One of the foremost painters of the mid 5th century BCE, Polygnotus, was allegedly commissioned by the Cnidian people to paint a clubhouse at Delphi. One of the themes was Odysseus’ ascension into the underworld, described in Book 11 of Homer’s Odyssey (the so called νέκυια). However, Pausanias (10.28-31) reports that the painter took many liberties and mixedContinue reading “Mapping the Underworld: Space, Text, and Imaginary Landscapes in Antiquity”
Monthly Archives: October 2015
The Fall of the Roman Umpire: A Short History of Ancient Referees
At the Australian Open in 2008, tennis player Andy Roddick famously unleashed a tirade against court umpire Emmanuel Joseph, telling the crowd at one point: “Stay in school kids or you’ll end up being an umpire!” During the MLB playoffs this week, there were similarly slanderous remarks against the umpires uttered either directly to them, or muttered under theContinue reading “The Fall of the Roman Umpire: A Short History of Ancient Referees”
Getting Sacked: Animals, Executions, and Roman Law
In my blogging, I have frequently discussed Roman approaches to crime and punishment (e.g., crucifixion and torture). However, as I sat prepping lectures for my Roman law course this week, I got distracted (it happens) and began to watch some clips from old James Bond movies (it happens a lot). After making a mental list of all the sharksContinue reading “Getting Sacked: Animals, Executions, and Roman Law”
History From Below 