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My mother could translate the dactylic hexameter of Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ as if she were reading her grocery list.

The Benefits, and Pain, of a Latin Education

My mother could translate the dactylic hexameter of Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ as if she were reading her grocery list.

Art & Archaeology

What did a signature mean in the ancient world, and how much can we trust what they seem to tell us?

The Meaning of Ancient Greek and Roman Artisan Signatures

What did a signature mean in the ancient world, and how much can we trust what they seem to tell...

Subway construction in Rome has revealed a rare fourth-century golden glass depiction of Roma, the personification of ancient Rome. It’s the first known artifact of its kind.

Ancient Golden Glass Unearthed During Roman Subway Construction

Subway construction in Rome has revealed a rare fourth-century golden glass depiction of Roma, the personification of ancient Rome. It’s...

Artefact may “be the first known sex object from the Roman Empire” according to new research.

Pestle or dildo? Six-inch wooden implement may be a Roman sex toy, say academics

Artefact may “be the first known sex object from the Roman Empire” according to new research.

Spectators at Rome’s ancient amphitheater enjoyed olives, figs, nuts and more...

Archaeologists Find 1,900-Year-Old Snacks in Sewers Beneath the Colosseum

Spectators at Rome’s ancient amphitheater enjoyed olives, figs, nuts and more...

History

No engine? No problem! This is the story of the daring early days of rocket science.

Ancient astronauts and the very, very early Space Race

No engine? No problem! This is the story of the daring early days of rocket science.

The Roman Colosseum is a giant, oval amphitheater built almost two thousand years ago. Despite its age and a 14th century earthquake that knocked down the south side of the colosseum, most of the 150-some foot building is still standing. Like many ancient Roman structures, parts of it were constructed using a specific type of concrete. Scientists and engineers have long suspected a key to these buildings' durability is their use of this Roman concrete. But exactly how this sturdy concrete has contributed to the architecture's strength has been a mystery to researchers across the globe.

Rome wasn't built in a day, but they sure had strong concrete

The Roman Colosseum is a giant, oval amphitheater built almost two thousand years ago. Despite its age and a 14th...

Going back as far as 3,500 years ago in ancient Greece, followers of a cult to the goddess Demeter participated in a secretive and profound religious ceremony during which they consumed a hallucinogenic drink. The rituals were meant to reenact the story of the goddess’ loss of her daughter to the god of the underworld, and their subsequent reunion.

Psychedelics in ancient Greece: Death and rebirth during a renowned religious ceremony

Going back as far as 3,500 years ago in ancient Greece, followers of a cult to the goddess Demeter participated...

It has become fashionable to compare the United States’ current disarray to that of ancient Rome. The parallels are easy to make — both are powerful empires, nominally operating by the rule of the people, with hefty engineering and military might to back up their conquest. Harder to appreciate is the fact that what we imagine as “Rome” is often just one sliver of a 2,200-year-old history, lasting from approximately 753 BCE to 1453 CE, with the fall of Constantinople. If the United States is at risk of following the path of Rome’s fall, this nation-state of nearly 250 years has quite a bit further to go.

The Roman Empire Visualized in Infographics

It has become fashionable to compare the United States’ current disarray to that of ancient Rome. The parallels are easy...

Language

In cutting languages, colleges undercut commitments to social justice and to translation, in the broadest possible sense, Jessica Blum-Sorensen writes.

In Defense of Languages

In cutting languages, colleges undercut commitments to social justice and to translation, in the broadest possible sense, Jessica Blum-Sorensen writes....

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Latin may help students bridge their native language with English

Researchers found that in teaching English learners -- students who aren't fluent in English and often come from homes where...

Exclusive: Camden School for Girls uses Just Giving site to raise money to keep course going

Emma Thompson donates £500 to former school’s fund-raiser to save Classical Greek lessons

Exclusive: Camden School for Girls uses Just Giving site to raise money to keep course going

John Byron Kuhner on Latin as an alive and spoken language.

Global Latinists

John Byron Kuhner on Latin as an alive and spoken language.

Literature

If only schoolmasters had given students this kind of book first, before all that rote learning about genitive and ablative cases.

‘Et Tu, Brute?’ Review: Latin Lovers

If only schoolmasters had given students this kind of book first, before all that rote learning about genitive and ablative...

‘Gods and Mortals’ by Sarah Iles Johnston, ‘Arcadian Days’ by John Spurling and ‘Greek Myths’ by Charlotte Higgins.

The Ancient Greek Myths Retold

‘Gods and Mortals’ by Sarah Iles Johnston, ‘Arcadian Days’ by John Spurling and ‘Greek Myths’ by Charlotte Higgins.

Gareth Williams’ new book explains why the classic poem is just right for our times.

Here’s Why Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” Is Popular Once Again

Gareth Williams’ new book explains why the classic poem is just right for our times.

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Women, Witchcraft and Greek Myth

Brandeis University’s Joel Christensen examines women’s stories from ancient Greece to the recent past.

Philosophy

Opinion

Opinion | Socrates Wants You to Tidy Up, Too

What reading an ancient Greek dialogue can tell us about the Marie Kondo craze.

Particle Accelerator Reveals Ancient Greek Medical Text Beneath Religious Psalms on Parchment

Particle Accelerator Reveals Ancient Greek Medical Text Beneath Religious Psalms on Parchment

If you’re a history buff, you might not know much particle physics. But the two fields share more in common...

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Is Democracy Broken? What Plato Would Have Said About Trump and Brexit

First Brexit, then Trump. 2016 was not a good year for modern Western democracies. In 2018, the consequences of these...

Leading private school uses Greek philosophers to teach pupils how to spot 'fake news'

Leading private school uses Greek philosophers to teach pupils how to spot 'fake news'

Brighton College will begin using Greek philosophers to teach students how to spot fake news on social media as it...

Classics at Large

Supporters insists it is a living subject that broadens cultural understanding and educational horizons.

One of Ireland’s last Latin teachers has retired. Is it the end of the line for a ‘dead’ language?

Supporters insists it is a living subject that broadens cultural understanding and educational horizons.

My mother could translate the dactylic hexameter of Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ as if she were reading her grocery list.

The Benefits, and Pain, of a Latin Education

My mother could translate the dactylic hexameter of Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ as if she were reading her grocery list.

Tolkien-inspired mythology has taken over our screens while a treasure chest of epic fantasy tales lies unused.

Hits and myths: why has Hollywood abandoned ancient Greece?

Tolkien-inspired mythology has taken over our screens while a treasure chest of epic fantasy tales lies unused.

Girls Gone Greek

Girls Gone Greek

The most influential character on Showtime’s Yellowjackets is the one who goes unnamed: Dionysus.