Monthly Archives: March 2015

Here lies (insert name here), or: Why reading beyond a quotation is a really good idea

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

There is an old theory, originally proposed by René Cagnat in 1889 and widely believed by classical scholars, that in the Roman world there were manuals for the use of professional stone cutters and the like, providing them with model … Continue reading →

Posted in Carmina Epigraphica, Epigraphy, Poetry | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

What’s in a name: A Short and Poetic Story of Nominative Determinism

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

The Classicists-List, a listserv for those with an interest in Classical Studies and Ancient History (both rather broadly conceived), never fails to amaze me for the rather – shall we say – peculiar exchanges that ensue every now and then. … Continue reading →

Posted in Carmina Epigraphica, Epigraphy, Poetry | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Shedding Some Light on the Eclipse

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

Exciting times for stargazers: there will be a solar eclipse on Friday, 20 March 2015, the first UK-wide almost-total solar eclipse, as it has been pointed out. High time for me to dig into my beloved Latin inscriptions and see … Continue reading →

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To a very special mother!

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

Unlike in most other places of the world, it’s Mother’s Day (or Mothering Sunday, to be precise) in Britain today. Time to celebrate a very special mother then ……… no, not my own (she’ll be celebrated when it’s Mother’s Day … Continue reading →

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Monumental Hatred

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

‘Speak no ill of the dead,’ they say – an aphorism that Diogenes Laertius attributed to Chilon, one of the seven sages: τὸν τεθνηκóτα μὴ κακολογεῖν (usually just received in a non-antique Latin translation, de mortuis nil nisi bene or … Continue reading →

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Shattered Foundations

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

The wanton destruction of historical artefacts and monuments in the museum of Mosul by supporters and fighters of Islamic State forces is a heartbreaking spectacle to behold: While we are quick (and right) to condemn these acts as crimes against … Continue reading →

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