Hobbit in Latin: The only Christmas Gift worth giving!



“The Hobbit” is J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece which has hit both the silver screen and millions of paper backs and hard backs. The book was luckily translated into Latin: “ILLE HOOBITVS.”

The Hobbit in Latin



 

 

Happy Holidays to all you Latin Lover, Latin Learners, and Latin Enthusiasts! If you find yourself with a gift card for the Holidays or with some spare time with relatives…I would recommend watching and reading “The Hobbit!”

The cover is a brilliant mosaic on the dragon Smaug, who guards a glorious treasure hoard.  You can learn more on the wonderful art of mosaics; here.The book tackles some interesting difficulties from names to songs like Gandalphus for Gandalf and some interesting poetic choices for songs such as:

OR

 

You can follow to the book’s Latin’s translation:

Frange uitra et catilla!
ulctros unde, fucas flecte!
Biblo Baggins odit illa-
nunc et cortices incende!
textum seca, sebum calca!
lactem funde cellae terra
linque in tapeto ossa!
uinum sperge super porta!
has patellas aestu laua;
has contunde magna claua;
si nonnulla sint intacta,
uolue ea e culinca!
Biblo Baggins odit illa!
caue! caue! heac catilla!

Now, I hope each and everyone you enjoy your Christmas with you family, friends, neighbors, and so on! Be safe and Consider starting your New Year with the Hobbit! So I will leave you with the beginning words of the novel:

In foramine terrae habitabat hobbitus.

 In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.

So remember, greatness can have very small beginnings. Have a safe holiday and I will see you in 2014!

Naviity Story in Latin

With Christmas around the corner, many people are embarking on their Christmas Tree shopping, gift giving, or other Holiday tasks. While, not everyone celebrates Christmas or believe it to coincide with the birth of Jesus Christ; the story of the Nativity offers beginning Latinist a great learning opportunity.  Everyone is at least familiar with the story of Jesus’ birth, the three Wiseman, the inn in Bethlehem, etc. Furthermore, Biblical Latin was written in a simply style and uses repetitive language so that it was easy for any person to read- even if they only knew a little Latin.

Adoration of the Magiby Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi

Latin Vulgate: Fabula Dies Natalis Christi

Matthew 2: 1-12  

2:1 cum ergo natus esset Iesus in Bethleem Iudaeae in diebus Herodis regis ecce magi ab oriente venerunt Hierosolymam
2:2 dicentes ubi est qui natus est rex Iudaeorum vidimus enim stellam eius in oriente et venimus adorare eum
2:3 audiens autem Herodes rex turbatus est et omnis Hierosolyma cum illo
2:4 et congregans omnes principes sacerdotum et scribas populi sciscitabatur ab eis ubi Christus nasceretur
2:5 at illi dixerunt ei in Bethleem Iudaeae sic enim scriptum est per prophetam
2:6 et tu Bethleem terra Iuda nequaquam minima es in principibus Iuda ex te enim exiet dux qui reget populum meum Israhel
2:7 tunc Herodes clam vocatis magis diligenter didicit ab eis tempus stellae quae apparuit eis 2:8 et mittens illos in Bethleem dixit ite et interrogate diligenter de puero et cum inveneritis renuntiate mihi ut et ego veniens adorem eum
2:9 qui cum audissent regem abierunt et ecce stella quam viderant in oriente antecedebat eos usque dum veniens staret supra ubi erat puer
2:10 videntes autem stellam gavisi sunt gaudio magno valde
2:11 et intrantes domum invenerunt puerum cum Maria matre eius et procidentes adoraverunt eum et apertis thesauris suis obtulerunt ei munera aurum tus et murram
2:12 et responso accepto in somnis ne redirent ad Herodem per aliam viam reversi sunt in regionem suam

2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be
2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of born Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
2:6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Is this too advanced? A great resource for teaching Latin and using Christmas can be found here.

Saturnalia: Did it Influence Christmas?



Saturnalia by Ernesto Biondi, 1899
Depicts 10 life-size figures,
 who each represent a different social class
 in Rome, from the gladiators and
slaves to the patricians during the Saturnalia.

WHEN
Saturnalia was an Roman festival held in honor of Saturn from December 17th to December 23rd.

FOR WHO
Saturn was the Greek equivalent of Cronus. Saturn/Cronus was the father of the Olympians. He was the patron god of the Capitol, generations, plenty, wealth, agriculture, liberation, and time.

Temple of Saturn

WHERE
The holiday was celebrated at the Temple of Saturn with a sacrifice and then a public banquet in the Roman Forum.

HOW TO CELEBRATE
After the sacrifice and communal feast, a continuous carnival like party would ensue with activities like gambling, gift-giving and even dancing. Gambling (mainly dice-playing) was permitted for all even slaves. However, the stakes were usually only a few coins or simply nuts.  For the Calendar of Philocalus (seen here; scroll to the bottom to see December) the depiction of December is man in a fur coat next to a dice table. The caption along the side translates to “Now you have license, slave, to game with your master.”



Dice players in a wall painting from Pompeii

The Saturnalia was one of the only “carnival” like days in which the slaves of a household were masters for a day! Masters would wait on and serve their slaves during this holiday. Catullus calls it the optimo dierum or ” Best of Days!”(Catullus 14.15). Other sources say that masters and slaves only dined together as equals. Regardless of the particulars, Saturnalia was obviously a day of role reversal and breaking normal social boundaries. Furthermore, slaves were permitted to disrespect their masters and escape punishment (for that day). It was a holiday in which free speech was tolerated as the poet Horace called it libertas Decembri or  ”December liberty.”

WEARING WHAT


Ancient Greek red-figure plate from Apulia,
 third quarter of the 4th century BC,
Louvre. Man wearing Pileus.

The toga, which the iconic dress for all respectable Roman citizen, was discarded for this day. Instead, the Greek clothing known as synthesis was adopted. While quotidian,  Roman citizens went about bare-headed during Saturnalia they worn the pilleus. The pilleus is a cone like felt cap that usually denotes the stature of a freedman (a slave who is freed by their master, but not quite a citizen). Slaves were not allowed to wear this “freed” cap, but for the Saturnalia everyone wore them so that there was not class distinction.

WHAT WOMEN WERE DOING
The participation of freeborn Roman women (in comparison to slave women, who would be participating) depended on the custom of the time. In the Republic, a woman presence in such debauchery would be unseemly. However from the late Republic and onwards, their presence in socially situations became more frequent.

ANTICIPATION
Seneca looked forward to the holiday. The following was found in a letter to a friend.
December est mensis; cum maxime civitas sudat. Ius luxuriae publicae datum est. Ingenti apparatu sonant omnia, tamquam quicquam inter Saturnalia intersit et dies rerum agendarum. Adeo nihil interest, ut non videatur ¹ mihi errasse, qui dixit olim mensem Decembrem fuisse, nunc annum. Si te hic haberem, libenter tecum conferrem, quid existimares esse faciendum: utrum nihil ex cotidiana consuetudine movendum an, ne dissidere videremur cum publicis moribus, et hilarius cenandum et exuendam togam. (Seneca, Ad Lucilium Epistulae Morales 18.1-2)

It is now the month of December, when the greatest part of the city is in a bustle. Loose reins are given to public dissipation; everywhere you may hear the sound of great preparations, as if there were some real difference between the days devoted to Saturn and those for transacting business. … Were you here, I would willingly confer with you as to the plan of our conduct; whether we should eve in our usual way, or, to avoid singularity, both take a better supper and throw off the toga.

SOURCES
While, Seneca, Horace, Catullus, and the Calendar of Philocalus prove to be excellent sources; the best source comes from the multivolume work of Macorbius. Macrobius describes the Saturnalia almost as a festival of lights leading up to the winter solstice (Dec. 21/22- longest night of the year). This notion is further seen in the later celebration (during the Roman Empire) of the Dies Natalis of Sol Invictus: “Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun,” on December 25.

The famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City

CHRISTMAS
The popularity of Saturnalia ensued until the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. As the Roman Empire came under Christian rules, many of the practices from Saturnalia were adopted in the celebration surrounding Christmas and New Year. While Saturnalia was originally a festival to celebrate Saturn and liberations; it could be viewed as a time where masters served their slaves out of thankfulness or even tradition. Thereby, this tradition of equality in all stations and the entitlement of some happiness is seen in Christmas and Saturnalia. Practices such as public and private celebrations, lights, gift giving, the shape of the pilleus resembling Santa’s hat, popularity of nuts (before nutcrackers) and the remembrance/importance of the 25th of December are clear similarities between the two holidays. However, the spiritual and religious connotation to Christmas were assimilated through time and the efforts of the church. You can learn more on Christmas throughout the ages here.

SATURNALIA TODAY
How to Celebrate Saturnalia in the 21st Century:
Read the steps here!
Big Bang Theory on Saturnalia

 

 

Famous People who Studied Latin, Greek, and the Classics

Latin has long been argued by contemporaries to be a useless language. That the only worth of learning Latin is for a brief time it increase one’s vocabulary or standardized test scores; however, one key factor that is often forgotten is the fact that learning any language is GREAT for your brain! Learning languages help your develop your mind and keep your brain sharp.
What do great men like Benjamin Franklin, Teddy Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill have in common?

They all were proficient in Latin.

C.S Lewis

Tom Hiddleston as Loki

The following people achieve degrees in Classical Studies, Ancient History, or Ancient Civilizations. These majors usually require the student’s to have working knowledge of Latin and/or Greek.

Tom Hiddleston (Actor Loki from Thor series; University of Cambridge a Degree in Classics)
Daniel Levin (Author of The Last Ember; BA in Greek and Roman Civ from U Michigan)
C.S. Lewis (Author of the Chronicles of Narnia)
Norman Clyde (mountaineer; studied Classics at Geneva College)

 

John Layfield (WWE wrestler; his degree from Abilene Christian University is in Ancient History)
Pat Meehan (US Congressman/former NHL official; majored in Classics at Bowdoin)
Susan Greenfield/Baroness Greenfield (read Classics at Oxford prior to her neurosurgery career)
Martha Lane Fox (daughter of Robin Lane Fox; dotcom millionaire type; studied Ancient History)
Peter Weller (Robocop; MA in Roman and Renaissance Art from Syracuse)
J.K. Rowling (author of some famous series about a boy wizard; not sure if she completed a degree but did study Classics at Exeter)
Ruth Padel (British author/poet; studied Classics at Lady Margaret Hall Oxford)
Nick Owen (BBC Broadcaster; Classics degree from Leeds)

J.K Rowling

Chris Martin (Lead singer of Coldplay; degree in Greek and Latin from UCL)
Anthony James Leggett (Nobel Prize winner for Physics; initial degree was in Classics from Balliol/Oxford)
Martha Kearney (BBC Radio presenter; studied Classics at St Anne’s College, Oxford)


Chris Martin from Coldplay.

Charles Geschke (co-founder of Adobe systems; BA in Classics from Xavier)
William Cohen (former US Secretary of Defense; BA in Latin from Bowdoin)

Jerry Brown (Governor of California; BA in Classics from UCal Berkeley)
James Baker (former US Secretary of State: BA in Classics from Princeton)
John Buchan (Scottish Novelist; Canadian Governor General; studied Classics at UGlasgow and Oxford)
Boris Johnson (Mayor of London; degree in Classics from Balliol)
Gough Whitlam (former Prime Minister of Australia; degree in Classics from USydney)
William Weld (former governor of Massachusetts; AB in Classics from Harvard College)
Teller (Penn’s silent sidekick; not sure if he has a degree from Amherst College but he did teach Latin at the high school level)
Oscar Wilde:Author, Playwright & Poet (The Picture of Dorian Gray and many other novels, plays andpoems) – Studied at Dublin and Oxford
Thomas Jefferson:3rd President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence
Mark Zuckerberg: Creator of Facebook – Latin and Ancient Greek in High school
Karl Marx: Philosopher and socialist – Classics Ph. D

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry: British media personality and actor (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Alice in Wonderland, V for Vendetta)
Friedrich Nietzsche: Philosopher – Professor at the University of Basel
Toni Morrison:Author and winner of the Noble Peace Price (Literature)
Robert Griffin III (Studied Latin in Baylor University; Quarterback for NFL’s Washington Redskins)

Catching Fire Sparks Interest in Ancient Rome



Courtesy:KendraMillerPhotography

The second installation of the Hunger Games: Catching Fire broke the November box office record with $161.1 million, and is the second highest movie debut this year (after Iron Man III). The films have stirred people all across the world to read the dystopian trilogy by Suzanne Collins. However while the novel itself takes place in the future, many reader and fans are now sensing a relationship between the cruel world of the Capitol and Panem with Ancient Rome.

SYNOPSIS


Courtesy of Joel Wolf

“The trilogy follows the story of Katniss Everdeen, a heroine who voluntarily sacrifices herself to save her sister from a bloody struggle where children must fight to the death in a battle known as the “Hunger Games.”  These games which were instituted to keep the colonies in the empire of “Panem” subservient.”

“In the latest ‘Emory Looks at Hollywood’ episode, Judith Evans Grubbs, Emory Professor of Roman History, looks at the use of violence as a peace keeping mechanism in The Hunger Games series and its roots in Roman culture.”

COMPARISONS


The Roman Empire at its greatest extent in 117 AD

Some commentators say that the Capitol is reminiscent of Ancient Rome, and the districts of Rome’s colonies or subordinates. The empire, in the series, is called “Panem,” which many find to be ironic since the Latin word panem  means bread and often associated with panem et circenses, or “bread and circuses.” Bread and circuses refers to entertainment and usually the type of entertainment when animals and/or people died in the Colosseum.

Pollice Verso ("With a Turned Thumb"),
an 1872 painting by Jean-Leon Gerome

The Hunger Games are battles in which children (24) must fight to death facing obstacles of animals and elements; this is extremely reminiscent of the Colosseum battle which included people, animals, and even sometimes naval battles.

Many have viewed the potential uprising of the districts against the capital as a reinterpretation of Ancient Rome and the Christian uprisings. However, the author has yet to officially comment if this is where her inspiration comes from.

 

NAMES
It would appear as well that like J.K Rowling, the Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins has taken inspiration from ancient names both Latin and Greek. Some of the major character’s names are deciphered. and you can read it all here!  From Caesar to Plutarch to even Brutus.

SYMBOLS
In Panem each district is given a icon which represent their field or production (i.e fishing, coal, minerals, food, etc.). However, the image of the Capitol is as seen below:
All the districts seals can be seen here. However, this seal of the Capitol greatly resembles that of the Roman Aquila or Eagle.


Capitol's Seal

The Aquila was a prominent symbol used in ancient Rome, especially as the standard of the Roman legion (army). Thus it became a sign of the Roman’s supreme military power( and indirectly of their superior intellect). One can see the similarities between the two symbols from the use of letters (C and SPQR) the use of an eagle, and the leaf crowns or wreaths.

FASHION & LIFESTYLE

A fresco of a dinner, found in Pompeii.
 The lower right figure is vomiting and a slave is helping him.

The extravagant lifestyle of the Capitol is the mirror image of the Roman excessive lifestyle. The excessive fashion, brilliant colors (Romans women would dye their hair blues, red, and brilliant blondes), excessive eating and drinking. An exact parallel is the fact the Roman would vomit (or make themselves) in order to eat more at a feast or banquet, which the new film Catching Fire shows as well. However, this last “fact” about Romans making themselves vomit is often mistaken as true; although it is not- many individuals are seen in Roman art vomiting due to excessive drinking NOT for binge eating.

LEARN MORE
A great articles that deal with the similarities between the Roman Empire and The Hunger Games here.

Ludi Plebeii

In understanding the culture and lifestyles of the ancient Romans, we should look to their holidays to both their gods, monuments, and national victories. An amazing list of Roman festivals can be found here.

Drawing of the fragmentary Fasti Antiates Maiores (ca. 60 BC), a Roman calendar from before the Julian reform, with the seventh and eighth months still named Quintilis (“QVI”) and Sextilis (“SEX”), and the intercalary month (“INTER”) in the far righthand column (see enlarged)

WHAT IS THE LUDI PLEBEII

The Ludi Plebeii  comes from the two words ludi (meaning play, games, etc.) and plebeii (meaning a “pleb” or plebian: a commoner person as in comparison ta member of the royal or upper class). The Ludi Plebeii or Plebeian Games were an ancient Roman festival held from November (which is derived from novem or 9, because it was originally the ninth month of the year) 4th to the 17th.

The ludi or game factor of the festival was because this celebration had both theatrical performances( such as comedy, satire, tragedy plays) and athletic competitions (running, chariot racing,etc)

WHEN

Oddly, most games were held in the famous Circus Maximus (meaning the greatest circus), but the Plebian Games were held in the Circus Flaminius. Flaminius was the last name of the plebian censor who built the circus in 220 B.C.E and who instituted the games that year.

Circus Flaminius

BY WHOM
The Ludi Plebeii were presented by the plebian Aediles. The plebian Aediles ( from the Latin aedes meaning building) were an office of the Roman Republic. They were responsible for maintaining public buildings and regulation of public festivals such as the Ludi Plebeii.  A helpful site to understand the different levels of political office can be found here.
WHY
The importance of the Ludi Plebeii is because it represents one of the earliest national holidays of liberation. Similar to the United State’s Fourth of July or the French holiday Bastille Day, the Ludi Plebeii celebrated the plebeian’s political liberty.  The Ludi Plebeii are thought to be the oldest public festival having been established roughly in 220 BCE. The great orator Cicero considered them Rome’s oldest Ludi. The liberation that is being celebrated often varies from the tyranny of the Tarquins (an Etruscan Roman family whose history can be read on here ) or the suppression and dominance of the patricians (who were the ruling class of Rome in the struggle known as the Conflict of the Orders). Some historians even conjecture that the festival was celebrated before 220 BCE, but due to the lack of a religious calendar it was not recorded.
WHAT DID THEY DO
The dates vary for the happenings of the festival; however, they seem to follow a certain pattern:
During the Ludi Plebeii, the first ceremonial rite was  a feast to Jupiter (Zeus) known as Epulum Iovis was held on November 13th (some sources say the Ides of November which is the 15th). This feast entitled the Senator to eat on the Capitoline as the public’s expense while the Roman plebeians or commoners dined in the Forum. Following the feast were several days of performance and games ( theses days vary from 9 of performance and 4 of games to smaller denominations). On the day of the Games, a great Pompa, or procession, led by statues of the Capitoline Triad, would proceed to the Circus, where Gods and men joined to watch the races. The games usually ended on the 17th of November.

A winner of a Roman chariot race, from the Red team.

 

1-1,000,000 In Roman Numerals and in Latin

This week we will be learning  Roman Numerals and their Latin names, so that later this month we can learn how to write dates in Latin using Roman months, ordinal numbers, and dates. But first things first, how many of you can read the numbers on this clock?

 

Well, there are five rules to remember when making numerical values with Roman Numeral:

Symbol	Value
I	1
V	5
X	10
L	50
C	100
D	500
M	1,000

1. A lesser numeral placed before another numeral represent subtraction.

•  I placed before V and X make 4  (IV) and 9  (IX)
• X placed before L and C make 40 (XL) and 90 (XC)
• C  placed before D and M  make 400 (CD) and 900 (CM) according to the same pattern

2. Conversely, a lesser numeral placed after another numeral represent addition

• I placed after  V and X make 6(VI) and 11(XI)
• X placed after L and C make 60 (LX) and 110 (CX)
• C placed after a D and M make 600 (DC) and 1,100 (MC)

3. No numeral will ever be used more than three consecutive times[ sometimes it is seen in older Latin texts, but this is rare]

• 4(IV) and 40(XL) will NEVER be written IIII or XXXX
• 400 (CD) will NEVER be CCCC

4. For number over 3,999 (MMMCMXCIX); an unique rule is used: ANY NUMBER WITH A BAR OVER IT, IS EQUIVALENT TO THAT NUMBER TIMES 1,000

• 5(V) with a bar over  V means 5 times 1,000 which equals 5,000 ()
• 10 (X) with a bar over it will be 10,000 ()
• 100 (C) with a bar over it will be 100,000 ()
• 1,000 (M) with a bar over it will be a 1,000,000 ()

NUMBERS 1-100
An earlier blog post already addressed ALL the numbers from 1-100; which can be seen here. But for review, let’s look at some basics:

Number	Latin numerals	Pronunciation
0		nihil
1	I	ūnus
2	II	duo
3	III	trēs
4	IV	quattuor
5	V	quīnque
6	VI	sex
7	VII	septem
8	VIII	octō
9	IX	novem
10	X	decem

20

XX

vīgintī

30

XXX

trīgintā

40

XL

quadrāgintā

50

L

quīnquāgintā

60

LX

sexāgintā

70

LXX

septuāgintā

80

LXXX

octōgintā

90

XC

nōnāgintā

100

C

centum

Well, now that you know some numbers from 1-100; it should quite simple for the hundreds.
NUMBERS 100-1,000

Number	Latin numerals	Cardinal Number
100	C	centum
200	CC	ducenti, ducentae, ducenta
300	CCC	trecenti, trecentae, trecenta
400	CD	quadrigenti, quadrigentae, quadrigenta
500	D	quingenti, quingentae, quingenta
600	DC	sescenti, sescentae, sescenta
700	DCC	septingenti, septingentae, septingenta
800	DCCC	octingenti, octingentae, octingenta
900	CM	nongenti, nongentae, nongenta
1,000	M	mille

For a closer look at the declensions (masculine, feminine, and neuter) of the tens, hundreds, and one thousand; please visit here and here.
NUMBERS 1,000- 1,000,000
*Remember the “Bar Rule:” As,  X = 10, BUT   =  10,000

Number	Latin numerals	Cardinal Number
1,000	M	mille
5,000		quīnque milia
10,000		decem milia
50,000		quinquaginta milia
90,000		nonaginta milia
100,000		Centum milia
300,000		tre centa millia
500,000		quingenta milia
750,000		septingentos-quinquaginta-milia
1,000,000		Deciec centena milia

*Please note that the number would be consecutively touching and there would be no spaces in between. This is merely a formatting problem.
If you are still having problem with convert into Roman Numeral refer to here for additional help and support.
Hope this helps any beginners of Latin or Roman Numerals!

The Symbolism of Birds on Ancient Greek Grave Steles

In this post, I argue that the portrayal of birds found on certain Ancient Greek steles is more than a mere representation of a pet. The ancient grave steles that I would like to analyze are those of young children (and that of females).



Hadrian-age gravestone for the child Olympia.

  It is completely probable that these birds which are often categorized as "doves" or "rock doves" or "pigeons" could be pets, as seen in the following stele of a young girl with her favorite pet and toy:

Attic Grave Stele of a Young Girl, "Melisto", c. 340 BC

 

Melisto's stele shows  herself with a small doll and a dog. Neil and Oakley attests to the fact that birds, cats, dogs, and even weasel were the playmates of ancient Greek children, but this does not explain the abundance of birds on steles instead of cats, dogs, or weasels. One then has to make various assumptions such as; bird were cheaper and easier to keep, or birds were cheaper and smaller to carve on a stele than a weasel or cat. However, Neils and Oakley state something that struck a nerve with me;  "Birds were commonly depicted with children on gravestones, but usually there is only one. There apparently perceived by the ancients as appropriate playthings for the dead, possibly because they, like the souls of the dead, were able to traverse the planes to the underworld to continue to be playmates (307-8)." Neil and Oakley also attest to the intimacy of the act of playing for children. "Many toys used by children have been uncover in their graves, as well as the bones of their pet birds.(199)"


Girl with Toy Roller Chasing Bird

Does this suggest that similar to the Egyptians, that pets were killed and buried with children in order to accompany them to the afterlife? This then begs to ask the question of why just birds, why not- cats, dogs, weasels, or even slaves? Are the Greeks flirting with Egyptian ideals or is a bird so far from "human" that they do not matter? Are the bird represented on these stele meant to emulate a companion to travel with them on the journey to the underworld as well a Egyptian "ba" role?




Grave Stele of Little Girl
or
Dove Stele
ca. 450–440 b.c.
Greek Parian marble

 

Why then is this stele is called the "Dove Stele" I am not quite sure. I am not a ornithologist so I do not know how one type of bird is discernible from another on a surface such as marble. But, for the sake of this stele, let us say it is a dove. One must ask why a dove? And why two? When Neil and Oakley have already graciously explained that birds were commonly put on gravestones only as soloists.  But then again, perhaps I am being too... rigid in a realm of grief, mourning, and remembrance.

The iconography of doves in ancient Greece can be tied to Aphrodite. Furthermore, it is not difficult to discern how  symbolism of doves formulate, because it is very similar to their use and iconography today. The dove represents purity, loyalty, love, and perhaps even a innocence. Obviously, these aspect are all due to the dove's white feathers; however, Aphrodite's affiliation with the dove lead it to also have the context of: love, joy, beauty, procreation, and sexuality.  Now, children are not sexual nor have they procreated and perhaps this part of the sad irony (the fact that these girls will never become women, mother, grandmothers, and so on) of using a dove on a young girl's grave stele.


 Grave Stele of a Girl, Plangon

with a doll and goose.

 

I would like then to argue that birds on stele represent more than mere pets, companions to the underworld, a representation of the soul or "ba,"  or a sad sense of irony. I would attest that a practice in funeral stele, where children are depicted with birds is a customary one. Almost as a metaphoric ( and the cases where children were buried with birds; literal) sacrifice to the chthonic deities involved with the Underworld: Mercury, Pluto, Proserpina, etc. (Hades, Persephone)

The following steles depict both girls with siblings, "mothers" with children (presumably girls who died in childbirth with or not with the child), mothers and slaves.



Marble Grave stele of Mnesagora and Nikochares from Vari, Attica.
420-410 BC.

 





 

Funeral Stele Depicting a Mother, Child and Cockerel





Funeral Stele with Child and Seated Woman
 

Stele of Timarete holding a bird and
 small child reaching out for her.
430BC-400BC

It is an interesting concept that mothers would be depicted on these funeral stele in a similar manner to "girls." How does one become a "woman" in ancient society; well a woman is a grown female child who has assumed her responsibilities as a mother, wife, and daughter of her polis. But what happens to those women who do not have children? Or can not? Are they forever revered as girls? Do they assume non-reproductive roles for their society? A priestess? A healer? etc.


If one dies in childbirth although married, is one forever considered a girl? It is an interesting term and idea of where boundaries lie in society.


This may be a bit far fetched, but I was reading( somewhere) that birds usually white ones were given by the bride to the groom in wedding ceremonies. It was a testament of the bride's loyalty and sexual purity. Could it then not be taken that these "girls" or females who died in child birth were then buried with stele's depicting a bird as if an offering to Hades or some deceased boy in the underworld; so that in death they could be married and wedded?

Death is an odd and complex idea which no society has any direct doctrine written. There is a sense of family, loss, religion, acceptance, grief, anger, and agglomeration of various emotions and duties that lend it to be a byzantine ritual: burying the dead.