It's the Day of Hermes aka Mercurius Day aka #Wednesday! 🐏
#Mercurius and #Hermes are not only the messengers of the gods, but the gods of merchants and thieves as well. Here, Mercurius is depicted with his winged hat holding a purse to signify his connection with wealth & success in business.
🏛️ Hermes-Mercurius, Roman bronze figurine, dated 1st-3rd century CE, private collection
Today was a great day! It’s not every day you run into a famous mosaic such as this beauty. This is the ‘know yourself’ mosaic which is on display at the Baths of Diocletian. Such a happy find ☺️
Selene-Diana and Endymion as a couple on the ivory Querinian diptych. A diptych is any object with two flat plates forming a pair, for example the standard notebook of the ancient world.
🏛️ Selene-Diana and Endymion, Roman relief, circa 5th century CE, found in Brescia and today residing in the Museo di Santa Giulia, Brescia.
Well, my Roman summer has begun! It’s HOT and posts for the next few weeks are likely to be snaps of me with whatever ancient things I stumble across - you have all been warned 😅
"When Seirios [#Sirius, the star] scorches the flesh, when the crude grapes which #Dionysos gave to men - a joy and a sorrow both - begin to colour." #Hesiod, The Shield of Herakles 398
🏛️ Dionysos holding a kantharos, Roman statuette, Archaeological Museum of #Eleusis
"When Seirios [#Sirius, the star] scorches the flesh, when the crude grapes which Dionysos gave to men - a joy and a sorrow both - begin to colour."
Hesiod, The Shield of Herakles 398
🏛️ Dionysos holding a kantharos, Roman statuette, Archaeological Museum of Eleusis
This delicate piece depicts Phoebe seeking to reassure Latona and Niobe; meanwhile Niobe’s daughters Hilearia and Agle play knucklebones, unaware of their imminent death…
This piece was painted on marble and each figure provided with a name in ancient Greek. It is also signed by the artist who lists themselves as Alexander of Athens.
Image slightly enhanced to bring out the contrast.
A highlights reel of the decade that was the 420s BCE. Great for a swift overview of the challenges (and triumphs) as Rome tries to figure out how to run a republic.
While our deep dive ‘From the Founding of the City’ series is unscripted, the Partial Recap is a scripted short and snappy summary - excellent for jogging the memory!
Listen in via our website or wherever you enjoy your podcasts ☺️
It's the Day of Zeus / Jupiter's Day / #Thursday! ⚡
"He [#Zeus] made a golden eagle for his war standards and consecrated it to the might of his protection, whereby also among the Romans, standards of this kind are carried."
Fulgentius, Mythologiarum Libri III
🏛️ Roman marble sculpture of Zeus-Iupiter, #AsiaMinor, 2nd - 3rd century CE
The so-called ‘Tellus’ relief from the Ara Pacis is my all time favourite relief. The details are mesmerising with so much layered symbolism built in from the infant twins to the vegetation.
The Augustan style often calls for abundance to be on full show and this relief captures that idea in spades.
A skilful and jaw-dropping relief not to be missed!
It's the Day of Hermes aka Mercurius Day aka #Wednesday! 🐏
Marble sculpture of #Hermes. After rediscovery in 1771 near #Rome, he was displayed at Lansdowne House in London. The sculpture's right leg and the palm tree originally came from a different ancient statue.
🏛️ Lansdowne Hermes, 2nd century CE Roman copy of a 4th century BCE Greek original, today in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art
A youth holds a snake in their left hand and reaches towards another with their right. It’s not clear whether the snake to the right is biting the youth or the youth is holding the snake by the jaw…