Category Archives: Roman stuff

The books of 2009, so far

By terje | Published: July 13, 2009
As I’ve been fairly absent from my blog in the past six months, to say the least, I thought I’d post a quick summary of any recommendable books — and not only novels this time – I’ve read since I was last observed round this neck o’ the woods. Also, I’ll include some not-so-recommendable books, [...]
Also posted in History, Impressions, Lists, Literature, Opinions, Recommendations, Review, Speculative fiction | 20 Comments

The Awesome Epithets of European Nobility and Royalty, part 3

By terje | Published: July 7, 2009
It seems I promised you a series of these once, so let’s continue, shall we? Constantine V (741-775) of Byzantium: Kopronymos — the Dung-Named. Constantine was an Iconoclast, and hostile Iconodules referred to him as “the Dung-Named”, as he was to have defecated in the purple cloth in which he was swaddled during his baptism. Imagine how nice [...]
Also posted in Byzantium, Greek stuff, Impressions, Irony, Links, Lists, Medieval stuff, The Awesome Epithets of European Nobility and Royalty | 17 Comments

Arms of Nemesis by Steven Saylor

By terje | Published: March 31, 2009
430 pages. Robinson paperback. 1992. 72 BCE: While Spartacus is ravaging the countryside of Southern Italy and making all good Romans distrust their slaves, Goridanus the Finder is brought to Baiae on the Cup, what today is known as the Bay of Naples, to find a killer. Lucius Licinius, the cousin of Marcus Crassus, has been found murdered [...]
Also posted in Literature, Review | 4 Comments

The Awesome Epithets of European Nobility and Royalty, part 1

By terje | Published: March 30, 2009
General Introduction Whenever someone distinguished themselves in olden days, be it positively or negatively, it was customary to give them a nickname (also known as an epithet). Some of these are plain and dull (Haakon the Good, Louis the Pious), but some are more fascinating (Philip the Handsome (an epithet which sounds ridiculously more fun in [...]
Also posted in History, My microcosmos, The Awesome Epithets of European Nobility and Royalty | 3 Comments

Roman Blood by Steven Saylor

By terje | Published: March 27, 2009
565 pages. Robinson paperback. 1991. First installation of the series Roma Sub Rosa. Roman Blood sends us back in time to 80 BCE, to the final weeks of the dictatorship of Lucius Cornelius Sulla. The relatively young and unknown advocate Marcus Tullius Cicero seeks the help of Gordianus the Finder in unearthing evidence to help him defend his friend’s [...]
Also posted in Literature, Review | 6 Comments

YES! (And a call for assistance)

By terje | Published: December 4, 2008
Yesterday, I got got an e-mail notifying me that I have been accepted as a student at the Norwegian Institutes at Athens and Rome next semester! Along with about 20 other students from various Norwegian universities, I’ll be spending first six weeks, from January 26 to March 6, in Athens, followed by six weeks, [...]
Also posted in A Moistening of the Eyes, Bliss, Dumb luck, Education, Glee, Gloating, Goosebumps!, Gratitude, Great Expectations, Greek stuff, Help!, History, Hodge-podge rambling, Hope, Lists, My microcosmos, Optimism, Pride, Strategy/Plans, Whoa, Yay! | 24 Comments

When I first read this, I imagined for a moment that 1204 and 1453 had been nothing but bad dreams. Reality dawing on me felt like a fist in my guts

By terje | Published: November 21, 2008
“Constantinople was an impregnable city …” — Robert B. Kebric, Roman People (4th edition), epilogue.
Also posted in A Moistening of the Eyes, Greek stuff, Grief, Hallucinations, Hist2125, History, Hope, Irony, Language, Literature, Love, Medieval stuff, Misery, Nostalgia, Oh noes!, Pain, Quote of the day, Regret, Wistfulness | 3 Comments

The priorities of the people

By terje | Published: November 19, 2008
“In the year of his tribunate (58 B.C.), Clodius made the ordinary people of the city of Rome (plebs urbana) a significant power in politics for the first time. By comparison, the exile and return of Cicero (58/57 B.C.) was a second-rate phenomenon that was of primary concern only to Cicero himself, who had a [...]
Also posted in Hist2125, History, Quote of the day, lol | 3 Comments

A TV Dante

By terje | Published: September 24, 2008
My sister is one of the most important students at NTNU’s Department of Nordistics (or whatever) and Literature, primarily through her role as founder of the departemental body responsible for arranging events related to the relevant field of study (primarily Nordic linguistics and literature, as well as literature in general). Yesterday, she had arrange a [...]
Also posted in Ambiguity, Art, Conflicting emotions, Discomfort, Goosebumps!, Literature, Medieval stuff, Misery, Movies, Pleasant surprises, Poetry, Potential, Recommendations, Religiousity, Revelations, Review, Scepticism, Speculative fiction, Television stuff, Whoa | Leave a comment

Consequences of the Middle Republic Wars — lecture #4

By terje | Published: September 17, 2008
Inner Strife and the Dynasts of the Late Republic. (This post is based on a lecture held by Jan Frode Hatlen at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, September 11 2008, but any factual errors in the text are strictly my responsibility.) (Also, lecture #3 was a discussion lecture where we were given extracts from the [...]
Also posted in Hist2125, History | 19 Comments