Author Archives: Peter Kruschwitz

About Peter Kruschwitz

Berliner. Classicist. Scatterbrain.

Rest and Peace: Terence on a Reading Cemetery

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Towards the South-Eastern corner of Reading’s Old Cemetery at Cemetery Junction, there is an obelisk. It is the funerary monument of John Cecil Grainger, once vicar of the parish of Saint Giles. The obelisk rests on a pedestal, which is … Continue reading →

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Sea Shells, Or: How the Deluge Reached Reading

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Charles Coates’s monumental 1802 work ‘The History and Antiquities of Reading’ is a treasure house for discoveries surrounding the history of the county town of Royal Berkshire. In its discussion of the specifics of the area of Katesgrove,  the book … Continue reading →

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Beer Goggles in Ancient Rome

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative — and spur people’s interest in science, medicine, and technology. (Source: http://www.improbable.com/ig/) The … Continue reading →

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Can we mend broken hearts?

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Originally published on the University of Reading’s The Forum blog: The fence around the University of Reading’s Humanities and Social Science (HumSS) Building is currently decorated with images and captions illustrating Reading’s desire to be ‘asking big questions.’ One of … Continue reading →

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A Readingite’s Prayer for Peace

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Charles Coates, in the appendices to his monumental 1802 work ‘The History and Antiquities of Reading’, records numerous Latin and English pieces that were performed or recited at Reading School. Among these, there is a Latin ode of eighty lines, … Continue reading →

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Fabulous Plagiarism

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Originally published on the Engage in Teaching and Learning blog: Niccolò Perotti, the Italian humanist, preserved a collection of fables ascribed to the ancient Roman fabulist Phaedrus. This collection, commonly known as the Appendix Perottina, contains a poem called Prometheus … Continue reading →

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Hope and Despair in Roman Britain

Posted on August 10, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Originally published on the Classics-at-Reading blog: The Yorkshire Museum in York houses a most impressive collection of Roman inscriptions from York and the immediate vicinity. On occasion of a trip to Yorkshire in August 2013, I was finally able to … Continue reading →

Posted in Carmina Epigraphica, Epigraphy, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The (Corrupting) Appeal of Latin

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Peter Kruschwitz

Originally published on the Classics at Reading blog: Reading’s Phoenix College, situated on Christchurch Road, recently put up a new sign at their entrance which drew my attention to their Latin motto: Motto of Phoenix College, Reading. Photo: Peter Kruschwitz. … Continue reading →

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‘Experiencing’ university: A Polemic

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Peter Kruschwitz

Originally published on the University of Reading’s Engage in Teaching and Learning blog: Avant-Propos The University of Reading, like any other Higher Education Institution, is a diverse place, with many stakeholders, but – at least in theory – one mutual … Continue reading →

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The fading voices from Reading’s past

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Peter Kruschwitz

Originally published on the University of Reading’s The Forum blog: The Latin term monumentum, from which the English ‘monument’ is derived, is related to the verb monere, ‘to remind’. Monuments are thus tangible, visible manifestations of human memory. Often monuments … Continue reading →

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