Some useful reviews

Horace? Virgil? What do ancient Latin poets in togas have to do with us? They're so BC.

But that question is so 21st century. As recently as 1947, General George C. Marshall said in a speech that no one could ''think with full wisdom” about contemporary times without reading Thucydides's ''History of the Peloponnesian War.”

This comes from a piece about an octogenarian American translator.

Explorator has also found a new set of reviews from Scholia, including long reviews of Peter Wiseman's new book on Roman mythology, and of Robert Garland's 'Surviving Greek Tragedy.' You can find the menu here.

Iron Age tourist camp set to open

Another interesting bit of news unearthed by Explorator:

A new attraction which offers visitors the chance to experience life as an Iron Age villager opens this weekend.

The Cinderbury settlement near Coleford in the Forest of Dean, includes several roundhouses, an iron smelting furnace, pottery kiln and clay-domed bread oven.

People can visit for the day, for a weekend, or experience an entire week, where they will wear authentic clothes, forage for food or learn to weave.

Director Jasper Blake said Cinderbury aims to be both fun and education.

Read the rest.

Romans' brutal crackdown on Celts

Thanks to Explorator for finding this news about resistence to Roman occupation and its suppression, which I think pupils will probably need to know for the Roman Britain GCSE paper.

Romans' brutal crackdown on Celts

BEN KENDALL

09 July 2005 09:00

Norfolk acted as a hub of resistance against Roman occupation, new analysis of archaeological finds has revealed.

But the empire's military might eventually eclipsed native East Anglians in a brutal crackdown described as a “lost holocaust”.

A sprawling Celtic 'proto-city', as significant to its Iceni occupants as modern-day London, sprawled across eight square miles of West Norfolk, almost certainly providing a regular home to Boudicca.

David Thorpe, from the Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project (Sharp), is excavations director for the site – the exact location of which is not being disclosed.

Speaking yesterday, he explained the team have discovered burnt fragments of wattle and daub and stains in the earth. They believe these are the remains of a roundhouse which was razed to the ground by Roman invaders almost two millennia ago.

Much of this evidence has been available over the nine years excavations have taken place. But it is only now that the team feels confident enough outline their analysis in full after the conclusion of excavations.

Mr Thorpe said: “It seems there was a thriving population in the area and then, in about 60 or 70AD, the record completely stops. There is also a lack of Roman finds in the area.

“When you compare this to other areas across the country, it is extremely unusual. Most communities were conquered or peacefully accepted Roman rule so there are Roman finds.

“It seems this was a strong-minded population doing everything it could to resist the Roman empire – probably the last place to remain independent.

“But the Romans did not tolerate insurgency and they would have stamped down on it hard, destroying the settlements and selling the population into slavery.”

As the Celts left no written records, much of the story remains informed speculation.

But structures unearthed include signs of palisaded boundaries separating areas and an oval of banks and ditches suggesting a fortress. Finds of exquisitely crafted jewelry suggest this would have been a centre for the Iceni's aristocratic caste, hinting at Boudicca's regular presence.

When the Romans invaded there was initially little conflict in East Anglia. A lack of Roman finds suggests the Iceni not only resisted their rule but also refused to trade with the empire in a form of ancient anti-globalisation.

The Iceni later revolted, joining forces with the Trinovantes of Essex. Their efforts were ultimately doomed.

“The Romans had contempt for the Iceni as barbarians who they believed by definition would always lose,” said Mr Thorpe.

Sharp began in 1996 and its work has included the extensive excavation of a Saxon cemetery in the valley of the Heacham. For more information visit http://www.sharp.org.uk

An experiment on this blog

Many of the blogs I come across have multiple comments on nearly every post. The comments make the blog more interesting, and can be a useful forum for exchanging ideas. This blog, alas, hardly ever gets a comment.

It could be that Classics teachers have nothing to say on their subject and its place in the world. I hope that's not the case. In fact, some blog readers take the trouble to e-mail me personally about things.

It could be that Classics teachers feel that unless they can contribute a weighty argument couched in Churchillian prose they should not contribute anything. Look at the comments on other blogs: they range from a couple of words to a paragraph or two. One that I saw yesterday just said something like:

I haven't got the answer to your question, but I was so sorry that you had no comment that I'm leaving this one.

It could be that the process of registering your name to make comments has so far put you off.

So, the experiment: I've opened comments to anyone. You can post anonymously. I know this will mean that I shall have to clear away advertisements for on-line gambling every day, but I think it may be worth it.

So please comment. So far my 773 articles have called forth 43 comments. Please help redress the balance.