mosaics, creating fresco paintings on the walls, and designing a beautiful Roman garden.”




 
 
 

 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 23, 2016, 05:48:53 AM




(http://bestanimations.com/Holidays/Christmas/merrychristmas/beautiful-merry-christmas-greeting-card-animated-gif.gif)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on December 23, 2016, 07:45:40 AM
Thank you for that news of Butser, Maryemm, and the lovely Christmas greetings!

I've never made it out to Butser but have used their illustrations for years.

A very Happy Christmas to you all!

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Graphics/Christmaspoinsettia.gif)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 30, 2016, 04:44:55 PM
A little while ago, it dawned on me that I haven't been keeping up with the research on the scrolls found in Herculaneum. This is getting close to a year old, but I missed it. They discovered that the Romans were using metallic inks, pushing the date of use back several hundred years earlier than thought. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/21/herculaneum-scrolls-buried-by-vesuvius-yield-another-secret-metallic-ink 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 21, 2017, 06:13:09 AM
I just finished watching this recent Penn Museum presentation of various archeological discoveries in Turkey. I was most interested in the sarcophagus showing the son of Achilles sacrificing the daughter of Priam at the end of the Trojan War and the mosaics found at Ephesus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF8vjpc1oQk
 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 21, 2017, 09:56:24 AM

Druce Farm villa: luxury living in Roman Dorset


(https://www.archaeology.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Druce-Farm-North-Range.jpg)


https://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/features/druce-farm-villa-luxury-living-in-roman-dorset.htm (https://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/features/druce-farm-villa-luxury-living-in-roman-dorset.htm)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 10, 2017, 08:51:54 AM
MaryEmm, I am just going to have to find me a map of all the Roman villa, fort and road finds in the UK. There must be one somewhere.

Anyone interested in Julius Caesar may be interested to know that the publisher, Simon & Shuster, has put Barry Strauss's The Death of Caesar on sale (in the US) in a bunch of different formats. I am loath to buy such a book in electronic form, but I am running out of bookshelf room and the price is too good to pass up right now. I can't get a very good used book for any where near that price.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 31, 2017, 07:02:08 AM
I have been watching some of those HD travel videos on YouTube lately. This morning I found this video featuring Volubilis in Morocco, which is a World Heritage Site. There is no narrative with the video, just nice soothing music (which is why I like watching this videographer's work). When watching, you might see several storks hanging out on the ruins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX17XGkZRuM Here is another interesting video with narrative https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtiYH6VLTc4

Here is Wikipedia's history of Volubilis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volubilis
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on March 31, 2017, 09:37:40 PM
That's incredible, Mary!  Thank you for putting that here.

I watched that whole thing, Frybabe, it's wonderful. Makes me want to pack a bag and go see it. Those gorgeous mosaics exposed to the elements for 1700 years still bright. Amazing. (The narrative I got was very enlightening, actually).
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 27, 2017, 03:16:31 PM


'Significant' Roman finds made in St Albans


 
(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/18086/production/_95483489_ver3.jpg)

                                                           
Read all about it here at:

 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-39502557 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-39502557)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on April 27, 2017, 03:24:24 PM



Stretch of Roman road unveiled beneath McDonald's restaurant


(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2017/02/22/JS121409108_Mauro-Consilvio-E-mail-maoconsi40gmailcom-large_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bqek9vKm18v_rkIPH9w2GMNpPHkRvugymKLtqq96r_VP8.jpg)


Read all about it here at:


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/22/want-ancient-roman-heritage-stretch-roman-road-unveiled-beneath/ (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/22/want-ancient-roman-heritage-stretch-roman-road-unveiled-beneath/)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on April 27, 2017, 03:54:41 PM
Wow wow wow!!  I'm going to have to see that one in Italy! THANK you! And St. Albans, too. It's just amazing how MANY things are being found every day!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 27, 2017, 04:01:15 PM
Isn't that something, though! Dead people and all.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 21, 2017, 08:59:04 AM
Interesting new novel coming out this month by Colm Toibin based on Greek drama and the story of Clytemnestra. Don't forget to look at the video clip below the book description. http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/House-of-Names/Colm-Toibin/9781501140235?cp_type=end&rmid=20170519_HouseOfNames_remail&rrid=8613437
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: evergreen on May 23, 2017, 04:01:46 PM
Frybabe:  I read Toibin's new novel over the weekend and loved it.  It has received some reviews that criticized it for being too slow, which in my opinion is nonsense.  The prose is rich and clear, and for once placed responsibility for their actions with the individual and not with the gods.

I'm not an expert on the classics, but I would recommend this to anyone.  Interesting tale.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on May 23, 2017, 10:06:44 PM
I didn't even know that was what House of Names was about.  We read Agamemnon here in 2012, in the Women in Greek Drama series, and I read some of the other relevant plays Toibin mentions then too.  It sounds like he really caught the spirit of the plays.

Those theaters are amazing.  The one at Epidaurus is even bigger than the one in the video, and you can hear a quarter drop from the upper seats.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on July 05, 2017, 01:37:25 PM
News article about new research into Roman concrete:
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40494248
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on July 05, 2017, 06:41:14 PM
That's remarkably interesting, Frybabe.  Of course since we don't know their formula, it'll take a while before we know if our imitations are any good.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 13, 2017, 03:28:06 PM



Mary Beard is right – ‘Romans’ could be from anywhere, from Carlisle to Cairo


(https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/b47728eff82b2e9a8af73541c637255f2690e0ba/13_0_1787_1072/master/1787.jpg?w=300&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=b581fe1292a1e323e0f42751840e3522)


Read all about it here at:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2017/aug/07/mary-beard-romans-ancient-evidence (https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2017/aug/07/mary-beard-romans-ancient-evidence)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 13, 2017, 03:37:53 PM
 
France: archaeologists uncover 'little Pompeii' south of Lyon

 Site unearthed on land awaiting construction of housing complex is labelled an ‘exceptional find’ by culture ministry


 
(https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/0e58aee2c30cea3dd608b1e14f9ac37df0dba650/0_0_5500_3300/master/5500.jpg?w=300&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=eac7dee8dec4d920fe948f7a1c0281be)


Read all about it here at:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/02/france-archaeologists-uncover-little-pompeii-south-of-lyon (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/02/france-archaeologists-uncover-little-pompeii-south-of-lyon)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 13, 2017, 03:40:24 PM
Tomb depicting famous gladiator brawl discovered in Pompeii

Longest funerary epigraph ever gives details on mystery


(http://www.ansamed.info/webimages/foto_large/2017/7/27/12313892f93e2d17d766e43871ee49c1.jpg)


Read all about it here at;

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/culture/2017/07/27/tomb-depicting-famous-gladiator-brawl-discovered-in-pompeii_223d6f13-f15b-43d1-8405-a6f11fccd33b.html?idPhoto= (http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/culture/2017/07/27/tomb-depicting-famous-gladiator-brawl-discovered-in-pompeii_223d6f13-f15b-43d1-8405-a6f11fccd33b.html?idPhoto=)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 13, 2017, 03:47:32 PM
Great finds. Thanks for the articles, MaryEmm. Hope you are doing well.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 17, 2017, 03:40:50 PM


 Yes, thank you. Diamond Wedding Anniversary today and my birthday tomorrow!

 Apologies for the personal notes!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on August 17, 2017, 04:23:26 PM
Wow! A Double Celebration!

Happy Happy Anniversary AND Birthday, Maryemm!


(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1b/6a/3f/1b6a3f38d5c39d600867e7802cbc9a20.png)

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/birthdaycake.jpg)

And thank you SO much for these wonderful news items!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 17, 2017, 05:27:12 PM
That's wonderful, Maryemm. My best wishes for a Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 28, 2017, 09:10:15 AM
Thank you, Both, for the good wishes. Had a very enjoyable weekend with family and friends.

(Visited friends from the North yesterday and enjoyed teasing them that their  predecessors came from Britannia Inferior. Believe it was Severus that planned the original division, to cut down on the number of Legions available to any one governor.

I live in Britannia Superior!!)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on September 02, 2017, 06:39:38 AM



Pompeii Hero Pliny the Elder May Have Been Found 2,000 Years Later

(http://mysteriousuniverse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bust-640x361.jpg)


(http://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/field/image/Pliny-the-Elder.jpg)


(http://mysteriousuniverse.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/skull-640x361.jpg)

Read all about it at:


http://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/1.809751 (http://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/1.809751)




Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 02, 2017, 08:02:53 AM
Wow! Just the thought that they have a "suspect" is exciting.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 08, 2017, 07:07:10 AM
   
Roman 'licking dog' never seen before in Britain found by metal detector enthusiasts


(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2017/09/27/TELEMMGLPICT000141981800_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqplGOf-dgG3z4gg9owgQTXPGkjMqXV6CT_ASrwFoxoSc.jpeg?imwidth=450)

Read all about it here at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/27/roman-licking-dog-never-seen-britain-found-metal-detector-enthusiasts/ (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/27/roman-licking-dog-never-seen-britain-found-metal-detector-enthusiasts/)




 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 08, 2017, 08:15:56 AM
Thanks, MaryEmm. I have never before heard of a healing statue as such in connection with Romans, although it is likely because of the prevalence of lares and amulets. Somewhere on my Kindle I think I have an old book I downloaded, probably from Gutenberg, about Roman lares. Of course, I've had it a good while now and have yet to read it. This is a good reminder to check it out.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on October 08, 2017, 12:21:22 PM
Does the dog have to lick you to heal you?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 08, 2017, 04:17:47 PM
I am not finding much on ancient "healing" dogs, but I would not be at all surprised to find that the ancients knew how dogs can be therapeutic to troubled souls. Healing wounds is another matter, but if a dog puts a person into a certain frame of mind, it certainly can help the person weather the physical healing process as well as the mental.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 25, 2017, 12:21:09 PM
 

 Some interesting information here at:

 http://curses.csad.ox.ac.uk/sites/lydney-deity.shtml (http://curses.csad.ox.ac.uk/sites/lydney-deity.shtml)

 I quite like the idea of a dog being a spiritual guide to someone in a trance! The power of the mind!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 25, 2017, 12:29:12 PM


More interesting information:


 https://museum.wales/articles/2014-03-05/The-Healing-Power-of-Dogs/ (https://museum.wales/articles/2014-03-05/The-Healing-Power-of-Dogs/)

As one person has commented there is an ingredient in canine saliva that helps wounds to heal. Dogs are also used to day to sniff out evidence of cancer.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on November 09, 2017, 02:32:44 PM


(https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/c2ba33496b5ea91f51f09a260e2be66fd063bb2e/15_39_1805_1083/master/1805.jpg?w=860&q=20&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&dpr=2&s=0c40dd2a0e1217661a9504010a65157c)

Reconstructed Roman Temple of Mithras opens to public in London (http://Reconstructed Roman Temple of Mithras opens to public in London)
[/size]

Read all about it here at:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/nov/08/reconstructed-roman-temple-mithras-opens-public-bloomberg-hq (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/nov/08/reconstructed-roman-temple-mithras-opens-public-bloomberg-hq)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 09, 2017, 05:13:38 PM
Thanks MaryEmm. I noticed at the bottom of the page, under related articles were some articles about the Chichester find. I knew about the find, but hadn't seen anything except the initial articles about it, so these added to my knowledge of the site.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 29, 2017, 12:15:17 PM

Roman and medieval coins and jewellery declared treasure
[/size][/b]

(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/EE66/production/_99303016_t16.13esclusham.jpg)


Read all about it here at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-42428124

 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on December 29, 2017, 12:18:12 PM




(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQFfZ8z80NIFWNXcStp6JzLklcru32-pcmX95ZPbBAQPAMLavos)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 19, 2018, 07:48:32 PM
I like to watch the You Tube videos put out by "Amazing Places on Our Planet". Whoever puts these together does a super great job. He posted this one today of Pompeii and Herculaneum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBLVODvvAyI
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on January 19, 2018, 08:51:08 PM
That really is super.  Thanks, Frybabe.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on January 27, 2018, 07:25:22 AM
 Yes, I also enjoyed that, FryBabe. Thank you. Of course it led me on to watching other videos about Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The following is animated but explains the different volcanic "steps".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY_3ggKg0Bc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY_3ggKg0Bc)

.....and Professor Mary Beard in the following video talks about Life and Death in a Roman Town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnIY6AE4m6E (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnIY6AE4m6E)

I am re-reading her book "Pompeii" at the moment. Fascinating!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 28, 2018, 06:30:33 AM
I guess Amazing Places is spending time in Italy this month. Here is the latest posting of Rome and the Vatican. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfGZUoG1H2E This is the first time I've watched videos where there were a lot (and I mean a lot) of people swarming about. He includes a few shots of the inside of the Vatican Museum. He seems to like the obelisks. Some of the fountains and a minor garden space or two, and the lovely shots of the Victor Emmanuel building, including shots from the roof.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 08, 2018, 12:23:30 PM
Beautiful, FryBabe. I shall never visit , so thank you for directing me to that video.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 11, 2018, 05:59:43 PM
Ursula le Guin, best known for her SciFi, or as she preferred, Speculative Fiction, wrote a book based on a character from the last six books of Virgil's Aeneid., called Lavinia (published in 2008). https://www.tor.com/2009/02/27/reimagining-virgil-ursula-le-guins-lavinia/  I've just started reading it, and after only five pages, I am hooked. Has anyone read it?

In her Afterword, Le Guin worried over the death of the Latin language. She mourned, ahead of this possibility, over the silencing of Virgil's voice with the advent of "the true death of his language".  She believed that no one could truly translate Virgil from the Latin without losing a lot in the translation. In her estimation, no one could "capture the magic", that his poetry is  "so profoundly musical, its beauty is so intrinsic to the sound and order of the words, that it is essentially untranslatable".

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on February 11, 2018, 07:58:33 PM
I got it recently (it was the Abe Books book I fussed about) but haven't had time to start it yet.  If it looks appropriate, it might do for a book discussion.

The problem of poetry that doesn't translate well is frustrating.  The old Icelandic poetry has it too--it uses extremely clever puns and wordplay that can't be translated.  No, I don't know Old Norse/Icelandic, but I'm interested in the poetry and it's frustrating.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 12, 2018, 05:55:14 AM
I heard that Beowulf is hard to translate as well. Also, several years ago I found an article about a group looking into Shakespeare's plays. It seems that because of changes in word usage/meaning/obsolescence over the years, modern versions have missed some of Shakespeare's humor.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on February 12, 2018, 10:38:04 AM
It's certainly true about Shakespeare.  There is a series, Shakespeare Without Tears, which is essentially dual language books, with the original on the left, and a modern English version on the right.  I read one recently; most of the time it isn't needed, but I found several dirty jokes that had totally escaped me before, and there were lots of places where it made the language clearer.

I'm a Beowulf fan, and have issues with some translations, but didn't realize that particular difficulty; my complaint is they try to pretty it up.  I was going to talk about it in the library after I finished spouting off about Moby-Dick, but conversation was lively about other things, and I didn't want to cut anything short.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 12, 2018, 11:10:44 AM
I tried reading Beowulf in Old English, once, without ever taking a class in Old English manuscripts. Had to give up rather quickly. Maybe I am remembering wrong about the difficulty, or what I heard was from someone who had trouble with it, too.

It must be hard, the farther from the original, for translators to produce a work that is understandable to modern readers without losing things in translation, like they discovered with Shakespeare. I worry about Latin translations for the same reason. Some things don't translate directly, others are victims of word meaning changes (my favorite is egregious) or just plain obsolescence. Sometimes, translating passages or words is a matter of just getting the gist of it and saying it in your own words. I can see where translations can diverge some having to do that. And if you've read a particular translation, could that color the way you think about the passage or book when you try to translate it yourself? In Latin, translating a word can and does depend on the context of the rest of the sentence or passage. You really have to be on your toes.  I never quite trust the accuracy of my translations, and on occasion, scratch my head at other translations.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 14, 2018, 11:46:52 AM
I gave up on Anglo Saxon because of lack of time. Maybe I should have another go!

In Welsh we have a word "hiraeth" which is not easy to translate. I suppose the nearest one can get to the meaning is to use the word "longing," but it still isn't quite right. Yet every Welsh...person....knows what it means!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on February 14, 2018, 07:23:10 PM
Hiraeth--Maryemm, that's a wonderful example of why I both love translating and am frustrated by it.  An outsider has to zero in on meaning as she gets more and more experienced with the language, and probably can never be sure she's gotten it quite right.

Frybabe and Maryemm, here's why you had trouble with Anglo Saxon Beowulf:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/21/AR2007112102353.html (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/21/AR2007112102353.html)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 20, 2018, 10:44:28 AM
I saw the film on TV and wondered why Angelina Jolie was chosen to play Grendel's mother. Can't see the word "hag" applied to her.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on February 20, 2018, 11:32:12 AM
She was chosen because they totally ignored what the poem is really about and made the stupid movie they wanted to make.  Indeed, she's no hag--looks pretty good dressed in nothing but gold paint.

It was a dreadful movie, but in spite of all they could do, there were a few scenes in which they seem to have actually caught the spirit of the original, and you can imagine the movie they could have made.

The same is true of the movie Troy.  It wasn't very good, but occasionally the spirit of Homer leaks through and you get a good scene.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on February 20, 2018, 03:31:30 PM
A new production of "Troy" has just started on our TV. Helen has herself carried to Paris's ship in a large coffin-like chest. She is not "doomed by the Gods" to run away with her lover in this production : she chooses to do so to save her young daughter. Menelaus has offered her to Paris as a bride.

Have to say I did not take to the production but it is early days. Paris is reckless and, I thought, obnoxious.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on March 16, 2018, 03:27:50 PM
(https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2018/03/08/TELEMMGLPICT000156839586_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqeK8ehqBZJSTiVTgumtathRyT9BmsXxLzAJRaHIt-hvM.jpeg?imwidth=450)


A 2nd century 007? Archaeologists discover barracks that may have been used by ancient Rome's secret service (http://A 2nd century 007? Archaeologists discover barracks that may have been used by ancient Rome's secret service)

Read all about it here at:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/08/2nd-century-007-archaeologists-discover-barracks-may-have-used/ (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/08/2nd-century-007-archaeologists-discover-barracks-may-have-used/)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 16, 2018, 03:51:26 PM
Oh, my!That is exciting news MaryEmm. I hope we see more soon.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 17, 2018, 05:50:50 AM
For those who are adventurous, here is Project Gutenberg's list of Latin Language texts. Not all are classical Latin; some are ecclesiastical or medieval texts. http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/languages/la
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on March 17, 2018, 11:30:04 PM
Those mosaics look pretty fancy for a barracs.  I bet they're in the centurion's home.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 22, 2018, 07:34:03 PM
Originally presented on  in 2013, this is a super look at Herculaneum. Very interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_wfTPdp3_k

I'm going to have to rewatch Mary Beard's program, which was released about the same time, to compare.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 07, 2018, 10:48:06 AM


          Hadrian's Wall: Roman cremation urns go on display for first time


(https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/83d4e86e0aa2270bbc8bfe37a86639388ae28b3d/0_0_4261_2558/master/4261.jpg?w=620&q=20&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&dpr=2&s=08e9226fd78a33295849be7ce2b7ad40)

Read all about it here at:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/27/hadrians-wall-roman-cremation-urns-display-perfume-vase-women (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/27/hadrians-wall-roman-cremation-urns-display-perfume-vase-women)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on May 07, 2018, 10:52:01 AM

Hadrian's Wall finds suggest family life at Roman outpost

(https://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/15280/production/_101065668_hi046448130-1.jpg)

                                Infant's Feeding Bottle

Read all about it here at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-43915429 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-43915429)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on May 19, 2018, 10:25:19 AM
In case any of you visit "Atlas Obscura" there was this GIF Animation that is interesting.  I hope this copies here.

FROM OUR FRIENDS AT POPULAR MECHANICS
Ancient Animations
It can be hard to imagine what historical ruins looked like in their original forms, but GIFs can be powerful tools to explain their former glory.

READ MORE »
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on May 19, 2018, 10:30:05 AM
I think it didn't copy as I thought it would   Never can get the hang of transferring a "Link" to over here. anyway, it was the May 16th link   info@atlasobscura.com


FROM OUR FRIENDS AT POPULAR MECHANICS
Ancient Animations
It can be hard to imagine what historical ruins looked like in their original forms, but GIFs can be powerful tools to explain their former glory.

READ MORE »

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on June 23, 2018, 07:01:59 AM
Two more books that may be of interest which were published back in October of 2017.

The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic by Mike Duncan

The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire (The Princeton History of the Ancient World) by Kyle Harper. Harper's first book, Slavery in the Late Roman World, AD 275-425 won the James Henry Breasted Prize by the American Historical Association.

Has anyone read them?
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on July 02, 2018, 06:39:24 AM
I watched several of these videos, including Pompeii. Altair 4 Multimedia is into historical reconstructions.

YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/altairquattro69/featured  If you click on Videos you will get a larger selection of videos to look at than what is featured on their main YouTube page.

Altair 4 Multimedia website: http://www.altair4.com/en/

Both are worth taking a look at. Enjoy.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on July 28, 2018, 05:11:12 PM
I am now reading The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic by Mike Duncan. At Chapter 9, I am just past the Jugurthine Wars which I hadn't remembered a thing about except for the name.

The authors seems to take more to the side of the lower and business classes against the Republican aristocrats. I am more used to seeing the Gracchi's, their followers, and those who came after in their footsteps being the ones vilified as thugs, etc. Or at least, that is the impression I had. Now that I am much older, I can see and understand the frustrations of the lower classes and the whys of the civil rebellions against what appear to be a case of "the rich getting richer while the poor get poorer". You just know that something is going to explode eventually. The Roman version of election tampering included bribery, disruptions on voting day, and murder of candidates and/or their supporters.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 28, 2018, 03:38:57 PM
High status' Roman gold ring found in Somerset field


                                            Read all about it here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-45028623

 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-45028623)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on August 28, 2018, 03:46:29 PM

Roman coins found in Yorkshire revealed after years of secrecy



(https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/91c19ba72ff8ebb1420a4aa66cd800b44c062404/0_37_1114_668/master/1114.png?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&dpr=2&s=592720eb9c8e0807d0c8217157120dfa)


                                        Read all about it here at:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/aug/26/silver-coins-detectorists-yorkshire-reveal-early-roman-settlement (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/aug/26/silver-coins-detectorists-yorkshire-reveal-early-roman-settlement)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 18, 2018, 06:33:22 AM
I've been watching a batch of Roman ruin videos on YouTube the last few days. I am curious to know if anyone has been to Jerash in Jordan or Merida in Spain. Jerash is listed by some as the world's largest Roman ruin site. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like much is very well preserved. Merida boasts the longest Roman built bridge that is still in use. The Merida site has a lot of interesting Roman ruins, including the hippodrome (not a lot of it left) which is also still in use.

Merida:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdAXnOKn85g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ZmFrOsGAM

Jerash:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_7-XLVgA7k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75L4v_CV0nM

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 19, 2018, 07:58:02 AM



New Pompeii Graffiti May Rewrite History In A Major Way




(https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/960x0/https%3A%2F%2Fblogs-images.forbes.com%2Fkristinakillgrove%2Ffiles%2F2018%2F10%2FScreen-Shot-2018-10-16-at-7.38.17-AM-1200x563.jpg)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinakillgrove/2018/10/16/new-pompeii-graffiti-may-rewrite-history-in-a-major-way/?fbclid=IwAR3F8naV0K7HKVDbAWU_CgF-cPzXu0a6fKbdIOUi1bvFjpPoXnPBwdtWJo0#1026c48d5484 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinakillgrove/2018/10/16/new-pompeii-graffiti-may-rewrite-history-in-a-major-way/?fbclid=IwAR3F8naV0K7HKVDbAWU_CgF-cPzXu0a6fKbdIOUi1bvFjpPoXnPBwdtWJo0#1026c48d5484)

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 19, 2018, 12:00:47 PM
My birthday, how about that!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on October 19, 2018, 06:41:05 PM
(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Felix%20Dies%20birthday%20cake.jpg)

A very happy Belated Birthday to you,  Frybabe!   And many more!

Thank you, Maryemm, what a find! Thank you Frybabe for those great links!





Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 20, 2018, 10:52:36 AM
A Very Happy Birthday, Frybabe, with lots more to come.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 21, 2018, 03:59:44 PM
Thanks MaryEmm.

My sister just let me know about this, but she saw a clip on MSN. However, I chose to link the Daily Mail article of Oct. 9 instead.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6294375/Mysterious-Roman-villa-reveals-secrets.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Maryemm on October 26, 2018, 10:36:07 AM


Yes, I know about this as my nephew is one of the archaeologists involved in the site. He is supposed to be retired!!

I think I mentioned this discovery a few years ago.


https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/dig-finds-romans-just-couldnt-1909898 (https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/dig-finds-romans-just-couldnt-1909898)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 11, 2019, 07:10:06 AM
More finds at a Roman/Carthaginian battle site:  https://www.livescience.com/64734-underwater-rome-carthage-battle-artifacts.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 16, 2019, 09:39:59 AM
I am a little excited about my current find. Right now, I am reading The Big Oyster by Mark Kurlansky which is about New York City and the oysters found around the Hudson Basin. You may ask what that has to do with things Classical. Kurlanksy, in Chapter Six, goes into oysters eaten and cultivated in ancient Rome. He talks about how a denarius was considered worth on oyster. He mentions that Emperor Vitellius, whose reign lasted all of eight months, eat huge quantities of oysters at a sitting and cited Apicius's recommendations for preparing and eating oysters and includes one of his recipes. My main interest, however, is what he says about one Sergius Orata, first century BC, who devised a method to construct and raise oysters in lakes around Naples. According to Pliny (I want to find the source material for this) Orata grew rich on his oysters and also on sea bream which he fed with oysters. His other fortune was made in the baths which he improved by inventing the pipe-heated floor system. I really have to look this guy up.

PS: There is some controversy over whether or not Orata actually invented the bath heating system (hypocaust). Kurlansky did not mention the controversy. Digging continues.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on February 16, 2019, 12:49:34 PM
How fascinating, Frybabe! You DO find the most interesting things in your reading! Thank you for sharing that.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on February 17, 2019, 10:50:23 PM
The hypocaust is a very nice heating system.  My house is heated that way--hot water flows through pipes buried in a cement floor.  It's a very even, comfortable heat, though slow-responding.  Of course I don't have to chop wood for it, or feed a fire;  the water is heated by gas.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 03, 2019, 04:22:24 PM
Vesuvius, 79AD survivors:


https://www.livescience.com/64854-where-pompeii-refugees-fled.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on March 03, 2019, 06:53:49 PM
Interesting.  It must be quite a job sniffing out those records.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 29, 2019, 11:46:20 AM
It is a shame that no-one, including me, has posted in here all summer. I ran across this interesting YouTube site when I watched Britain After Rome: The Age of Arthur by  the  History Time channel on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=History+Time

Voices of the Past is a series of original source readings from primarily ancient writers.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqoGR_EedlhKDVuWNwYWRbg  Enjoy!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: BarbStAubrey on September 29, 2019, 12:04:01 PM
Wow frybabe - both are great sites - lots of history to learn without reading. So glad you found and shared this which shows the Arthur stories after Rome left Britain - never occurred to me that it would be after - I guess Rome did not leave a moral baseline - but then they were not Christian at that time so maybe that is the key to the endurance and romance of the Arthur stories - they are based in Christian Chivalry which is really only behavior from a Christian moral code - hmm never thought of its place in history from that perspective. 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 22, 2020, 06:44:10 AM
Ran across this interesting episode of Digging for Britain, the other day.  The Horsemen of Hadrian's Wall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_spFy7scX4U
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: BarbStAubrey on January 22, 2020, 11:34:51 AM
Great site - you could spend days seeing all the youtube documentaries on the early days of Britain and all the movies and videos on Arthur.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 29, 2020, 05:00:49 PM
The Economy of Ancient Rome. Quick, more fun than a lecture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMYruhJb8e0
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: acitu19 on May 08, 2020, 11:13:05 AM
thank you very much I like to watch rather than read the story
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on May 08, 2020, 04:27:16 PM
There used to be more people who posted things they run across but, sadly, not so much any more. it is a shame.

The last few days I have been watching shorts about people and battles in England in the 800's and 900's. The last one I watched was about the Vikings in England.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JenB on August 06, 2020, 09:15:16 AM
I'm not intending to stir up any political debate, but this is an interesting blog post on the Latin Motto that was originally included on cover of Sean Hannity's latest book. 

https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2020/05/16/sean-hannity-does-not-know-latin/ (https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2020/05/16/sean-hannity-does-not-know-latin/)

Quote from the blog post:

Some people have noticed, though, that there is a Latin motto that appears on the front cover. It reads: “Vivamus vel libero perit Americae.” [...] There is a slight problem with this particular motto, though; it’s complete and utter gobbledygook. It is clear that whoever came up with this motto does not even know the basic noun cases in Latin or how they work.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: BarbStAubrey on August 06, 2020, 09:36:07 AM
Ha funny - it appears young Spencer has equal disdain for Google Translator as he does for Hannity however no mention of the publisher's neglect - ah so and onward as he adds to the climate of the day  - doubt Spencer's review over a short quote will send anyone to a Latin class or to even pull out their old Latin text books which went by the boards as required high school learning in the 60s - haha come to think of it he is showing his hand that fits Joel Stein's thinking in his book In Defense of Elitism.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on August 06, 2020, 03:13:22 PM
:) Jen. Good one! We'll put that in our Latin Lives Today. One of our Latin students  Roxania caught that back in May and apparently it was discussed quite a bit on some of the social media.

It's definitely incorrect.  One has to wonder why somebody wants to use Latin who knows nothing of it, but hey! Intended to give the subject gravitas, perhaps?   hahahaa  Had the opposite effect, didn't it?

 I guess this is a Word to the Wise: Google Translate can't be trusted in English to Latin: it doesn't know the idiom.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JenB on August 14, 2020, 09:08:26 AM
Here's a short article from Smithsonian magazine about an artist who has created photorealistic images of Roman emperors:  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/peer-past-these-photorealistic-portraits-roman-emperors-180975558/ (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/peer-past-these-photorealistic-portraits-roman-emperors-180975558/)

The article goes on to point out some of the pitfalls in such an exercise.  They link to a blog post in Medium by Italian researcher Davide Cocci that explores some of the original Latin sources for physical descriptions of the the emperors.  https://medium.com/@davieco/were-roman-emperors-blonde-2255ec77d123 (https://medium.com/@davieco/were-roman-emperors-blonde-2255ec77d123)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on August 14, 2020, 12:09:13 PM
In the composite of all 84 Emperors I thought Vespasian looks a bit like Lyndon B. Johnson. I like Vespasian. I don't like Johnson.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on August 19, 2020, 09:50:27 AM
Oh fabulous, thank you so much! I KNEW I should not have let my subscription to Smithsonian go! Love Hadrian and Augustus!!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on August 19, 2020, 10:51:17 AM
And in a coda on the Sean Hannity book's front cover Latin slogan as "complete and utter gobbledegook,"  it appears that the book was in pre- publication when Mr. Hannity began talking about it in May, but when it was published on August 4th, the Latin subtitle was quietly changed.

" At first, the cover featured the Latin tagline 'vivamus vel libero perit Americae' – a phrase that Hannity told viewers on Fox means “live free or America dies”. But as Indiana University Bloomington classics student Spencer Alexander McDaniel laid out on his blog in May, the Latin phrase makes little sense."   This sentiment was echoed by classicists all over the internet.

“It is clear that whoever came up with this motto does not even know the basic noun cases in Latin or how they work,” wrote McDaniel. “The words in Hannity’s motto are real Latin words, but, the way they are strung together, they don’t make even a lick of sense."

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/aug/05/sean-hannity-removes-gobbledygook-latin-motto-from-book-cover
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Kreg on September 26, 2020, 02:46:43 PM
Sorry, if this is posted in the wrong place, or inappropriate to ask for a translation. I am new to Ginny's Latin 101. I thought it would at least be an intellectual curiosity.

Today, I came across a poem (?) in a leaf page from the "Buch von der deutschen Poeterey" (1624) - at the time, the most important German literature book about poetry, written during the 30 year European war. (He also wrote "Aristarchus sive de Contemptu Linquae Teutonicae - 1617).

Would someone be willing, and find pleasure, in translating the below?

Horatius ad Pisones:

Descriptas servare vices,
     operumque colores,

Cur ego, si nequeo, ignoroque,
     Poëta salutor?

Cur nescire, pudens pravé,
     quam discere malo?



Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on September 27, 2020, 10:06:52 AM
Kreg, a challenge! Let me put this up in some of the upper classes and see what they might say about it, what fun!

Thank you for putting it in here.

I'll put a link and we'll see if anybody wants to take the Latin Challenge today!

:)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on September 27, 2020, 10:09:50 AM
Hi, Kreg.  This is the general conversation side of the site, but some of us are Latin students, so you might get an answer.  It's perfectly appropriate to ask.  I'll put a note in the most likely discussions.

Even if you don't, I'm glad you asked.  Without knowing what they're saying, I like the rhythm of the few Latin poems I've come across, and that book sounds fascinating.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Vesta on September 28, 2020, 11:51:27 AM
The Smithsonian magazine's October issue has an interesting article rehabilitating the Emperor Nero's reputation.  Work by a British emeritus professor of Roman history, John Drinkwater, presents an appealing argument that Nero was maligned by Roman historians like Suetonius and Tacitus to justify the Flavian emperors who succeeded Nero.  Some of you may recall the novel or movie "Quo Vadis" with Peter Ustinov's performance of Nero as a cruel and effete ruler so this article presents another view.
You may read it at
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/new-nicer-nero-history-roman-emperor-180975776/

By the way please consider supporting the Smithsonian as the magazine is always interesting and they offer cut rate subscriptions.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on September 29, 2020, 12:38:52 PM
That's a very interesting article, Vesta.  It would be fun to see the rebuttals.  I see Smithsonian Magazine has maintained the quality it had back when I subscribed.  You make a good case for starting up again.

I was amused by the seriousness of stepping out of your class role to dare to sing in public.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JenB on October 12, 2020, 09:49:16 PM
Interesting item going on sale for anyone with a few extra million laying around... :)

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/business/2020/10/11/numismatic-guaranty-corp-authenticates-coin-minted-caesars-assassin/5927511002/
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on October 12, 2020, 11:31:41 PM
That's pretty amazing.  Too bad I already spent my million.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on November 22, 2020, 08:30:03 AM
They've discovered two more victims of Pompeii, a landowner and a slave, just outside the walls, and successfully made very detailed plaster casts.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/21/world/europe/pompeii-vesuvius-remains.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/21/world/europe/pompeii-vesuvius-remains.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage)

Warning: the picture of the casts is somewhat pathetic,
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Annie107 on November 22, 2020, 09:48:12 AM
Here is a free and interesting Zoom event for anyone interested in Greek Tragedy!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
The Faux-Real Theatre Presents ZOOM BACCHAE a one-night-only online staged reading of a new translation of THE BACCHAE
 
New York, NY—The Faux-Real Theatre will present Euripides’ ZOOM BACCHAE on Vimeo on Monday, December the 7th at 7pm EST, in celebration of Aaron Poochigian’s new translation of the play (W. W. Norton).
 
The Greek God Dionysus is coming to you online to make sure you are still worshipping him, even if it is socially distant. Dionysus demands ecstatic revels of his worshippers, and Faux-Real won’t let him down. The reading is a loyal interpretation of this 5th century-BC tragedy by Euripides. That is to say, it is scary, crazy, and engaging - a virtual trip into the past that will bring actor and audience together in these quarantined times.
 
This staged reading is free for all. Access and pre-registration are available through Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/zoom-bacchae-tickets-129234787729
 
Translated by Aaron Poochigian, Directed by Faux-Real Artistic Director Mark Greenfield, masks by Lynda White and musical direction by Tony Naumovski.
 
Aaron Poochigian earned a PhD in Classics from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in Poetry from Columbia University. He has published four books of original verse and numerous books of translation for such presses as Penguin Classics and W.W. Norton. For this work he was awarded an NEA Fellowship in Translation. His poems have appeared in such publications as Best American Poetry, The Paris Review and POETRY.
 
Charles McNulty (LA Times) calls the translation “by far the most theatrically assured rendition of the play I’ve encountered.”
 
Aram Kouyoumdjian (Asbarez) declares “Poochigian’s translation . . . a triumph―a remarkably lucid and vibrant rendition.”
 
Founded in 1994, Faux-Real has distinguished itself by staging immersive, boundary-breaking shows in a variety of unlikely, yet highly accessible, theatres and locations. Its visceral approach to Greek theatre is fueled by the knowledge that 2,400 years ago these plays were performed in competitions and had to be highly entertaining as well as enlightening in order to win.
 
 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 23, 2020, 07:47:45 AM
Pathetic, Pat?  ;D BTW, I had not been aware that there was some controversy over the time of the eruption. So, new knowledge courtesy of the woolen clothing. I also didn't know about the horse and saddle. I'll take a look into that later.

Thanks for the info, Annie107. I am not set up for Zoom or any other live-casting so I am out, but maybe they will later on do a YouTube video for viewing. We read and discusses a few Greek tragedies some years back, but not that one.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JenB on November 26, 2020, 03:23:41 PM
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/ancient-roman-feasting-history/index.html (https://www.cnn.com/style/article/ancient-roman-feasting-history/index.html)

Quote
Superstitions at the table

The Romans were also very superstitious. Anything that fell from the table belonged to the afterworld and was not to be retrieved for fear that the dead would come seek vengeance
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on November 28, 2020, 03:41:50 PM
JenB, I'm not sure the dead would appreciate the garbage can their meals would land in at my house either.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on November 29, 2020, 10:36:19 AM
Annie107, thanks for the theater link.  I haven't read The Bacchae, so I dug up my copy to have a look, to see if it will force me to make Zoom work for something other than virtual doctor visits.  I've only seen a few of the Greek plays actually acted, but they sure can still hold their own.

You're an Asterix fan!  My husband and I started reading them sometime in the late 60s, and eagerly snapped up the new books as they came out.  We kind of lost interest after the first writer, Goscinny, died, but I still have a pretty complete collection of the early ones.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 28, 2021, 05:37:48 AM
This is an absolutely fantastic find: https://phys.org/news/2021-02-roman-chariot-unearthed-intact-pompeii.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on February 28, 2021, 08:55:14 AM
Wow!  Fantastic is right.  Thanks, Frybabe.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 24, 2021, 06:59:24 AM
While wandering around in YouTube, I found this movie, Emperor, Imperator, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRTh3qqZLkQ The languages are Latin and Teutonic with English subtitles. This is the story of the very short-lived (three months) Emperor Marcus Salvius Otho.

Also found in my daily meanderings, a statue of Emperor Titus that is located somewhere near the Vatican Meuseums. Darn if he doesn't look a bit like Ted Cruz (without his current fashion statement with facial hair). https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Tito%2C_da_vicinanze_del_battistero_lateranense%2C_inv._2282%2C_02.JPG
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: JenB on August 02, 2021, 09:53:26 AM
Here's an interesting story about an ancient boundary stone recently unearthed in Rome.  https://www.thedailybeast.com/big-stone-found-in-rome-gets-everyone-all-excited (https://www.thedailybeast.com/big-stone-found-in-rome-gets-everyone-all-excited)

Placed during Claudius' reign, the inscription on the stone uses the three new letters that Claudius attempted to add to the Latin alphabet.  His new letters didn't catch on.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on August 02, 2021, 11:38:53 AM
Fascinating!  Thanks so much, JenB!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Vesta on September 07, 2021, 04:44:14 PM
Not sure where to post this but just read this morning that Princeton University Classics Dept. is dropping the requirement for majors to study Greek & Latin languages to intermediate proficiency for the following reasons:
these changes will provide students with greater freedom in their education
as part of efforts to enhance inclusiveness and equity in the curriculum
give more students the opportunity to major in the discipline by eliminating difficulties in learning a foreign language
I think this is sad and dumbing down the curriculum.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on September 07, 2021, 08:28:39 PM
Yep, that's not good news. What WILL they then study for a "Classics Major?"
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Tomereader1 on September 07, 2021, 08:56:34 PM
Schools have been dumbing down curricula for years (don't know if  or when Uni's  may have started this).  I have the Next Door app, and am totally appalled at the way people "try" to express themselves, not just spelling, grammar but they get into rants and discussions that don't even make sense, for the most part. 
Remember when Jay Leno used to go out on the street, and ask relatively simple questions to people, and they had no idea what he was talking about.  I mean, first graders could probably have answered me of his questions correctly.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on September 08, 2021, 01:12:40 AM
Not sure where to post this but just read this morning that Princeton University Classics Dept. is dropping the requirement for majors to study Greek & Latin languages to intermediate proficiency for the following reasons:
these changes will provide students with greater freedom in their education
as part of efforts to enhance inclusiveness and equity in the curriculum
give more students the opportunity to major in the discipline by eliminating difficulties in learning a foreign language
I think this is sad and dumbing down the curriculum.

That's disturbing, Vesta, and I wonder if they did it to get more students because the university was threatening to close the department for not  enough students.

And Latin is valuable in other ways too.  I knew a scientist at NIH who felt that learning Latin was what taught him to think logically, and my husband felt that Latin had given him a richer feel for English.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on September 08, 2021, 07:45:06 AM
IMO, this dumbing down business has been going on for a long, long time, but it ramped up bigtime when they decided to dumb down the lower grades so that children didn't have to suffer the disappointment and humiliation of failure, so that they could feel good about themselves, so they can get what they want or where they want without learning to or trying harder to overcome adversities, etc. The colleges eventually have had to follow suit as more and more of the students wanting to go to or find it necessary to go to college to qualify for jobs (most any jobs, nowadays) but couldn't pass the entrance exams, and it was an opportunity to expand, they could not pass up. When I went back to college to refresh my accounting skills and learn computerized accounting programs, I was horrified to discover that most of the 2 years I spent there were on things I learned in high school, very little new, except for learning Microsoft's productivity programs. My accounting professor, when I commented about it and asked him if they don't teach these in high school anymore, replied no. I did get a good Technical Writing class in college though; something I would not have had in high school, and it was an online course. So what have we now? Students who can't do math without a calculator, students who can't write cursive, among other things.

Two extremes? Going beyond Japan with its family oriented emphasis on educational excellence is what Chinese government is experimenting on to get children to concentrate and be more focused. They have the kids wear bands on their heads that measure brain wave activity which shows whether or not a student is paying attention or concentrating on their school work. The devices report to the teacher and  to the child's parents. I assume there is some remedial action involved to help flagging students to improve. I don't know what the current status of this experiment is today. I have to wonder if this is a precursor to mind control and brain washing devices.

Well, that is a little off the subject of classics. What I have been doing lately is catching up on some more ancient history clips on YouTube. The most recent programs I watched were a three hour program on Britain after Rome pulled out (up to around 900AD), and a few short clips on the eastern campaigns. My newest book acquistions include Simon Elliot's The Missing Roman Legion: What Really Happened to IX Hispania?, and three Ian Hughes books, Stilicho, The Vandal Who Saved Rome, Belasarius, The Last Roman General, and Aetius, Attila's Nemesis.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on September 08, 2021, 01:51:36 PM
Amen to everything you said, Frybabe.  It was already going when my daughters, now about 50, were in grade school. There were some sports contests in which everyone got a medal. If you hadn’t won anything, it was for “participation”.  I don’t know who it fooled; certainly not my kids.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 02, 2021, 07:01:35 AM
Neat new Roman era find in Turkey:  https://www.livescience.com/box-seats-at-roman-empire-arena
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on October 02, 2021, 04:38:37 PM
CLASSICS BULLETIN BOARD

(http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/paestum2009.jpg)
Paestum


Please share here news, clips, magazine or newspaper articles you find that would be of interest to those of us who love the classics world.

Click REGISTER at the very top of the page if you have not  yet created a username to post messages on our web site.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on October 02, 2021, 04:39:25 PM
That is neat, Frybabe.  I wonder if they'll find any seats with one name scratched off and replaced by another.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on October 08, 2021, 06:52:08 PM
Mary Beard Alert!
(https://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Mary%20Beard.jpg)

 Great stuff here!!

We have mentioned Mary Beard, presently the most celebrated Classicist of our time, author of S.P.Q.R. and many many wonderful films on Rome on Youtube,  Cambridge Don, Dame of the British Empire, Member of the Board of Trustees of the British Museum,  and a wonderful person.

She's appearing at the Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston next Friday the 15th at 6 pm, but HARK! It's also on zoom. It costs $15, to get a place, see the link (you need the entire link,not just the blue part)  on top of the photo. It's possible they will make a film of this? But this is a chance to see her in person, if you like.

Here is the link:  https://www.gardnermuseum.org/calendar/event/titians-women-2   and scroll down:
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on October 15, 2021, 10:30:45 PM
Did anyone actually watch the Mary Beard Zoom link?  I'm wondering how much they showed of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.  If you saw a lot of it, it would be two treats for the price of one.  That museum is a wonderful jumble of art, of all sorts, paintings, sculpture, furniture, artifacts, you name it.  It's all displayed the way she liked having it in her house, totally unsystematic, and poorly labelled, so you're not always sure what you're looking at, but it's all fascinating.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on October 16, 2021, 10:30:35 AM
 I did, and  we did not see the museum, we saw, I think, in total  3 Titian paintings, as all 6 are appearing in their latest exhibit. She was in England and it was about  12:45 am  her time when it was over. It's going to be on youtube, so everybody can see it free. I think they said there were 300 people there.

She made some excellent points on Ovid and Classics in general,  and what Titan was doing with his paintings.

It sounds delightful, however.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: PatH on October 16, 2021, 11:04:09 AM
If you come across the YouTube do post the link here.  I'm interested both from the Ovid side and the painting side, and recently ran across something related.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on October 17, 2021, 07:05:13 AM
I'll keep an eye out for it too. Should be interesting.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 07, 2021, 05:35:13 AM
This is exciting news:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/06/discovery-of-pompeii-slaves-room-sheds-rare-light-on-real-roman-life
Here is Mary Beard at the British Museum showing some of the new Nero exhibit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hywug2mmoQc


Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 24, 2021, 06:01:49 AM
Another great find: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10233655/Archaeology-Roman-soldiers-FACE-MASK-dating-1-800-years-uncovered-Turkey.html
 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on November 26, 2021, 06:22:47 AM
And, another one: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/11/25/rare-Roman-mosaic-Homers-Iliad/8851637862276/
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on November 26, 2021, 12:24:39 PM
 That's another great one!

Incredible film and mosaic.

The entire world seems to be exploding in Classical items, amazing!

Thank you for bringing them here!
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 06, 2021, 05:48:58 AM
And yet another discovery: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/discovery-of-roman-dagger-leads-to-hundreds-more-artifacts-in-switzerland-180979122/
Tiberius and Drusus had overall command of the troops in 15BC when they began a two-pronged campaign to subdue the locals.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on December 29, 2021, 07:28:16 PM
I've encountered a number of YouTube presentations involving Vindolanda. This from the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland fascinated me. Not only did it update me on what is being excavated these days, but the lecturer presents his lecture with quite a bit of humor.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY-6QDWODLA 
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 10, 2022, 04:51:25 PM
Here is a great clip about the Richburough Roman Fort. Makes me wish I had been there. It is enormous. Ginny, I assume you have been? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au29RJMLbFs

This guy mentions the fort poles you asked about, Ginny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz6ONQ7kWys
Oh, yes. I rolled my eyes a bit watching it, but the info is good.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on January 11, 2022, 06:45:30 PM
I just keep finding these fun clips. Here is the Russian group IX Legio Hispania showing the guys digging a rampart. What interests me are the defensive instruments that they incorporated in and around the ditch/mound. It give you a better idea of how difficult it might have been for invaders to breach even a small encampment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEw0tZ9DBPA This group has at least a dozen clips dedicated to the different styles of Roman helmets as well as lots on weapons training. Too bad I don't understand a word they are saying, except for a few scattered words in Latin.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 07, 2022, 06:09:21 AM
Another Roman find in Britain, this timein Fleet Marston. https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/hs2-archaeologists-reveal-secrets-of-small-roman-town-excavated-near-aylesbury
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on February 07, 2022, 07:38:05 AM
Thank you, Frybabe! Construction of that new high speed train  line apparently is the archaeological gift that keeps on giving! Over 100 sites!!!!!!!!!!  I'd be like one of those sharks following a fishing boat, following behind.  Just imagine!

Every day it seems a new and exciting find.

(I can't see Samian Ware without thinking of EF Benson's Mapp and Lucia series where Lucia talks about Samian Ware in her dig in the back yard, so funny. It's a pretty safe thing to talk about as it really sticks out from other remains, but in her case proved to be something else..... and there it is illustrated first thing in the article! If he were still alive and writing those books, she would be right there on top of it. How well he captures the vanity of all of us, all over a little bit of Samian Ware.

Thanks for this.

:)
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on February 07, 2022, 01:56:00 PM
Thank you, Ginny. I was not aware of the term Samian Ware. It must be the German red ware that Lindsey Davis described in The Iron Hand of Mars (Didius Falco series). I don't remember much of the story itself, but I do remember the descriptions of the layout of a Roman fort and the red ware that was so coveted. I don't think she called it anything other than Red Ware.

I haven't read the Mapp and Lucia series. Here I thought it was another one of those British police mystery series. Wonder where I got that idea.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on March 24, 2022, 09:36:37 AM
:) No it's social commentary, a wonderful series.  I only came to Mapp and Lucia, all the books, after seeing the PBS series with Nigel Hawthorne and Prunella Scales and Geraldine McEwan, just loved that thing. A satire as it were of small town English village life. Priceless.


If  you all  did not get to see Mary Beard on the Ides of March in her appearance at the New York City Public Library interviewed by Tim Gunn on her book the Twelve Caesars,  you're in for a treat, it's online:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvm9M0nPfU4&t=66s

It's called the Faces of Power, it centers on Julius Caesar, AND the Ides, and she makes some good points about Assassination and why it did not work.

Well worth your time, especially at the end when she says why she studies the classics.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on March 25, 2022, 08:52:06 AM
Thank you, Ginny. I had missed it.  I am delighted with her opening lines about how so many rebels, assassins, etc. have never made plans to go forward after they meet their immediate goal. The time to make further plans contingent upon actually meeting goals is before you reach that point not after, just as you should have contingency plans in case the approved plan fails or goes lop-sided. I'm going to go back to the beginning and watch it again when I pay closer attention to it.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on March 27, 2022, 10:42:47 AM
 Yes, she always makes SO many good points, and the various depictions of Caesar are wonderful, too.


And if anyone here is  not familiar with Dr. Garrett's work, Told In Stone: you may enjoy this 7 minute splendid take on what a Roman street really looked like with photos of Rome and Pompeii: parking tickets, congestion, one way streets, loading zones, which side of the road Romans drove on:  in essence,  what Roman streets were really like:    (http://seniorlearn.org/latin/graphics/Picture51.jpg)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeorUqJ7w3Q&list=RDCMUCqBiWcuTF8IaLH7wBqnihsQ&start_radio=1&rv=HeorUqJ7w3Q&t=0

There is no person here who will not learn something by  watching these  7 minutes, and he's got a whole series of these things. Spectacular stuff.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on April 12, 2022, 11:39:37 AM
Here is a quite spectacular new exhibit in NYC which can now be also enjoyed online:

   A new exhibition at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, Pompeii in Color: The Life of Roman Painting, will open today (Jan. 26) and be on view through May 29 at pompeiiincolor.com  (http://pompeiiincolor.com)

This thing has MANY facets, click on one, like the Roman Home and enjoy an animated  tour of the House of the Tragic Poet and an examination of one of the mosaics there.

Fabulous thing!


Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 12, 2022, 04:51:04 PM
Oh WOW, Ginny. Thanks so very much for the link.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: BarbStAubrey on April 13, 2022, 12:57:44 AM
Enjoyed the link - thanks Ginny
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 13, 2022, 07:24:58 AM
Love seeing the compass, level/square, and the plumb bobs among the painters' tools. Never thought of seeing plumb bobs used as painters' tools. What, no pestles to go with the bowls of pigment? Some of the minerals must have taken some time to grind down to a powder fine enough to use. In the paintings you can see early attempts at perspective. The history books tend to ignore them. The use of perspective didn't re-emerge and get refined until the 15th century.
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: ginny on April 14, 2022, 10:44:05 AM
:) So glad you both enjoyed it. I think it's wonderful in this day and age that the museums, especially with this new Covid thing back on the rise, also take the time to present it online, so we all can enjoy without having to make the trip. That's really a nice thing.

Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: Frybabe on April 14, 2022, 12:37:25 PM
I agree Ginny.

This morning I received the latest issue of The Guardian's latest newsletter, Down to Earth. In it is an article about the restoration of an irrigation system that the Muslims brought to Spain. The system was still in use until the 1980's, according to the article. Of course, that brought to mind the Roman aqueduct systems, and off I went to refresh my memory on that subject. While I knew that private household connections could be made for a fee, I didn't know (or don't remember) if farms and industry could connect. They could. And while I knew the lead to make the pipes was government regulated and stamped, I didn't know that the pipes themselves were stamped with info on the pipe's manufacturer, the installer, and the subscriber. https://www.vita-romae.com/ancient-roman-aqueducts.html
Title: Re: Classics Forum
Post by: BarbStAubrey on April 14, 2022, 05:07:45 PM
Interesting I knew there was irrigation in the homes and gardens installed by the Muslims but did not know the system extended beyond the homes of individuals.