Ancient

Herodotus, the Father of History or Blogging?

constantinakatsari October 15, 2013

Herodotus, The Father of History or Blogging? Herodotus was a Greek historian that has been acknowledged as the Father of History ever since antiquity. Of course, the title does not reflect accurately the state of historical studies at the time, since other similar historians preceded him. The fact is the Herodotus was the first write to use prose in order to describe lengthy events; The Greek-Persian Wars. He was born in Halicarnassus, modern Bodrum in Turkey, in the early 5th century BC. The c... »

Sparta: The Comic Book

constantinakatsari October 14, 2013

On October 9th, the first issue of a five-part monthly comics series set in ancient Sparta came to life. ‘Titled Three, it’s a fictional story centred on three fugitive helots set in the 360s BC. The author is the well-known UK comics author, Kieron Gillen, supported by the equally renowned comics artist Ryan Kelly and colourist Jordie Bellaire. The title purposely evokes the mythologised Sparta of Frank Miller’s and Zack Snyder’s 300; but Gillen’s aim was to counter-balance that over-glor... »

Theater re-opens after 1700 years in Greece

constantinakatsari May 22, 2013

I am not sure if the re-opening of the ancient theatre of Messene is connected to the economic crisis in Greece or not. Either way, it is a fact that cannot be ignored. As part of the Greek Festival the opening night will be the 3rd of August 2013. In the first instance 2500 people will be able to attend, although after its full restoration it will host more than 5000 people. The restorations will continue over the summer with the help of funds from Niarchos foundation and the European Union. Fa... »

Covering up the genitalia of ancient statues

constantinakatsari April 25, 2013

When I saw the following article, I thought I was transported back in medieval times. Ancient Greek nudity seems to have offended the Doha authorities in Qatar. It looks like the Greek government sponsored an exhibition in Qatar on ancient Olympia. Around 600 items have been shipped in the Middle East, among which were the nude statues of two young men. The authorities have been offended and the exhibits had to be returned to their native land. In my view, they should not have left in the first ... »

Classics wants you!

constantinakatsari April 24, 2013

The following announcement came to my attention through the Classists List and I thought I should share it with you! CLASSICISTS WANTED for practice-based study of ancient dance at the University of Oxford Looking for individuals with a background in classics or ancient history to participate in a research project involving the reconstruction of Roman tragic pantomime. Professional dancers will be given 3 hours to create a dance piece based on a selection of source materials (images, text, musi... »

Ancient Greek Cuisine

constantinakatsari April 23, 2013

The current economic crisis in Greece led to unprecedented conditions of poverty. I watched many times people who look for food in the dustbins. The most fortunate ones changed their cooking habits and they employ inferior ingredients. Indicative of the situation is the fact that the most popular best seller in Greece is a cookbook, which includes recipes from the German Occupation period. This is why I was so surprised to see the following article in the Greek Reporter http://greece.greekreport... »

ORBIS. Space in the Roman World

constantinakatsari April 6, 2013

You may want to read the latest updates on ORBIS, The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World. According to the official website: “Spanning one-ninth of the earth’s circumference across three continents, the Roman Empire ruled one quarter of humanity through complex networks of political power, military domination and economic exchange. These extensive connections were sustained by premodern transportation and communication technologies that relied on energy generated by... »

Girl dying from the plague in the Peloponnesian War

constantinakatsari December 29, 2012

In the beginning of the Peloponnesian war and, specifically, in 430 BC a Plague epidemic crippled the city of Athens. The plague spread in the city during its siege by the Spartans and it killed a quarter of the population. Among them we count the famous statesman, Pericles. Several diseases have been suggested but there is no definitive proof for any of them. And yet, some time ago the skeleton of a little girl has been found that may shed some light on the problem. The archaeologists who found... »

Inscriptions of Attica online.

constantinakatsari December 19, 2012

You can find some of the published inscriptions of Athens and Attica in English translation at the following site: www.atticinscriptions.com “It is being launched with translations of the 281 inscribed laws and decrees of Athens, 352/1-322/1 BC, which have recently been edited by Stephen Lambert as *IG *II3 1, 292-572.” (Seen in Classics list) The material will probably be updated soon enough to include a lot more information. So, keep checking! »

Crossing boundaries: ancient history explores its future

constantinakatsari December 9, 2012

“Faculty of Classics, Cambridge. December 12th and 13th, 2012 All sessions will take place in the Faculty of Classics, Room G21. Papers will run for 30 minutes each and be followed by 30 minutes of discussion. Wednesday December 12th 9:15-9:30 Introductory remarks by William Harris and Robin Osborne 1. Genetics, population, health, disease, living standards, part I 9:30-10:30 Robert C. Allen (Oxford), “Real wages in Roman Egypt in the perspective of modern poverty lines and nutrition... »