Gold wreath with a bee and cicadas ~ c. 350–300 BCE
The oak leaves of this wreath are formed from two gold branches joined by a bee. On each side are a number of acorns and a cicada. The effect is beautiful!
Volunteer Louise Pengelley shows a page from the 1638 Mercator Atlas to delegates of the Societies of Antiquaries of Ireland and Scotland today at the delightful Library of Innerpeffray, Scotland’s oldest free lending library - established 1680! https://innerpeffraylibrary.co.uk
This piece captures the realism that characterised Roman portraiture of the late republic. The identity of the woman is not known but it is intriguing as statues for women were considered rare in this period.
Get to your weekend like the maenad you are, beautiful people! Low slung coverings, trays of delights, and the ability to float through the air are non-negotiable.
Greek Grave Stele of Melisto, a young girl ~ c. 340 BCE
This is a commemoration of a young girl lost too young. She holds a small bird, a votive figurine, and seems to be attended by her pet dog. The mourning is palpable.
🪔 #OnThisDay Septimius Severus was born in 145 AD at Lepcis Magna. In this post – the only preserved ancient painting of #Severus’ family showing himself, his wife Julia Domna and sons Caracalla and Geta. After the murder of Geta his face was scratched out. In Altes Museum, Berlin. 📸 me.
🪔 For eyes pleasure: a gold signet ring depicting Leda and Zeus transformed into a swan. The inscription alludes to the Thessalian city of Homolion. 2nd c. BC. Benaki Museum, Athens. 📸 me
Description: Theft is probably one of the most annoying aspects of social life. It is by no means the most dramatic one, but it is one of those things you constantly have in mind. In most Slavic languages, a thief (‘złodziej’ in Polish, ‘злодій’ in Ukrainian, ‘zloděj’ in Czech) literally means an evildoer, as it was this kind of wrongdoing that almost everybody had to deal with. But while theft likely existed in all human societies, it changed over time: how much the thieves stole, what they stole, who stole and from whom, and how people protected themselves - all of these evolved over time. In short, theft has its history and can be a subject of historical research. Late Antiquity is a good period to study it because, in this era, thieves become more visible than before. This paper, examining documentary and literary evidence, will seek to answer questions about how people dealt with theft, attempted to apprehend thieves and recover goods, and, most importantly, what impact theft and the methods of dealing with it had on communities and individuals.
🪔 For #ReliefWednesday: depiction of Helios from the ceiling coffer of the Captives Facade, formerly part of the northern Basilica in Ancient Corinth. 2nd half of the 2nd c. AD. 📸 me