Boeotia – the basics. When it comes to art and ancient Greece Boeotia doesn’t get much of a discussion. However, there are some fine examples of this which I was able to see during my recent visit to the British Museum. In case you aren’t aware Boeotia was a region in central Greece, perhaps the […]
As you may know each year I carve a pumpkin with designs from antiquity (see here for a recent article I did which includes a how-to guide). It gets difficult each year to find something which is both within my capabilities and will work. A curious Etruscan plate. The design this year was taken from […]
Came across this poster which features Greek mythical monsters by their rumoured location. It’s by Neil Parkinson and you can get a copy on his etsy shop. I’ve already ordered mine, as I work from home it’ll sit above my desk and give me something different to look at. Excellent work! Sarpedon on leadership. The […]
Sometimes an object give us an insight into the past which isn’t initially obvious and here is one such example. The helmet below is a bronze Etruscan one, it dates to circa 500 BC and is doubtless a fascinating object purely on this basis alone. However, as you can see there’s an inscription on the […]
Potnia Theron translates as ‘animal queen’ and has also been referred to as ‘mistress of the animals’. Depictions of her vary, but the central theme is a female figure flanked by animals, occasionally holding them (as you’ll see below). This representation is found in Greek art, but this was by no means uniquely Greek. The […]
Around 511 AD a man called John arrived at Constantinople seeking employment in the Imperial Palace. John had travelled from Philadelphia, in modern day Turkey and already had some experience as a clerk. Upon securing a minor bureaucratic position in the Imperial Palace he worked his way up, by the time of his death (circa […]
I hope you enjoyed the episode, here is some extra bits which you may find useful. In the episode I mentioned my discussion with LJ Trafford about Domitian, here’s the episode. I also spoke about the date of Vesuvius, here’s the episode for that as well. Pliny’s home. As you can see from the photos […]
Italica – the basics. To the north west of Seville is the site of Italica. It can be easily visited via bus taken from the Plaza de Armas which takes 30 minutes. A quick tip here, you don’t need to queue and buy tickets in the main part of the station, just wander down to […]
A cave in southern Spain carries a simple image depicted on a wall. At first glance it might seem difficult to work out what is occurring. The picture is of a figure collecting honey and given the bees swarming around, he or she is certainly working hard for it. The image dates to approximately 8,0000 […]
The Brygos painter is a celebrated name attached to a number of Athenian pieces dating to the early 5th century BC. On occasion artists might sign their pieces, but this was something potters might do as well. As such Brygos could be the name of the potter, and to complicate things further it could even […]
Vesuvius had been a threat to those living near it much earlier than those at Pompeii and Herculaneum would later bear witness to. The Avellino eruption, dating to 2,000 – 1,500 BC had buried local bronze age settlements and this eruption surpassed the brutality of the later famous one. It has been argued that Vesuvius […]
On my YouTube channel I look at a famous Greek vase which depicts Medusa being decapitated by Perseus (it’s currently in the British Museum). I hope you find it interesting. Let me know here or on my YouTube channel. Third #VaseVlog2018 of the year and it’s the turn of the Francois Vase and in particular […]
Cruelty in ancient Rome took many forms, it’s something which has often caused me to question whether I’d really want to step into a tardis and travel back there. One individual, Vedius Pollio, was renowned for a viscious streak, something which was picked up by a few ancient writers including Seneca and Dio Cassius. An […]
Thanks to Elke whose advert you heard. If you want to know more here are some links. Hellenic History website. Instagram / Facebook / Redbubble site / Twitter. Map of Boeotia and Thebes. Appreciate this is in French but hopefully you can work out the relevant locations I mention including the regions (Beotie/Boeotia and Attique/Attica). […]