Anyone else interested in the ancient world?

[Harp]

"γνῶθι σεαυτόν". Pronounced as "gnothi se afton". Literally means "Know Thyself". It was inscribed in the Temple of Apollo in the Oracle of Delphi, before the Christians (the butcher Theodosius) destroyed it (unluckily not the only one)...

The excess of an intolerant theologian.

 

[dnjan]

I have a friend in the Classics department. This quarter she was teaching a class on "STEM in the Ancient World", and she asked me to give a guest lecture on Concrete in Ancient Rome.
Amazing how advanced they were. And interesting how some of the ancient writings were re-discovered during the Renaissance, which contributed to some of the "advanced construction" of that period.

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

I've stood under the poured concrete dome of the Pantheon in Rome. Nearly 2000 years old and as perfect as the day it was first poured. Those people knew a thing or two about concrete.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Took my teenaged kids to Rome last year and tried to sink into their heads what they were seeing. Like throwing spaghetti against a wall; hopefully some of it will stick. Pantheon is so well preserved. Truly amazing. Not in Rome, but the roman harbor of Caesaria in Israel is also remarkable; largest artificial port in the world at the time and somehow they mastered the art of cement construction under water. It always struck me as particularly telling about the advanced state of roman construction skills.

 

[dnjan]

I've stood under the poured concrete dome of the Pantheon in Rome. Nearly 2000 years old and as perfect as the day it was first poured. Those people knew a thing or two about concrete.

And the structural engineering for that dome isn't bad either.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Amazing what can be done with an unlimited supply of slave labor.

 

[dnjan]

Yes, kind of tilts the economics differently than today's construction.

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

Amazing what can be done with an unlimited supply of slave labor.

This is something the Chinese understand, hence the gigantic engineering projects they're engaged in right now.

 

[Harris HTM]

Strange enough today I came across a video about the construction of probably the first underground tunnel of the world in Samos, Greece:

 

[Fading Fast]

As horribly wrong as it was, the world was a slave world at that time. Still, the technological advances Rome made were not at the end of a whip but the product of man's mind. Quite impressive.

 

[Harp]

As horribly wrong as it was, the world was a slave world at that time... advances Rome made were not at the end of a whip but the product of man's mind. Quite impressive.

Epictetus comes to mind.

 

[hatsRme]

I've stood under the poured concrete dome of the Pantheon in Rome. Nearly 2000 years old and as perfect as the day it was first poured. Those people knew a thing or two about concrete.

My friend Tony Debennedetto always said that concrete is really the true Italian birthstone.

 

[DesertDan]

Spent many years studying the European medieval period and engaged in medieval re-creation. Gave many lectures and presentations to groups ranging from kindergarteners to adults.

I have always been fascinated by the Mayan civilization and the later Aztecs and Incas. So I have started more in depth reading on the Maya with plans to really dive in as deep as I can. Much is still being discovered and I believe the subject is going to offer us further surprises in years to come.

 

[Tiki Tom]

A famously "cursed" artifact comes up for sale and --surprise, surprise-- all sorts of bad fortune happens to the guy who claims to be its owner. Or, perhaps, could the bad luck be happening because the artifact was most likely looted illegally from Syria? Instant karma (and the long arm of the law) gonna get you.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...ent-assyrian-curse-commissioner-metropolitan/

 

[Tiki Tom]

New dead sea scrolls cave discovered.
This amazes me. I would have thought the Holy Land is one of the most trampled on pieces or real estate in the world. It strikes me as remarkable that caves are still being found.

http://www.kpax.com/story/34461013/new-dead-sea-scrolls-cave-discovered

 

[Tiki Tom]

Classics scholars at Princeton are no longer required to learn Latin or Ancient Greek.
I'd hope that a lot of the motivation to become a Classics Scholar is the prospect and joy of getting to learn Latin or Ancient Greek. What is the point, otherwise? Pretty soon only Jesuit Priests will be speaking Latin.

https://thecollegepost.com/princeton-removes-greek-latin/

 

[Harp]

Classics scholars at Princeton are no longer required to learn Latin or Ancient Greek.
I'd hope that a lot of the motivation to become a Classics Scholar is the prospect and joy of getting to learn Latin or Ancient Greek. What is the point, otherwise? Pretty soon only Jesuit Priests will be speaking Latin.

https://thecollegepost.com/princeton-removes-greek-latin/

The boiled down to the brass tacks of it all is that Princeton is deliberately dumbing down the curriculum for whatever rationale, rhyme, or reason; though I suspect the motives are typical asinine academia.
Ancient Greek and Latin are necessary requisite languages for the classics.

 

[Bushman]

Cutting out Ancient Greece?! They might as well just cut out Ancient Egypt or Ancient Rome!

 

[Harp]

When I was in service I had my ass kicked all over the globe, including some time in Greece,
which prefaced enrollment at the University of Illinois-Chicago, which offered both ancient and modern Greek,
Latin, and the usual suspect Indo European derivatives. "Greektown" was next door and native Greeks spoke their
first language openly. German was my baccalaureate core lingua but I tried to spread things out so I could perfect
what Greek I picked up and read ancient philosophers. Latin from Catholic school days added at university level
and deep classical reading. Problems with the GI Bill forced transfer to another college; which quite unexpectedly
had deep financial pockets and a very generous endowment, awarding an academic scholarship after my initial term.
I couldn't afford the cheaper state university because of its inept administrative caused Veterans Administration
hassle, so I stayed put at the more expensive but free private institution where I took my degree.
But, I always felt cheated, denied the full ride through the classics and languages, still struggling in spare time
to make up. Second-generation Irish got to university with Vietnam's GI Bill, stuck it out through adversity,
grateful, but reading now about how Princeton dices and slices away eons of educational enrichment for the sake
of making a statement, I feel for the students who will miss finding all this reposited treasure.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Yes, as the son of immigrants I also got my education thanks to the G.I. Bill. State schools... but good enough to get my foot into the stirrups of a career. Latin and Greek always an interest of mine, but definitely second string to more “practical” considerations. Fortunately the job took me to Europe and languages were no longer purely a luxury. Alas, Latin and Greek are still limited to a few phrases. (Some useful phrases in the case of Greek.) But went through a long period of studying the history and visiting the sites/cities. But I can count on one hand the people I’ve met, over the years, who give a hang about the subject or can talk about it beyond a few platitudes. My wife sometimes fears that I’m boring people when I launch into a digression involving Romans, Greeks, etc. But every once in a while, the magic strikes and I feel the old stones talking to me.