ante diem xvi kalendas januarias

• Saturnalia (day 1) -- major, popular festival in honour of Saturn with banquets, the wearing of soft caps (pilei), and general good cheer. Shops and schools were closed, gambling was legally permitted, gifts were exchanged and masters might even wait on their servants. Obviously this festival is often seen as a precursor to our modern-day Christmas celebrations ...

::Friday, December 17, 2004 5:21:28 AM::

Today's selection:

permeate @ Dictionary.com

calvity @ Wordsmith.com

conformation @ OED

::Friday, December 17, 2004 5:18:15 AM::

Over at NT Gateway, Mark Goodacre has expanded the discussion on how to present a scholarly paper. Again, folks going to the APA might want to have a look ...

If I may add a footnote to the discussion, in light of the comments of Edward Cook cited above, there is possibly a need for a discussion of how to react to a scholarly paper, especially one presented by a junior scholar. I say "possibly" because I haven't been to a scholarly meeting in ages (school schedules and conference schedules just don't match up) and possibly things are different now than in the days when I was regularly attending such things.  I can still remember the "silence" that ensued from my 'debut' paper at the CAC. No questions. No suggestions. No look of stunned silence. No reaction at all. If what I was talking about was "off the wall", it would have been nice to know about it (in a polite way) ... of course, that paper had been read in a couple of other venues before and had be 'polished' a bit. If it wasn't off the wall, but was 'painfully obvious' to the group, it would have been nice to have been given some indication of the fact (perhaps even in private). But the total lack of reaction at all ... not very encouraging to folks trying to make their way in the profession.

::Friday, December 17, 2004 5:08:03 AM::

::Friday, December 17, 2004 4:57:05 AM::

A piece in Movieline managed to get snagged in my scan and definitely caused a double take at this end of the internet:

What can be said about Clint Eastwood that hasn't been said before? That he's American film's last and best classicist?

Go ahead. Make my dative.

::Friday, December 17, 2004 4:53:21 AM::

From Kathimerini:

Rich grave offerings dating from the fourth century BC, including exquisite gold and silver jewelry, have been discovered in a crowded ancient cemetery on the northern Aegean island of Thasos, it was announced yesterday.

Around 150 artifacts have been excavated so far from the seaside necropolis at Limenas, close to the island’s new port. The closely clustered group of graves dates to between the fourth and the first centuries BC.

The Culture Ministry said the jewelry included ornate gold earrings decorated with miniature dolphins, flowers and figures of Nike, the goddess of victory, gold necklaces, rings and brooches, silver bracelets, weaving implements, clay figurines and a “unique” collection of pottery.

Of perhaps greater significance were the human remains themselves, found in an excellent state of preservation. A study of the skeletons, to be conducted next summer in cooperation with Adelphi University in the USA, is expected to provide valuable information on diseases and causes of death in ancient Thasian society.

There's a photo of some of the jewellery at Kathimerini as well.

::Friday, December 17, 2004 4:46:55 AM::

This scholarship is offered in memory of Desmond Coacher, formerly Professor of Classics at Trinity College, Toronto, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and Honorary President of the Classical Association of Canada. The scholarship has been endowed through donations from his family, friends, colleagues, and universities with which he was associated. Its purpose is to assist and encourage a young scholar entering graduate studies in classics. The scholarship is administered by the Classical Association of Canada through its Awards Committee. One award of $2,500 is offered each year.

Eligibility and criteria. Applicants must be Canadian students (citizens or permanent residents) intending to enter the first year of graduate studies in a classics or similar programme at a Canadian university. Specializations within the general area of classics such as ancient history, ancient philosophy, and classical archaeology are eligible. Applicants must be less than 28 years of age on January 1st of the year of application. The main criteria are academic achievement, professional promise, and an appropriate undergraduate preparation.

Application procedure. The following items should be sent, to arrive by MARCH 31st, to Professor James Murray, CAC Awards Committee Chair, Department of Classics & Ancient History, University of New Brunswick, Box 4400, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3:

. A personal statement describing the applicant's previous academic career, employment experience, and academic and career objectives;

. A list of graduate programs to which the applicant has applied for admission;

. Transcripts recording the applicant's undergraduate degree work (unofficial transcripts are acceptable if certified by the applicant's department);

. A list of any academic awards and honours received at the postsecondary level;

. Two letters of recommendation from teachers familiar with the applicant's work (sent separately by the writers or included with the application in envelopes sealed and countersigned by them).

Selection and award procedure. The Committee meets during the Association's annual general meeting in May. Applicants will be informed of the results as soon as possible following the AGM. The award will be paid in September subject to confirmation that the winner has registered in an appropriate graduate program. (The committee may choose to reduce the amount of the award or make an honorary award if the total amount of this and other awards offered to the winner for the first twelve months of graduate study - including scholarships, fee remissions, teaching and research assistantships and the like - exceeds $18,000. In such cases an award may be made to a runner-up.)

Further information. Questions should be addressed to the Awards Committee Chair, Professor James Murray (University of New Brunswick) <jsm@unb.ca>. Other committee members in 2004-05 are Professors Beaudoin Caron (Université de Montréal) <iyv@sympatico.ca>, Annabel Robinson (University of Regina) <annabel.robinson@uregina.ca>, Catherine Rubincam (University of Toronto) <rubincam@utm.utoronto.ca>, and Aara Suksi (University of Waterloo) <asuksi@uwo.ca>.

... seen in the Canadian Classical Bulletin

::Friday, December 17, 2004 4:44:30 AM::

The Department of Classics, Faculty of Arts, at the University of Manitoba invites applications for a full-time tenure-track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor. The appointment will begin on July 1, 2005, or soon thereafter. The successful candidate will be a specialist in ancient history, able to teach a wide range of courses in classical civilization and in Greek and Latin at all undergraduate levels. Responsibilities will include participation in the Department's MA program and service-related activities. The starting salary will reflect the qualifications and experience of the chosen candidate, but this is an entry-level position. Applicants are expected to have demonstrated excellence in research and success in teaching. Candidates must have a PhD by the time of appointment.

The University of Manitoba encourages applications from qualified women and men, including members of visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples, and persons with disabilities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

Applications for this position must include: a letter of application, curriculum vitae, the names and contact information of three referees, and a sample of scholarly writing. Candidates should also include evidence of effective teaching, such as teaching evaluations and sample course outlines.

Applications should be sent to:

Dr. Mark Joyal
Head, Department of Classics
University College
220 Dysart Road
University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, MB,
Canada R3T 2M8

The deadline for receipt of applications is 31 JANUARY 2005. Further information concerning the Department and the University may be obtained from ttp://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/Classics or by e-mail from m_joyal@umanitoba.ca.

Application materials will be handled in accordance with Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba).

... seen in the Canadian Classical Bulletin

::Friday, December 17, 2004 4:42:28 AM::

The Department of Classics at The University of Winnipeg invites applications from qualified women and men for a 12-month sessional in Classics at the rank of Assistant Professor, to commence July 1, 2005. Duties will include teaching undergraduate courses in Classical Civilization, Greek or Roman Literature in translation, and Greek or Latin. Qualifications include a complete or nearly completed Ph.D. and a demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching, research and scholarship. Interested applicants should send their curriculum vitae, and arrange to have three letters of reference sent to:

Dr. Craig Cooper
Chair, Department of Classics
University of Winnipeg
515 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB    R3B 2E9
c.cooper@uwinnipeg.ca
Fax: (204) 774-4134

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The deadline for applications is March 30, 2005.

The University of Winnipeg is committed to employment equity, welcomes diversity in the workplace and encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, members of visible minorities, Aboriginal persons and persons with disabilities. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, this advertisement is initially directed to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

... seen in the Canadian Classical Bulletin

::Friday, December 17, 2004 4:40:39 AM::

::Friday, December 17, 2004 4:37:11 AM::

From the Charlotte Observer comes a tale of someone who takes the concept of rogueclassicism to a whole new level:

He traveled to Athens via history books and on ethereal journeys with Homer's Odysseus. And while he never physically set foot in Greece, Earnest Archer fell in love with its ancient architecture.

Having made a small fortune inventing software that determines how much people should be paid, Archer built a dream house in Rock Hill -- a replica of the Parthenon.

"I'm a history buff," says Archer, by way of partial explanation.

This year, in another reclamation of the past, Archer bought back the rights to his compensation technology from the company he sold it to years ago. The former Winthrop University professor and his wife, Sally, now run part of their human resources consulting business from their Periclesian basement.

Archer is among a relatively small, but persistent breed of homeowners who turn to history or even fiction for living-space inspiration. While many homes mimic historical styles to some extent -- Tudor arches, Doric columns, Victorian spires and the like -- far less common are scale-model knockoffs.

"The Parthenon had one door and no windows," notes Charlotte architect Milton Grenfell. "It was lit by torches and sort of spooky. You have to do a lot to go from a place that holds a god to a place that holds a family."

An old-school Southern gentleman with silver hair, melodious Georgia accent, and pencil mustache, Archer strides under one of the 46 cast-aluminum arches surrounding his home.

He enters the rear door and into a white-tiled kitchen, still reciting the back-story to the question: So, why'd you build a house to look like the Parthenon?

Archer dropped out of high school. He entered the Army at 17. He served in the Korean War. He later attended North Georgia College and State University, a military school, on the GI Bill. He studied humanities and ancient Greece. He later would become an industrial engineer, earn a doctorate in management from the University of Georgia and work for several major corporations, including Greensboro-based textile company Burlington Industries. But his academic brush with Athenian culture, particularly the Parthenon, left a deep impression.

"For my humanities studies, I concentrated on buildings I thought were most beautiful from an architectural and aesthetic perspective," Archer says. "I developed an intense appreciation of the Parthenon."

He orchestrated construction of his home off Oak Park Road about a dozen years ago. It took the Greeks 10 years to complete the original. Under Archer's direction, his three-fifth scale replica took about 10 months.

The three-story building houses 8,000 square feet, much of it open space -- room for the gods. Original paintings from Edmund Lewandowski, the American precisionism master who died in Rock Hill in 1998, and portraits of Sally adorn white walls, echoing the frieze and metopes that graced the real Parthenon.

Several chess sets punctuate the interior, including one with a Civil War theme. A grand piano sits where the statue of Greek goddess Athena would have stood in the original temple.

The homage to Western Civilization's signature hilltop edifice, with its right-angle purity, speaks to the geek as well as his inner artist, Archer says.

He likens his palatial digs to living "in a fine painting."

Different strokes

Nationwide the average size home has increased over the last 50 years, to 2,230 square feet from 983 square feet, driven largely by consumer desire to make homes feel more like sanctuaries, says Paul Lopez, director at the National Association of Home Builders in Washington.Archer's abode certainly tracks with that trend, and it elicits an array of analyses.

"It's a three-dimensional representation, writ large, of the saying different strokes for different folks," says Stephen Roulac, author of multiple books and owner of Roulac Global Spaces, a financial, real estate and economic consultant firm in San Francisco.

Nancy Irwin, a psychologist and therapeutic hypnotist in Hollywood, Calif., avers that Archer "fancies himself a king, a scholar, or a classicist.

"Obviously, (replica homes) are grandiose statements of identity and cries for attention and significance," she adds.

Archer dismisses that interpretation.

"I really don't have a strong sense of ego," he says. Besides, "usually when a psychologist says something, I divide it by two. And if I know them, I divide it by three."

Archer's neighbors don't seem to mind living near a Parthenon proxy.

"If he can afford it, let him build it," says longtime Oak Park Road resident Norman Hege, echoing neighborhood sentiment. "It is a beautiful home."

Sally Archer says she didn't think her husband was serious about building a mock-Parthenon until the bulldozer driver asked the couple which way they wanted the basement oriented.

"If I had been wise, I would have asked for more closet space," she says.

Earnest recalls how Sally once kept in her hope chest a picture of her four-column dream house.

"I just added a few more columns," he says. [more]

Wow ... my wife would never go for this sort of thing ...

::Friday, December 17, 2004 4:26:17 AM::

4.00 a.m. |HISTC|Hannibals Great Triumph
This series examines the great conquerors of the world and provides new insights into their most compelling military achievements. Each episode combines graphics with recreations to analyze every facet of their famous battles and conquests. Some of the conquerors profiled include Genghis Khan, Hannibal, Ramses, Alexander, Cortez, the Spartans and the Romans.

7.00 p.m. |HINT|  Hercules: Power of the Gods
Story of how the mighty son of Zeus became one of the most enduring legends of Greek mythology. Includes the saga of the 12 labors of Hercules, which included battles with the awful 9-headed Hydra serpent and the Ceryneian stag with golden horns.
HISTC = History Television (Canada)

HINT = History International

::Friday, December 17, 2004 4:22:20 AM::