Author Topic: Classics Forum (Read 353851 times)

JoanK · « **Reply #760 on:** June 21, 2015, 03:52:02 PM »

The Classics Forum

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!

Congratulations to the Class of 2014 and their awesome results on the National Latin Exam! See post 654 below!

It's never too late to learn Latin!

Interested in learning more about our Latin Courses? Click here: Learn More About Our Latin Courses

We're glad to see you whenever you post.

I'm a Lindsey Davis fan; I'll check out her new book.

ginny · « **Reply #761 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.

Lorac625 · « **Reply #762 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!

Maryemm · « **Reply #763 on:** July 29, 2015, 12:30:36 PM »

THE BRIGHTLINGSEA HARPY

Read all about it here at:

http://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/features/revealed-the-brightlingsea-harpy.htm

Maryemm · « **Reply #764 on:** July 29, 2015, 12:37:17 PM »

Roman skeleton discovery could rewrite British history

Read all about it here at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/archaeology/10943259/Roman-skeleton-discovery-could-rewrite-British-history.html

Maryemm · « **Reply #765 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://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-27266690

Maryemm · « **Reply #766 on:** August 10, 2015, 12:23:17 PM »

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

ginny · « **Reply #767 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?

Maryemm · « **Reply #768 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!!

I see you are going great guns with the Latin lessons. Wish I could remember all I learnt from you.

ginny · « **Reply #769 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!

PatH · « **Reply #770 on:** August 12, 2015, 02:08:14 PM »

Me too, even though I don't always comment.

Frybabe · « **Reply #771 on:** August 12, 2015, 08:30:34 PM »

HI MARYEMM. It's always great to see yours posts. Happy Anniversary and Birthday!

Maryemm · « **Reply #772 on:** August 13, 2015, 12:55:03 PM »

You might have waited to be sure I would celebrate them!!

....but THANK YOU ALL.

ginny · « **Reply #773 on:** August 14, 2015, 11:27:41 AM »

WE might not make it that long.

This way our good wishes are there regardless.

Maryemm · « **Reply #774 on:** August 16, 2015, 12:09:23 PM »

Never thought of that!!

sandyrose · « **Reply #775 on:** August 18, 2015, 10:35:00 AM »

Happy Birthday Maryemm! And congratulations on your anniversary!

ginny · « **Reply #776 on:** August 18, 2015, 11:33:15 AM »

Happy Happy Birthday, Maryemm, and many more!

ginny · « **Reply #777 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?

Frybabe · « **Reply #778 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.

Frybabe · « **Reply #779 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.

Frybabe · « **Reply #780 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.

ginny · « **Reply #781 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

PatH · « **Reply #782 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/

ginny · « **Reply #783 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!

PatH · « **Reply #784 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.

Lorac625 · « **Reply #785 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.

Frybabe · « **Reply #786 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

Lorac625 · « **Reply #787 on:** September 11, 2015, 12:49:42 PM »

Hey, I did it!!!

PatH · « **Reply #788 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.

Frybabe · « **Reply #789 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.

Maryemm · « **Reply #790 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

Read all about it here at:

http://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/?p=21842

ginny · « **Reply #791 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

Frybabe · « **Reply #792 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.

ginny · « **Reply #793 on:** October 26, 2015, 09:13:32 AM »

OH my word, the great Mommsen! What a find! Thank you for telling us about that!

JoanK · « **Reply #794 on:** October 26, 2015, 06:31:00 PM »

I LOVE SENIORNET!

Maryemm · « **Reply #795 on:** November 22, 2015, 10:01:30 AM »

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

Maryemm · « **Reply #796 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

Frybabe · « **Reply #797 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.

Frybabe · « **Reply #798 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.

Maryemm · « **Reply #799 on:** December 04, 2015, 08:03:32 AM »

Frybabe: Proof, if needed, how popular Professor Beard is.

News:

Author Topic: Classics Forum (Read 353851 times)