Tropaion

Let us start out trip in the world of Classical Blogging...I would like to start with the raising flower from the Hortus Hesperidum or in Greek, simple Ὁ κῆπος Ἑσπερίδων, which ponders on the meaning of 'catching the fortune by the hair', which also points out the connection of fortune and time. Are you interest on time and its religious significance on ancient Greece and Rome why not read the meaning of the Hekatombaion. Do not over look to check the hymn on Helios.

For the Roman world - as well as for the Greek - learn what Hortus Hesperidum has to say about the origins and meaning of October also of September.

Another eminent weblog, actually was the first that 'initiated' me on the Spanish Classical weblogs' circle Los sueños de Hermes. which has a new multicolored design continues to provide us with links from the Spanish speaking blogshere, see for instance the Miércoles para el entusiasmo that introduce the Diccionario - Espanol - Griego and Latin and of an event, once again for the Classical world the CEFIRE of Sagunt - is this the formal web-site?

Leaving the Spanish world of Classics, I am moving to our local Mary Bread, who posted a list of five things that the Romans did during Christmas here. Additionally an excellent answer on the question of whether or not the ancients statues were painted. I wanted to talk about that issue a year ago, but as usually other matters drive me away of such endeavor, I am glad that Mary wrote the post! - there was also a exhibition just for that at the National Museum, Athens (here is the article in Greek, and a picture). Are you curious to know for sure what was the 10 things that the makers of 300 got right? Check them out here. If you want more answers of whether or not the 300 has historical elements check Sparta.

Additionally, Mary published a marvelous post which discuss and seek to answer the question why didn't the Athenians give the women the vote?. I must confess that I have been surprised by Mary's reasoning and logical argumentation. It is like that Mary is answering back to Bettany Hughes latest documentary, entitled Athens, who strives to construct analogical arguments that link the ancient and modern world, especially in matters of culture and religion. I quote from Mary:

You can't apply modern criteria to ancient Athens. Within Baby Athenian culture women were assumed to be un-political animals. [...] They were, almost by definition, incapable of taking the responsible, informed decisions demanded of the (male) citizen body. Different from us, of course; but that’s how the ancients, not just the Athenians, were.

And finally Mary gives us, in my opinion, the best analogical statement on this mater which fully agree with my perspective of the subject:

The analogy we tried was children. If someone were now to suggest that the under-tens should have the vote, we would bring out all those arguments that the Athenians would have brought out against women. They can’t understand the decisions they would have to make. They still need the protection of their parents. It would be irresponsible to entrust major decisions of state or finance to them.

In case you want to watch Bettany Hughes latest documentary - I am not sure that is the full version - you can visit UltraOrange weblog. If you want to comment on the documentary do post them here.

Clioaudio ponders on the Christian message of Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, who was against the fundamentalism of both of Christians and Atheists. A question for him, as well as, for me, who are the fundamentalists Atheists? But let us leave the current rhetorics of the Christian Church and let us see a Sapphic Ode to Pan scientiae. It is not a classical Sapphic ode as we may think of it, but Clio explains and I quote:

[B]ut I’ve plagiarised the metre and the first five words from Stephen Fry’s Example (a) an amauter lyrisist I presume

An excellent and inspirational example of elegy from Cio, do you agree? I do agree!

Though, I did not finish yet from his blog. A very insightful article which estimates the dove population of ancient Greece, draw my attention. Is this an article for doves, the actual living doves? Yes and no. It is an article for doves, but for these doves that made the ancient Greeks to connect constellations and their calendar. I am quoting:

I’m looking at connections between ancient Greek constellations and the Greek calendar. One nice correlation is that the dove migration season in Greece starts about the same time that the constellation Columba, the Dove, rises in the morning sky for the first time [...] the Greek constellations were figures not regions and not all stars were thought to be in constellations [...] It’s surprising how specific the ancient sources are about which stars are in constellations or not.

Over at Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean, Philip ponders on the hardship and quality of life of foreign Immigrants in the Greco-Roman world. Was the Greco-Roman of the Late Antiquity a Xenophobic society? What was the life of the immigrants and foreigners living and working in this world? I quote from Philip:

Often this view of immigrant hardship is coupled with overstated notions regarding the decline of the ancient city in the Hellenistic and following eras, which resulted in general feelings of detachment and a lack of social connection. It is true that immigrants, foreigners or minorities could, at times, be faced with negative attitudes or treatment associated with xenophobia [...] settled elsewhere and formed themselves into associations points rather to the ways in which such “foreigners” maintained connections with the cultural traditions of their homeland while also finding a home for themselves in the society of settlement

Going back to Clioaudio weblog we see an interesting debate on the following question: was there such a thing as ancient “Judaism”? The article contemplates on a recent article by Steve Mason recent on the “Judeans” (Ioudaioi) in antiquity at Philip's Religions of the Ancient Mentiterannean. I would like to quote Clio's thoughts, as I fell the need and desire to agree with him:

To be fair, as far as I can tell there are a good many scholars who have been doing that for years. Still there are also others who are looking to the past to confirm modern issues in ways that, anywhere else in the world, would be dismissed as anachronistic.

Clioaudio will also end this section of the Carnival's varia with an article which embed a BBC's documentary entitled God’s Business: Greek Unorthodox. Once again seems that the relationship between money and organized religion is much closer that many thought.

For that section I would like to visit The New Antiquarian and his photos from the Athens: the temple of Hephaestus, a panoramic photograph of the Roman Agora, the Tower of Winds, Choragis Monument of Lysicrates, Hadrian's Gate and Temple of Zeus, Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

Additionally I would like to invite you to check out the republished Journal of Hellenic Religion (Vol. I) at Google Books (please email me you kind comments - not the unkind)

A new blog entitled History of the British School at Athens is up and running.

Dont overlook to check regularly the Blegen Library News and Rogue Classicism.

Thank you all for reading the latest Tropaion's Carnival, I am waiting for your comments!