Classics Tutor

Magna Graecia The Greek Settlement of Italy and Sicily

How did Southern #Italy and #Sicily become such an important part of the #Greek-speaking world? What great monsters and heroic deeds of the poets took place on these ancient western shores? Learn more in today's free issue of Classics Tutor!

Reading Omens A Brief History of Græco-Roman Divination

I’m opening up my recent piece on reading #omens to free subscribers and followers. Learn all about the art of reading entrails and watching birds for signs! Happy #Halloween, everybody! #rome #classics #augury #haruspicy #ornithomancy

Antinous: The Boy Who Became a God The story of Emperor Hadrian's deified companion

On this day in 130 CE, #Antinous, companion to the Emperor #Hadrian, drowned in the River Nile during the feasts of #Osiris. The priests of Osiris both embalmed & deified him. To this day, Antinuous is celebrated as having traversed the underworld and returned a god. #rome #egypt #lgbthistory

Roman Feasts for the Dead Ancient and Modern

How long have Western people celebrated #Halloween, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day? Read more about the #Roman origins of these traditions in this week's FREE edition of Classics Tutor.

Slavery in Ancient Rome Recent Research and Excavations

There has been a significant amount of new work on #slavery in ancient #Rome, particularly blending archaeological discoveries with re-examinations of known primary sources. Read more about it in this week’s Classics Tutor!
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Terminus is the #Roman god of boundaries, sometimes identified as an aspect of #Jupiter. His veneration is quite ancient. His name is synonymous with the #Latin word for boundary stone. The stones were sanctified by a ritual. Concedo nvlli or concedo nulli means “I yield to no one”.

The Hellenic Polytheist Who Sparked The Renaissance Georgios Gemistos Plethon

Giorgios Gemistos Plethon (c. 1355–1452) was the key catalyst for the Florentine Platonic revival. We have strong evidence pointing to the specific, core ideas that were transmitted from Plethon to the Italian humanists, particularly Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola.

Silenus the Wise Father of the Satyrs

Silenus, (Greek: Σειληνος, Σιληνος: Seilênos, Silênos) is famous in mythology for being the adopted father of Dionysos, whom he & the Hyedes, the rain-making nymphs, nurtured in a sweet-smelling cave on the mythical Mount Nysa. Read more about Silenus below.

Reading Omens A Brief History of Græco-Roman Divination

From the #archaic #Italic peoples, to the #Iliad and beyond, we must come to appreciate the importance that archaic and classical communities placed on correctly reading #omens.

This weekend, Classics Tutor paid subscribers will be able to enjoy a brief history of omens and divination in the Græco-Roman world. And speaking of ominous, how about this detail of a terracotta altar with a pretty hair-raising #Gorgon, 6th c. BCE. Palazzo Massimo alle Therme, Rome. #Rome

The Nemean Lion was often seen as a monstrous, chaotic force. By slaying the lion and then wearing its skin, #Hercules turned the threat of death into his own deliverance. Read more»» classicstutor.substack.com/p/esoteric-h...
Coin from Sicily, ca. 405-400 BCE. Hercules strangling the Nemean lion.

Esoteric Hercules The Symbolism of Apotheosis

The ancient cult of #Hercules was one of the most widespread and popular in the entire #ancient #Mediterranean world and beyond, surviving and evolving for well over a thousand years, but what we might think we know about the meaning behind him holds more than a few surprises.

This just in from Cambridge University Press:
The Corpus of Latin Texts on Papyrus (CLTP), a comprehensive reference tool in 6 volumes, gathering nearly 1,500 Latin texts on papyrus. It is a lasting and crucial reference work for all those interested in the history of #Latin & of the #Roman world.

The Fabian Strategy Diversionary Tactics in the Second Punic War

Sometimes unorthodox tactics are the best. Today, we take a quick look at the famous diversionary tactic used against Hannibal’s invasion of Italy by Roman general Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus.
#romanhistory #rome #livy #plutarch #punicwars #hannibal

Faunus The Rustic God of Prophecy

The Faunus ritual stands in contrast to some of the more famous #Greek #oracles, offering a direct, personal encounter between the supplicant and the deity. Read more about the ancient Italic god, Faunus in today’s #Classics Tutor. #ancientrome #romanreligion #rome

Roman Oils for Sport & Frolics! The Græco-Roman Tradition of Aromatic & Medicinal Oils

In this free weekender edition, get ready to be all oiled-up to learn about the use of medicinal and aromatic oils among the #Romans.

Plotinus and the Neoplatonists A Brief History of the Platonic School of Late Antiquity

#Neoplatonism, the school of philosophy and #theology championed by a few wise men and women, was a jewel among those gifts from late antiquity. And it all came together under the quill of a Greek-speaking Egyptian named #Plotinus. Link in the comments.

#lateantiquity #iamblichus #proclus

The Mirror of Diana The Sacred Lake, Grove & Sanctuary of Diana Nemorensis

Under the shimmering natural beauty of Lake Nemi, there is a very ancient and controversial history that involves great Homeric heroes and human sacrifice.

#homer #nemi #rome #diana #mythology

How The Romans Counted Time Marking the Seasons for Kingdom, Republic & Empire

The Roman calendar’s development was a journey from a primitive, ideologically-driven system to a more scientifically accurate, pragmatic one. Learn all about it in today’s free edition of Classics Tutor!

#rome #romanhistory #ovid #fasti #calendars #romanrepublic #juliuscaesar

Read the full article here: classicstutor.substack.com/p/the-mystic...

The Mystical Legacy of Orpheus The Sublime Musician, Bard & Prophet of Ancient Greece

His music was so beautiful that it was said to have charmed wild animals, enticed trees and rocks to dance, and calmed the stormy seas. Read more about divine Orpheus in this issue of Classics Tutor.
#orphism #neoplatonism #greekreligion #mythology

The Toys of Dionysos Ritual Objects of the Orphic Mysteries

In today's FREE edition of Classics Tutor, read about the mysterious playthings which helped initiates develop their spirituality over the course of a millennium, and continue to be the source of inspiration for contemporary students of the mysteries. #orphism #neoplatonism #dionysus

Surprising Sparta Gender, Sexuality and Society in Ancient Laconia

Ancient #Sparta has a certain macho-man mystique that needs to be broken. Read more about it in today’s Classics Tutor!

classicstutor.substack.com/p/surprising...

Apollo, Patron of Migrants A Look at Apollo Metageitnios

In ancient #Greece, when new people settled in an area, or when a community relocated, #Apollo Metageitnios would have been invoked to ensure harmonious integration and establishment of new neighborly relations. Learn all about Apollo, Patron of Migrants, in this free edition of #Classics Tutor!

Bovine Lore in Ancient Greece and Rome Divine epithets, omens and sacrifices

Whether it was an epithet of the queen of the gods, a potent omen, or a bullish sacrifice, bovines clearly occupied a place of dignity and importance in the lore of ancient #Greece and #Rome. Read all about it in today's issue of Classics Tutor!

Græco-Roman Herbal Lore Two Primary Sources from Antiquity

A new free post for those interested in the #healing #arts of #ancient #Greece and #Rome. I hope you like cabbage!

The Mysterious Origins of Plato's Philosophy From Orphism to Egypt and Back Again

Many classics students and interested readers may not truly appreciate how weird Plato’s ideas were during his time. In this in-depth article for my paid subscribers, we explore the mysterious influences which likely informed Plato’s #metaphysics. #Plato #Aristotle #classics #Greek

Scipio Africanus The Roman General Who Changed the Course of History

In today’s free post, learn about one of the ancient world’s greatest tacticians!
classicstutor.substack.com/p/scipio-afr...
#Rome #Carthage #RomanHistory #Tactics #Livy #Polybius #Hannibal #PunicWars

Julius Caesar: Man of the People? Michael Parenti’s "The Assassination of Julius Caesar"

Did you know that before his assassination, Julius Caesar introduced taxes on the Roman elite, pushed for land reform, and championed Rome’s working class? Read all about it in today’s complimentary Classics Tutor!
#Rome #History #Classics #JuliusCaesar