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Jul. 15th, 2008 @ 12:31 am
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A friend told me this story. It's taken from the "Heike Monogatari" but it reminds her of something Greek or Roman. I don't know what she's thinking of, do you?
The Emperor is married to a beautiful woman that never smiles. One day there's a practice alarm for the military. There are signal fires lit. There the Emperor's wife points her finger, says: "all the beautiful fires!", and smiles. Now the Emperor commands perpetual practice alarms, so that his wife smiles again. Soon enough the soldiers don't mind the signal fires anymore. Enemies come, the city is taken - and the Emperor's wife turns into a vixen, laughs and runs off into the woods.
Obviously the Greek or Roman story my friend is thinking of is not exactly the same. But is there even a vaguely similar one? Any ideas? |
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Ovid exiled for exposing an imperial coverup?
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Jul. 14th, 2008 @ 04:57 pm
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In my French for Reading course this summer, someone brought in the French Wikipedia entry on Ovid. If you read the end in the exile part, there is an interpretation new to me for his exile:
That he was going to reveal Augustus' involvement in the murder of Vergil.
I'd like to know where that came from because thats much more fun than the usual conspiracy theory ;-)
For those interested, here is the link. Parts of the article seem to be taken from some Ovid historical fiction, but ive never read any with the murder theory. I hope it gets to stay--its a great Wikipedia lesson!
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/OvideCurrent Mood:  amused |
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Typing in Greek
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Jul. 13th, 2008 @ 05:31 pm
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Hi,
My department asked me to write up some instructions on typing in Greek so that people wouldn't have to muddle around looking for fonts anymore. I know a lot of you probably already have it set up, but presumably there are some to whom it will be useful. It's good if you need to add Greek to a paper. Anyway, on we go!
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Latin WORDS for (Homeric) Greek?
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Jul. 13th, 2008 @ 12:39 pm
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I'm a huge fan of the program Latin WORDS and, since I've recently started learning Homeric Greek via Clyde Pharr's book, I'm wondering if there's a program like that for (Homeric) Greek: not just an electronic dictionary, but one that recognizes any form you put in and gives you back the dictionary entry. It's been amazingly useful in helping me nail down forms in Latin and I was hoping I could do the same thing for Greek. Oh, and the other catch is it has to be available (preferably for free) for Mac. I realize this is probably a long shot, but it's worth a try.
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Jul. 9th, 2008 @ 11:21 pm
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Greek: ten thousand times cooler than Latin. Agree or disagree? Discuss.
:) |
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Hello all-
This summer, I've set myself the goal of translating the entirety of the Catullan corpus into fluid, legible English that is accessible and understandable to, well, Jo American. The results have been interesting, to say the least. Certain allusions have to be cut, certain common practices have to have in-poem-explanations shoehorned in, certain adjectives take full lines to fill out... It's been far more fun that I would have expected.
Part of this is in preparation for exams in the fall, part of this is because I frankly really enjoy Catullus and most translations out there aren't meant for casual readers. Most rely heavily on footnotes or endnotes, or they expect the reader to have a more-than-passing understanding of Roman society. Then again, a number of translations that are quite good gloss over the overly sexual - and especially homoerotic - of the poems, leaving comparatively little of the original corpus.
I have posted my progress so far, along with notes about the translation process, and I will continue to do so throughout the summer. (Depending on the project's success, I might like to continue with a new author when Catullus is done.) So, if you'd like to read along, offer suggestions/critiques, or just brush up on the lesser-read poems, I direct you to the following link:
Of course, this is Catullus, so some of the material is a touch risque. Some is flat out crass. Nothing will be edited for "moral content," so be aware before you browse.
Jun. 29th, 2008 @ 03:21 pm
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| » (No Subject) |
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I thought some of you may be interested in knowing just how the synoptic essay on Caesar and Xenophon went, especially after helping me out. The questions that came out are under a cut for those who would rather not read (=
( ... )
Once again a big thank you to all of you who helped me!
Jun. 23rd, 2008 @ 09:38 am
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| » Hoc Me Laetum Facit. |
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This is proof that the Latin gods are not only surviving but also still with a certain sense of humor.
Jun. 19th, 2008 @ 03:15 pm
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| » Novel based on the "Aeneid" |
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Ursula Le Guin wrote a novel I really love. It's titled "Lavinia" and it's based on the "Aeneid," except told from Lavinia's point of view. I really recommend it if you like classical epic poetry. I interviewed Le Guin about it on my new literature blog. I welcome any feedback about my writing, or suggestions for authors to interview.
http://inkwellreview.blogspot.com/
Jun. 14th, 2008 @ 03:46 pm
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| » Hadrian in London |
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Was Hadrian Caesar a despot with a heart or a monster with a veneer of good taste?
This article in today’s Guardian announcing the opening of the Hadrian Exhibit at the British Museum ponders that question:
( Read more... )
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/visualart/story/0,,2285021,00.html
Here is information about the Hadrian Exhibit at the British Museum:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/future_exhibitions/hadrian/buy_tickets.aspx
For my first week end excursion in Europe--probably in early October--I will take a fast train across Northern France and underneath the English Channel to London, stay in some cheap hotel there and go to see this exhibit five or six times. Maybe seeing it will be further inspiration for Adrian Unforsaken.
Jun. 14th, 2008 @ 10:57 am
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| » (No Subject) |
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I'm sitting for a synoptic exam on Caesar and Xenophon next monday. Part of the exam is a 'synoptic essay'; an essay question which will require me to draw upon both authors in answering it. I have studied Book III of Anabasis and Book VI of De Bello Gallico for this exam and given that my lecturers only focused on translating the text, I haven't a clue what to read to help me with answering the essay question. Upon asking my lecturers for some advice on what to read, I received unhelpful variants of "read anything about the common qualities in both authors/books". I have read an introduction on Xenophon, as well as general information about Caesar's Life, and an article about 'Hoplite Warfare in Greece' but I don't know what to read to link both authors/books and was hoping someone here would be kind enough to offer me a few suggestions and point me in the direction of some sites that can help me out. The only quality in both books which I can think to read about is the armies and their military tactics.
Many thanks in advance!
Hannah
Jun. 11th, 2008 @ 06:00 pm
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| » Article help and Alcaeus 338 |
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I'm writing a paper on Horace 1.9 and Alcaeus 338. I have plenty of sources on Horace and general material, but very little on Alcaeus. The only article specific to Alcaeus 338 I can find is unfortunately not available at my library. It is this one:
Mason, Hugh John
Winter on Lesbos: imagination and reality
Mouseion vol. 3 (2003) 285-293
If anyone has easy access to this I would very much appreciate a copy. Also, if you happen to know of any other sources on the poem... but it seems to have been pretty much ignored except in connection with Horace (which is reasonable, but agh.). Thank you!
Apr. 29th, 2008 @ 09:41 am
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| » A source question |
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I'm having some trouble finding sources and thought maybe you all could help.
I'm looking for Greek literary sources that talk about Medusa and the Gorgons. So far I have Ovid (but that's Roman) and about 3 lines in Hesiod. Any source suggestions would be great, and specifically I'm looking for something that describes what Medusa and the Gorgons look like.
This is for a presentation on the evolution of Medusa and Gorgon images in Greek vase paintings and I figured that it would be good to have literary examples describing the Gorgons.
Thank you in advance for any help!
Apr. 28th, 2008 @ 02:52 pm
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| » representing the wind |
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Thank you, everybody! Now I have a variety of images, and some of them may help me cobble the one in my head together. I am doing a vintage-70's-hippie-style chambray shirt embroidery of the dig at Gault, and I wanted to indicate that there was a most unexpected very cold draft in the chemical toilets...
And thank you all who warned me about copyright. In this case I don't think the likeness in the end would allow Boreas's own mother to recognize him. (and who was she, anyway?)
Apr. 24th, 2008 @ 06:40 am
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| » Thank-you gifts for professors |
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Does anyone have any ideas of what a classics prof might like as a gift? I really want to get my thesis advisor something for being so brilliant and amazingly helpful.
Apr. 23rd, 2008 @ 02:05 pm
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| » (No Subject) |
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I am looking for one of those dumb line drawings of the wind as a disembodied face with long usually blue hair and its cheeks puffed out, and I am having no luck with Google images. Can anyone give me some hints?
Apr. 22nd, 2008 @ 08:56 am
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| » Classics Dripping Wet |
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So one of my favorite uses for ancient languages is the application to scientific names for marine life. One structure that has always interested me is the five-part jaw structure of some echinoderms (think sea urchins), called an Aristotle's Lantern.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term is "derived from Arist. Hist. Anim. IV. V. (Bekker, p.531)."
Sadly, most of my classics reading has been under the tutelage of a professor and thus I have little experience in tracking down text for myself. Does anyone have any idea where I can start to find the original reference for this term?
Any and all advice is gratefully welcomed.
Apr. 20th, 2008 @ 10:27 pm
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| » Amores? |
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Does anyone know of a good translation of Ovid's Amores?
Apr. 20th, 2008 @ 07:39 pm
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| » Documenta Catholica Omnia |
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This sight has a ton of primary source material in the original language. As far as I can tell the infrastructure of the sight is completely in Latin, as well as many of the sources. It is a conservative Catholic web page, but should prove useful for research. I am sorry if everyone has seen this already, but my professor found it online last night and we were all tickled pink so I wanted to share.
http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/
Apr. 17th, 2008 @ 05:22 pm
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| » "Who's Your Daddy?" Keynote speaker |
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For what it's worth, the UCLA conference I posted on a short while ago has now decided its keynote speaker:
Suzanne Dixon,
Professor Emerita, University of Queensland
Thanks!
Apr. 16th, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
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