Virtual Rome and Rome Reborn®: The Latest Developments in the Architectural Documentation of Rome
By Lily Nesvold
Have you ever wished you could walk around Rome during ancient times? Well, now you can. Recent technological developments—new software that allows for more accurate recording of ancient structures—have enabled architectural documentation of the Roman Forum to reach new levels with virtual three-dimensional reconstruction…
Han Dynasty Tomb Brick
By Lily Nesvold
Tomb bricks, as the name implies, were used to construct tomb chambers. Families would commission the bricks to be manufactured and decorated, and then the finished products would be transported to the burial location. The tomb interior would hold a wooden coffin and gifts, such as ceramic jars, clay tomb figurines, and other pottery wares — everything the occupant needed for the afterlife…
A Case Study in How the Plague Plagues Cities:
Sickness in Oedipus Rex and The Gods Are Not To Blame
By Lily Nesvold
Many are familiar with Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex; however, fewer know its modern adaptation, Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not To Blame. Published in 1971, the novel is set in the Yoruba kingdom and tells the story of Odewale, king of Kutuje, in three acts, much like the original Sophoclean play. Oedipus Rex and The Gods Are Not To Blame portray how illness plagues the respective cities of Thebes and Kutuje. Additionally, the action in these stories…
An Analysis of Fifty Days at Iliam
By Lily Nesvold
Fusing ancient storytelling and modern art, Fifty Days at Iliam is a ten-part canvas painting that uses a mixture of oil, crayon, and graphite. Based on Alexander Pope’s translation of Homer’s Iliad, it is permanently on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This unique installation recalls a story that everyone knows, classicists and non-classicists alike, and its expression packs so much meaning into so few brushstrokes.
Beyond Translation: The Benefits and Drawbacks of English-to-Latin Composition
By Lily Nesvold
In an advanced Latin course my senior year of high school, my teacher gave the class an assignment that was deceptively simple: to compose four “correct” lines of dactylic hexameter, a quest which would result in an automatic “A” for the trimester. Naturally, we were all very excited about the grading scale for the task. What we failed to recognize was how difficult it would be…
The Hero’s Journey
By Lily Nesvold
As a modern, musical interpretation of Virgil’s Aeneid, “The Hero’s Journey” is an instrumental track created using GarageBand, a digital audio workstation, combined with Renderforest, a music visualizer service. I created this piece as my final project for CLST-143, “Great Books of Greece and Rome,” taught by Professor Alison Traweek…
“Canto Audentium” (I Sing of the Daring)
By Lily Nesvold
After reading Dante’s Inferno in high school, I was inspired to write a descriptive piece that mimics his style of writing but presents a modern twist and incorporates the Latin language. Set forty years in the future, my rendition of the classic depicts a sin—hubris—tacked onto the end of “Incontinence,” the initial subsections of Hell, but occurring before the walls of the city of Dis…
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. There is no doubt that Nero committed some truly horrific acts, of which perhaps the most unconscionable was the assassination of his mother, Agrippina. But has Nero been unfairly deemed a bad emperor, detested by all in his time…
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 passing of my grandfather and great aunt, both of which were great losses for my family. What provided me comfort in these difficult times, however, was turning to those who understood my situation for consolation and support…
Catullus 83
By Lily Nesvold
Overall, I took quite a few liberties in translating this poem. I did keep consistent with the tone of Catullus’ poem by employing a low language register, and I used many derogatory words to emphasize Catullus’ frustration. However, I decided to insert a parenthetical statement after the first two lines to emphasize Catullus’ hatred for Lesbia’s husband. Today, calling someone a “jerk” is so universal in the English language—the reader can instantly assess his character…
