Tag: Ancient History
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Epicurus on pleasure: Epicurus’ views on pleasure and its relation to the good life.

Written by Kavisha Kamalananthan. The philosophy of Epicurus is often overshadowed by his contemporaries or successors, yet his insights into pleasure and the human condition are invaluable. What did he have to say on the ‘good life’? And how has this influenced the history of philosophy?
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The Role of Classics in Social and Political Movements with a focus on the Homeric Influences in Mahmoud Darwish’s Mural (2000) and the Palestinian Crisis

Written by Yasmine Hamud. The influence of Homeric works and classics into modern literature is varied and complex. Yasmine Hamud investigates these influences on literature, and their links to social and cultural movements
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Are the Gospels Reliable Sources? Part Six: “They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths…” – The ‘extracanonical Gospels’

Written by Alex Smith. In the sixth part of this article series asking whether the Gospels are reliable sources, Alex Smith examines the ‘extracanonical Gospels’ and whether these nonbiblical sources can provide any reliable information on the life of Jesus.
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Review: The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood (2005)

Written by Fiona Macrae. Published as part of the Canongate Myth Series, Margaret Atwood’s 2005 novella, ‘The Penelopiad’, recounts the events of the ‘Odyssey’ from the perspective of Penelope. Fiona Macrae discusses how Atwood’s play on the conventions of Greek epic poetry creates a more nuanced female protagonist.
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Are the Gospels Reliable Sources? Part Five: ‘Since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning…’ – The content of the Gospels

Written by Alex Smith. In the fifth part of this article series asking whether the Gospels are reliable sources, Alex Smith examines the content of the Gospels, looking at places and names within these texts.
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Remembrance in Fifth-Century Athens

Written by Fiona Macrae. The wearing of a poppy has become an important symbol for remembering those who gave their lives in battle. Fiona Macrae explores such acts of commemoration in Classical Athens and what parallels can be drawn with our own society.
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The Dark Earth: Hittite Influences on Sapphic poetry

Written by Etta Coleman. Although Sappho’s lyric poetry continues to receive a great deal of attention from scholars, remarkably little about her Eastern influences has been discussed. Etta Coleman explores the manner in which Hittite culture permeates Sappho’s work.
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Dido’s Lament: A Study of Dido’s Final Words

Written by Fiona Macrae. The legendary founder of Carthage, Dido has captured imaginations for a millennium. Here, her final words are explored in their many incarnations, from Virgil, to Ovid, to Purcell.
