Judgment and Misjudgment in Ancient Greece Paper delivered to the New Imago Forum, 15 September 2019 There’s a joke about a rabbi who was greatly respected for his judgment. Two neighbours had a dispute and came to him to adjudicate. … Continue reading →

Paper delivered at the New Imago Forum Conference on ‘Money’, September 2015 The uselessness of money and the perversity of unlimit             A fable of Aesop tells of a man who hid his gold at the foot of a tree in … 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 →

Flying in the Ancient World As published in Omnibus (first delivered at a Classical Association Conference on 1st April 1999).  Already in the 5th century BC, flying was in the air… The subject of ancient aeronautics has, surprisingly, been largely neglected by ancient … 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 →

‘Nobody has ever made head or tail of ancient Greek music, and nobody ever will. That way madness lies’. Quoted by Wilfred Perrett in a talk given in 1932 to the Royal Musical Association. ‘Research into ancient Greek music is … Continue reading →

Herodotus’ mentions of Heineken constitute a hitherto unsuspected instance of product placement in ancient Greek writing. In Histories 1.2.2, Heineken — εἵνεκεν in ancient Greek — is found in connection with the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts to Colchis. The implication is … Continue reading →

Reviews of The Greeks and the New from the following sources: Journal:                         Reviewer: 1. Runciman Prize Notice                 John Taylor 2. … Continue reading →