Author Topic: Classics Forum (Read 370694 times)

sandyrose · « **Reply #80 on:** October 07, 2009, 11:40:44 AM »

Paestum, a complex of Greek Temples in Southern Italy.

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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

Pete7268 · « **Reply #81 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.

Pete7268 · « **Reply #82 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

ginny · « **Reply #83 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.

ginny · « **Reply #84 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

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!

CubFan · « **Reply #85 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

ginny · « **Reply #86 on:** October 30, 2009, 08:07:35 AM »

Greetings, CubFan! Good for her, building up a 4 year program alone in Latin deserves that!

Maryemm · « **Reply #87 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.

Maryemm · « **Reply #88 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

Maryemm · « **Reply #89 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

Athena · « **Reply #90 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."

Aliki · « **Reply #91 on:** December 11, 2009, 10:46:34 AM »

Quote from: 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.

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!!

Aliki · « **Reply #92 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!

Aliki · « **Reply #93 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

Aliki · « **Reply #94 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!

Aliki · « **Reply #95 on:** December 20, 2009, 02:55:06 PM »

Quote from: ginny on July 07, 2009, 12:15:34 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!!!

Aliki · « **Reply #96 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

ginny · « **Reply #97 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

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to All!

ginny · « **Reply #98 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

Aliki · « **Reply #99 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

Aliki · « **Reply #100 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

Aliki · « **Reply #101 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.)

ginny · « **Reply #102 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.

kidsal · « **Reply #103 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.

sandyrose · « **Reply #104 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

Aliki · « **Reply #105 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.

PEGGY · « **Reply #106 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

Aliki · « **Reply #107 on:** February 01, 2010, 05:35:51 PM »

Quote from: 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

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

catbrown · « **Reply #108 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

ginny · « **Reply #109 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!!!!!

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!

marcie · « **Reply #110 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!

Gumtree · « **Reply #111 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.

Frybabe · « **Reply #112 on:** April 10, 2010, 09:24:49 AM »

Spectābilis! Grātulātiō!

Zulema · « **Reply #113 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!!!

JoanR · « **Reply #114 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!

Brian · « **Reply #115 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).

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #116 on:** April 11, 2010, 08:45:36 PM »

Congradulations! Pulchre perfectus quis satisfaction vos must totus sentio per is factum iustus mirus.

joangrimes · « **Reply #117 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

Maryemm · « **Reply #118 on:** April 19, 2010, 06:45:29 AM »

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

.

Maryemm · « **Reply #119 on:** April 23, 2010, 11:04:41 AM »

New Biography: Empress of ROME: The Life of LIVIA by Matthew Dennison

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.

I have read that Livia got away with it all , lived into her 90's and died peacefully in her bed!

News:

Author Topic: Classics Forum (Read 370694 times)