Tag: Classics
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The Achaemenid Rulers: Dogmatic or Pragmatic?
Written by Kavisha Kamalanathan. The history of the Achaemenid rulers and their legacy of brutality has often been told through the lens of the Ancient Greek writers who immortalised them. However, an examination of contemporaneous Eastern sources reveals a markedly different picture of the Persian kings.
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The Mercy of Forests
Written by Megan Crutchley. What has the role of forest been in folklore? Megan Crutchley examines it as a place of mercy and magic in relation to Greek and German myths and folktales.
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The Art of Love: Ovid’s Valentine Tips
Written by Fiona Macrae. In the first century, Ovid instructed readers of the “Ars Amatoria” on how to find (and keep) love. Two millennia later, Fiona Macrae shares his guidance for the modern Classicist to employ in the search for “amor” this Valentine’s Day.
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Should we be Applying the Term “Religion” to Ancient Societies?
Written by Kavisha Kamalanathan. Is justifiable to project the term “religion” backwards to ancient societies? Kavisha Kamalanathan discusses the nuances of ancient Greek and Roman belief systems, their relation to nature, society and the state, pointing to them being in many crucial ways fundamentally different from our modern notions of religion.
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Pompeii: Digging the details with Jasmine Khelil
Written by Fiona Macrae. Despite just being in her second year of a History and Classics undergraduate degree, Jasmine Khelil has had the opportunity to dig at some of the most renowned archaeological sites in the world, including Pompeii. In this interview, Fiona Macrae discusses Jasmine’s route into archaeology, her experiences and her advice for those hoping to enter the discipline.
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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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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.
Retrospect Journal 