Augustine, the Romans and the Jews

The Globe and Mail has a thought-provoking review of Paula Fredriksen’s latest work, Augustine and the Jews.
“Fredriksen teaches us that the real complaint of such Romans was not with regular, affable Roman Jews [... but ...] with newfangled Christian Jews creating social instability.”
Read on.

Good reason for Getty generosity

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gIpFCsuCa2Km0Os99JEELytUv64QD97DPVD80

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The J. Paul Getty Museum said Tuesday it is returning a piece of a 1st century Roman fresco to Italy.
The 35-by-31-inch fragment of a landscape fresco was donated to the museum in 1996.
It shows two painted panels, bordered in red and gold, which depict several Roman buildings in a cityscape.
Rebecca Taylor, [...]

‘Eagle of the Ninth’ director relaxed about historicity

In this interview with the Orlando Sentinel, director Kevin Macdonald discusses his forthcoming production of Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel ‘Eagle of the Ninth’ and its tenuous relationship to the actualité.

Go Roman in Exeter

Easter family fun in Exeter (From This is The West Country)
* Wednesday, April 8: Romans at Home. Explore Roman home life. Craft activities theme, such as mosaics and artwork.. All children under eight must be accompanied by an adult. Some activities are messy; people taking part are advised to wear old clothes. RAMM in the [...]

The Cambridge News reports on Sancton Wood’s success

From the Cambridge News
Sancton Wood school, in St. Pauls Road in the city centre, has won first place in the city wide Latin Play Competition for the fourth year running.
In a competition which featured St. Mary’s, Perse Boys, Parkside, Coleridge, Comberton and the Perse Girls, Sancton Wood also scooped a prize in the Latin Reading [...]

Slideshow of Caesar exhibition in Rome

The New York Times has a short slideshow of sculpture to be seen at the current exhibition GIULIO CESARE L’uomo, le imprese, il mito at the Chiostro Del Bramante in Rome.

Twitter curriculum

Strange bit of news here.
Ministers forced into history climbdown over plans for Twitter curriculum
Ministers have performed a climbdown over plans to overhaul the primary schools curriculum by intervening to protect the teaching of history alongside lessons on how to use the social networking website Twitter

semper ubi sub ubi

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090405/ARTICLES/904059934/1033?Title=Latin-lovers

“Latin never goes away. It whispers to us all day long,” he said.

The Revolt That Ravaged An Empire

Washington Post

Review by Tom Holland
Sunday, April 5, 2009; Page B06
THE SPARTACUS WAR
By Barry Strauss
Simon & Schuster. 264 pp. $26
One of the frustrations of studying the last, agonized century of the Roman Republic is that our sources invariably derive from the ruling elite. No snob like a senatorial snob: To search the writings of authors such [...]

SPQR re-enactment

Global Post
ROME — Recently, residents and tourists around the Coliseum watched in awe as a legion of Roman soldiers marched in unison down Rome’s Imperial Avenue.
“Caesar!” called out the commander in Latin as the legion came to a stop. “I, Centurion Lucius Valerius Seianus, have brought your favorite legion here to return the scepter of [...]