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Continue reading →: BSA Greek Numismatics Course 2025
In March 2025, I had the privilege of studying at the 2 week Greek Numismatics course at the British School at Athens. Here’s some general information about the course, as well as some personal reflections. The course runs in March every 2 years- the next scheduled course will therefore be…
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Continue reading →: The Madness of Hercules
The Coin The figure depicted on the reverse of this ancient coin from Thasos shows a naked muscular figure with a lionskin slung over his left shoulder and carrying a studded club in his right hand. This would have been instantly recognisable to anyone in the ancient world as Hercules…
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Dionysus: the gender fluid god
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Continue reading →: Dionysus: the gender fluid godIntroduction The beautiful ancient coin in Figure 1 is from the Greek island of Thasos. You would be forgiven if you wondered whether the figure depicted, with an elaborate headdress and flowing locks, was a male or a female. This is the Greek god Dionysus (or Dionysos). The Roman equivalent…
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Continue reading →: The Murder of Eratosthenes: sex, lies and betrayal in Ancient Athens
Introduction Athens in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE was a well-ordered democracy with a sophisticated legal system. The major tasks of policing- investigation, apprehension, prosecution and enforcement- were carried out by the citizens themselves. A citizen charged with an offence would be able to plead his case in front…
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Continue reading →: Bob Dylan and the Classics
Introduction When the American folk and rock musician Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016, the rationale for this decision was questioned around the world (Ball, 2011). The Nobel Prize for Literature is conferred by the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Sweden, and is regarded as the…
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Continue reading →: Cleopatra’s Goitre
Introduction Cleopatra VII (69-30 BCE) is arguably Egypt’s most iconic Queen. She had love affairs with two of the most influential rulers of the Roman Empire of the time- Julius Caesar and Mark Antony- and was the last of the Ptolemaic rulers prior to Egypt’s annexation by Rome in 30…
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Continue reading →: Hadrian and the making of a god
Introduction In my previous post, P. Carisius: A celebration of Roman conquest, I discussed how the Emperor Augustus used the fact that his adoptive father Julius Caesar had been deified after death to help legitimise his rule. I had several questions regarding this, and thought it would be useful to…
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Continue reading →: P. Carisius: A Celebration of Roman Conquest
Introduction Augustus (63 BCE- 14 CE) is generally considered to be the first Roman emperor, who instituted a new ideological system for empire that lasted for three centuries. By the mid to late first century BCE, the ravages of decades of civil war resulted in a beleaguered Roman state eager…
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Continue reading →: T. Carisius – A Very Special Coin
Introduction This Roman Republic coin is one of the most interesting coins from antiquity in that it depicts the implements used in striking ancient coins and consequently stimulates debate on the workings of the Roman mint itself. In addition, it is an interesting coin to consider in relation to the…
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Continue reading →: Roman Bathing: What are the facts?
Introduction Roman baths were ubiquitous throughout the Roman Empire during a period of many hundreds of years, a testament to their importance to Roman culture and identity. In the modern world we can marvel at the large scale magnificence of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome (Fig. 1) or the…
Hello,
I’m Catherine
Welcome to my Classics blog. I am a recent MSc Classics and Ancient History graduate from the University of Glasgow and will be publishing posts on the ancient world. My main interests include Myth, Reception Studies and Numismatics. I also have a medical degree which brings a different perspective to topics around the ancient world.
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