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#ancientgreece — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #ancientgreece, aggregated by home.social.

  1. ⏱️ NEW: #Ctesibius, a Greek inventor of the 3rd century BCE, turned the ancient #clepsydra into an automated #water clock.

    A feeding reservoir steadied the flow, while a siphon reset the cycle each day and a floating marker tracked daylight hours. It beat every clock on #Earth until 1656, when the pendulum arrived.

    👉 openculture.com/2026/09/the-an

    #ancientgreece #greece #history #science #invention #engineering #automation #technology #tech

  2. ⏱️ NEW: #Ctesibius, a Greek inventor of the 3rd century BCE, turned the ancient #clepsydra into an automated #water clock.

    A feeding reservoir steadied the flow, while a siphon reset the cycle each day and a floating marker tracked daylight hours. It beat every clock on #Earth until 1656, when the pendulum arrived.

    👉 openculture.com/2026/09/the-an

    #ancientgreece #greece #history #science #invention #engineering #automation #technology #tech

  3. ⏱️ NEW: #Ctesibius, a Greek inventor of the 3rd century BCE, turned the ancient #clepsydra into an automated #water clock.

    A feeding reservoir steadied the flow, while a siphon reset the cycle each day and a floating marker tracked daylight hours. It beat every clock on #Earth until 1656, when the pendulum arrived.

    👉 openculture.com/2026/09/the-an

    #ancientgreece #greece #history #science #invention #engineering #automation #technology #tech

  4. ⏱️ NEW: #Ctesibius, a Greek inventor of the 3rd century BCE, turned the ancient #clepsydra into an automated #water clock.

    A feeding reservoir steadied the flow, while a siphon reset the cycle each day and a floating marker tracked daylight hours. It beat every clock on #Earth until 1656, when the pendulum arrived.

    👉 openculture.com/2026/09/the-an

    #ancientgreece #greece #history #science #invention #engineering #automation #technology #tech

  5. ⏱️ NEW: #Ctesibius, a Greek inventor of the 3rd century BCE, turned the ancient #clepsydra into an automated #water clock.

    A feeding reservoir steadied the flow, while a siphon reset the cycle each day and a floating marker tracked daylight hours. It beat every clock on #Earth until 1656, when the pendulum arrived.

    👉 openculture.com/2026/09/the-an

    #ancientgreece #greece #history #science #invention #engineering #automation #technology #tech

  6. ✨New Episode - You Are Odysseus with GreekMythComix✨

    We chat with Laura Jenkinson-Brown about her amazing book ‘You Are Odysseus’ which shakes up Homer’s epic poem by placing the reader in the centre of the story and all its complexities.

    For a chance to explore the different myths connected with Odysseus, this is an interactive reading adventure without compare!

    #AncientGreece #Odysseus #Odyssey #Podcast

    Listen in now! partialhistorians.com/2026/09/

  7. fromoldbooks.org/Sachsen-Odyss

    Another engraving from Homer’s Odyssey. Seems like a good time for them :-)

    This time i included the border, which is also used for the full-page illustrations.

    Can you tell me more about what’s going on here? This is at the start of the poem. See Web page for my uninformed guesses :-)

    #vintageEngraving #vintageArt #fobo #Homer #Odysseus #Odysee #Odyssey #ancientGreece #chapterHead #engraving

  8. So, I read an excellent essay about #ToxicMasculinity a few years ago. Pretty much, it has to do with #hierarchy (#capitalism / #colonialism) making men feel powerless -- so they bully other men for dominance, and the result is dominating attitudes toward those perceived as lower in status (women, girls, foreigners, etc).

    In many ways, it goes way back to #AncientGreece -- pretty much, the only ones who had any rights at all were landowning men who were Greek citizens. And, of course, power, wealth and status dominating over those dominated men. #TheOdyssey and #Odysseus' attitude toward women (other than Penelope), those of lesser status, and foreigners -- was typical of the Achaean male viewpoint.

    @Remittancegirl @Crystal_Fish_Caves

  9. Pyrrho of Elis: The Philosopher Who Found Peace in Doubt

    The Traveler Who Questioned Certainty Born around 360 BCE in Elis, Greece, Pyrrho stands as the founder of Ancient Skepticism, a radical philosophical tradition that challenges the very possibility of certain knowledge. His life took a dramatic turn when he accompanied Alexander the Great on his expedition to India. There, he encountered the gymnosophists ("naked wise men"), likely early Buddhist monks. This cross-cultural encounter profoundly transformed his thinking. He synthesized Eastern insights—particularly the Buddhist "Three Marks of Existence" (impermanence, suffering, and no-self)—with Greek philosophical rigor, creating a unique path focused not on discovering truth, but on suspending judgment to achieve peace.

    Radical Skepticism: "We Know Nothing" Pyrrho’s core assertion was startlingly simple yet devastatingly deep: "We are so constituted that we know nothing." He argued that our senses and opinions reveal neither objective truth nor definitive falsehood. For every argument, there is an equally convincing counter-argument (isosthenia). Whether discussing the nature of the gods, the existence of the self, or the principles of morality, human reason cannot definitively settle the question.

    This isn't cynicism or a claim that reality doesn't exist. It's a recognition of the gap between our experience and the world-in-itself. Because we cannot bridge this gap with absolute certainty, Pyrrho proposed a revolutionary response: Epoché—the disciplined suspension of judgment. Instead of committing to "this is true" or "that is false," the skeptic holds beliefs lightly, refusing to be dogmatic.

    Ataraxia: The Goal of Liberation Why suspend judgment? To achieve Ataraxia (tranquility, freedom from disturbance). Pyrrho observed that much of human suffering stems from the anxiety of needing to be right, the fear of being wrong, and the mental exhaustion of defending rigid certainties in an uncertain world.

    The Cure: By letting go of the need for absolute certainty, one frees oneself from the turbulence of dogmatic belief.
    Not Withdrawal: This is not nihilism or disengagement. Pyrrho lived a full civic life, served as a magistrate, and participated in society. He simply did so without the burden of claiming ultimate truth. He acted according to appearances, customs, and practical necessity, but without the psychological weight of dogma.
    Key Practices: A Way of Life Pyrrhonism is a practical philosophy of life, not just abstract theory. Its toolkit includes:

    Epoché: Suspending judgment on all matters, refusing to commit to any position as definitively true.
    Acatalepsy: Recognizing that certain knowledge is ultimately unattainable; we cannot "grasp" truth with absolute confidence.

    Aporia: Embracing puzzlement and doubt as natural, desirable states that keep inquiry alive, rather than problems to be solved.

    Adiaphora: Regarding things as indifferent—neither inherently good nor bad, true nor false—freeing ourselves from attachment to outcomes or beliefs.

    Legacy: From Antiquity to the Digital Age Though Pyrrho wrote nothing himself, his teachings were preserved by followers like Timon and later systematized by Sextus Empiricus (c. 200 CE). Pyrrhonism resurfaced powerfully during the Renaissance (influencing Montaigne) and the Enlightenment (shaping David Hume). Today, in an era of information overload, competing narratives, and polarized discourse, Pyrrho’s wisdom feels prophetic.

    Intellectual Humility: Holding beliefs lightly allows for genuine engagement across differences.
    Mental Tranquility: Accepting the limits of knowledge frees us from the anxiety of uncertainty.
    Critical Thinking: Rigorous examination of arguments without descending into cynicism or paralysis.
    Pyrrho offers a timeless guide: True wisdom lies not in having all the answers, but in being comfortable with the questions. In a world drowning in competing certainties, the peace found in doubt may be the most radical liberation of all.

    To listen to the lecture: https://tube.leshley.ca/w/pMo9s8kDutuD5dSL4awfpA

    #Philosophy #AncientGreece #HistoryOfIdeas #Mindfulness #MentalHealth #Wisdom #LifelongLearning #Epistemology
  10. Pyrrho of Elis: The Philosopher Who Found Peace in Doubt

    The Traveler Who Questioned Certainty Born around 360 BCE in Elis, Greece, Pyrrho stands as the founder of Ancient Skepticism, a radical philosophical tradition that challenges the very possibility of certain knowledge. His life took a dramatic turn when he accompanied Alexander the Great on his expedition to India. There, he encountered the gymnosophists ("naked wise men"), likely early Buddhist monks. This cross-cultural encounter profoundly transformed his thinking. He synthesized Eastern insights—particularly the Buddhist "Three Marks of Existence" (impermanence, suffering, and no-self)—with Greek philosophical rigor, creating a unique path focused not on discovering truth, but on suspending judgment to achieve peace.

    Radical Skepticism: "We Know Nothing" Pyrrho’s core assertion was startlingly simple yet devastatingly deep: "We are so constituted that we know nothing." He argued that our senses and opinions reveal neither objective truth nor definitive falsehood. For every argument, there is an equally convincing counter-argument (isosthenia). Whether discussing the nature of the gods, the existence of the self, or the principles of morality, human reason cannot definitively settle the question.

    This isn't cynicism or a claim that reality doesn't exist. It's a recognition of the gap between our experience and the world-in-itself. Because we cannot bridge this gap with absolute certainty, Pyrrho proposed a revolutionary response: Epoché—the disciplined suspension of judgment. Instead of committing to "this is true" or "that is false," the skeptic holds beliefs lightly, refusing to be dogmatic.

    Ataraxia: The Goal of Liberation Why suspend judgment? To achieve Ataraxia (tranquility, freedom from disturbance). Pyrrho observed that much of human suffering stems from the anxiety of needing to be right, the fear of being wrong, and the mental exhaustion of defending rigid certainties in an uncertain world.

    The Cure: By letting go of the need for absolute certainty, one frees oneself from the turbulence of dogmatic belief.
    Not Withdrawal: This is not nihilism or disengagement. Pyrrho lived a full civic life, served as a magistrate, and participated in society. He simply did so without the burden of claiming ultimate truth. He acted according to appearances, customs, and practical necessity, but without the psychological weight of dogma.
    Key Practices: A Way of Life Pyrrhonism is a practical philosophy of life, not just abstract theory. Its toolkit includes:

    Epoché: Suspending judgment on all matters, refusing to commit to any position as definitively true.
    Acatalepsy: Recognizing that certain knowledge is ultimately unattainable; we cannot "grasp" truth with absolute confidence.

    Aporia: Embracing puzzlement and doubt as natural, desirable states that keep inquiry alive, rather than problems to be solved.

    Adiaphora: Regarding things as indifferent—neither inherently good nor bad, true nor false—freeing ourselves from attachment to outcomes or beliefs.

    Legacy: From Antiquity to the Digital Age Though Pyrrho wrote nothing himself, his teachings were preserved by followers like Timon and later systematized by Sextus Empiricus (c. 200 CE). Pyrrhonism resurfaced powerfully during the Renaissance (influencing Montaigne) and the Enlightenment (shaping David Hume). Today, in an era of information overload, competing narratives, and polarized discourse, Pyrrho’s wisdom feels prophetic.

    Intellectual Humility: Holding beliefs lightly allows for genuine engagement across differences.
    Mental Tranquility: Accepting the limits of knowledge frees us from the anxiety of uncertainty.
    Critical Thinking: Rigorous examination of arguments without descending into cynicism or paralysis.
    Pyrrho offers a timeless guide: True wisdom lies not in having all the answers, but in being comfortable with the questions. In a world drowning in competing certainties, the peace found in doubt may be the most radical liberation of all.

    To listen to the lecture: https://tube.leshley.ca/w/pMo9s8kDutuD5dSL4awfpA

    #Philosophy #AncientGreece #HistoryOfIdeas #Mindfulness #MentalHealth #Wisdom #LifelongLearning #Epistemology
  11. Pyrrho of Elis: The Philosopher Who Found Peace in Doubt

    The Traveler Who Questioned Certainty Born around 360 BCE in Elis, Greece, Pyrrho stands as the founder of Ancient Skepticism, a radical philosophical tradition that challenges the very possibility of certain knowledge. His life took a dramatic turn when he accompanied Alexander the Great on his expedition to India. There, he encountered the gymnosophists ("naked wise men"), likely early Buddhist monks. This cross-cultural encounter profoundly transformed his thinking. He synthesized Eastern insights—particularly the Buddhist "Three Marks of Existence" (impermanence, suffering, and no-self)—with Greek philosophical rigor, creating a unique path focused not on discovering truth, but on suspending judgment to achieve peace.

    Radical Skepticism: "We Know Nothing" Pyrrho’s core assertion was startlingly simple yet devastatingly deep: "We are so constituted that we know nothing." He argued that our senses and opinions reveal neither objective truth nor definitive falsehood. For every argument, there is an equally convincing counter-argument (isosthenia). Whether discussing the nature of the gods, the existence of the self, or the principles of morality, human reason cannot definitively settle the question.

    This isn't cynicism or a claim that reality doesn't exist. It's a recognition of the gap between our experience and the world-in-itself. Because we cannot bridge this gap with absolute certainty, Pyrrho proposed a revolutionary response: Epoché—the disciplined suspension of judgment. Instead of committing to "this is true" or "that is false," the skeptic holds beliefs lightly, refusing to be dogmatic.

    Ataraxia: The Goal of Liberation Why suspend judgment? To achieve Ataraxia (tranquility, freedom from disturbance). Pyrrho observed that much of human suffering stems from the anxiety of needing to be right, the fear of being wrong, and the mental exhaustion of defending rigid certainties in an uncertain world.

    The Cure: By letting go of the need for absolute certainty, one frees oneself from the turbulence of dogmatic belief.
    Not Withdrawal: This is not nihilism or disengagement. Pyrrho lived a full civic life, served as a magistrate, and participated in society. He simply did so without the burden of claiming ultimate truth. He acted according to appearances, customs, and practical necessity, but without the psychological weight of dogma.
    Key Practices: A Way of Life Pyrrhonism is a practical philosophy of life, not just abstract theory. Its toolkit includes:

    Epoché: Suspending judgment on all matters, refusing to commit to any position as definitively true.
    Acatalepsy: Recognizing that certain knowledge is ultimately unattainable; we cannot "grasp" truth with absolute confidence.

    Aporia: Embracing puzzlement and doubt as natural, desirable states that keep inquiry alive, rather than problems to be solved.

    Adiaphora: Regarding things as indifferent—neither inherently good nor bad, true nor false—freeing ourselves from attachment to outcomes or beliefs.

    Legacy: From Antiquity to the Digital Age Though Pyrrho wrote nothing himself, his teachings were preserved by followers like Timon and later systematized by Sextus Empiricus (c. 200 CE). Pyrrhonism resurfaced powerfully during the Renaissance (influencing Montaigne) and the Enlightenment (shaping David Hume). Today, in an era of information overload, competing narratives, and polarized discourse, Pyrrho’s wisdom feels prophetic.

    Intellectual Humility: Holding beliefs lightly allows for genuine engagement across differences.
    Mental Tranquility: Accepting the limits of knowledge frees us from the anxiety of uncertainty.
    Critical Thinking: Rigorous examination of arguments without descending into cynicism or paralysis.
    Pyrrho offers a timeless guide: True wisdom lies not in having all the answers, but in being comfortable with the questions. In a world drowning in competing certainties, the peace found in doubt may be the most radical liberation of all.

    To listen to the lecture: https://tube.leshley.ca/w/pMo9s8kDutuD5dSL4awfpA

    #Philosophy #AncientGreece #HistoryOfIdeas #Mindfulness #MentalHealth #Wisdom #LifelongLearning #Epistemology
  12. Pyrrho of Elis: The Philosopher Who Found Peace in Doubt

    The Traveler Who Questioned Certainty Born around 360 BCE in Elis, Greece, Pyrrho stands as the founder of Ancient Skepticism, a radical philosophical tradition that challenges the very possibility of certain knowledge. His life took a dramatic turn when he accompanied Alexander the Great on his expedition to India. There, he encountered the gymnosophists ("naked wise men"), likely early Buddhist monks. This cross-cultural encounter profoundly transformed his thinking. He synthesized Eastern insights—particularly the Buddhist "Three Marks of Existence" (impermanence, suffering, and no-self)—with Greek philosophical rigor, creating a unique path focused not on discovering truth, but on suspending judgment to achieve peace.

    Radical Skepticism: "We Know Nothing" Pyrrho’s core assertion was startlingly simple yet devastatingly deep: "We are so constituted that we know nothing." He argued that our senses and opinions reveal neither objective truth nor definitive falsehood. For every argument, there is an equally convincing counter-argument (isosthenia). Whether discussing the nature of the gods, the existence of the self, or the principles of morality, human reason cannot definitively settle the question.

    This isn't cynicism or a claim that reality doesn't exist. It's a recognition of the gap between our experience and the world-in-itself. Because we cannot bridge this gap with absolute certainty, Pyrrho proposed a revolutionary response: Epoché—the disciplined suspension of judgment. Instead of committing to "this is true" or "that is false," the skeptic holds beliefs lightly, refusing to be dogmatic.

    Ataraxia: The Goal of Liberation Why suspend judgment? To achieve Ataraxia (tranquility, freedom from disturbance). Pyrrho observed that much of human suffering stems from the anxiety of needing to be right, the fear of being wrong, and the mental exhaustion of defending rigid certainties in an uncertain world.

    The Cure: By letting go of the need for absolute certainty, one frees oneself from the turbulence of dogmatic belief.
    Not Withdrawal: This is not nihilism or disengagement. Pyrrho lived a full civic life, served as a magistrate, and participated in society. He simply did so without the burden of claiming ultimate truth. He acted according to appearances, customs, and practical necessity, but without the psychological weight of dogma.
    Key Practices: A Way of Life Pyrrhonism is a practical philosophy of life, not just abstract theory. Its toolkit includes:

    Epoché: Suspending judgment on all matters, refusing to commit to any position as definitively true.
    Acatalepsy: Recognizing that certain knowledge is ultimately unattainable; we cannot "grasp" truth with absolute confidence.

    Aporia: Embracing puzzlement and doubt as natural, desirable states that keep inquiry alive, rather than problems to be solved.

    Adiaphora: Regarding things as indifferent—neither inherently good nor bad, true nor false—freeing ourselves from attachment to outcomes or beliefs.

    Legacy: From Antiquity to the Digital Age Though Pyrrho wrote nothing himself, his teachings were preserved by followers like Timon and later systematized by Sextus Empiricus (c. 200 CE). Pyrrhonism resurfaced powerfully during the Renaissance (influencing Montaigne) and the Enlightenment (shaping David Hume). Today, in an era of information overload, competing narratives, and polarized discourse, Pyrrho’s wisdom feels prophetic.

    Intellectual Humility: Holding beliefs lightly allows for genuine engagement across differences.
    Mental Tranquility: Accepting the limits of knowledge frees us from the anxiety of uncertainty.
    Critical Thinking: Rigorous examination of arguments without descending into cynicism or paralysis.
    Pyrrho offers a timeless guide: True wisdom lies not in having all the answers, but in being comfortable with the questions. In a world drowning in competing certainties, the peace found in doubt may be the most radical liberation of all.

    To listen to the lecture: https://tube.leshley.ca/w/pMo9s8kDutuD5dSL4awfpA

    #Philosophy #AncientGreece #HistoryOfIdeas #Mindfulness #MentalHealth #Wisdom #LifelongLearning #Epistemology
  13. Pyrrho of Elis: The Philosopher Who Found Peace in Doubt

    The Traveler Who Questioned Certainty Born around 360 BCE in Elis, Greece, Pyrrho stands as the founder of Ancient Skepticism, a radical philosophical tradition that challenges the very possibility of certain knowledge. His life took a dramatic turn when he accompanied Alexander the Great on his expedition to India. There, he encountered the gymnosophists ("naked wise men"), likely early Buddhist monks. This cross-cultural encounter profoundly transformed his thinking. He synthesized Eastern insights—particularly the Buddhist "Three Marks of Existence" (impermanence, suffering, and no-self)—with Greek philosophical rigor, creating a unique path focused not on discovering truth, but on suspending judgment to achieve peace.

    Radical Skepticism: "We Know Nothing" Pyrrho’s core assertion was startlingly simple yet devastatingly deep: "We are so constituted that we know nothing." He argued that our senses and opinions reveal neither objective truth nor definitive falsehood. For every argument, there is an equally convincing counter-argument (isosthenia). Whether discussing the nature of the gods, the existence of the self, or the principles of morality, human reason cannot definitively settle the question.

    This isn't cynicism or a claim that reality doesn't exist. It's a recognition of the gap between our experience and the world-in-itself. Because we cannot bridge this gap with absolute certainty, Pyrrho proposed a revolutionary response: Epoché—the disciplined suspension of judgment. Instead of committing to "this is true" or "that is false," the skeptic holds beliefs lightly, refusing to be dogmatic.

    Ataraxia: The Goal of Liberation Why suspend judgment? To achieve Ataraxia (tranquility, freedom from disturbance). Pyrrho observed that much of human suffering stems from the anxiety of needing to be right, the fear of being wrong, and the mental exhaustion of defending rigid certainties in an uncertain world.

    The Cure: By letting go of the need for absolute certainty, one frees oneself from the turbulence of dogmatic belief.
    Not Withdrawal: This is not nihilism or disengagement. Pyrrho lived a full civic life, served as a magistrate, and participated in society. He simply did so without the burden of claiming ultimate truth. He acted according to appearances, customs, and practical necessity, but without the psychological weight of dogma.
    Key Practices: A Way of Life Pyrrhonism is a practical philosophy of life, not just abstract theory. Its toolkit includes:

    Epoché: Suspending judgment on all matters, refusing to commit to any position as definitively true.
    Acatalepsy: Recognizing that certain knowledge is ultimately unattainable; we cannot "grasp" truth with absolute confidence.

    Aporia: Embracing puzzlement and doubt as natural, desirable states that keep inquiry alive, rather than problems to be solved.

    Adiaphora: Regarding things as indifferent—neither inherently good nor bad, true nor false—freeing ourselves from attachment to outcomes or beliefs.

    Legacy: From Antiquity to the Digital Age Though Pyrrho wrote nothing himself, his teachings were preserved by followers like Timon and later systematized by Sextus Empiricus (c. 200 CE). Pyrrhonism resurfaced powerfully during the Renaissance (influencing Montaigne) and the Enlightenment (shaping David Hume). Today, in an era of information overload, competing narratives, and polarized discourse, Pyrrho’s wisdom feels prophetic.

    Intellectual Humility: Holding beliefs lightly allows for genuine engagement across differences.
    Mental Tranquility: Accepting the limits of knowledge frees us from the anxiety of uncertainty.
    Critical Thinking: Rigorous examination of arguments without descending into cynicism or paralysis.
    Pyrrho offers a timeless guide: True wisdom lies not in having all the answers, but in being comfortable with the questions. In a world drowning in competing certainties, the peace found in doubt may be the most radical liberation of all.

    To listen to the lecture: https://tube.leshley.ca/w/pMo9s8kDutuD5dSL4awfpA

    #Philosophy #AncientGreece #HistoryOfIdeas #Mindfulness #MentalHealth #Wisdom #LifelongLearning #Epistemology
  14. OUCH! The Translator of #TheOdyssey Just Slammed #ChristopherNolan’s Movie

    “I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script,” wrote #EmilyWilson, the first woman to translate The Odyssey into English.

    By Josh OsmanPublished: Jul 27, 2026 1:20 PM EDT

    Excerpt: "Throughout her piece, the scholar notes that no adaptation should necessarily follow an original exactly. (In fact, she praises some radically reinterpretations of The Odyssey, including #MargaretAtwood's #Penelopiad, #MadelineMiller's #Circe, and other literary classics that riff off the text, including those of #Euripides, #JohnMilton, and #JamesJoyce.)"

    Read more:
    esquire.com/entertainment/movi

    #ClassicsBookClub #Classics #Movies #Homer #AncientGreece #ReadABook

  15. The Reality of Dreams

    Throughout Human history, dreams have fascinated, inspired and disturbed us. Where do they come from? Why do they happen? What do they mean? Different civilisations have tried to answer these questions. The Ancient Mesopotamians thought of dreams as divine messages. The most well known Mesopotamian story is the Epic of Gilgamesh, where Gilgamesh receives dreams about the future. They also had dream temples, where people would go in order to sleep and receive these divine messages in their […]

    johnbronze.wordpress.com/2026/

  16. The Lyceum: The Eleusinian Mysteries: Interactive Game. “The Lyceum hosts the first interactive video game inspired by the Eleusinian Mysteries, which lets you walk in the shoes of a Greek citizen in one of the most important events of their lives.”

    https://rbfirehose.com/2026/06/19/the-eleusinian-mysteries-interactive-game-the-lyceum/
  17. Socrates learned the stonemasonry trade from his father and worked as a mason, too, as he didn’t have enough money to be a philosopher full time.

    10 things you didn't know about Socrates.

    topicaltens.blogspot.com/2026/

    #Socrates #Philosophers #AncientGreece

  18. ✨The dance of the maenads✨

    This is one of four reliefs depicting maenads dancing held by the Museo del Prado. The exceptional detail and sense of flowing movement is simply exquisite. These are Roman reinterpretations of Greek reliefs from the fifth century BCE and were designed to honour the maenads’ chosen god, Dionysus. The original reliefs were purported to be crafted by the sculptor Callimachus (ca. 410-400 BCE).

    #ReliefWednesday #AncientGreece #AncientRome #History #Dionysos

  19. Have a courageous Day of Ares aka Mars' Day aka Tuesday 🗡️

    "Sisyphos bound Thanatos (Death) fast, so that men ceased to die, until Ares came to the rescue, released Thanatos, and gave Sisyphos into his power."
    Aeschylus, Sisyphus the Runaway (lost play)

    🏛 Red-figure vase painting

    #DayOfAres #GreekRomanArt #mythology #Ares #ancientGreece

  20. #Introduction

    I'm just a guy with a lot of hobbies - #brewing, growing stuff, making #vinegar, collecting #AncientCoins, #photography, #boardgames, #ComputerGames, and much more.

    I need a new hobby like I need a new hole in the head, but I am also powerless to resist when a new hobby strikes. Such is life.

    I work as a #TechnicalWriter at a Danish software company. I have three clever and independent children who shout at me a lot, and a wife who doesn't. We live a happy normie-life in suburbia.

    Back in the before-times I studied #linguistics at #AarhusUniversity. I think about #AncientRome and #AncientGreece probably every hour or so.

  21. I noticed this as well!

    #AncientTexts depict all kinds of people, not just straight and cis ones – this college course looks at #LGBTQ sexuality and #gender in #Egypt, #Greece and #Rome

    By Tina Chronopoulos
    Published: September 11, 2023

    Title of course:

    “LGBTQ Antiquity: A View from the Mediterranean”

    What prompted the idea for the course?

    I study Greek and Latin literature and have noticed that ancient authors wrote about sex, #homoerotic feelings or relations, and gender more often than we assume.

    A few figures from ancient Mediterranean mythology are sometimes held up as LGBTQ ancestors – such as the Greek gods #Apollo and #Zeus who both loved other men. But in a mythology course I taught in the fall of 2021, I found myself highlighting a number of other stories about same-sex attraction and gender variance beyond a strict male-female binary. For example, spells from Egypt show that there were women who tried to get other women to fall in love with them.

    Students responded with such curiosity and excitement that I decided to create a stand-alone course that would focus exclusively on these topics.

    What does the course explore?

    The course explores literary texts from the #AncientMediterranean – including #Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Roman Italy – in which authors describe relationships that can be said to fall under the LGBTQ umbrella. We read the texts in chronological order, rather than grouped by theme or identity. This allows students to encounter the texts relatively label-free, since the words U.S. society uses to talk about gender and sexuality today – like “gay” or “transgender” – do not always align with ancient understandings.

    Why is this course relevant now?

    Assaults on members of the LGBTQ community, especially trans folks, are rising in the United States: both through legal means in a number of states and through physical attacks and hate crimes.

    My goal is for students to take courage and hope from knowing that same-sex relationships and gender diversity have existed in various guises for millennia. In antiquity, homosexuality was not considered an identity category the way it is today, making it hard to determine if and how LGBTQ-like people were discriminated against, but they certainly were not always met with contempt. For example, the body of #Hermaphroditus, a god whom Greeks sought out for help with fertility and child care issues, combined female and male characteristics.

    I also want students to connect with the past as a way to feel rooted and validated. In this, I took a cue from trans activist #LeslieFeinberg, who wrote in the 1996 book “#TransgenderWarriors,” “I couldn’t find myself in history. No one like me seemed to have ever existed.”
    What’s a critical lesson from the course?

    LGBTQ-like individuals have always been here, although modern conceptions of self, gender and sexuality cannot be mapped directly onto the past.

    The identities we know today were unknown then: The concept of homosexuality as a distinct sexual orientation or distinct kind of behavior did not exist. For instance, elite men in ancient Athens often engaged in same-sex relationships with men alongside their marriages to women. Those who were in exclusively homoerotic relationships, however, tended to be ridiculed.

    Another critical lesson is that language matters. The words we use today are often inadequate to capture how social status or age intersected with one’s gender in the ancient Mediterranean. Take the Greek word for a woman or wife, “γῠνή.” Typically, this word refers to an upper-class woman, rather than, say, one who is enslaved or a foreigner. Norms around sexual activity depended on a person’s social status, age and gender.

    What materials does the course feature?

    Students come into the course expecting to encounter celebrated characters such as the poet #Sappho, from the Greek island of #Lesbos, whom lesbians have regarded as an ancestor.

    However, we also read less famous authors, such as #Lucian of #Samosata, a Syrian-born satirist from the second century C.E. In one of his dialogues, a sex worker tells her friend about an encounter she had with two other women, one of whom describes herself as “quite like a man.”

    Not all authors are sympathetic. #JohnChrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople at the end of the fourth century C.E., vilified people who engaged in homoerotic acts or homosexual relationships as criminals, mentally ill, diseased or diabolic. Many of these views are still being promulgated by religious leaders today.

    The course also explores the lives of some Byzantine saints who were seen as women before they entered a monastery or became ascetics. Yet their self-punishing practices, such as extreme fasting, transformed their bodies, and the surrounding communities started to see them as men. These stories, which aimed to uplift their audiences, serve as a reminder that cross-dressing and gender variance were not always seen as objectionable.

    Read more:
    theconversation.com/ancient-te

    #AncientRome #AncientGreece #AncientEgypt #LGBTQHistory #Histodon #AncientHistory

  22. Chrysis, priestess of Athena, was the exception rather than the rule.

    Notable Women in #AncientGreece: #Chrysis

    Chrysis (ca. 200-101 BCE), a “priestess of #Athena Polias” (Connelly, 1), came from a prominent family in Greece. Athens “voted to grant her” (Connelly, 1) and all of her female descendants, “an impressive series of rights and privileges” (Connelly, 1).

    Some of these privileges included “the right to consult the oracle, priority of trial, inviolability (asylia), freedom from taxes, a front seat at all competitions held by the city, the right to own land and houses, and all other honors customary for #proxenoi and benefactors of the city” (Connelly, 1).

    #WomensRights #AncientWomen #Autonomy #Priestess #Priesthood #AncientHistory #Histodon

  23. I wrote about the Erechtheion this month because its design just so unexpected...and it's my absolute fave to teach when discussing the ancient Greece and the Acropolis.

    #Erechtheion #Acropolis #Athens #Greece #AncientGreece #Architecture #ArchitecturalHistory #History

    daily.jstor.org/the-unusual-un