Ode in Ancient Greek for Michael Wood and Rebecca Dobbs April 2022 At a Gala Auction held in late 2021 to raise money for Classics for All, Michael Wood and Rebecca Dobbs made a substantial bid and won the prize … Continue reading
Musica linguae, lingua musicae A talk given in Latin as part of a cultural panel at the Delphi Economic Forum, April 2022. The Latin text is given below the English. A recording of the event is here: I speak from … Continue reading
Mostly printed in full; some redacted for reasons of space or preference (with links to online originals). 1. Ancient Philosophy (David Hoinski) 2. Australian Book Review(Julia Kindt) 3. The Telegraph(Nikhil Krishnan) 4. The Times (Patrick Kidd) 5. Wall Street Journal(Jamie … Continue reading
The Frogs Chorus in Aristophanes Frogs: competing with Dionysus Dionysus is rowing across the lake of the Underworld to a steady rhythm when he is interrupted by the frog chorus, singing to the accompaniment of the aulos (a double pipe, … Continue reading
Kaineus Rising: A Trans Generational Myth Kaineus always knew he was meant to be a girl. Growing up amid the hills and vales of Thessaly in what is now northern Greece, he … Continue reading
The inspiration behind Vivaldi’s composition of his famous Four Seasons appears to be sonnets that he composed himself. In preparation for a Trio Recital (in which we played Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires), I undertook to make a poetic … Continue reading
[An abbreviated version of a talk I gave to the Horatian Society in London in 2005, in which I take a critical view of the idea that poets and authors insert acrostic or other ‘codes’ into their works.] The profanum vulgus, … Continue reading
The poet Catullus (c. 84-54 BC) imagines showing off to visitors a toy boat, and listening to it describing in its own voice the journey it could claim to have … Continue reading
The unexpected death (at the age of 77) on 13 July 2015 of Martin West, the greatest classicist of his generation, has left a hole in the world of scholarship and philology. It also leaves me with a sense of profound … Continue reading
Publius Ovidius Naso (Ovid), Roman poet, born 20 March 43 BC Ovid’s Amores 1.5: the poet’s most upbeat erotic composition. A cheeky poem (‘why itemize?’ the poet asks, having just itemized) that deserves a cheeky translation. Midday: a long, hot afternoon … Continue reading