Joel

Brothers, Sisters, Wives, and Divine (Dis)Order: Setting things Straight in Iliad 15 Book 15 revisits themes of theomachy (“divine war”) without actually showing the gods at war. The two primary conflicts are between Zeus and Hera and then Zeus and Poseidon. In a way, the first pai…

Brothers, Sisters, Wives, and Divine (Dis)Order: Setting things Straight in Iliad 15

sententiaeantiquae.com/2026/03/09/b...

screenshot from Wikipedia with following etymological information: "The word Erinyes is of uncertain etymology; connections with the verb ὀρίνειν orinein, "to raise, stir, excite", and the noun ἔρις eris, "strife" have been suggested;[19] Robert Beekes suggests that the word probably has a Pre-Greek origin.[20] The word Erinys in the singular and as a theonym is first attested in Mycenaean Greek, written in Linear B, in the following forms: 𐀁𐀪𐀝, e-ri-nu, and 𐀁𐀪𐀝𐀸, e-ri-nu-we. These words are found on the KN Fp 1, KN V 52,[21] and KN Fh 390 tablets.[22]"

In a turn shocking to no one who has dabbled in historical linguistics, Beekes suggests that the name for the Furies--Erinyes--probably has a "pre-Greek origin"

Hitting desalination plants is so bad. Not just evil but strategically incomprehensible. Without desalination 75% of the entire population of the Middle East will be refugees. Israel and Kuwait depend on desalination for 90% of their water and other Middle East states aren’t far behind.

Damn me, but all things are queer

Pasts Imperfect (11.2.23) The Stoicism Renaissance, Medieval Tattoos, Historical Queer Icons, and More

Yup. See @sentantiq.bsky.social : pasts-imperfect.ghost.io/pasts-imperf...

“Why don’t angry people feel the cold?”

Διὰ τί οἱ ὀργιζόμενοι οὐ ῥιγῶσιν;

“Why can’t drunk people have sex?”

Διὰ τί οἱ μεθύοντες ἀφροδισιάζειν ἀδύνατοί εἰσιν; #Aristotle

Some examples of Aristotle's "Problems"

“Why do people fall more while running than walking?”

Διὰ τί μᾶλλον θέοντες ἢ βαδίζοντες πίπτουσιν;

“Why does sitting make some people fat while it makes others thin?”

Διὰ τί ἡ καθέδρα τοὺς μὲν παχύνει τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοὺς δὲ ἰσχναίνει #Aristotle

four headlines: "Why Does Drinking Mess With My Emotions?"; "Who Has the Right to That Parking Spot in Front of the Building?"; "Why Do People Wear Shorts in Winter?"

NYtimes headlines sounding like Aristotle's "Problems"

Born and raised in the Bronx, Justin Castro didn't plan to go to college. Now he’s earned his master’s degree in Poli Science at the CUNY Graduate Center and is considering going for a Ph.D. Learn what a master’s degree from the CUNY Graduate Center can do for you https://www.gc.cuny.edu/ma-info

Cursed episode of Blues Clues

nytimes opinion title: "There Are About 20 Canisters Filled With Uranium Somewhere in Iran. We Must Find Them."

new WMD claims sound like rejected plot from 24 or Homeland

Picture of Attorney General with title "WILD COURT DRAMA -- MULTIPLE judges RIP Pam Bondi to SHREDS"

I'm thinking a production of Euripides' "The Bacchae" with her as Pentheus and a Chorus of Federal Judges.

Names of Athenian Triremes: Investigating Group Cohesiveness and Social Identity in the Athenian Navy of the 4th Century BC - Journal of Maritime Archaeology The set of inscriptions known as the Naval Inventories of Athens (IG II2 1604–IG II2 1632) provide a wealth of information regarding the state of the Athenian navy in the fourth century BC. The inscri...

I guess I didn’t wake up thinking I needed to know the names of the 279 named triremes ⛵️in the 4th century BCE Athenian navy, but it appears we all do. link.springer.com/article/10.1... I do like that 3.58% had animal names like Λεοντῆ (lion skin) and Λέαινα (lioness). Greek epigraphy is fun! 🪦

Midtown from the north of the central park reservoir. Skyscrapers obscured by clouds

Midtown manhattan mingling with the clouds

Zeus and ‘Righting’ the Divine Constitution: An Introduction to Reading Iliad 15 Book 15 is one of those books that makes it hard to imagine the Iliad being constructed entirely out of shorter, more-or-less self-contained songs, insofar as it relies so much on the action of boo…

"The Theogony imagines a Zeus who may be an autocrat but is successful as one because he enjoins his subordinates and guarantees them a place in his realm."

sententiaeantiquae.com/2026/03/05/z...

Zeus and ‘Righting’ the Divine Constitution: An Introduction to Reading Iliad 15 Book 15 is one of those books that makes it hard to imagine the Iliad being constructed entirely out of shorter, more-or-less self-contained songs, insofar as it relies so much on the action of boo…

Zeus and ‘Righting’ the Divine Constitution: An Introduction to Reading Iliad 15

sententiaeantiquae.com/2026/03/05/z...

Such an important issue voiced by exceptional scholars and teachers. Read every word.

Pasts Imperfect (3.5.26) Across the world—from the United States to Canada to Australia—departments and museums within higher education are closing. This week, ancient historian Geoffrey Greatrex discusses the suspension of t...

The latest Pasts Imperfect is out, focused on the closing of humanities depts. & museums. @otavano.bsky.social discusses the U. of Ottawa, @mokersel.bsky.social on the DePaul Art Museum, @meirazk.bsky.social & @vox-magica.bsky.social on shuttering religious studies depts, & Justin Vorhis on U. Iowa.

forgot to tell you about this crazy poll I saw on people who believe in Greek mythology. it had a wild margin of hera

omg this is me

Highlighted: "Myc. (Myceanaean)" for Mycenaean.

I have this published book chapter that was read by at least five or six other people before it reached final proofs and yet...

I freeze at Mycenean. I want that first "e" to be an "ae" so much

Same.

"we are living through unprecedented times". bro these times have so much precedent. these are some of the most precedented times of all time.

Lower manhattan im a misty morning from the northwest side

Lower manhattan, catching the last moments of sunrise

Too bad it’s Book 14 and not Book 10.

Can’t Find a Better Plan? Book 14 splits almost easily into three parts. Poseidon’s actions echo the events of book 14 and Hera’s seduction of Zeus, which involves Poseidon to the extent that he will be rallying the Greeks …

Can’t Find a Better Plan?

[my age makes it impossible not to hum a certain song by Pearl Jam every time I look at that title]

sententiaeantiquae.com/2026/03/03/c...

YouTube video by Homer Hotline Of Narratives and Nature with Prof. Joel Christensen (ep. 103)

I've admired @kevinsolez.bsky.social since he contributed expertise on Homer to Pharos when we were writing about the casting of David Gyasi to play Achilles. He's now hosting expert guests, including @sentantiq.bsky.social, at his "Homer Hotline" on YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=C30u...

Can’t Find a Better Plan? Book 14 splits almost easily into three parts. Poseidon’s actions echo the events of book 14 and Hera’s seduction of Zeus, which involves Poseidon to the extent that he will be rallying the Greeks …

Can’t Find a Better Plan?

sententiaeantiquae.com/2026/03/03/c...