History

History,  Texts,  Video

Introducing an augmented translation of Thucydides: Book 1

We are pleased to share in the Text Library a revised translation of the first part of Book 1 of Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War that tracks key terms. The selection, chapters 1-23, includes Thucydides’ opening statement, the ‘Archaeology’, and a Preface in which he outlines his methods. Jeffrey Rusten, Keith DeStone, Janet M Ozsolak, Sarah Scott, Hélène Emeriaud This edition was the result of a community-driven collaborative “augmented translation” project. The group… Read more

History,  Video

Overview of Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War Book 1

We are pleased to share this video in which Jeffrey Rusten, Cornell University, introduces the structure and themes of Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War, Book 1. Mentioned in this video: Low, Polly (editor) 2023. The Cambridge Companion to Thucydides. Cambridge, UK. Diamond, Jared. 1998. Guns, Germs, and Steel. New York. Jeffrey Rusten Jeffrey Rusten has taught at Cornell since 1988, in the Classics Dept, of which he has twice been chair, as… Read more

History,  Topic for Discussion,  Word Study

Gifts from the earth: mining in ancient Greece

Mycenaean gold When we see the golden artefacts found in the Grave Circles A and B at Mycenae and the so-called “treasure of Priam,” it shows an incredible abundance of gold, silver and bronze in the Mycenaean period. Even in Homeric poetry we have the mention of “Mycenae rich in gold” [polúkhrusos][1], and there are references various metals in Homeric and Hesiodic poetry: silver, gold, iron, along with copper and… Read more

History

The Punic Wars Part III | “Delenda Cartago est”

“Delenda Cartago est” (“Carthage must be destroyed”)[1] Runs of Carthage, 1897 The third stage of the Punic Wars was by far the shortest, lasting from 149–146 BCE, and was entirely fought in Africa, resulting in the destruction of Carthage. The decades following the Second Punic War saw the Carthaginians regain prosperity, while the Romans engaged in nearly continuous warfare in Spain, Gaul, and Macedonia.[2] Goldsworthy describes the war as pure… Read more

History

Women in Diogenes Laertius’ Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, part 3

Diogenes Laertius’s main intention was to write biographies of male philosophers[1]. However, his writings also reveal, sometimes unintentionally, women’s roles and attitudes to women in ancient times. His anecdotes and longer exploratory writing include references to wives, daughters, slaves and courtesans. He quoted from wills and letters, and also from hearsay. The general themes include misogyny, as explored in part 2, but he also gave examples of respectful behavior towards… Read more