Written by Carrinna Muncy “Goddess, sing of the cataclysmic wrath of great Achilles, son of Peleus.” This is the first line of Homer’s Iliad, which sets the tone of the epic. The Iliad is a story of Achilles’s rage and the consequences of it, but Achilles’s story extends far beyond Homer’s epic. So, where does…
Category: Features
Poetry: Ashes and an Arrow
A Brief Disclaimer For the sake of literary analysis, I’m going to discuss Achilles here as if he is one single character. In reality, there are hundreds of Achilles (Achilleses?), as each depiction takes pieces of others, and adds their own additions; all influenced by the author’s own culture and biases. For a deeper dive…
Sapphic Romance in Medieval Islamic Literature
The Islamic Golden Age is known for the explosion of scientific and artistic innovation produced by Muslim communities in the Medieval Era. Not only did this period of inspiration lead to advances in astronomy, mathematics, and medicine, it also saw the blossoming of Islamic literature. Just like many of us, people in the tenth century…
A Crash Course on Ancient Delaware
What comes to mind when you think of prehistoric civilizations in North America? The Aztec pyramids in Mexico? Or maybe the cities carved into stone cliff faces in Colorado? While those are stunning examples of pre-modern architecture (in the most literal sense of the term), there is one region of the continent that is often…
Fake it ‘Til You Make It: Trade in the Medieval Mediterranean
Merchants did it, royals did it…Time to dive into fraudulence in the medieval Mediterranean!
Studying Archaeology Abroad in Ireland
“‘Here I am,’ I thought, ‘climbing around in an ancient tomb in a country I have always dreamed of visiting. I know this tomb, and I know what I’m looking at. This is what I want to do. Everything in my life is coming together.'”
Damned or Commiserated? The Fate of Classical Heroes in Medieval Poetry
How do two of the most prominent medieval poets approach the fate of Greek heroes of old?
Don’t Underestimate Pollen, It Might Record Your Death!
What does pollen have to do with Black Death mortality rates? Read about a new study and find out!
Take Classical Art This Fall!
Fall ’23 class! Discover the art of the Mediterranean from the Cycladic culture into late antiquity and how visual art connects to culture and history.
Coffee, Strikes, & Ancient Monuments: Studying Abroad in Scotland
From Stonehenge to the Brno ossuary to the canals of Venice, Charis Blake has traveled across Europe while studying abroad in Scotland.