This first article offers selections from a description of the Roman Empire by one Chinese author of the third century AD, and how the Chinese view of this vast, but distant, state was influenced by their trade ties.
Then, in “The Ancient Crocodile Hunters That Helped to Supply the Roman Games,” we learn more of Rome’s fascination with these exotic beasts.
And lastly, this ninth-century Byzantine manuscript of Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica contains charming illustrations of various pharmaceutical critters — several of whom are depicted in the act of defecating!
ETAW Workshop – March 10, 2026
March 6, 2026
Sphinxes, lions, griffins, winged demons, angels, chimeras of all sorts are some of the most captivating and enduring images of Mediterranean antiquity. Monsters are found across in objects of all sizes, from tiny scarab amulets to monumental statues, across the region. They were part of the visual imaginary of people in antiquity, cutting across regions, periods, social classes, and communities.