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Classics in the news
It has been a busy few weeks in Classics-related news. Here is a roundup of some of the articles that have come to our attention (and is not necessarily comprehensive). Note that some pieces may be behind a paywall.
- He Wants to Save Classics From Whiteness. Can the Field Survive?
- Dan-el Padilla Peralta thinks classicists should knock ancient Greece and Rome off their pedestal — even if that means destroying their discipline.
- Why Classical Studies Needs Scholars Like Dan-el Padilla Peralta
- Objections to his work and views are misplaced.
- If Classics Doesn’t Change, Let It Burn
- The field as is doesn’t deserve to persist. But scholars are hard at work improving it.
- Opinion: Why I won’t surrender the classics to the far right
- Virgil’s Aeneid Gives Hope to Totalitarians after Failed Capitol Attack
- Ancient Rome Has an Urgent Warning for Us
- The era of the Antonine Plague offers a reminder of what a powerful force nature has been throughout human history.
A Few Articles for the Weekend (June 24th)
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!