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Aurelia

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Posts posted by Aurelia

  3. 'Naked runner' sheds light on a little-known art of ancient Ro

    in Archaeological News: Rome

    Posted

    The carved jasper stone, found in Israel, was apparently commissioned by a wealthy man and passed down for generations.

    A unique gemstone found in Israel that may have adorned a ring has shed light on a little known art in ancient Rome: fine carving.

     
    On the floor of a room dating to the early Byzantium period, around 4th century CE, archaeologists spotted a red gemstone beautifully engraved with the figure of a naked running man holding a laurel wreath in one hand.
     
    Or maybe he's holding a wreath of olive branches. It's hard to tell. In any case, in the other hand the bare gentleman holds what is clearly a date palm branch.
     
    More at Haaretz

  4. Ancient Greek Coins Are Returned

    in Numismatica

    Posted

    Haha, I like how the coin collector arrested for forgery and criminal possession of stolen property was forced to write an essay for the Numismatic Society magazine like a naughty school boy!  :lol:

     

    The Manhattan district attorney handed over five ancient coins to Greek officials Monday, after authorities seized the antiquities from a collector.
     
    Arnold-Peter Weiss was arrested on Jan. 3, 2012, while trying to sell three other coins—which he thought were stolen from Sicily and worth millions of dollars—during a collector's show at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, prosecutors said.
     
    Article continues here.
    • Like 1

  5. A new look at ancient Stonehenge

    in Vacatio

    Posted

    Very interesting article which traces the significance Stonehenge has held through the centuries to different generations.

     

    “HOW grand! How wonderful! How incomprehensible!” Thus Richard Colt Hoare, a British antiquarian and arche­ologist, delivered his verdict on Stonehenge in the first volume of his Ancient History of Wiltshire, published in the early 19th century. His reaction was typical of the complex emotions stirred within visitors to this prehistoric monument on the windswept Salisbury Plain over the past 4500 years.

     

    With its five great central trilithons (each comprising two massive upright stones, some weighing more than 32,000kg, capped with a horizontal lintel), and scores of smaller bluestones transported to the site from the Pre­seli Hills of Wales, about 290km to the west, the stone circle is certainly magnificent. But it is also baffling.

     

    The article continues here.

     

    Incidentally, I also found the BBC documentary the writer refers to in the article!

     

     

     

     

  7. Geneticist Traces Mysterious Origins of Native Americans to Middle Eas

    in Archaeological News: The World

    Posted

    That's a bizarre theory, but who knows?

     

     

    The idea that Native Americans are descended from ancient Jews, Egyptians, or Greeks has been a controversial one for hundreds of years. James Adair, an 18th century settler who traded with Native Americans for 40 years, wrote that their language, customs, and social structures were similar to those of the Israelites.

     

    He wrote in his book “The History of the American Indians”: “It is a very difficult thing to divest ourselves, not to say, other persons, of prejudices and favourite opinions, and I expect to be censured by some for opposing commonly received sentiments, or for meddling with a dispute agitated among the learned ever since the first discovery of America.”

     

    More here

  9. Help! First Century Latin

    in Imperium Romanorum

    Posted

    I know of a few writers (active in the 1st century AD) who wrote about Augustus:

     

    - Nicolaus of Damascus wrote a biography of Augustus (but unfortunately he was Greek, not Latin)

     

    - Livy (Titus Livius) was a historian who wrote about the history of Rome (including Augustus's reign)

     

    - Horace alluded to Augustus in his poetry (e.g Odes)

     

    - Sextus Propertius, another poet, apparently also indirectly criticised Augustus in some of his work

     

    - Plutarch also wrote about Augustus but I guess that was a bit later on (and he was also originally Greek although apparently he became a Roman citizen at some point)

     

    Sorry I can't be more specific and offer actual passages but I hope this is still useful...

  11. Storyboards for a Roman Epic From 11 Year Old Martin Scorsese

    in Colosseum

    Posted

    Many of us, in our preteen years, conceived stories in crayon and pencil, but most of us did not grow up to be among the most significant directors to work in the medium of film. Martin Scorsese did, of course, and that makes his preteen doodles a bit more interesting than most others.

     

    Click here to see his storyboards for The Eternal City, a Roman epic about “royalty in Ancient Rome,” for which he dreamed of casting Marlon Brando, Virginia Mayo, Alec Guinness, and Richard Burton.

    • Like 1

  12. New History Books (August 2014)

    in Libri

  13. Archaeologists discover Roman 'free choice' cemetery

    in Archaeological News: Rome

    Posted

    Just to give you a couple of examples, there are ruins of Roman buildings scattered all over Italy and there are so many that people don't even look at them any more, even if they are in the middle of the way (and I mean it physically)

     

    Yes, I have been to Italy several times (I live 10kms away from it right now!) and it's true that when visiting any Italian town, chances are one will see some ruin related to Ancient Rome (or sign indicating the significance of the place). But I do remember being struck by the sheer concentration of ancient ruins and remains scattered about in Rome! And the visible layers of history (literally!) that can be observed in many residential buildings (e.g. foundations from antiquity, lower level medieval, top modern) so I understand how it can be easy for someone who has lived in Rome his/her whole life to simply not notice it after a while. And yes, when one is made aware of the history behind what they see everyday it can just sort of become ordinary, I suppose.

     

    But as a non-Italian and non-European (although I've lived in Europe for nearly 15 years) I cannot help but be amazed at historical monuments. Especially those dating back to ancient times (ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt...), which is my favourite historical period. 

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