Lions, Tigers, and Gladiators; Oh My!

 

 

Gladiators

 

 

 

Everyone knows the iconic movie poster above. It invokes the idea and concept of gladiators. There is an understanding that these "fighters" were unique to ancient Rome and fought in amphitheaters or even the most famous amphitheater: the Flavian Amphitheater: i.e The Colosseum. 

 

Where did they fight:

 

The Colosseum completed 80AD.

The Colosseum was capable of holding 50,000- 80,000 spectators.

The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum.

 

 

The Colosseum housed various forms of entertainment during its lifetime from gladiatorial contests and public spectacles  such as mock sea battles, animal hunts,  executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical Mythology.

 

However, while the Flavian Amphitheater( the Colosseum) is the most recounted of the amphitheaters; there are about 230 remains or sites of other ancient Roman amphitheaters. A list of locations and some pictures may be found here.

 

Who Fought:

 

Gladiator ,from the Latin gladius which means sword, comes to mean swordsman.

 



Gladii; Roman short swords. 

 

Gladiators were  normally slaves , but later on free men also volunteered to be gladiators( to settle a debt or to win large sums of money) and, by the end of the Republic, comprised half the number who fought. Often, they were social outcasts, freed slaves, discharged soldiers, or former gladiators who had been liberated on retirement but chose to return for a period of service.

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus

It is claimed in Suetonius' "The Twelve Caesars (21.6)" that Gladiator use to address the emperor in the Colosseum before their match: "Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant" or "Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutant" ( " Hail, Emperor, thoses who are about to die salute you!)" This moment can be seen in the film Gladiator.





"It's all thumbs to me." Who Judged:

It should be noted however, that similar to the film not all gladiatorial games or ludi were held at Rome's Colosseum , nor were they all viewed by the emperor. There would be an overseer of a gladiatorial match, but that person varied from a  senator, general, wealthy patron, and so on. However, the overseer or editor would usually be the one made the "judgment call" of life and death or thumbs up or down( Pollice Verso , meaning with thumb turned).

 Pollice Verso: 1872 Gladiator painting by Jean-Leon Gerome.
  



 Pollice Verso by Gerome (closer detail of spectators)

There is much debate about the authenticity of the "thumbs up or down" motions of the editor or overseer. Some people believe thumbs up meant to live; others believe it meant to die and visa versa for thumbs dumb.  Regardless of what it is true or isn't true, one thing can be agree upon- the blood and lives taken in gladiatorial games and combat has been numerous.

For more on Pollice Verso (Turned Thumbs) please refer to the University of Chicago's page: Pollice Verso


Types of Gladiators:




Gladiators from the Zliten mosaic 200 AD

The following is a clip from the Gladiator film and it should be advised that it is very bloody. If you choose to view the video (I would advice watching the whole film); please pay close attention to the types of gladiator armor, helmets, and fighting implements.

 



Thraex Helmet

  The first type of gladiator is the one swinging a flail, which was not an ancient weapon, but later he pulls out a mace, which again was not a Roman weapon. However, Hollywood will take their liberties for a good film.  It is very difficult to discern what type of gladiator he is or suppose to be, the only clue is on the top of his helmet. The top of his helmet is a griffin. The griffin being the companion of the avenging goddess Nemesis. He is a Thraex or Thraces for plural. He would usually have a long shield and a curved sword (sica)- however we do not see this. But, the helmet is nice and historical.





The Second Gladiator who is wearing the head of some beast is unknown. Apparently, the ancient Romans would put on mime shows after a fight in which entertainer would wear animal heads, but not during a fight traditionally. Perhaps he is reminiscent of the Time Bandit's Minotaur:

Time Bandit Minotaur





CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D. Murmillo

The third gladiator, who Maximus actually kills, would appear to be a Myrmillo. They were heavily armored and used a gladius.  It is important to note that specific gladiator types were paired against other types. This was done in order to have a fair, even matched, or simple an interesting pairing and combat for spectators. The Myrmillo was apparently a match for the Thread.   A second look at this gladiator may be needed since he also resembles a Semite.

The fourth Gladiator which we see Juba fighting is not a real gladiator either. He appears to have  

helmet with horns, but there are no mosaics or record literature describing such a helmet. However, his blade that he wields is interesting. It would appear to be similar to the blade that a Thraex would have: a sica. Perhaps they all share weapons and gear!

Sica

A retiarius ("net fighter") with a trident and cast net,
 fighting a secutor (79 AD mosaic).

The next and last gladiator that is worth mention would be the one with the net and trident. This gladiator is known as Retiarius "net fighter." The mosaics depicting the trident was once thought to be simply decorative until graves were unearthed revealing gladiators with odd looking marks that fit this weapon.
 

Thus, Hollywood may have some historical accuracies, but time is money. So, does a movie producer spend five extra hours researching proper gladiator equipment, or does he spend two hours to have some historian consult give him the basics to get the feel of ancient Rome.


Gladiators as Sex Symbols

 

Thracian gladiator is the delight of all the girls

There is an inscription on a wall in Pompeii that says the Thracian gladiator Celadus was "suspirum et decus puellarum," literally "the sigh and glory of the girls."
 



The strigil – or stlengis (στλεγγίς) as it’s called in Greek – has a cross-section like a thin piece of celery and is curved like a sickle, but the edges are dull. You couldn’t cut yourself with it. But the strigil (above) is designed to collect the gluey mixture of sweat and oil called gloios (γλοίος) in Greek and strigmentum in Latin. Why? Because ‘gladiator sweat’ was worth a lot of money.

 

Gladiator sweat and fats of the animals fighting in the arena were sold in souvenir pots outside of the games to improve complexion. BBC

 

For more information refer to the post: Love Potion IX

 

 

The Title

 In reference to the title of this post: Lions, Tigers, and Gladiators, some gladiators actual fought animals.  These can be seen in Hollywood's blockbuster Gladiator along in some mosaics.

Maximus fighting a Tiger and Gladiator

 5th Century Mosaic from Istanbul of gladiators fighting a tiger

The following video discuss the making of the Colosseum and the fighting of with the Tigers!



 

 As Hollywood discovers interesting stories and possibly film ideas, it is important to recall what has already been done: Ancient Rome Movies

Zombies vs. Gladiators

  Amazon Studios has announced that they will be working with Clive Barker to create an Amazon film known as " Zombies vs. Gladiators."

Animated Gladiator with Zombie Head



Clive Barker

Set in ancient Rome, the Zombies vs. Gladiators story begins when a shaman who is about to die in the Colosseum casts a spell that unleashes the world’s first zombies. It’s up to a gladiator to stop the spread of the zombie horde and save Rome. Watch a  report on it now!

 

 

 

There seems to also be a book written on the same concept. However, the book is entitled Gladiators vs. Zombies.

 

A synopsis of the work is as follow , courtesy of Amazon.com:

 

"The Gods of the Arena and the Walking Dead clash in this thrilling 'sword & sandal' zombie apocalypse. Lanista Laeca is the master of a gladiator school in Rome that has fallen on hard times. His business of providing skilled fighters for the Coliseum has begun to fail, and he is desperate to find a new spectacle of glory and battle to please the bloodthirsty crowds. He finds his answer in the cannibal corpse creatures brought to him from a distant land by a retired soldier, and soon the gladiators of House Laeca are being pitted against ravenous beasts that once were men. Will sword and shield win victory over tooth and claw?"

Show more

Show less

 

 

 These theme of the first zombie outbreak and Ancient Rome even continues as far as Amazon hosting a page for short movies, story boards, and more!

Types and Names of Gladiators will be the next post!

June 20th: the Festival of Summanus a Lightning God



Artistic Design of Summanus by Anonymous Artist 

Since the Ancient Romans were polytheists, they had many gods they needed to appease throughout the year. June 20th, the day before the summer solstice, was actually a holiday for one of their more obscure deities: Summanus.

 

Summanus was a deity of evening or nocturnal lightning, while Jupiter (or Zeus) was a deity of diurnal or daytime lightning; as St. Augustine attests to in his De Civitate Dei Book IV, Chapter 23: "diurna Jovis, nocturna Summani fulgura habentur"--- " Daytime lightning(s) were held by Jove, nocturnal lightning(s) were held by Summanus."

*Fulgura is a neuter plural noun, but the word lightnings does not exist in our English vocabulary, but habentur means "were held"- which is third person plural.


St. Augustine furthers asserts concerning Summanus: "coluerunt magis quam Jovem."  "They cared (for Summanus) rather than Jove (Jupiter)." So, it clear that the Romans had a distinct affinity to this deity even over the king of gods: Jupiter. Cicero (De Divinatione Book 1 Chapter 10)

  de fulgurum vi dubitare num possumus? Nonne cum multa alia mirabilia, tum illud in primis: Cum Summanus in fastigio Iovis optumi maxumi, qui tum erat fictilis, e caelo ictus esset nec usquam eius simulacri caput inveniretur

Are we able to doubt about the (prophetic) force of lightning? Are there not many other (times) with (this) wonders/miracles? At this time, is the following not especially (an example)? When Summanus ,on the pediment of greatest and best Jupiter, who (Summanus) was then made of clay(i.e a statue), from the heavens it was struck(lightning), and not anywhere was the head of his statue found

In response to this omen, it is said that a temple was built to Summanus near the Circus Maximus.

Circus Maximus Reconstruction



Engraving of Publius Ovidius Naso

As Ovid wrote in his Fasti 6 731-732:

quisquis is est, Summano templa feruntur, tum, cum Romanis, Pyrrhe, timendus eras.

A temple was built to Summanus, whoever he is, at that time, when you, Pyrrhus, were a terror the Romans.*

It is clear by this quote that the origin and even the god "Summanus" was somewhat of an enigma amongst his own worshippers and followers.



Summanus may simply be an evolution from summus (highest) and this of course references Mounte Sumano. Curiously, the mountain top is frequently hit by lightning bolts.

Monte Sumano

"Archeological excavations have found a sanctuary that dates back to the first Iron Age (9th century BCE) and was continuously active til late antiquity (at least the 4th century CE). The local flora is very peculiar as in ancient times pilgrims used to bring flowers from their native lands (courtesy of Wikipedia no source cited)."

  It would be an interesting prospect and thesis to conduct an analysis of every non native flower at Monte Sumano and attempt to reconstruct their origin.

 In research for this blog entry, I was attempting to find a picture of at least one flower that may be found on this mountain(Easier said than done!). I made the following discovery:

Daphne Petraea

I discovered in Gardeners Chronicle & New Horticulturist (which is a agglomeration of articles on plants) an article from 1905 on the species of the Daphne (Yes, this is taken from the Daphne who runs away from Apollo). At the bottom of the first column, there is a paragraph dedicated to this wondrous flower. The entry goes "The plant requires sunshine and calcareous rock. I found it last year on Monte Summano exposed to the hottest sun on the dolomite rocks with hardly any soil. It forces its roots into the living rock and so finds needful freshness and nourishment."



Daphne Petraea

As of today, this particular flower is only found in the Alps (where Monte Sumano is) and is a protected plant since it is rarely found. Due to the fact that this flower is only now existent near Monte Sumano or within a general pollinating area- I would conjecture that the original source from which the flower existed is gone. I would argue, henceforth, that this was one of the many floral offerings brought to the ancient sanctuary and thus one of the peculiar floral populations on Monte Sumano.


Traditionally Mount Sumano (elevation 1291 m.) in the Alps near Veneto, Italy is considered a site of the cult of god Pluto, Jupiter, Summanus and the Manes.

Bronze Lar Figurine
Roman, 1st-4th century CE. London, British Museum

 




A manus or the manes (plural) were chthonic deities ( deities of the earth or underworld [chthonic] who were usually sacrificed dark animals as opposed to air deities [Olympian] who were offered light colored animals) that were closely resembled of the Lares or household deities. Martianus Capella (De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii  Book II, Chapter 164) thought that Summanus was simply another name for Pluto.

Pluto who was the Roman equivalent to Hades was lord of the Underworld and brother of Jupiter (or Zeus). Jupiter traditional being the king of the gods and the male supreme god of the air, ethereal region, and sun. While, Pluto resigned in Hades where he reigned in darkness.

Pluto/Hades with Cerberus
Herkalion Archaeological, Crete
 

Thus the correlation between Pluto and Summanus at Monte Sumano may not be coincidental. Agreeing with Capella, Summanus simply may be a different aspect of Pluto- lightning- which may have been evolved from the duality of the light/day brother versus the dark/night brother.

Summanus Festival: June 20th

 

Ancient Roman Festival and Offering Sacrifices

 

 It is said that on this day round cakes in the shape of wheels were offered to Summanus along with two dark oxen (since he is considered a chthonic deity). The round cakes were usually made from flour, milk, and honey. The wheel has often been argued by scholar to be a solar symbol. However, it is unclear as to why a nocturnal lightning god would relish in solar symbolic cakes.

 

An Example of a Round Cake that may be offered; perhaps
even glazed with honey.

There is one solution to this contradiction: Pettazzoni offers in his essay on "The Wheel in Ritual Symbolism of Some Indo-European Peoples" that the festival was actual celebrated on June 20th, because it was the natalis or birthday of his temple built by Circus Maximus.

 

Carbonized Bread from Pompeii 1st AD
*Perhaps, this would resemble our wheel round cake

 

Pompeii frescoes, 1st c. C.E
Another Example of a Summanlia

 

Thus the wheel cakes known as summanalia are not in reference to the deity himself, but the time of year. June 20th is the day before the Summer Solstice . The Summer Solstice being the longest day of the year.

 

Diagram of the Solstices and Equinoxes

Although this last image is Egyptian, I believe it reflect the universal theme of round cakes being offered to deities from 2000's BCE all the way to St. Augustine in 350's CE!

 

Offering Case For A Round Cake
Egyptian, Old Kingdom, Dynasty 6, 2323–2150 B.C

 

    Finally, it should be noted that festival for any deity no matter how small or new they were taken seriously. There were taken seriously by those who were pious and fearful of the gods, and by those who wanted to party and have a great barbeque. Sometimes, the animals that were sacrificed after having been killed were eaten by the attendees of the festival and celebration. In modern day, many of us can relate with our various patriotic holidays that somehow call for us to bbq- perhaps this is where the tradition comes from!



BBQ

 

*The Pyrrhic War occurred  roughly 270 BC.

Founding of Rome: A little Latin for the Brain.

Everyone should know the foundation story of Rome. Let's start the story together in the original Latin.

The foundation story of Romulus and Remus can be found in Plutarch's Life of Romulus, but better known would be Book I of Livy's Ab urbe condita (From the Founding of the City)  (Literally: From the City having been founded). Thus, Livy's Ab urbe condita begin with the founding of Rome and progress to his modern day.

sed debebatur, ut opinor, fatis tantae origo urbis maximique secundum deorum opes imperii principium. (1.4)

But it was destined, as I believe, by the fates the origin of such a great city and the beginning of the greatest power secondary/next after the power of the gods.

BREAKDOWN:
 sed debebatur:
                 Sed= But
                debebatur is from debeo, it is a verb that is 3rd singular (he, she, it) imperfect and          passive meaning "it was destined."

  ut opinor:
                  ut= as, how
                opinor 1st person singular meaning= I believe, suppose or think. (opinor resembles English opinion.)

fatis tantae origo Urbis
              fatis= is from the noun fatum which is neuter (as opposed to masculine or feminine) and the form is neuter plural ablative. Ablative is a case in Latin that serves many functions, but in this scenario- I would argue this is an ablative of origin or means. "By means of the fates this was destined" or " This was destined originating from the fates." For translation though "by the fates."

            origo= is nominative feminine singular. It is from origio meaning origin or beginning. The nominative case is equivalent to the subject in English( The subject is who or what the sentence is about. Romulus kills Remus. Romulus is the subject, kills is the verb, and Remus is the direct object). So, origo is actual the subject of the first half of this sentence along with being the subject of debebatur: "But the origin was destined, as I believe, by the fates."

             tantae Urbis= tantae is an adjective that is from tantus meaning "so great/ such great." Since it is an adjective it agrees with the form and case of the word it goes with: Urbis. Urbis is from urbs, its form here is singular, feminine, genitive (as is tantae) and it means city. The genitive case is mainly used for possession or description. Here it could be either. For example: origo tantae Urbis all go together to mean= "the origin of such a great city or the beginning of a city so great." The genitive will usually have an "of" before it in the English translation.


maximique secundum deorum opes imperii principium:
            *This next part is somewhat tricky
    Although maximique is the first word it is not our nominative (or subject) of this clause. Our clue that we are looking for a new subject is the "que." Que is another way of saying "and" in Latin instead of using "et." When one uses "que" for "and" instead of "et;" there are certain rules that must be remembered for it use:

1. que is always affixed to the end of a word and will usually not stand alone.
2. The que is your indicator that a new part or clause of a sentence has begun.
3. Most importantly, the word that que is affixed to , although it comes before the que, it is part of the que clause.

  For example "maximique" is actual maximi + que. Maximi come from Maximus which somewhat resembles maximum and thus it means greatest. Maximi is an adjective which means it goes with something and it matches the case and form of that word.

 Remember, case and form are usually detected by a words ending**. Maximi ends with an "I." Now, if maximi went with "fatis tantae origo Urbis" does its ending of "I" match anything? It does not! Of course it does not, because it doesn't go with that clause! maximi goes with : "secundum deorum opes imperii principium." Because the "que" attaches it to this clause! Now what does the maximi look like it goes with?

    maximi and imperii  are a match! However there are not our nominative/subject, but they are genitive neuter singular. They come to mean "of the greatest power."

   Our nominative/subject is principium which is a neuter noun that means the beginning. So far, the translations follows: And (que) the beginning (principium) of the greatest power (maximi + imperii). It is important to note that principium is nominative because it is also (along with origo) the subject of debebatur. THUS: "The origin of so great a city and the beginning of the greatest power was destined, as I believe, by the fates."

 Now in English, when we have two subject our verb tenses change. For example: "The origin of the city was destined." This is grammatically correct in English. But,  "The origin of the city and the beginning of greatest city WERE destined. This is grammatically correct in English.

However, the Latin verb debebatur is 3rd singular not 3rd plural (3rd singular= he, she, it is/was  VS.  3rd plural= they are/were). The reason why Latin takes a 3rd singular verb instead of a 3rd plural verb is for emphasis.

The Latin translation would be literally: "But the origin of so great a city was destined, as I believe, by the fates AND the beginning of the greatest power was destined." We take the verb debebatur twice, but the Romans did not need to write it twice since it is the only verb in the sentence and thus understood to be taken with both origo and principium.

Now, we have yet to deal with:  secundum deorum opes .
    Secundum is another adjective that is neuter nominative agreeing with principium. However this adjective should be taken as a verbal adjective. Thus it is a "beginning of the greatest power that is secundum (second/ next/after)".  The reason this has to be a verbal adjective is because a normal adjective would be translated as the "secondary/next beginning of the greatest power." Contextually, this makes no sense.

    Opes Deorum= opes is plural feminine accusative. Accusative is a form that similar to the direct object in Latin. So, "the beginning of the greatest power that is second to the opes (power)." Deorum is plural masculine genitive meaning gods. THUS. " and the beginning of the greatest power second to the power of the gods."
        
TRANSLATION COMPLETE. ONE SENTENCE DONE.



As one can see Latin is a very complex language that has various nuances that test and train the mind to look for patterns and logical sequences in putting sentences together. There will be a further translation of Livy's description of the birth of Romulus and Remus along with the she-wolf that finds them.






 [**DISCLAIMER: THIS RULE OF MATCHING ADJECTIVE ENDINGS TO NOUNS IS NOT 100% USABLE BUT A MAJORITY OF THE TIME IT CAN HELP]

Is Latin Really a Dead Language in our Society?

The world is moving at the speed of light with out new gadgets and gizmos from tablet to Androids to laptops to game consoles, et cetera. There seems to be no more time for the language that has immensely shaped our current culture: Latin.

Often, those who study or have learned Latin at some point in their academic career have asked themselves or even their professors: "What is the point of learning Latin? It is a dead language, right?"  

To this question, I shudder to think what else in our world may be forgotten or disregard for simply being "considered" redundant or outdated.

Latin is every bit alive and thriving as other foreign language, perhaps even in some regards more so than current day foreign languages. It is older than most languages and is the great-great-grandfather of many European and romance languages today. Due to Latin's age, its "believed" redundancy, and the outdated attitude adopted towards it, now more than ever there is a new interest and spark concerning Latin, Latin speakers, writers, students, users, and it's usefulness.

Recently, June 14th to be exact, the British Museum conducted a three day debate on " Does Latin Have a Future?" The debate discussed at some length Latin's place in classrooms, culture, and overall it's usefulness in society today. While some may not see the usefulness for Latin within our culture let alone our classrooms; many would beg to differ.

Mary Beard ,a Classics Professor at the University of Cambridge and the Chair for the Debate "Does Latin Have A Future," made the following video on Latin basics and in everyday life. In this video, she shows to some young students Latin's common place appearances in our language, literature, and even pop icons.

 

While there are many who despise Latin for its antiquated content and the blogger Donald Clark being one of them (refer to his 10 Reason Not To Learn Latin). I would say unto them that Latin is alive in everyday literature, culture, politics, grammar, et cetera.

 

 

Latin's Usefulness:

1. Learning Latin helps you learn other languages.
2. Latin is extremely precise in its cases, structure and reason which therefore allows students of Latin to have extremely skillful cognitive and logical skills.
3. Learning Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes will increase your vocabulary and understanding of other words.
4. Learning Latin will aid in reading Harry Potter Spells (Harry Potter Spells)
5. "A rudimentary knowledge of Latin cuts down the labor and pains of learning almost any other subject by at least 50%." quoted in Herald Scotland.
6. "It is a piece of our culture. One grasps the roots." quoted in Latin Returns From the Dead in German Schools.
7. Besides ancient Greek, it is the only language that we can read texts from more than 2,000 years ago on philosophy, politics, religion, science, culture, et cetera. It is part of the foundation of Western Civilization and should not be overlooked or forgotten. 

 

Further proof that Latin is not a dead language: Pope Francis or Franciscus has his own twitter account in which he tweets in Latin: Summi Pontificis Breviloquentis Twitter. The twitter account launched in January with a name based on Cicero's quote "Breviloquentem iam me tempus ipsum facit," – Time itself makes me now speak briefly

.

He has over 114,000 followers and counting; while it is sanguine to assume that all 114,00 speak or understand Latin- it is highly unlikely. However, his tweets, which average no more than a sentence or two, may give rise to others taking an interest to Latin.

Beyond the cliché Latin incantations on television or even movies, Latin is in the roots of Western Civilizations not only grammatical, but the culture of the Romans can be seen as well. So, the next time you watch a movie, hear Latin, think of a fancy word, or even architecture- you may be looking at something that has evolved from 2,000 years of Latin making its way into our culture.

Here are some examples and food for thought:

                                                    E Pluribus Unum= One From the Many

 

e.g. = "exempli gratia" = "For Example"

i.e. = "id est" = "That is"

A.D. = "Anno Domini" = "The year of God"

 

Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C 1943

Pantheon in Rome 126 AD (Hadrian Rebuilt)

 



Making 2,000 Year Old Bread

In AD 79, a baker put his loaf of bread (or panis) into the oven. Nearly 2,000 years later it was found during excavations in Herculaneum. The British Museum asked Giorgio Locatelli to recreate the recipe as part of his culinary investigations for 'Pompeii Live from the British Museum'.

Video: Making 2,000 Year Old Bread

Ingredients

400g biga acida (sourdough)
12g yeast
18g gluten
24g salt
532g water
405g spelt flour
405g wholemeal flour

Carbonised loaf of bread, AD 79, Roman, Herculaneum. © Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei

Method

Melt the yeast into the water and add it into the biga. Mix and sieve the flours together with the gluten and add to the water mix. Mix for two minutes, add the salt and keep mixing for another three minutes. Make a round shape with it and leave to rest for one hour. Put some string around it to keep its shape during cooking. Make some cuts on top before cooking to help the bread rise in the oven and cook for 30–45 minutes at 200 degrees.

300: Rise of an Empire

300 was a film that inspired many people to take a closer look at the Ancient World and in particular the Spartans. "ἢ τὰν ἢ ἐπὶ τᾶς"  "With it or on it"

As seen in my previous post, I have much investment in this new sequel or addition to the 300 series. I enjoyed immensely translating Herodotus Book 8, which feature the Battle of Salamis.....

 

And Artemisia.....Eva Green will do me proud. I have dedicated hours of my life to understanding Herodotus' portrayal of this woman for his Histories and literally for all history. She is a strong, unbending, intelligent, cunning, and powerful woman.

 

 

*

 

Eva Green as Artemisia Queen of Halicarnassus

Eva Green as Artemisia Queen of Halicarnassus

 

Eva Green as Artemisia Queen of Halicarnassus

I am excited to see the battle ramming with actual "rams." I recall being in Professor Chrissanthos' courses in which he would show Ben Hur for his "ramming example." But NOW, he will have an actual example within this film which may even slow it down (since the 300 films seem to do the slow motion fighting).

Ancient Greek Reconstruction Trireme
notice the ram is made of metal at tip on the left side

 

Vase painting of an ancient Greek ship
notice the ram is the tip on the left side

 

 

*τῶν μέν νυν ἄλλων οὐ παραμέμνημαι ταξιάρχων ὡς οὐκ ἀναγκαζόμενος, Ἀρτεμισίης δὲ τῆς μάλιστα θῶμα ποιεῦμαι ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα στρατευσαμένης γυναικός· ἥτις ἀποθανόντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτή τε ἔχουσα τὴν τυραννίδα καὶ παιδὸς ὑπάρχοντος νεηνίεω ὑπὸ λήματός τε καὶ ἀνδρηίης ἐστρατεύετο, οὐδεμιῆς οἱ ἐούσης ἀναγκαίης. (7.99.1)

 

On the one hand, now, I make no mention of the other commanders since not being compelled (to do so), but on the other hand, of Artemisia whom I make a marvel (awe) at especially; as a woman was marching against the Greek: who, when her husband died, this woman having the power, although her son becoming a young man, on account of both courage and manly spirit she was serving, since for her there was no compulsion