Category Archives: Greek stuff

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, Impressions, Irony, Links, Lists, Medieval stuff, Roman stuff, The Awesome Epithets of European Nobility and Royalty | 17 Comments

An Update, Telegram Style

By terje | Published: July 7, 2009
Saw Athens with fun people. Loved it. Stayed home, wrote papers. Got bored. Visited Rome with nice persians. Hated leaving. Wrote paper. Worked. Bought tickets for Dinosaur Jr. Found out 6 months had passed. Wrote this post. Send more money.
Also posted in Bliss, Boredom, Conflicting emotions, Education, Gloating, Goosebumps!, Hodge-podge rambling, Impressions, Language, Laziness, Lists, Love, My microcosmos, Rant, Regret, This Blog, Why do I think anyone cares?, Winter, Wistfulness, Words | Leave a comment

The friends you keep… — 2009-02-06

By terje | Published: February 6, 2009
“Socrates himself seems not to have been interested in any revolutionary implications of his discourse, but they were not lost on some of the young men who enjoyed watching him dissect the flawed logic of his interlocutors. (..) The most vicious of the self-styled Socratics was Critias, not only the leader of the oligarchs who seized control [...]
Also posted in History, Literature, Politics, Quote of the day | 3 Comments

Growing but grudging respect for an awesomely cold people — 2009-01-28

By terje | Published: January 28, 2009
“In order to stay in formation, soldiers tried not to run until they came within the reach of enemy missiles, at about 200 yards; experienced soldiers might manage to restrain themselves until they were at a mere 100 yards distance. (…) Spartan hoplites did not run at all, but advanced at a steady pace, singing marching hymns [...]
Also posted in Awe, Education, Goosebumps!, History, Language, Literature, Quote of the day, Whoa, lol | 2 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, Help!, History, Hodge-podge rambling, Hope, Lists, My microcosmos, Optimism, Pride, Roman stuff, 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, Grief, Hallucinations, Hist2125, History, Hope, Irony, Language, Literature, Love, Medieval stuff, Misery, Nostalgia, Oh noes!, Pain, Quote of the day, Regret, Roman stuff, Wistfulness | 3 Comments

The Histories by Herodotus

By terje | Published: November 18, 2008
[Approximately 435 BCE] 2003. Translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt (1954). Introduction and notes by John Marincola (1996, 2003). 600 pages of main text. 166 pages of paratext.
Also posted in A Praise Chorus, Art, Awe, Boredom, Collections, Conflicting emotions, Education, Glee, Gloating, Great Expectations, History, Impressions, Literature, Loki, Pimping, Pleasant surprises, Pride, Recommendations, Review, Strategy/Plans | 3 Comments

I was, in fact, not aware of this

By terje | Published: November 9, 2008
“To Athens and Sparta Xerxes sent no demand for submission because of what happened to the messngers whom Darius had sent on a previous occasion: at Athens they were thrown into the pit like criminals, at Sparta they were pushed into a well — and told that if they wanted earth and water [signs of [...]
Also posted in Awe, Goosebumps!, History, New Heroes, Quote of the day, What I Learned Today, Whoa, lol | 23 Comments