Cover for Ancient Mediterranean Incarceration, featuring Titus Kaphar's portrait "Jerome II"

Publication day for a book that Matthew and I spent six years on, anguished over, fought for, rewrote twice, and nearly abandoned. I hope it proves useful in continuing important conversations about the ancient world and about the societies we choose to build today.

www.ucpress.edu/books/ancien...

La rioccupazione nell’Insula meridionalis di Pompei dopo il 79 d.C. Riflessioni a margine dell’“inconscio archeologico” - Pompeii Sites L’Insula meridionalis, ovvero il quartiere meridionale del centro urbano antico di Pompei, che si estende tra la ‘Villa Imperiale’ a ovest e il Quadriportico dei Teatri a est, è attualmente … Continua

Did survivors come back? The E-Journal degli Scavi di Pompei has a new article on “La rioccupazione nell’Insula meridionalis di Pompei dopo il 79 d.C. Riflessioni a margine dell’“inconscio archeologico”—the reoccupation of an insula at Pompeii into the 5th century CE when some returned to the city 🌋

🙋🏻‍♀️🙏

PSA: The Frakes Maneuver should never be attempted on full-height chairs.
#ST:SNW

So excited that my book has a cover. Michigan's design people have outdone themselves in their styling of Mr. Murder Mittens (a massive Roman temple key from Switzerland). Full details here (the e-version will be open access come the publication date): press.umich.edu/Books/S/Stea...

New to Dickinson College Commentaries: Books 1 and 4 of the Odyssey have now been added.

dcc.dickinson.edu/homer-odysse...

47. T. as a DM: constructs an entire political economy for his imaginary world, and gets irrationally cross when the others just want to fight trolls.

Don’t know how I missed this two months ago, but excited to add to my TBR now.

The temperature here has finally backed off ever so slightly, which my subconscious apparently decided meant it was time to start laying in winter provisions. All that to say I just bought several pounds of beans

Why Does Elon Musk Have Such a Straight View of Antiquity? Musk and other conservatives often omit the role of queer soldiers in ancient military successes when extolling the virtues of Greek warriors.

My latest for @hyperallergic.com is on Elon Musk’s reference to Epaminondas—and what he missed about the Battle of Leuctra. Mainly? Look to the Sacred Band of Thebes for an argument for the strength of LGTBQ soldiers. Thanks to James Romm for speaking to me and @valentinadl.bsky.social for her edits

A view into the tomb, showing various pottery vessels

A view into the tomb, in the background archaeologists at work

New discovery: Archaeologists have uncovered a rare, intact Etruscan chamber tomb – a discovery hailed as one of the most significant finds in recent decades for understanding the ancient pre-Roman civilization. 

news.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2...

🏺

#AncientBluesky

#AncientBluesky

This only makes me want one more.

Um, was I the only one who didn’t know about the @orbitbooks.bsky.social special editions?

*screenshots & sends to family*

Front covers of the Illumicrate special editions of the Indian Lake Trilogy by @sgj.bsky.social. The first cover features the protagonist, Jade, in profile with a bloody machete on her shoulder. The second shows her three quarters front wielding a bloody hammer. The final cover has her staring directly forward, a bloody axe raised behind her head.

The back covers of Illumicrate’s special editions of the Indian Lake Trilogy by @sjg.bsky.social featuring a swan boat on the lake at the end of summer on the first cover. The second shows three deer approaching the edge of the lake through snow. The final cover is centered on a bare limbed tree on the lake with houses in the background.

The sprayed fore edges of Illumicrate’s special editions of the Indian Lake Trilogy by @sgj.bsky.social. They have been painted to look like old school VHS tapes with hand-lettered labels.

Oh, I’m in trouble. Look at these special editions for the Indian Lake Trilogy.

Big news!

A) CripA is now on Bluesky

B) You can now donate to us!

Today on Ancient Office Hours, actor Magnus Bruun, (voice of male Eivor in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla), chats about the rich history/mythology of Scandinavia, playing Cnut in "The Last Kingdom”, and share some behind-the-scenes stories from working on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla!

Really thrilled that my second book is now published! It explores the life of Tacfarinas, a C1st AD auxiliary soldier-deserter-bandit-rebel who came to lead a revolt against #Rome in NW Africa during the early reign of Tiberius. He is a truly fascinating figure in #Roman history! 🏺AncientBlueSky

Affiche très sobre, fond noir. En haut "A film by Christopher Nolan. The Odyssey. Shot entirely with imax film cameras" en bleu clair, puis "Defy the gods" en rouge et la date de sortie "07.12.26" en bleu. En bas de l'affiche entourée de fumée et de braises qui vole dans l'air, une tête de statue tombée en arrière comme cassée, en écho au "défi les dieux" adressé à Ulysse et aux spectateurs.

Gros plan sur la tête

Première affiche officielle pour l'Odyssée de Christopher Nolan : Défie les dieux. En bas, une statue renversée, dans la fumée et les braises... en écho a ce sous-titre ?
On part donc peut-être sur l'idée du déicide très à la mode depuis quelques années dans la culture populaire.

I had a joke about Valentinian II, but it was short-lived.

OMG YES

New Classes in Ancient Greek and Latin, starting in 3 weeks' time!
thepatrologist.com/2025/06/18/p...

Elephant Capital 1st century в.c.-early 1st century A.D. Limestone Petra, Great Temple Department of Antiquities of Jordan, Amman Excavations at the building known as the Great Temple at Petra uncovered hundreds of column capitals whose corners terminate in elephant heads. Unique to Nabataean architecture, they derive from lonic column capitals, which end in volutes (spiral scrolls) at either side. Some adaptations have four volutes, one at each corner, which are transformed in this design into elephant heads whose trunks evoke the spirals of the original form. The elephants may refer to Dionysos and his mythological journey to India.

Elephant Capital 1st century в.c.-early 1st century A.D. Limestone Petra, Great Temple Department of Antiquities of Jordan, Amman Excavations at the building known as the Great Temple at Petra uncovered hundreds of column capitals whose corners terminate in elephant heads. Unique to Nabataean architecture, they derive from lonic column capitals, which end in volutes (spiral scrolls) at either side. Some adaptations have four volutes, one at each corner, which are transformed in this design into elephant heads whose trunks evoke the spirals of the original form. The elephants may refer to Dionysos and his mythological journey to India.

Elephant Capital 1st century в.c.-early 1st century A.D. Limestone Petra, Great Temple Department of Antiquities of Jordan, Amman Excavations at the building known as the Great Temple at Petra uncovered hundreds of column capitals whose corners terminate in elephant heads. Unique to Nabataean architecture, they derive from lonic column capitals, which end in volutes (spiral scrolls) at either side. Some adaptations have four volutes, one at each corner, which are transformed in this design into elephant heads whose trunks evoke the spirals of the original form. The elephants may refer to Dionysos and his mythological journey to India.

I used to note that UNC had some Corinthian capitals made to look like tobacco leaves, but a much better (& ancient) capital modification are the elephant volutes of Petra (1stC BCE-1stC CE) Great Temple, Dept. of Antiquities of Jordan, Amman. Nabataean artisans were likely referring to Dionysos’ 🐘

No notes 🤌

The problem with being a history geek is that you read one random line in an ancient text, or book, or skeet and next thing you know you’ve started the Deep Dive and your library’s ILL has cut you off.

A Black photographer takes a self portrait, text overlayed reads: "Untold stories from Black art archives. Read full story getty.edu/news"

Art archives in the United States hold thousands of items that tell the story of Black art history. Here are a few of those stories.

(🧵1/5)

Ohhhhh, *measure* twice, cut once.

A Letter to Home from a Weary ICE Agent Dearest Beloved, I received your missive of Thursday last with the greatest of gratitude, as I and my brave compatriots have five hours now awaited...

"We beseech the Lord daily to protect our high-capacity automatic rifles and Kevlar vests from the ravages of the possible but not very likely stone or block of wood that could be hurled our way by a weeping child or hysterical mother as we pry their loved ones from their hands."