Classics Tutor
@classicstutor.bsky.social
Enchanting adventures in Greek & Roman history, literature, mythology & religion! classicstutor.substack.com
Five cities in ancient Italy are said to have been founded by the Titan Saturn himself. Learn more about these cities and the mysteries which still enshroud them in today's Classics Tutor!
#lazio #latium #romanmythology #rome #toponymy
#lazio #latium #romanmythology #rome #toponymy
The Saturnian Cities of Latium
Patrimony of the Golden Age of Saturnus
classicstutor.substack.com
December 9, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Five cities in ancient Italy are said to have been founded by the Titan Saturn himself. Learn more about these cities and the mysteries which still enshroud them in today's Classics Tutor!
#lazio #latium #romanmythology #rome #toponymy
#lazio #latium #romanmythology #rome #toponymy
There are several theories about the so-called “Archaic Smile”, including the proposition that it represents a positive life-force, or a sense of strength, high social rank, contentment, and inner-divinity. Learn more in this issue of #Classics Tutor! #ancienthistory #rome #greece #archaeology
That Enigmatic Smile
A Quick Look at the Archaic Smile
classicstutor.substack.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:38 PM
There are several theories about the so-called “Archaic Smile”, including the proposition that it represents a positive life-force, or a sense of strength, high social rank, contentment, and inner-divinity. Learn more in this issue of #Classics Tutor! #ancienthistory #rome #greece #archaeology
The #Roman #goddess Bona Dea (“The Good Goddess”) was an ancient deity whose true name was a closely guarded secret known only to her female initiates. Dec 3 was the feast of her secret rites. Learn more in today's free edition of Classics Tutor!
Bona Dea
Guarantor of Virtue, Fertility & The Health of the Roman People
classicstutor.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Ancient #Roman military officers had pet monkeys, and the pet monkeys had pet piglets!
Ancient Roman Military Officers Had Pet Monkeys, And The Pet Monkeys Had Pet Piglets
Some monkeys also had their own puppies and kittens.
www.iflscience.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Ancient #Roman military officers had pet monkeys, and the pet monkeys had pet piglets!
There has been much controversy surrounding the meaning of the #Gorgon #myth, which is why I thought it would be useful to look at some basic information regarding its origins and differing messages from one period to another. This article will be released to free subscribers on Wed 3 Dec.
Myths of the Gorgon
Interpretations of the Stories of Medusa
classicstutor.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:38 PM
In today’s Classics Tutor we trace Diana’s cult from the ancient Alban Hills of Latium to the ““Good Walkers” of 17th c. Friuli.
#rome #ancienthistory #pagansurvival
#rome #ancienthistory #pagansurvival
The Cult of Diana, Ancient & Modern
Tracing the Cultural Survival of the Divine Huntress
classicstutor.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:18 PM
In today’s Classics Tutor we trace Diana’s cult from the ancient Alban Hills of Latium to the ““Good Walkers” of 17th c. Friuli.
#rome #ancienthistory #pagansurvival
#rome #ancienthistory #pagansurvival
Maintaining a balance of good will with the gods was a matter of state security and survival for the #Romans. Learn more about their relative religious tolerance in this FREE issue of Classics Tutor!
Pax Deorum
Religious Tolerance in Rome
classicstutor.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Maintaining a balance of good will with the gods was a matter of state security and survival for the #Romans. Learn more about their relative religious tolerance in this FREE issue of Classics Tutor!
It is crucial for #classics students to re-calibrate their way of thinking about the world and the divine. First of all, there was no distinction between earthly things and spiritual things. Everything that we see in the archaic and classical periods is enchanted; every leaf and animal is sacred.
Pleasing the Gods
R.E.S.P.E.C.T., find out what it means to me
classicstutor.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:48 PM
It is crucial for #classics students to re-calibrate their way of thinking about the world and the divine. First of all, there was no distinction between earthly things and spiritual things. Everything that we see in the archaic and classical periods is enchanted; every leaf and animal is sacred.
The Roman cult of Mithras wasn't imported from Persia; it was a new mystery religion (1st c. CE) centered on the cosmic act of the Tauroctony (bull-slaying). Spread by Roman soldiers & organized into 7 secret grades, its theology remains a puzzle! #MysteryCult #RomanEmpire #Archaeology
The Mystery Cult of Mithras
Mithraism in the Roman Empire
classicstutor.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:38 PM
The Roman cult of Mithras wasn't imported from Persia; it was a new mystery religion (1st c. CE) centered on the cosmic act of the Tauroctony (bull-slaying). Spread by Roman soldiers & organized into 7 secret grades, its theology remains a puzzle! #MysteryCult #RomanEmpire #Archaeology
A monumental, high-resolution digital map has been recently developed that synthesizes historical, archaeological, and remote sensing data to reconstruct the entire #Roman road network as it existed around 150 CE.
All Roads Lead To Rome
The Breakthrough Digital Atlas of the Roman Road Network
classicstutor.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:34 PM
A monumental, high-resolution digital map has been recently developed that synthesizes historical, archaeological, and remote sensing data to reconstruct the entire #Roman road network as it existed around 150 CE.
Join me as we trace the earliest verifiable origins of #Greek and #Roman deities through layers of epigraphical, artistic, and linguistic evolution.
Ancient of Days
The Origins of Greek and Italic Gods
classicstutor.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Coming up on Tues 11 November, for Classics Tutor paid subscribers, a look at the immensely ancient origins of the #Greek and #Italic gods. Image: A #Minoan Linear B tablet from the Knossos archives. It records a jar of wine being offered to DI-WO-NU-SO (Dionysos), dated to 1450-1375 BCE
November 9, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Reposted by Classics Tutor
How often can you say that you've seen a kantharos-rhyton? This cup has a bridled donkey head attachment, usually seen only on rhyta. It mirrors the donkey seen on the reverse of the cup, ridden by Dionysos. When you drank from this vessel, you looked like an ass! 🏺 1/
Greek, 520-500 BCE. 📸 me
Greek, 520-500 BCE. 📸 me
November 6, 2025 at 4:18 PM
How often can you say that you've seen a kantharos-rhyton? This cup has a bridled donkey head attachment, usually seen only on rhyta. It mirrors the donkey seen on the reverse of the cup, ridden by Dionysos. When you drank from this vessel, you looked like an ass! 🏺 1/
Greek, 520-500 BCE. 📸 me
Greek, 520-500 BCE. 📸 me
To celebrate my 500 subscribers, here is a brief review of the most recent publications of interest in #Classical Studies!
#greece #rome #ancienthistory #philosophy #religion #mythology
#greece #rome #ancienthistory #philosophy #religion #mythology
Recent Classics Publications
A Brief Review of New Classics Resources
classicstutor.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:48 PM
To celebrate my 500 subscribers, here is a brief review of the most recent publications of interest in #Classical Studies!
#greece #rome #ancienthistory #philosophy #religion #mythology
#greece #rome #ancienthistory #philosophy #religion #mythology
How did Southern #Italy and #Sicily become such an important part of the #Greek-speaking world? What great monsters and heroic deeds of the poets took place on these ancient western shores? Learn more in today's free issue of Classics Tutor!
Magna Graecia
The Greek Settlement of Italy and Sicily
classicstutor.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:28 PM
How did Southern #Italy and #Sicily become such an important part of the #Greek-speaking world? What great monsters and heroic deeds of the poets took place on these ancient western shores? Learn more in today's free issue of Classics Tutor!
I’m opening up my recent piece on reading #omens to free subscribers and followers. Learn all about the art of reading entrails and watching birds for signs! Happy #Halloween, everybody! #rome #classics #augury #haruspicy #ornithomancy
Reading Omens
A Brief History of Græco-Roman Divination
classicstutor.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 5:46 PM
I’m opening up my recent piece on reading #omens to free subscribers and followers. Learn all about the art of reading entrails and watching birds for signs! Happy #Halloween, everybody! #rome #classics #augury #haruspicy #ornithomancy
On this day in 130 CE, #Antinous, companion to the Emperor #Hadrian, drowned in the River Nile during the feasts of #Osiris. The priests of Osiris both embalmed & deified him. To this day, Antinuous is celebrated as having traversed the underworld and returned a god. #rome #egypt #lgbthistory
Antinous: The Boy Who Became a God
The story of Emperor Hadrian's deified companion
classicstutor.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 6:05 PM
How long have Western people celebrated #Halloween, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day? Read more about the #Roman origins of these traditions in this week's FREE edition of Classics Tutor.
Roman Feasts for the Dead
Ancient and Modern
classicstutor.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:24 PM
How long have Western people celebrated #Halloween, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day? Read more about the #Roman origins of these traditions in this week's FREE edition of Classics Tutor.
There has been a significant amount of new work on #slavery in ancient #Rome, particularly blending archaeological discoveries with re-examinations of known primary sources. Read more about it in this week’s Classics Tutor!
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Slavery in Ancient Rome
Recent Research and Excavations
classicstutor.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Terminus is the #Roman god of boundaries, sometimes identified as an aspect of #Jupiter. His veneration is quite ancient. His name is synonymous with the #Latin word for boundary stone. The stones were sanctified by a ritual. Concedo nvlli or concedo nulli means “I yield to no one”.
October 18, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Giorgios Gemistos Plethon (c. 1355–1452) was the key catalyst for the Florentine Platonic revival. We have strong evidence pointing to the specific, core ideas that were transmitted from Plethon to the Italian humanists, particularly Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola.
The Hellenic Polytheist Who Sparked The Renaissance
Georgios Gemistos Plethon
classicstutor.substack.com
October 16, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Giorgios Gemistos Plethon (c. 1355–1452) was the key catalyst for the Florentine Platonic revival. We have strong evidence pointing to the specific, core ideas that were transmitted from Plethon to the Italian humanists, particularly Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola.
Silenus, (Greek: Σειληνος, Σιληνος: Seilênos, Silênos) is famous in mythology for being the adopted father of Dionysos, whom he & the Hyedes, the rain-making nymphs, nurtured in a sweet-smelling cave on the mythical Mount Nysa. Read more about Silenus below.
Silenus the Wise
Father of the Satyrs
classicstutor.substack.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Silenus, (Greek: Σειληνος, Σιληνος: Seilênos, Silênos) is famous in mythology for being the adopted father of Dionysos, whom he & the Hyedes, the rain-making nymphs, nurtured in a sweet-smelling cave on the mythical Mount Nysa. Read more about Silenus below.
From the #archaic #Italic peoples, to the #Iliad and beyond, we must come to appreciate the importance that archaic and classical communities placed on correctly reading #omens.
Reading Omens
A Brief History of Græco-Roman Divination
classicstutor.substack.com
October 11, 2025 at 2:43 PM
This weekend, Classics Tutor paid subscribers will be able to enjoy a brief history of omens and divination in the Græco-Roman world. And speaking of ominous, how about this detail of a terracotta altar with a pretty hair-raising #Gorgon, 6th c. BCE. Palazzo Massimo alle Therme, Rome. #Rome
October 9, 2025 at 6:25 PM
The Nemean Lion was often seen as a monstrous, chaotic force. By slaying the lion and then wearing its skin, #Hercules turned the threat of death into his own deliverance. Read more»» classicstutor.substack.com/p/esoteric-h...
Coin from Sicily, ca. 405-400 BCE. Hercules strangling the Nemean lion.
Coin from Sicily, ca. 405-400 BCE. Hercules strangling the Nemean lion.
October 5, 2025 at 6:15 PM
The Nemean Lion was often seen as a monstrous, chaotic force. By slaying the lion and then wearing its skin, #Hercules turned the threat of death into his own deliverance. Read more»» classicstutor.substack.com/p/esoteric-h...
Coin from Sicily, ca. 405-400 BCE. Hercules strangling the Nemean lion.
Coin from Sicily, ca. 405-400 BCE. Hercules strangling the Nemean lion.