#Classics

[expatesque]

Before lighting the Olympic flame. Dresses by Mary Katrantzou.

[uwmspeccoll]

Classic Profiles

This is a 1676 edition of The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, compared together by the 1st-century BCE Greek philosopher and historian Plutarch of Chaeronea, printed by the printer to the University of Cambridge John Hayes for the bookseller George Sawbridge. Originally written in Greek, Plutarch's Lives appeared in print for the first time as a Latin translation in 1470, and this English translation by Sir Thomas North was first published in 1579 from a French translation by James Amiot (Jacques Amyot). The text is a collection biographies of famous Greeks and Romans, including Alexander the Great, Pericles, Tiberius Gracchus, and Cicero. These figures left an indelible mark on history, their lives and achievements shaping the world as we know it.

Sir Thomas North (1535 – c. 1604) was an English translator and lawyer significantly contributing to English literature. His translation of Plutarch's Lives served as the primary source text for William Shakespeare's Roman plays, a testament to his work's enduring influence. This translation is regarded as one of the earliest examples of exceptional English prose. It was followed by another edition in 1595, which included updated biographies. A third edition of North's Plutarch was published in 1603, including even more translated Parallel Lives and a supplement of other biographies.

Jacques Amyot (1513-1593), a French scholar, writer, and translator, made substantial contributions to the field of translation and literature. His work on the translation of Plutarch's Lives (1559-1565) was instrumental in shaping the literary landscape of his time and laid the foundation for future translations and interpretations of Plutarch's work.

The first edition of this book was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I. This dedication reflects the book's significance and provides a glimpse into the political and cultural landscape of the time, adding another layer of depth to the reader's understanding. Plutarch’s Lives helped shape the understanding of the classical Greek democracies and oligarchies of the Roman Republic and the role attributed to their founders—among them the legendary Lycurgus of Sparta and the Athenian lawgiver Solon.

-Melissa, Special Collections Classics Intern

View other Classics posts

[lionofchaeronea]

Roman silver coin minted in 55 BCE, during Julius Caesar's campaigns in Gaul, by Publius Fonteius Capito, one of the tresviri monetales (mint officials) for that year. On the obverse, the helmeted head of the war god Mars, with a small representation of a tropaeum (trophy) behind him. On the reverse, a Roman horseman rides down two enemy soldiers, identified by their helmets and shields as Gauls.

[latin-literature-tourney]

Welcome to the Latin Literature Tournament!

Selections are based on my university's Latin reading list, with a couple names added to round it out to 32 contestants. So unfortunately, not every author managed to make the cut--I'm sorry to all three of my fellow Silius Italicus fans :(

I'm accepting propaganda for any of the competitors! Drop your arguments, panegyrics, hot takes, and trash talk in an ask!

Polls open up on Monday, 4/22, and will be open for a week! All reblogs are greatly appreciated!

[tylermileslockett]

Atalanta #2 "the Way of the Hunter"

Having been successfully rescued and nourished by the she-bear, one day the child, having been left alone, is come upon by a couple of Hunters tracking prey. Seeing the discovery as the will of their hunting patron god, Artemis, the men take the child and dutifully raise her into a skillful hunter, tracker and archer; ever in the service of Artemis.

Because Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and wild animals, she was popular with hunters. And, although the goddess was associated with childbirth and fertility, she herself was celibate, vowing to forever remain a virgin. The hunters, stalking their prey through the forest, wear shawls like cloaks called a Chlamys.

In the background of my illustration we can see one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the “Temple of Artemis” at the city of Ephesus, (west coast of turkey). Here was a powerful and unique cult, with a more fertility centric Artemis Ephesia, a goddess rooted in Egyptian or Near east great mother goddesses; The site had annual festivals with games and theater performances, where young, single Greeks could seek out marriage partners.

The 2nd century B.C. Greek poet Antipater described it thus; “I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon  on which is a road for chariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanging gardens, and the colossus of the Sun, and the huge labour of the high pyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, and I said, "Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught so grand".

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[a-pain-in-the-neck]

a few studies of the late Lucy Westenra for a project

[abnormes]

Botanica No.23 (2010), Gail Potocki

[cypressure]

Daphne as Staghorn Sumac (2019), oil, 20x30in

[yoestuveaquiunavezfrases21]

1643- Una multitud de personas y sin embargo una soledad”.

(Charles Dickens)

[mythosphere]

"Blorbo from my shows" no. Blorbo from my BA. Blorbo from my major. Blorbo from my primary source document.

[willow-lark]

cast your votes!!

[peggy-sue-reads-a-book]

[blvvdk3ep]

I love you people going into "useless" fields I love you classics majors I love you cultural studies majors I love you comparative literature majors I love you film studies majors I love you near eastern religions majors I love you Greek, Latin, and Hebrew majors I love you ethnic studies I love you people going into any and all small field that isn't considered lucrative in our rotting capitalist society please never stop keeping the sacred flame of knowledge for the sake of knowledge and understanding humanity and not merely for the sake of money alive

[mysterieuxclairdelune]

I am jealous of those who think more deeply, who write better, who draw better, who look better, who live better, who love better than I.

-Sylvia Plath