Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Ablative Grammar Help!

Ablative of Separation
Nouns used with accompanying prepositions of ab/ā/abs, “from”; ex/ē, “out of”; or , “down from”.
E.g. ex agrīs, “from the fields”

 Ablative Absolute
The circumstances surrounding an action.
E.g. Urbe captā, Aenēās fūgit, “With the city having been captured, Aeneas fled.”

Ablative of Origin or Source
A type of ablative of seperation, but it is used ( without a preposition like: a, ab, e, ex, etc.) with verbs (with past participles) indicating origin, descent, or source:
E.g. nātus genere nōbilī  “born from a renowned family” — i.e. ‘of a renowned family’

Ablative of Instrument or Means
The means by which an action was carried out.
E.g. oculīs vidēre, “to see with the eyes”.

 Ablative of Agent
The person or object that does a deed.
E.g. rex a militibus interfectus est “the king was killed by the soldiers” with personal agents, but impersonally it reads rex armis militum interfectus erat “the king was killed by the weapons of the soldiers.”

Ablative of Time “When” or “Within which”
The time when or within which an action occurred.
E.g. aestāte, “in summer”; eō tempore, “at that time”; Paucīs hōrīs id faciet, “within a few hours he will do it.”

Ablative of Comparison
The the second object being compared, Y is bigger than X, is put in the ablative.
E.g. Haec via longior illä est. This road is longer than that one.

Ablative of Degree of Difference
This is very similar to ablative of comparison, but there are not two objects being compared, but only one word of measurement (little, big, small, few, great,etc.) in the ablative
E.g. Paulö post discëssit. He left a little later. (“afterward by a little bit”)

Ablative of Specification or Respect
Sometimes, the ablative is used to specify in what respect a statement may or may not be true.
E.g. Rex nomine erat. He was king in name (only).

The Locative Ablative
With the names of cities (Rome, Athens, Sparta, Brundisium, Alexandria etc) and small islands (Sicily, Crete etc.), the prepositions ad, ab and in are not used
Places from which: name in the ablative without ab.
E.g. Brundisio- from Brundisium      Athenis- from Athens
Sicilia- from Sicily
Place in which- this is the locative, and rules vary. (First and second plural, plus third plural- use the ablative)
E.g. Athenis- in Athens, at Athens
Sardibus- in Sardes, at Sardes

Ablative of Cause
The ablative is often used to explain why something is done, or its “cause.”
E.g. Hoc fëcï amöre vestrï. I did this from (out of, because of) love of you.

Ablative of Description
A noun in the ablative, accompanied by an adjective, can be used to describe the qualities by which a person is characterized. This is sometimes combined with Ablative of Source or Origin.
E.g  Diodōrus, uir summā grauitāte, maximē īrātus est. “Diodorus, a man of the utmost dignity, became extremely angry.”
E.g senex cānīs capillīs et ueste sordidā  “A man with white hair and unclean garments”

The Ablative of Price
An ablative used to indicate the resources (monetary or other) employed in a purchase:
E.g multō aurō hanc aulam ēmī. “I bought this pot at the cost of much gold.”

The Ablative with Deponent Verbs

An instrumental ablative is used with utor, fruor, potior, fungor, uescor, and their compounds:
E.g hīs uerbīs ūsī sunt. “They employed these words.”
E.g mālunt ōtiō et pāce fruī. “They prefer to enjoy leisure and peace.”

A Great Printout for the Ablative can be found here.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Ancient Curse Tablet from Jerusalem: Nail Down The Tongue!

What comes to mind when you hear curse tablet? Is it an image of a sorceress conjuring a spell over a bubbling cauldron? A magician? A love spell? A cursing spell? How about this, watch a clip from HBO's Rome where a Roman woman is casting a "curse spell" on a tablet ( thus making a curse tablet) to put us in the mood for the following topic




Haven't we all been there? Vengeful, bitter, angry? So, now that we are in the most vengeful of moods, let us take a look at this particular find:



Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists excavated a 1,700-year-old curse tablet from a Roman mansion in the City of David in Jerusalem. In the text inscribed on the lead tablet, a woman named Kyrilla curses a man named Iennys, probably over a legal case.

WHAT, WHEN & WHERE
This particular curse tablet is made from lead, which we saw Servilla in the video also inscribing upon. It dates back 1,700 years ago to a Roman Mansion (363C.E) in Jerusalem. Most authorities believe however, that the curse tablet (as many were) was written by a magician. This may be due to the fact that magicians could write better than those who paid for their services or merely these figures were seen to have an "otherworldly" sense to them.


WHO & WHY
This particular lead tablet, although found in Jerusalem in a Roman Manison, was written in Greek. Greek was somewhat of a universal language during this time; so it is not difficult to discern its use here. The curse is cast against a man named "Iennys" by a woman named "Kyrilla" who invokes 6 gods to do her bidding! (Alas, poor Servilla only invoked 3.)

"I strike and strike down and nail down the tongue, the eyes, the wrath, the ire, the anger, the procrastination, the opposition of Iennys," part of the curse reads in translation. Kyrilla asks the gods to ensure that "he in no way oppose, so that he say or perform nothing adverse to Kyrilla … but rather that Iennys, whom the womb bore, be subject to her..."




WHICH GODS
The Magician invokes for Kyrilla four Greek Gods (Hermes, Persephone, Pluto [curious that the article would say Pluto is Greek when this Hades' Roman name] and Hecate), one Babylonian (Ereschigal) and one Abrasax [ which is a religion connected to early Christianity].

It would seem that this magician and Kyrilla are taking no chances: "Let's cover all the major gods just to be safe!"


WHY USE A CURSE
There is a suggestion in the text of the curse, a word meaning "opposition" that lead authorities to believe that this tablet like others that have been found with similar language were done in spite of a "legal disagreement."


WHERE WAS IT FOUND WITHIN THE MANSION
At the end of the clip that I have provided, Servilla entrusts the curse tablet to her personal slave who delivers it to the house of the "cursed" and shoves it into a crevices in the wall. This, of course, was taken from archaeological evidence that curse tablets were often found in the home, job, or even grave of the "cursed." It was thought that somehow the "cursed figure" must frequent the area of the curse.

This particular tablet was found in the northwest area of the mansion on the second floor. While the 2nd floor is now collapsed; archaeologist have found some clues to the areas uses and purpose nearby where they found the curse tablet.

"Archaeologists Doron Ben Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets, both with the Israel Antiquities Authority, told LiveScience in an email that they discovered the remains of mosaics and frescoes that contain geometric and floral motifs near the tablet, a carved bone fragments from a box that depict the "Triumph of Dionysus," roof tiles with the stamp of the Roman 10th Legion, a unit that, for a time, was stationed in Jerusalem."

The use of the second floor,where the curse tablet was found, is unclear, but assuming that this "Iennys" was a retired soldier, wealthy land owner and probably had some sort of "civil servant job." The archaeologist did discover a small female figurine thought to be used in a "private" shrine/cult area, but none of this can be certain.

WHAT IS CERTAIN

Kyrilla really didn't like Iennys. If it was a legal matter or a love matter or even a jealous matter; it is uncertain. But there was some bitter hate brewing within such a woman who would pay for this magician to make this a tablet and then to somehow bribe a slave to put it in Iennys' household or attempt to do it herself.  Gutsy bitter woman indeed....

 

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Fox Egyptian Show, Restoring Spartan Theater, Egyptian tomb uncovered

Fox Orders Sexy Ancient Egypt Fantasy Drama
 

Fox has order to a fantasy project set in ancient Egypt titled Hieroglyph. An action-drama series “follows a notorious thief who is plucked from prison to serve the Pharaoh, navigating palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and even a few divine sorcerers.”

“We wanted to do a show about deceit, sex, intrigue in the court and fantastical goings-on – no better place to set that than ancient Egypt,” said Fox’s chairman of entertainment Kevin Reilly.

Fox has ordered 13 episode of the drama, which is produced by Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope, along with Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim, Clash of the Titans), who wrote the pilot script.

Critics are hesitant that the show will do any better than some of Fox's latest failures, but some are hopeful that the latest success of Sleepy Hollow's historical fantasy will spill over to this upcoming project. Also, the fantasy series would follow in the popular foot steps of both Once Upon Time and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. Entertainment Weekly article is here.


Restoring Sparta's Ancient Theater
 
Pausanias : “this theatre made of white stone is sight worthy"

Greece’s Central Archaeological Council are studying how to rehabilitate ruins of Sparta's ancient theater.  Once one of the largest theaters of antiquity it was built from white marble and able to hold 16,000 attendees.  It was built in 30-20 BCE during the Roman times and had elements of architecture from the 4th c. C.E Much of the auditorium was destroyed during the Byzantine period. Read it all here.


Ancient Egyptian Secret Tomb Uncovered
 
The excavations at the Abusir Archaeological Cemetery at Giza. (Arab Republic of Egypt Ministry of State for Antiquities Affairs)
 
"The tomb of Shepseskaf ‘ankh, Head of the Physicians of Upper and Lower Egypt who dates to the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt." See it and Read it here!

 

Thutmose's Tomb Found, Palace of Circe Found, Pompeii Now Accepting Credit Cards, & Roman Child's Coffin

 Tomb of Thutmose, who created famed Bust of Nefertiti , found?


This famous artifact that has become world famous since its debut in 1924 weighs a surprising 44lbs and is life-size. The bust was discovered in 1912 by Borchardt in a "studio room" that had 22 plasters casts of faces. While, there has been much focus on who the bust depicts Queen Nefertiti; recent findings suggest that this spotlight may move from the pulchritude of this queen to the adroitness of the artist: the court's sculptor and artisan of this bust, Thutmose.  Zivie, in the following article, makes his case on the discovery of Thutmose's tomb (in 1996) and artist's skill in constructing and painting his own tomb. Continue reading the entire work here.


Palace of Circe Found?
Circe by Wright Barker
Circe, the cunning witch, is recounted in Homer's epic: The Odyssey.  A mysterious woman who ruled an island with her witchcraft is rarely mentioned in other Greek literature. Odysseus' travels have long been "mapped" or attempted to be "mapped;" as can be seen by the following examples:


 In most of these maps, Circe's island is believed to be to the east of Italy (or in eastern Italy).  The following article explains how one man may have found Circe's palace: "After four years of research, Mr Tzimas explains to us why he believes that he has discovered the Palace of Circe." Mr. Tzimas reports that in fact Circe's palace is not on an island nor is it even near Italy, but it is part of Greece!
Actually, he claims that it is Preveza, Greece. The article is the only one of its kind available online; and appears to be alone in reporting Mr. Tzimas' findings.

 
Credit cards finally accepted at Italy's Pompeii
Well, its about time if ask any tourist visiting Pompeii. The once grand city who had the latest pottery and goods from across the empire, it is now finally welcoming the 21st century. The tourist hotspot can now offer its guest the ability of booking tickets, tours and so on with your credit card. It is a great advantage for the site, which was finally given some restoration relief aid from the European Union earlier this year. Discover more here.


   Ancient Roman child's coffin found by amateur treasure hunters
 
On Sunday October 20th, 2013 at 4:30 p.m local time (UK), a group of local amateur treasure hunters made the discovery of a lifetime. They found a third century roman child's coffin buried in a local farmland; it is the first significant find of the group with members who have been "searching" for over thirty years!

The Unofficial Ancient Roman Monster Survival Guide

 While most people know about the ancient Greek monsters like: centaurs, harpies, cyclopes, mermaids, sirens, the chimera, hydra, giants, and et cetera; the goal of this survival guide is to expose the truth behind the uncommon Roman monsters that hide under our very noses! The following monsters are very dangerous and should NOT be approached under any circumstance. Most of these creatures and monsters eat people, so if you see one please contact your local animal control or ancient history enthusiast.

1. Yale or Eale
Meaning of Name: “To move back” – perhaps in reference to its horns.yale
First Spotting: Ethiopia
Form: Antelope or goat-like creature that is the size of a hippopotamus, with an elephant’s tail, usually black or tawny in color, with the jaws of a boar and movable horns.
Food:  People and large animals
How it attacks: Presumably, it must ram its prey with its moveable horns and tusks.
Latest Spotting: A popular emblem in medieval times for royal banners, the yale or eale has found its way to Yale University’s banners and perhaps into the basements of the campus itself.
Weaknesses: Other Eales or Yales, tall mountains, and loud university rallies.
Sources: Pliny the Elder's Natural History.

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2. Manticore
Meaning of Name: Man-Eater
First Spotting: Persia
Form: Body of a red lion, a human head, with a trumpet-like voice.  Sometimes it is seen with horns or wings.Manticore
Food:  People and large animals
How it attacks: Its tail has been found in the form of a dragon or scorpion which shoots poisonous spines that paralyze and kill its victims.
Latest Spotting: Commonly, the manticore has been spotted in archaic themed video games such as God of War and Age of Mythology. Recently, one manticore was seen debuting in his first film: Percy Jackson and Sea of Monsters. He sadly did not survive to make a sequel.
Weaknesses:  A ranged weapon...maybe or, it is probably just best to stay away.
Sources: Ctesias, Indica,Pausanias, Guide to Greece, Aelian, On Animals, Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana,Pliny the Elder, Natural History, Eusebius, Against Hierocles, Photius, Myriobiblon.

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3. Basilisk or Regulus
Meaning of Name: "Little King"
First Spotting: Cyrene, Libya
Form: A small snake “not longer than twelve fingers” with a crown shaped crest on its head. At times, the basilisk is seen with the head of a cockatrice due to its odd birthing ritual involving a toad and cockatrice.basalisk
Food: Anything!
How it attacks:  By bite or gaze; its bite or gaze is extremely lethal.
Latest Spotting: A large basilisk was spotted in the early Harry Potter film franchise living in Hogwarts'  pipes. Rowling also mentions its presence in her own monster guide book: read it here. Its eggs are a unique and rare item that players attempt to find in the latest video game: Final Fantasy XIV.
Weaknesses:  The scent of a weasel for some reason scares and may even be lethal to Basilisks, so when going out this Hallow's Eve make sure to have your special weasel "perfume" at the ready! Also, a mirror to reflect its lethal gaze may work as well.
Sources: Pliny the Elder’s Natural History

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4. Cacus
Meaning of Name: "The Evil One"
Origins: Rome; Aventine Hill
Form: A giant who breathes fire and smoke. He is the son of Vulcan.
Food:  Human flesh, but not their heads. He nails the heads of his victims decoratively outside his cave.cacus
How it attacks: He attacks and kills its enemies and prey by breathing fire and smoke onto them.
Latest Spotting: While Cacus has not been seen since Hercules apparently strangled him to death; The Percy Jackson series makes mention of him; suggesting that he did not die or has a brother.
Weaknesses: Divine strength or a big club. Let's take a tip from Hercules and use the skills of a demi-god to defeat this monster and any of his siblings.
Sources: Virgil, Aeneid, Ovid, Fasti, Propertius, Elegies.

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5. Amphisbaena
Meaning of Name: "Mother of Ants"
First Spotting: Libyan Desert sprouting from the blood of Medusa’s head, and later by Cato’s army.
Form: A two headed serpent, whose tail has the second head; however this "serpent" is about the size of a long worm. The addition of wings and chicken feet was reported by later sightings.ants
Food: Anything living or dead
How it attacks:  It has a poisonous bite.
Latest Spotting: They appear to have been a popular inspiration within Insular art during the Middle Ages; however they are said now to be “summoned” by a Dungeon Master when playing the game: Dungeons and Dragons.
Weaknesses: Really thick shoes and an aggressive stomp.
Sources: Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, Aelian, On Animals, Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History.

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Safety and Caution Procedures
Now, while most of these monsters will leave you alone if you leave them alone; if you happen to run into one of these creatures you must :

I. Run as fast you can and avoid eye contact
II. Summon your inner hero strength and fighting skills
III.  Pray to the Roman Gods
IV. Rent a Pegasus and fly away.

DISCLAIMER: The Unofficial Ancient Roman Monster Survival Guide is neither responsible for any harm or deaths that occur as a result of "monster hunters or enthusiasts" attempting to capture or tame these creatures.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

From Warrior Prince to Princess with Symbolic Spear: Give us our Warrior Princess!

My most sincerest and deepest apologies to the Etruscan community for this mislabel. The original tomb and body founded was thought to be a warrior prince holding a spear and buried with his "wife. " However, the latest reports suggest that an examination of the bones of said "warrior" was actually a woman- a warrior princess.

Etruscan Tomb Slabs
 
While there is little to anything known about the Etruscan civilization and community due to their assimilation or eradication by the Romans; this tomb was meant to lend some insight. However, it would appear even this great find is also clouded with obscurity and mystery. While, I would expect archaeologist and researches to verify the sex of bones before making a public statement; as any human I understand erring is within our nature. However, could it be said that they jumped the gun a bit due to the "spear." Is our first warrior princess tomb mislabeled because our misogynistic culture blindsour objective eye?

And the Spear....
The following is from the article link below:

Given that, what do archaeologists make of the spear?

"The spear, most likely, was placed as a symbol of union between the two deceased," Mandolesi told Viterbo News 24 on Sept. 26.

Weingarten doesn't believe the symbol of unity explanation. Instead, she thinks the spear shows the woman's high status.


It has been discerned now that the spear does not show that this princess was a warrior, but instead it is now a symbol of the couple's unity or her high status (because the tomb's structure, location, and detailed oil wall painting isn't status enough). While, many things such as burial customs are unknown about the Etruscans how can this spear suddenly turn from warrior status to symbolic!  Why can't a woman be a bad ass warrior? What can't she have been royal and a skilled princess like an Etruscan Atalanta?

First the body is misidentified, because of the luxury of the burial (because only men get nice things) and the spear. But not they are taking this misogynistic eye even further by berefting the archaeological and ancient history society's of a potential female warrior/weapon culture.


The find and mixup are discussed in detail here.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Greek Tragedy in Prisons, Lead Coffin & Richard III, Engrave Phallus & Reconstructed King Tut Tomb

Teaching Greek Tragedy in Prisons
Dr. Nancy Robinowitz discusses at length her experience with the American prison system and the inmate's appeal to different tragedies. She discusses the distinct differences between the women likes and dislikes versus those to the men's. It is a very interesting find which calls as testimony Greek Tragedy playwrights' ability to call forth human emotion and identity that even "criminals" can detest or attest to. Which are plays do you think are their favorites? Learn more here.

Lead Coffin found new Richard III
The discovery of two bodies were found near Richard III (who was discovered earlier this year) and one the bodies is thought to be female. However, there is still mystery surrounding who were these figures within history and why were they buried so close to Richard III. Also, the discovery of the lead coffin leads one to believe that its noble patron must near by. However, all these answers will have to wait until tests reveal the answers. The rest of story can be found here.

Engraved Phallus may help determine Aosta's Foundation Date

Two phalluses (phalli) were discovered on a stone wall in Aosta along with the symbol of a spade and Capricorn. These symbols lead archaeologist to believe that the city was found during the winter solstice period  by Augustus Caesar roughly around 25 B.C.E The entire article may be found here.

King Tut's Tomb Reconstructed for Tourists

The original site of King Tutankhamen's tomb is bombarded with visiting tourist every year. So, conservationist have decided to build near the ancient tomb a reconstruction of the tomb with all its glory. It is a smart move to allow more tourists visit for longer periods without running a risk of destruction. Read on it here.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

5 Facts You Didn't Know About Ancient Fashion: Do you see any simliarities to today's fashion?


1. Not everyone wore togas. Only free-born  men  were allowed to wear togas (as a sign of  citizenship), while women wore stolas. Prostitutes and adulterers wore togas, because they were not allowed to wear stolas and this male garment was a sign of their female disgrace and shame. This is even reminiscent of Hawthorne’s Scarlett Letter.


Atia_rom
Atia from HBO Rome
2. Hair dying was popular among women. Red and blonde were the most popular colors. Dye colors were achieved through ingredients like goat fat, beech wood ashes, henna, saffron, and bleach. Even modern day women dye their different colors to achieve a new look. There is even a popular scene in Rome, where Atia is choosing amongst her dyed wigs (only the extremely wealthy had wigs) of blonde, red, orange and even blue. Henna was used by the Egyptians in 1500 B.C.E.  More on hair dying and other cosmetics can be found here.


546px-Haustellum_brandaris_000
Spiny dye-murex
3. Purple clothing was a high status symbol; reserved only for emperors or senators. To achieve the color, a dye was made from murex seashells or the tyrian seashell. It was treason for anyone other than the emperor to dress completely in purple. However, it is often mistaken that it was a fine or royal purple as modern people know purple; instead the purple was closer to that of a rich maroon. The science behind the seashell dye can be discovered here.

A strigil used to collect strigmentum.
A strigil used to collect strigmentum.
4. Gladiator sweat was used as cosmetics. The sweat of gladiators and the fat from animals use to be sold in “souvenir pots” outside the arena to improve complexion. The sweat would have been captured by means of a strigil and the oily sweaty mixture known as strigmentum would have been bottle and sold for cosmetics and even as an aphrodisiac. The notion that gladiator sweat was good for one’s complexion or even their sexuality even not a difficult conception. The virality of the gladiator continues to appeal to modern consumers as can be seen with Le Male Gladiator Jean Paul Gaultier. The BBC has an amazing website that discusses this at length; here.
ps336694_l
Bronze Phallic Wind chime( tintinabulum).
5. Phalluses were worn on necklaces and considered good luck charms. They were worn as charms on necklaces or hung in doorways as wind chimes as a way to ward off evil spirits. However, this Roman ”fade” may be seeing a resurgence with Kei$ha’s newest “penis”  jewelry line, as can be seen here. Although, I doubt her phallic jewelry has any symbolic or magical properties other than being avant-garde to modern society’s standards.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Happy Birthday Vergil


 
 
In 70 B.C.E, Publius Vergillium Maro was born today.
 
Take a moment from your day and reread one your favorite pieces by him, and if you are talented enough attempt the Latin.
 
So make some Honey Cakes and Read on my fellow Classics enthusiasts!
 
 

To learn more on the Roman author and poet, click here.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Assassin Creed in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greek Portico, Cartography, Sidon, and El Dorado

Assassin's Creed Goes to Ancient Egypt?

The Assassin Creed franchise is famous for their ability to recreate era and cities with perfect precision. The storyline allows the characters to travel anyways accessing the memories of their ancestors through their DNA. So, Classical Athens, Mongolia, Japan, Atzecs and so on are all possible places and civilizations that could be reconstructed and added the ASC's worlds.  The director of series admits that he has a fascination with Ancient Egypt. Read more of his fascination here.

Ancient Greek Strip Mall
Portico of the ancient city of Argilos

A 2,500 year old portico has been discovered along the Aegean Sea. A portico is a type of outside market place or swap-meet in which vendors have storerooms to keep their items. In this particular find, there were coins, vases, shattered pottery found. Read more on the amazing find.

Modern and Ancient Maps



Google Maps are one the most popular sources in order to navigate you way from one point to another. This is extremely comparable to the ancient maps from antiquity. Read a news article here.



Sifting Through Bloody History at Sidon

An article on the archaeological findings of Sidon and its history.

El Dorado: Columbia's Ancient Roots

Calima-Malagana funerary mask, 10BC-400

Next Thursday, the British Museum will open its exhibition, Beyond El Dorado: power and gold in ancient Colombia. The resurgence of popularity of this myth have led to many transaction with the Columbian government. Columbia has had various issues with cocaine, cocoa beans and other exports. Please read more on Columbia's current situation and how El Dorado myth impacts it.


Online Gamers Needed, Roman Perfumes Source Discovered, Unique Ancient Sundial, and Ancient Raid Mystery


The Pictish Puzzle

Online gamers welcome to the world of Indiana Jones!  The excavation of a Christian cross from a Scottish chapel has left archaeologist stumped. The cross was discovered in 3,000 fragments pieces and archaeologist believe that by scanning the pieces and uploading them for the online community  to help in reconstructing is the best solution. Read the entire article here. The puzzle will be available on October 25th, 2013.

Roman Perfumes
A new discovery in regards to the enigma of ancient perfume and antiquity have led scientist to believe they have found the correct species of plant. Read more on it here.

Ancient Sundial Discovered

Unique Sundial discovered in a 3,300 year old Bronze Age grave in Ukraine.
A unique sundial has been discovered amongst the trinkets found in a grave dating the Bronze Late Age. The sundial is unique in the fact that it does not an affixed vertical that casts a circle, but instead the owner would have to move a vertical piece each day. Thus, a more accurate time of day throughout the year. Read the detail here.


A Frozen Pompeii Reveal Ancient Raid Mystery

Gold Brooches or Fibulae discovered at the site
In the 4th century C.E on an island off the Swedish coast called Oland, a violent and well organized raid occurred. Hundreds of bodies have been uncovered and researches believe hundreds of more at yet to be found. The finding is odd, since it was Scandinavian  custom to cremate the dead. Moreover, several valuable gold pieces were discovered; why would raiders kill hundreds of people and not take every last treasure? Researchers are still speculating and studying what and how this 1,600 year old crime scene occurred.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Women Painters, Oldest Wine, and the 4,000 Year Old Brain

Women were the First Painters?


 Cave painting have long thought to be the work of male artist .But, Move Over Gentleman! The truth has set us women free. Women are now thought to be the chief contributors to cave painting based on a highly complex algorithm that analyzed recorded hand, finger length, palm size, etc. from ancient caves. Read the entire story here.


World's Oldest Wine: Should We Open It?

Historical Museum of the Palatinate in the western German city of Speyer
Discovered in a Roman grave more than 100 years ago, scientists are now curious to test to contents within it. However, scientist are worried about several extraneous exponent that may interfere with opening it; such as: Will modern air "change" the contents in anyway? Is it poisonous? Or has it bred some incurable plague that will turn us all into zombies!? Well, that last one is mine, but hesitation for personal or academic reasons are understandable. Read more on it here.


4,000 Year Old Brain Discovered
Superior view of fronto-temporal structures
The brain was found in Seyitömer Höyük, a bronze-age settlement in Turkey. An earthquake shook the settlement, followed by a fire that cooked the corpse and the brain inside.
The heat boiled the brain. All of the oxygen and moisture would have dissipated through capillary action, which aided in its preservation. The brain's discovery is useful for today's researchers and scientists :"Having ancient samples would help to better understand adaptations but also the evolution of neuropathology." Read the entire story here.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Roman Villa Discovered, Egyptian Arifacts Survive, Mespotamian Clay Balls reveal lost code!

1.Remains of 2,000-year-old Roman Villa Found
Possible Villa near Devizes, England.
The remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman villa were found near Devizes. A team of archaeologist are debating whether to uncover and studied the remains, as well as possibly local schools and the community.  Read the entire story here.


2. Egyptian Artifact Survive Uprising and Get Their Own Exhibit
One recovered fishing statue from the era of King Tut
Nearly 30 artifact make up the exhibition: "Destruction and Restoration. This title is fitting for the pieces the museum has had to restore due to the 2011 uprisings. While this exhibition is a celebration of the return and restoration of many pieces; there are still plenty that are unaccounted for. Read the entire story here.


3. Clues to Prehistoric Data Storage Discovered
Archaeologists are using CT scanning and 3D modeling to crack a prehistoric code hidden inside clay balls, dating to some 5,500 years ago.
Move over USB drive! Researchers studying clay balls from Mesopotamia have discovered clues to a lost code; that reveals they may be the world's "very first data storage system." Researchers have long believed these clay balls were used to record economic transactions. However their use and purpose in everyday life appears to be slowly unraveling. Read the entire story here.




Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Latin's 100 Most Common Words

Learning these common words will give you a huge leg up when reading, writing, speaking, and listening to Latin, but remember that most of these words will have various forms due to their cases (Accusative, Genitive, Dative or Ablative) or function in a sentence or clause.

Number
Word
Meaning
1
 Ego
     I
2
 Tu
    You
3
 Nos
     We
4
Vos
     You   (plural)
5
Is
     He
6
Ea
     She
7
Id
     It,   that
8
 Hic, haec, hoc
     This   (masculine, feminine, neuter)
9
 Ille ,illa, illud
     That   (masculine, feminine, neuter)
10
 Idem, eadem, idem
      The same (masculine, feminine,   neuter)
11
      Illi, illae     They
12
Suus
     Theirs
13
Tuus, uester
      Yours
14
Meus
      My
15
Eius
      His, hers, its
16
 Ipse,a,um
    (Him,   her, it)-self
17
 in
      In, into
18
 a,ab
     Away   from, by
19
 de
     About,   concerning
20
pro
     Before,   in front of,
21
 sine
     Without
22
ante
     Before
23
 contra
     Opposite, against, contrary to
24
per
     Through,   across, throughout
25
 post
     After, behind, afterwards
26
 trans
     Over, across, beyond
27
 ad
     To, towards,
28
 ex
     From,  out of
29
cum
      When, with
30
et, atque
      And
31
 nam
      For, in fact
32
 sed
      But
33
deinde
      Then,   next
34
 quia
      Because
35
si
       If
36
 tamen
      However
37
 dum
      While
38
 uel….uel
      Either…..or
39
 nemo
      No one
40
 nihil
      Nothing
41
 non
      Not, not at all, by no means
42
 ut
      Where, how?, so that,
43
nunc
      Now
44
ita
      So, thus
45
Bonus
      Good
46
 Malus
       Bad
47
 Multus
       Much
48
 Parvus
       Small
49
 Magnus
       Great
50
Solus
       Alone, only, lonely, single
51
Totus
       All, whole, entire
52
Ullus
       Any, anyone
53
 Unus
       One
54
 Alius
       Another,   other, different
55
Alii…alii
      Some……others
56
 Aliqui, aliquid
      Some,   someone, something
57
 Quis, quid
     Who? What? Which? Anyone, anything, someone, something
58
 Sursum
     Up
59
 Deorsum
    Down
60
 Sinister
    Left
61
 Dexter
    Right
62
 Audire
  To listen, to hear
63
 Dare
  To give , to grant
64
Esse
  To be
65
 Amare
  To love
66
 Dicere
  To say
67
 Habere
  To have
68
 Videre
  To look, see
69
Facere
  To make, do
70
 Scribere
  To write
71
Ire
  To go
72
 Posse
  To be able
73
 Vocare
  To call
74
 Venire
  To Come
75
 Capere
  To take
76
Primus
  First
77
Secundus
  Second
78
Tertius
  Third
79
Ultimus
  Last
80
Homines
  People
81
Urbs
  City
82
Aer
  Air
83
Ignis
  Fire
84
Aqua
  Water
85
Terra
  Land
86
Amor
  Love
87
Dies
  Day
88
Familia
  Family
89
Res
  Things
90
Bellum
  War
91
Coniunx
  Spouse
92
 Deus
  God
93
 Ludus
  Game, sport
94
Nomen
  Name
95
 Sors
  Destiny, Fate
96
Tempus
  Times
97
Domus
  Home
98
Cibus
  Food
99
Ara
  Altar
100
 Mors
  Death

A wonderful list of the 300 most common words in Latin with principal parts and gender may be found here!
                  

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Judean Date Palm is back, Mary Beard agrues with Plato, and 6,000-Year-Old Win from Greece


Extinct Tree Grow Again!
The not so "new" arrival of the Judean Date Palm Tree  
The Judean Date Palm Tree is the stuff of legends, and that's what happened to it. Once flourishing in antiquity this iconic tree of Judea slowly died out...UNTIL. Yes, that's right! In 1960's at an excavation of Herod the Great's palace, a 2,000 year jar was unearthed with some seeds for this legendary tree! When they planted the seed, a momentous event occurred: these seeds were the oldest known tree seeds to germinate and continue to thrive. Read the rest here.


Classicist Mary Beard Comes to Argue with Plato; Not Praise Him

The renowned author and classicist Mary Beard is at it again. She is well known for her documentaries along with confrontational stances on "Does Latin have a Future" early this summer at the British Museum. However, she recognizes the students and teachers priority to question texts; even those so integrated into Western Civilization that we take them for granted at times.
Read on here.

6,000 Year Old Wine Found in Ancient Greece
 Everything gets better with age, right? The find was from at Diliki Tash in Northern Greece. However, there was no tangible wine found; ceramic pieces were discovered having wine residue. This residue was then tested and analyzed. It is believed to be the oldest "traces" of wine in Europe.
Read more on it here.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Romulus and Remus


The following is a definition submitted to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, which is a great free resources for students of any age.


In Roman mythology, Romulus and his twin brother Remus were the children of Rhea Silvia and Mars (or in some variations the demi-god hero Hercules). Romulus is best known for being the founder of the city of Rome. Their story is record by many authors including Vergil who claims their birth and adventures are fated in order for Rome to be founded.
 
The Capitoline She-Wolf with figures of Romulus and Remus by Antonio Pollaiuolo (1433-98) c.1484-96 (bronze)

The Birth & Parentage of Romulus and Remus
Romulus and Remus were the direct descendants of Aeneas, whose fate-driven adventures to discover Italy are described by Vergil in "The Aeneid." Romulus and Remus were related to Aeneas through their mother's father; Numitor. Numitor was a king of Alba Longa, an ancient city of Latium in central Italy, and father to Rhea Silvia. Before Romulus' and Remus' conception, Numitor's reign was usurped by Nimitor's younger brother: Amulius. Amulius inherited control over Alba Longa's treasury with which he is able to dethrone Numitor and become king. Amulius, wishing to avoid any conflict of power, killed Nimitor's male heirs and forced Rhea Silvia to become a Vestal Virgin. Vestal Virgins were priestesses of Vesta, patron goddess of the hearth; they were charged with keeping a sacred fire that was never to be extinguished and to take vows of chastity.



Romulus and Remus by Rubens 17thC
There is much debate and variation as to whom was the father of Romulus and Remus. Some myths claim that Mars appeared and laid with Rhea Silvia; other myths attest that the demi-god hero Hercules was her partner. However, the author Livy contests that Rhea Silvia was in fact raped by an unknown man, but blamed her pregnancy on divine conception. In either case, Rhea Silvia was discovered to be pregnant and gave birth to her sons. It was custom that any Vestal Virgin betraying her vows of celibacy were condemned to death; the most common death sentence was to be buried alive. However, King Amulius, fearing the wrath of the paternal god (Mars or Hercules) did not wish to directly stain his hands with the mother's and children's blood. So, King Amulius imprisoned Rhea Silvia and ordered the twin's death by means live burial, exposure, or being thrown into the Tiber River. He reasoned that if the twins were to die not by sword, but by the elements; he and his city would be saved from punishment of the gods. He ordered a servant to carry out the death sentence, but, in every scenario of this myth, the servant takes pity on the twins and spares their lives. The servant, then, places the twins into a basket onto the River Tiber, and the river carries the boys safely.

The Discovery of Romulus and Remus

Faustulus entrusting Romulus and Remus
to his wife Acca Larentia, c.1643
Marble statue representing Tiber River, Temple of Isis and Serapis. Detail, Cornucopia and Wolf nursing twins Romulus and Remus, From Rome 2nd c. AD
The river god Tibernus ensures their safety with easy and calm floating along the river, and causes their basket to catch in the roots of a nearby fig tree. The tree was located at the base of the Palatine Hill in the Velabrum swamp. The twins were first discovered by a she-wolf or lupa, who suckled them and they were fed by a wood-pecker or picus. Eventually, they were discovered and cared for by a shepherd and his wife: Faustulus and Acca Larentia.The two boy grew up to be shepherds like their adoptive father. One day while they were herding their sheep, they were met by shepherds of King Amulius. These shepherds started a fight with Romulus and Remus in which Remus was captured and taken before King Amulius. Romulus gathered and incited a band of local shepherds to join him in rescuing his brother. King Amulius believing that Rhea Silvia's children were dead; he did not recognize Remus or Romulus. Romulus freed his brother, and in the process killed King Amulius.

Romulus and Remus Begin to Quarrel
Romulus and Remus by Scarpelli
After Amulius' death, the brothers rejected the citizen's offer of the crown of Alba Longa and instead reinstated Nimitor as king. They left Alba Longa seeking to find their own city, and each set out to find the best locale. The brothers quarreled over the location of the foundation of their new city; Romulus wished to discover the city on the Palatine Hill, while Remus wished to find it on the Aventine Hill. In order to settle their disagreement, they agreed to consult augury; augury is a type of prophecy in which birds are examined and observed to determine what actions or persons the gods favor. Each brother prepared a sacred space on their respective hills and began to watch for birds. Remus claimed to have seen six birds, while Romulus said he saw twelve birds. Romulus asserted that he was the clear winner by six birds, but Remus argued that since he saw his six birds first, that he had won. The brothers remained at a standstill and continued to quarrel until Romulus began to dig trenches and build walls around his hill: the Palatine Hill.

Death of Remus & Founding of Rome

Romulus and Remus (gouache on paper)
 Baraldi, Severino 1930
In response to Romulus' wall, Remus made continuous fun of the wall and his brother's city. Remus was so bold as to jump over Romulus' wall jestingly. In response to Remus' mockeries and for jumping over his wall, Romulus angered by his brother's belittlement killed him. There are several versions as to how Remus is killed on the day Rome was founded. In Livy's version, Remus simply died after jumping over Romulus' wall, which is thought to be a sign from the gods of Rome's power and fate. According to St. Jerome, Remus is killed for mockeries by one of Romulus' supporters either Fabius or Celer, who killed Remus by throwing a spade at his head. Afterwards, Romulus mournfully buries his brother bestowing upon his funeral honors. However, most sources would convey that Romulus killed Remus. Remus' death and founding of Rome are dated by Livy to have taken place on April 21st, 753 B.C.E.


 
Beginnings of Rome: War & Peace

Romulus, Victor over Acron, hauls the rich booty to the temple of Jupiter, by Ingres
Romulus named his city Roma after himself. Following the foundation of his city, Romulus instated a governmental system which implemented Senators and Patricians. As the popularity of his city and government system grew so did the population. Rome's initial population was supplied by fugitives, exiles, run away slaves and criminals and other cast offs. Due to the inflation of male population, Rome was unable to produce any generations of their own. As a result of the low ratio of women to men, the newly Roman men decided to abduct women from a neighboring city. They invited the Sabines and Latins to a festival of Cronus at the Circus Maximus, and while the men of these cities were distracted; the Roman men carried off their women into Rome. Many of these women were persuaded to marry these Roman men. However, in response to this rape or abduction of women, the Sabine and Latin men went to war against Rome.

The Sabine Women, 1799
Romulus was the definitive winner of this war and his victory marked with Rome's first triumph. Although defeated, the Sabine king, Titus Tatius, attempted to assault Rome by marching on the Capitoline citadel. The citadel's commander's daughter promised to open the gates for the Sabine army if they gave her whatever "they bore on their left hand." When the Sabine army passed through, the poor girl expected hundreds of golden bracelets, but unfortunately she was crushed to death by their large shields. The Sabines were sieging the Romans and the Romans almost lost until Romulus prayed to Jupiter for help. Jupiter answered aiding the Romans to a final victory. Eventually, a truce formed between the Romans and Sabines along with Tatius and Romulus agreeing to form a joint reign of two kings. They jointly ruled for five years, and integrated each other's customs from calendars, gods, and even military tactics. This was a time of peace within Rome, but this intercity harmony ceased due to Tatius' actions. After these prosperous five years, Tatius was caught sheltering some of his allies who had robbed the neighboring allied Lavinians and murdered some of their ambassadors. The Senate decided that Tatius must go to Lavinium to sacrifice and appease both the locals and god in regards to his crimes. While in Lavinium, Tatius was assassinated and Romulus became the sole king of Rome. For the next twenty years, Romulus sought to expand Rome's land through war. When Numitor died, Romulus incorporated Alba Long into Rome's government and lands. Through Romulus reign, he slowly became more autocratic and the Senate became resentful.
 
Death of Romulus
The Death of Romulus by Mirys

The life of Romulus has several endings depending on the myth and source. In one myth, Romulus mysteriously disappeared in a storm or whirlwind. Romulus is claimed have been ascended to the heavens to become a god by several eye-witnesses. There was the suspicion that Romulus death was plotted by the Senate in order to reassume their own power. Livy writes about these events, while Cassius Dio writes about how Romulus was surrounded by hostile, resentful senators who "rent limb from limb" the senate-house, which was then followed by an eclipse and sudden storm (which Dio claims to be the same phenomenon that happened at his birth). Romulus disappeared in 717B.C.E as reported by Plutarch at the age of 53, but Dionysius of Halicarnassus reports that he died at the age of 55.

Myth or Man
There is much debate on whether Romulus and Remus were a real man or simply a myth or even a combination of both. While most scholars believe that Aeneas, the catalyst of the foundation of Rome, may have existed in some folktale; his Roman mythology was not solidified until Augustus commissioned Vergil's epic "The Aeneid." Romulus and Remus feats and adventures are somewhat far-fetched to be taken literally, but some scholars attest that their characters may be based in some historic foundation. Foundation myths are often convoluted with the aspect of fiction and non-fiction. While, it may never be certain if these twin brothers were real; what it certain is that their story was treated with respect and discussed at length even by the ancients.


Art & Portrayal
Romulus and Remus are most commonly portrayed together in art and on coins. They are often only seen in art as infants being suckled by the she-wolf. They are featured in this manner on the statue of Romulus and Remus in Siena, Italy. Siena which was founded, according to myth, by Remus' son: Senius. Likewise, they are also featured on a mosaic found in Yorkshire from 300 C.E known as the Wolf Mosaic. However, the most famous piece of art is the Capitoline She-Wolf. It is a 5th century B.C.E Etruscan bronze wolf with which two small figures of Romulus and Remus were added to in 15th century C.E. Romulus' and Remus' mythical lives were the source of many renaissance artists from Berrettini to LaFosse to Cesari, and even Rubens.



Encyclopedia Britannica- Romulus and Remus
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/509038/Romulus-and-Remus