Emperor Nero Chariot Racing. Credit: History Collection Acting Onstage and Off An Analysis of the Role Theatrical Performances Played in Nero’s Popularity By Lily Nesvold I. Introduction Tyrant, murderer, debauchee, monster, rapist—just a small selection of the dreadful words that have been used for thousands of years to characterize Nero and his controversial reign. […]
Ancient Rome
The Stages of Grief
Relief of a Roman funeral procession. The Stages of Grief through the Lens of Catullus 101 By Lily Nesvold There is no easy way to cope with the death of a loved one. Regardless of the circumstances, the devastation that those affected must face is seemingly insurmountable. Personally, I have dealt with the unfortunate […]
Blinded by Love
Lesbia and her Sparrow, by Sir Edward John Poynter Catullus 83 by Lily Nesvold Lesbia mi praesente viro mala plurima dicit: haec illi fatuo maxima laetitia est. mule, nihil sentis? si nostri oblita taceret, sana esset: nunc quod gannit et obloquitur, non solum meminit, sed, quae multo acrior est res, irata est. hoc est, […]
Barbarians: Ancient History, Reimagined
Laurence Rupp as Arminius in Netflix’s Barbarians. Credit: Netflix. Barbarians: Ancient History, Reimagined A Review of the New Netflix Series By Sara Chopra, Margaret Dunn, and Olivia Wells When we encounter reimaginations of ancient Rome on television or in theaters, we often find ourselves watching retellings centered around the exalted perspectives and stories of ancient […]
Discentes’ Spring 2021 Course Guide
Credit: Penn Admissions. Description: Class of 1893 Memorial Gate, University of Pennsylvania Campus. Discentes Course Reviews Our guide to Classical Studies and Ancient History course offerings this spring by Sara Chopra With advance registration for Spring 2021 already underway, the staff of Discentes is looking back on the courses that shaped our experiences as […]
Constantine as Liberator
Photo Sources: Smart History Constantine as Liberator An Evaluation of the Self Representations of the Emperor through Eusebius’ Life of Constantine and the Arch of Constantine By James Nycz I. The Conversion of the First Christian Emperor…? The Western Roman emperor is lying on his deathbed. The previous emperor, Diocletian, had famously split […]
Blood, Lead, and Tears: The Cult of Cybele as a Means of Addressing Ancient Roman Issues of Fertility
By Jordan Reece Tayeh Introduction Divinity has many faces in the Ancient Roman world, none more intriguing than the garland-wearing, lionhearted Phrygian mother-goddess Cybele. Whereas other Phrygian gods and goddesses were left behind, Cybele and a select few others remained alive in the Roman world. But why? According to most scholars both ancient and modern, […]
Culina Quarantina: A Series of Roman Recipes – Garum, Liquamen, Caroenum and Posca!
By Alicia Lopez Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of cooking and baking to help pass the time in quarantine, so I decided to look into what cooking would have been like in Ancient Rome. Here are some of my favorite ancient recipes to help get you through quarantine. Bonam fortunam! You can find previous […]
Culina Quarantina: A Series of Roman Recipes – Egyptian Sweetmeat and More
By Alicia Lopez Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of cooking and baking to help pass the time in quarantine, so I decided to look into what cooking would have been like in Ancient Rome. Here are some of my favorite ancient recipes to help get you through quarantine. Bonam fortunam! You can find previous […]
Culina Quarantina: A Series of Roman Recipes – Roman Toast and Laganum
By Alicia Lopez Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of cooking and baking to help pass the time in quarantine, so I decided to look into what cooking would have been like in Ancient Rome. Here are some of my favorite ancient recipes to help get you through quarantine. Bonam fortunam! You can find previous […]
