After years of engaging with masterpieces of ancient Greek song culture, many of us would agree with Euripides’ claim that: “Many words of the ancients still ring true.” Certainly they are ringing loud and clear at Sententiae Antiquae, a blog started in 2011 and managed by several classicists, including our HeroesX/Hour 25 friend, Joel Christensen. With original translations, commentary, and humor, Sententiae Antiquae uses the latest technology to give modern readers access to fun and fascinating excerpts of ancient Greek and Roman thought. Here’s how the folks at SA describe their project:
Are you in search of the wisdom of the ancients, but don’t know where to begin? Are you looking for more than the classical locum–do you search for the odd and the obscure as well?
Then you’ve come to the right place! Through this blog, and the accompanying Twitter feed (@sentantiq), we aim to bring you some of the most famous (and also most confounding) quotations from the ancient world. In addition, we also take pleasure in shining lights on some of the forgotten shelves and corners of classical heritage. We even dabble in some forms of scholarship as well (longer translations, commentaries etc.).
Please feel free to comment, question, share your own favorite quotations!
Hour 25 has always featured a dynamic link to Sententiae Antiquae‘s latest content, so you may already be a subscriber and fan. For those who are not yet familiar with this wonderful site, here is a sampler of recent posts:
The Allegory of Good and Bad Government ( Palazzo Pubblico, Siena) and Achilles’ Shield
No One Can Please Everyone: Four Sophoklean Fragments on Politics
Messing More With Homer: Megara Salamis Athens and Solon
Along with these brief translations, SA is also publishing ‘A Commentary on the Batrakhomuomakhia (The Battle of the Frogs and Mice), in installments.
Visit their website to access an archive of previous posts. If you’d like to contribute some quotations and translations to Sententiae Antiquae, use the contact form on the website or contact them through twitter (@sentantiq).