Dan Conway
@magisterconway.bsky.social
Latin/French/IB/reluctant AP teacher. Sometimes tweets in Latin. Vergil fanboy. he/him
Yes! Like how in the Talmud Vespasian was only wearing one shoe when he was told he would be emperor, and when he tried to get the other on, he found his feet had swollen up. But then a rabbi quoted Proverbs at him and got his feet to shrink back down.
More believable than some of Suetonius tbh
More believable than some of Suetonius tbh
November 26, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Yes! Like how in the Talmud Vespasian was only wearing one shoe when he was told he would be emperor, and when he tried to get the other on, he found his feet had swollen up. But then a rabbi quoted Proverbs at him and got his feet to shrink back down.
More believable than some of Suetonius tbh
More believable than some of Suetonius tbh
I had to go back on the old site to find this
November 25, 2025 at 2:24 AM
I had to go back on the old site to find this
Yesterday I sat through some PD about using AI to simplify texts. I tried it out and the results were... not fantastic
October 31, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Yesterday I sat through some PD about using AI to simplify texts. I tried it out and the results were... not fantastic
Seems complicated. Anyway back to my family tree of the noble families of the Roman Republic
(From nobilitasnarrationostra.wordpress.com/2024/11/14/c...)
(From nobilitasnarrationostra.wordpress.com/2024/11/14/c...)
October 21, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Seems complicated. Anyway back to my family tree of the noble families of the Roman Republic
(From nobilitasnarrationostra.wordpress.com/2024/11/14/c...)
(From nobilitasnarrationostra.wordpress.com/2024/11/14/c...)
When I’m old, I can hope they call me “ille acriculus senex”
![ācrĭcŭlus , a, um,
I.adj. dim. [2. acer], somewhat sharp, testy: “ille acriculus senex Zeno,” Cic. Tusc. 3, 17, 38 (cf. acerbus, and the passage there quoted fr. Cic. N. D. 3, 31).](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:vpepa7tkir7iaia3risvyjc6/bafkreic2tbfj2onpz66zwhpry66z2vrsif3w7qlbmunb3yemdkyozx7ik4@jpeg)
October 17, 2025 at 12:20 AM
When I’m old, I can hope they call me “ille acriculus senex”
This passage of Pliny (7.59) is actually fascinating, it’s in the context of the first things that everyone came to a consensus on. Shaving is high on the list:
First: Let’s all use the Greek alphabet for writing
Second: Everyone should shave
Third: There are 12 hours in a day
First: Let’s all use the Greek alphabet for writing
Second: Everyone should shave
Third: There are 12 hours in a day
![57.} L [210] The first of all cases of tacit agreement between the nations was the convention to employ the alphabet of the Ionians.
{58.} L The practical identity of the old Greek alphabet with the present Latin one will be proved by an ancient Delphic tablet of bronze (at the present day in the Palatium, a gift of the emperors) dedicated to Minerva, with the following inscription: Tithe dedicated by Nausicrates to the Daughter of Zeus ...
{59.} L [211] The next agreement between nations was in the matter of shaving the beard, but with the Romans this was later. Barbers came to Rome from Sicily in the year A.U.C. 454 {300 BC}, according to Varro being brought there by Publius Titinius Mena; before then the Romans had been unshaved. The second Africanus first introduced a daily shave. The deified Augustus never neglected the razor.
{60.} L [212] The third agreement was in the observation of the hours (this now being an addition made by theory), the date and inventor of which we have stated in Book II { 2.187 }. This also happened later at Rome: in the Twelve Tables only sunrise and sunset are specified; a few years later noon was also added, the consuls' apparitor announcing it when from the Senate-house he saw the sun between the Rostra and the Graecostasis](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:vpepa7tkir7iaia3risvyjc6/bafkreiaheiihlaoyub52q3kljnrfp7wgp6qrii63o4zukpsfrdorvcppv4@jpeg)
October 16, 2025 at 2:59 PM
This passage of Pliny (7.59) is actually fascinating, it’s in the context of the first things that everyone came to a consensus on. Shaving is high on the list:
First: Let’s all use the Greek alphabet for writing
Second: Everyone should shave
Third: There are 12 hours in a day
First: Let’s all use the Greek alphabet for writing
Second: Everyone should shave
Third: There are 12 hours in a day
Sure, you have anxiety, but did they write a monograph about your anxiety?
October 9, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Sure, you have anxiety, but did they write a monograph about your anxiety?
Did a double take and thought my used edition of Propertius once belonged to J. C. McKeown
September 19, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Did a double take and thought my used edition of Propertius once belonged to J. C. McKeown
August 20, 2025 at 1:13 AM
When you haven't even set up your Bluesky account yet and you already have 8 followers
July 29, 2023 at 11:26 PM
When you haven't even set up your Bluesky account yet and you already have 8 followers