Category Archives: Epigraphy

The Riddle of a Poor Man’s Epitaph

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

As I write these lines, I am in Tarragona, about one hour south of Barcelona by train, on Catalonia’s Costa Daurada (‘Golden Coast’). Tarragona, Roman Tarraco, now a UNESCO world heritage site, is home to some of the most impressive … Continue reading →

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Sadness, Weariness, and Laughter: An Ancient Latin Poem on Occasion of Mental Health Awareness Week 2015

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

Between 11-17 May 2015 it is Mental Health Awareness Week, when the Mental Health Foundation, like every year, helps to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing issues. Mental health is hard to define. On their webpages, the Mental Health … Continue reading →

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What happened to Pontia?, Or: How a husband buried his beloved wife (and still only managed to talk about himself)

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

Last week I published a piece about fatal traffic accidents in ancient Rome. When I did my research for this entry, I came across an inscription from Carsulae in Umbria, which puzzled me for a number of reasons – not … Continue reading →

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Recycle for Britain

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

Ed Miliband, Labour’s hapless frontrunner for the General Election 2015, is responsible for the creation of an inscription that details his pledges and that was set to be installed in the Downing Street Rose Garden – had he been successful. … Continue reading →

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A Sense of Fatality: Ancient Latin Poems for Road Casualties

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

Among the top three things the Romans have done for us, one must – obviously – list their roads. Justly famous, they are right up there with sanitation and, of course, the aqueduct: With roads comes traffic, however, and with … Continue reading →

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The Lapidary Poetics of Roman Domestic Violence

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

A couple of weeks ago, I published a few thoughts on the rather touching inscribed poem for Margarita, the lap-dog from ancient Rome. One of the remarkable things that the poet expressed in this text – stressing it as noteworthy, … Continue reading →

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The Master and Margarita

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

Today, I had the immense pleasure of seeing one of my most favourite inscribed Latin poems – the epitaph for Margarita (‘Pearl’), a lap-dog, born in Gaul, deceased in second or third century Rome. The inscription on this marble plaque, … Continue reading →

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Poetic Dreams of Flight

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Peter Kruschwitz

The crash of Germanwings flight 9525 has been on my mind quite a lot recently. Previously, on occasion of a similar incident (namely that of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370), I have published blog posts about the horrors that relatives of … Continue reading →

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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 →

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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 →

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