Comments for Echoes of Narcissus

Comment on Going Postal, Roman Style by Jason Gignac

Jason Gignac — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:01:17 +0000

I think it’s rather interesting that they could have run a post system using slaves. I mean, if I were a slave in Rome, and had an assignment to deliver a letter to cousin Joe in Gaul, I’d be two towns out of Rome and mysteriously disappearing…

Comment on Going Postal, Roman Style by rebeccareid

rebeccareid — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:29:51 +0000

I don’t think I’ve ever considered the post office and roads of ancient Rome before! How interesting.

I hope you strikes come to an end soon!

Comment on I Do This All The Time by rebeccareid

rebeccareid — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:57:07 +0000

What an interesting thought!

I don’t look around me and wonder that, so I think it is the classic training.

Comment on I Do This All The Time by leonie

leonie — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:27:04 +0000

What a great blog! I find myself wondering these kind of things as well, it really changes your perspective on how you look at your life now and definitely on ideas about the past!

Comment on The Joys Of Complexity by juliadomna

juliadomna — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:55:45 +0000

Hurrah for conclusion-less blogs!

I doubt that complexity is particularly an issue for Classics. It’s always the case that things become more complicated the more closely you study them. However, I’ll agree that Classics is particularly ripe because of the distance between the ancients and us. Certainly our attitudes to such things like historical accuracy have their roots in ancient attitudes but have shifted fundamentally- Thucydides and Herodotus used to invent speeches in their histories, whereas we would never think of doing that now. This applies to the study of History as well, of course, as well as some aspects of Theology. Do you think it might be confined to arts subjects mostly, or is science in there too?

Comment on The Joys Of Complexity by Jason Gignac

Jason Gignac — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:52:38 +0000

I’m so glad I came across your blog because it’s quickly becoming one of my favorites! Ironically, I’ve been rolling around some thoughts recently, and this blog prodded me to actually put them up despite not having a clear conclusion.

I wonder, do you think this sort of complexity is particularly true in classics? I’ve noticed this, and I’ve wondered why – whether it’s just because they thought about ethics differently than us, or that the distance makes us see their writings differently than they would have, or what…

Comment on A Funny Story by Jason Gignac

Jason Gignac — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:39:07 +0000

The connection is an interesting one – I read several books on the civil war early this year, and it is interesting how much the South DID feel like it was being tyrannised (not that I’m agreeing wtih JW Booth, mind you). I’d be interested to know, Dante still though of Brutus as bad guy, by the time he came around – when did people start rethinking Brutus as a good guy, or at leastn imbivalent one? Or, was it always that way?

Comment on A Funny Story by Susan

Susan — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:52:12 +0000

This is great! I knew the American half of the story, but not all of the Roman background.

Comment on Hoplites, There’s No Fighting In The War Room! or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Spartans by rebeccareid

rebeccareid — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:57:25 +0000

I think that’s the funniest title ever for a blog post. That’s such a funny tidbit about antiquity. Who’d have thought!

Comment on That’s One Overloaded Bookcase… by rebeccareid

rebeccareid — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:41:45 +0000

Wow, what a great list of books to read! I hope they help your commute seem like a blessing. I’m most intrigued by the one you say “it makes you think in poetry.”