Author Archives: Peter Kruschwitz

About Peter Kruschwitz

Berliner. Classicist. Scatterbrain.

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 →

Posted in Carmina Epigraphica, Epigraphy, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Carmina Epigraphica, Epigraphy, Poetry | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on To a very special mother!

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 →

Posted in Carmina Epigraphica, Epigraphy, Poetry | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Epigraphy | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The New Inscription from Cirencester: A Few Thoughts

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

A couple of days ago, the discovery and excavation of a Roman tombstone at Cirencester (Gloucestershire) – largely undamaged and still in its original setting (in situ, as the professionals say) – has been publicised in no unspectacular terms. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Epigraphy, Prose | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Spread the Wealth

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

Have I ever told you the one about politicians and fiscal responsibility? The joke that is so old it was first recorded in a Pompeian wall inscription? It goes like this (CIL IV 3702 cf. p. 1383 = ILS 6405): … Continue reading →

Posted in Carmina Epigraphica, Epigraphy, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Spread the Wealth

Europa, Europe, and the Compelling Imagery of the Latin Inscriptions

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

Memory is treacherous. Yet, I seem to remember rather vividly a time when our politicians talked about a project they called our ‘common European home’ (Mikhail Gorbachev) or envisioned a ‘Europe, Whole and Free’ (George H. W. Bush). I liked … Continue reading →

Posted in Carmina Epigraphica, Epigraphy, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Faint Voices of the Poor of Ancient Rome

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

More often than not, we tend to turn our eyes away from poverty and the poor, the blemish on the conscience of our society in which everything exists in abundance and in which no one would have to suffer from … Continue reading →

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