By: Cassandra Gill,
on 9/5/2016
It’s back-to-school time again – time for getting back into the swing of things and adapting to busy schedules. Summer vacation is over, and it’s back to structured days of homework and exam prep. These rigid fall schedules have probably been the norm for you ever since you were in kindergarten.
The post How much do you know about ancient Greek education? appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Cassandra Gill,
on 8/20/2016
Since the very beginning of the games at Olympia, the event has served to strengthen unity, bring peace, and celebrate individuals for achieving greatness after endless hours of hard work. The Olympics have always been a source of inspiration and a connection to our own humanity.
The post How much do you know about the origins of the Olympics? [quiz] appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Cassandra Gill,
on 8/19/2016
The latest film adaptation of the story of fictional Jewish noble Judah Ben-Hur is premiering in theaters today. You’ve probably seen the 1959 film version starring Charlton Heston, but do you know about the story’s rich history and impact over the last 136 years?
The post Ben-Hur: tracing the iconic novel and films through history appeared first on OUPblog.
By: DanP,
on 3/23/2016
One might think of classicists as the most tradition-bound of humanist scholars, but in fact they were the earliest and most enthusiastic adopters of computing and digital technology in the humanities. Today even classicists who do not work on digital projects use digital projects as tools every day. One reason for this is the large, but defined corpus of classical texts at the field’s core.
The post Classics in the digital age appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Samantha Zimbler,
on 3/2/2016
The so-called “Getty Hexameters” represent an unusual set of early Greek ‘magical’ incantations (epoidai) found engraved on a small, fragmentary tablet of folded lead. The rare verses provide an exciting new window into the early practice and use of written magic and incantatory spells in the Greek polis of the 5th century BCE.
The post Early Greek incantations from Selinous appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Samantha Zimbler,
on 2/24/2016
Reports over recent months from South Korea’s Yonhap news agency have suggested that two prominent North Korean politicians have been executed this year on the orders of Kim Jong-un. These reports evoke some interesting parallels from the darker side of the history of ancient Rome, or at least from the more colourful stories told about it by Roman historians.
The post Ancient Rome vs. North Korea: spectacular ‘executions’ then and now appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Samantha Zimbler,
on 2/10/2016
Today, we're looking at the less fashionable side of this partnership and focussing our attention on the creatures that mortals feared and heroes vanquished. Does your gaze turn others to stone? Do you prefer ignorance or vengeance? Have any wings? Take this short quiz to find out which mythological creature or being you would have been in the ancient world.
The post Which mythological creature are you? [Quiz] appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Samantha Zimbler,
on 2/3/2016
Imagine how the world appeared to the ancient Greeks and Romans: there were no aerial photographs (or photographs of any sort), maps were limited and inaccurate, and travel was only by foot, beast of burden, or ship. Traveling more than a few miles from home meant entering an unfamiliar and perhaps dangerous world.
The post Geography in the ancient world appeared first on OUPblog.
By: DanP,
on 1/27/2016
Greek gods and goddesses have been a part of cultural history since ancient times, but how much do you really know about them? You can learn more about these figures from Greek mythology by reading the lesser known facts below and by visiting the newly launched Oxford Classical Dictionary online.
The post Ten things you may not have known about Greek gods and goddesses appeared first on OUPblog.
