Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Aug 23

I would be concerned that students would skip the essay component if it was a low percentage - which would then defeat the entire purpose. It might just be an NZ problem as high school students “pick” which assessments they complete until they’ve got enough marks (credits) to get them over the line

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Aug 13

After what has been a total write-off of the past few months with so many personal obstacles I made a spontaneous purchase of a new board game - Caesar! And yes I did take Rome in 20 minutes and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rhea Classical Reviews @rheaclassical.bsky.social · Aug 13

Announcing our new forum, RHEA RECEPTIONS!

“We live in an Odyssey time.” —Charlotte Higgins, The Guardian, 12 April 2025

Rhea Classical Reviews could not agree more with Ms. Higgins.

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Alexander Vandewalle @alexvandewalle.bsky.social · Nov 18

CfP alert! 📢 Mythological Game Studies Conference

@maciejpaprocki.bsky.social and I are organizing an online conference on mythology & video games (May 2025). We're interested in everything games, myth, mythology & mythologies! Abstract deadline: Feb 2!

For more: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

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Working Classicists @workingclassicists.bsky.social · Jan 2

ANNOUNCING...

A Periodic Table of Greek Mythology - our first book! 🎉

📅Available 5th Feb 2025 (but you can preorder now)
🤝 In collaboration with @contubernales.bsky.social
✍️ 117 different writers
🖼️ Periodic Table Poster by @corabeth.bsky.social
👇 Read more...

A book cover for A Periodic Table of Greek Mythology showing a classical painting with a superimposed periodic tabel element styled square with athena's head and name on it.

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Daniel Osland @oslandd.bsky.social · Jul 4

A celebratory post, but with mixed emotions. Congratulations, Arlene, and we'll miss you! www.facebook.com/OtagoClassic...
#BlueskyClassics #AncientBluesky

Classics at the University of Otago

🥳 We wish to congratulate our friend and colleague, Dr Arlene Allan, on her retirement from the University of Otago this week, after more than 20 years of dedicated teaching and research activity. At....

www.facebook.com

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Jul 1

Not usually something I do on the old social media, but there’s probably enough friends floating around here who could do with a life update.

givealittle.co.nz/cause/joels-...

Don’t get me wrong, I love NZs public health system, but it drastically needs more funding and an overhaul.

Joel’s medical misadventures - big costs all round

Help Joel and Jess with their medical expenses

givealittle.co.nz

Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Jun 30

Surely at this point defy the gods is just a catch phrase that any “mythological” movie has to include purely because otherwise we won’t know it’s supposed to be mythological? :p

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Jan 2

So awesome to see this project announced - it was a privilege to be a part of it!

Working Classicists @workingclassicists.bsky.social · Jan 2

ANNOUNCING...

A Periodic Table of Greek Mythology - our first book! 🎉

📅Available 5th Feb 2025 (but you can preorder now)
🤝 In collaboration with @contubernales.bsky.social
✍️ 117 different writers
🖼️ Periodic Table Poster by @corabeth.bsky.social
👇 Read more...

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Dec 4

And it gets better “
“The Marsden Fund will continue to support excellent researchers in New Zealand, who are looking to create a better country for us”… I guess humanities scholars just don’t care about a better Aotearoa

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Dec 4

NZ government just announced the major funding grant will no longer be supporting humanities or social sciences : justification being “Real impact on our economy will come from areas such as physics, chemistry, maths, engineering and biomedical sciences.”

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Nov 27

Murderous rabbits in medieval manuscripts are simply amazing! I made a point of including them in a class a taught last year on Alexander in medieval traditions

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Christian Rollinger @drcrollinger.bsky.social · Nov 26

Someone has gone to quite enormous trouble to painstakingly recreate the Great Palace of Constantinople in Minecraft - AND based on VERY recent scholarship... the greatest thing I've seen on the Internet in a while!

(Images belong to the OP of threat in following post, obvs...) #classicsbluesky

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Nov 19

This should be an amazing conference! Really encourage everyone to get onboard

Alexander Vandewalle @alexvandewalle.bsky.social · Nov 18

CfP alert! 📢 Mythological Game Studies Conference

@maciejpaprocki.bsky.social and I are organizing an online conference on mythology & video games (May 2025). We're interested in everything games, myth, mythology & mythologies! Abstract deadline: Feb 2!

For more: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Nov 15

Please add me to this :) currently working on classics and video games and deicide in the MCU

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Nov 15

Aaaaand, I’m back. Appreciate the lack of Elon bots over here

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Mar 16

this is totally my three year old at the moment. If only English wasn’t so stupid!

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Feb 15

Ancient Magic and the Supernatural in the Modern Visual and Performing Arts (Bloomsbury Studies in Classical Reception)
Filippo Carlá & Irene Berti (Editors). Might also be useful

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Feb 15

Art Pomeroy definitely has a chapter on magical ancient languages in Buffy in the book “and then it was destroyed by the volcano”

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Res_Australes: Ancient World Studies, Australasia @resaustrales.bsky.social · Jan 13

Gwynaeth McIntyre (Otago) #BMCR review: Darja Šterbenc Erker, Ambiguity & religion in Ovid's Fasti bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2024/2024.01... "valuable contribution to current discussions of genre, poetic intention, & audience expectations in literature of..late 1st century BCE to 1st century CE"

Ambiguity and religion in Ovid’s Fasti: religious innovation and the imperial family – Bryn Mawr...

bmcr.brynmawr.edu

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Jan 4

I've only just started Rage of the Titans, so perhaps my view might change =) But I do have a soft spot for sci-fi so I think Neo Rome is what does it for me

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Jan 3

@gamingthepast.bsky.social, if you give me a day or two I can get a more formal list (including the publisher, for example) to you =) Just let me know if that would be helpful

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Jan 3

and for good measure, Imperial Destiny: Path of Gold (a tycoon sim) - but it might be a bit 'racy' for your context as part of the way you 'earn' money is by "collecting" partners and "producing" offspring; and some other fun ones Grow Empire: Rome (a hoard defence) & Gladiator Heroes of Kingdoms

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Jan 3

Plus all the usual 'suspects' in the Civ-Builder genre that give you 'Rome' and 'Caesar' as one of many ancient civs/individuals: Rise of Cultures: Kingdom Game; Rise of Kingdoms; Land of Empires; Rise of the Roman Empire: Rome; Era of Conquest: Warfare; Epic Age.

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Jan 3

also Game of Nations: Epic Discord (hero collector); Gladiators: Survival in Rome (my personal favourite!); Empire City: Civilization Dawn (a civ-builder/simulator that is roman-ish - from memory I'm not sure if Rome is mentioned or if its a generic empire, but aesthetically, its very Roman)

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Jan 3

Opps sorry I missed this. I think some of my favourite ones would be Jewels of Rome (match 3); Roads of Rome (time management); Romance Club – Stories I Play: Gladiator Chronicles (while I'm not the target audience, I'm totally hooked on this one); Ancient Allies: TD (tower defense)...

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Dec 4

So excited to share the CFP for "Worlds Above and Below" - a hybrid (Dunedin & zoom) interdisciplinary conference (theology, biblical studies, ancient studies & classics) on supernatural worlds - abstracts due 22 March 2024 to [email protected]

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Dr. Jeremy Swist @metalclassicist.bsky.social · Nov 26

I can totally picture @sentantiq.bsky.social in this role.

Zeus: Release the Kraken!
*waits*
What's the holdup?
Zeus' assistant, Joe: the Kraken is a Norse monster, so I have to file a requisitio form with the Aesir. If they approve the release we'll have to wait for the creature to travel here from Greenland

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Nov 23

So gutted that nz is 12 hours behind the UK. I would have loved to zoom in, but unfortunately 4am is a bit too early. All the best though Kate!

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Joel Gordon @joelagordonnz.bsky.social · Nov 7

Totally gutted that the strain of COVID that I’ve likely got is Eris, I would much preferred the more cooler Cerberus or kraken or even Centaurus or Argus. I mean goddess of strife sums up the week, but Cerberus!