Tessera

Here’s my review of the Tom Hiddleston Pompeii series. Keeping in mind this is aimed at amateurs, I thought it had a wonderful blend of (fairly authentic) dramatisation, a varied range of specialists and Tom himself makes the story that much more endearing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ www.benpaites.uk/blog-4-1/pom...

Pompeii: Out of Time - Review — Ben Paites

There have been many attempts over the years to get celebrities to try and engage the general public in the Ancient World. Rarely, if ever, does that celebrity have any sort of prior experience or kno...

benpaites.uk

Here’s my review of the Tom Hiddleston Pompeii series. Keeping in mind this is aimed at amateurs, I thought it had a wonderful blend of (fairly authentic) dramatisation, a varied range of specialists and Tom himself makes the story that much more endearing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ www.benpaites.uk/blog-4-1/pom...

Pompeii: Out of Time - Review — Ben Paites

There have been many attempts over the years to get celebrities to try and engage the general public in the Ancient World. Rarely, if ever, does that celebrity have any sort of prior experience or kno...

benpaites.uk

Turns out I visited the house of Julia Felix back in 2023. She features in the new Tom Hiddleston documentary “Pompeii: Out of Time”. I’ll be writing up my thoughts on it soon…

A series of alcoves in a white stone wall. Above is a series of wooden beams with vines hanging from them. Grass is below and a blue sky above.

🏰 Ben Paites 🏛️@benpaites.bsky.social · 4d ago

Turns out I visited the house of Julia Felix back in 2023. She features in the new Tom Hiddleston documentary “Pompeii: Out of Time”. I’ll be writing up my thoughts on it soon…

Working in museums, you discover all sorts of unusual things when looking through the stores (usually for something else). I’ve never seen anything like this before. Any thoughts as to when and why it was made?

A photo of a basket made of gold with pearls and enamel decorating it like branches and vines. Little pearl eggs are in the nest while a bird flies down from above. It’s inside a glass dome.

🏰 Ben Paites 🏛️@benpaites.bsky.social · 4d ago

Working in museums, you discover all sorts of unusual things when looking through the stores (usually for something else). I’ve never seen anything like this before. Any thoughts as to when and why it was made?

Ancient History 101 Podcast@ancienthistory101.org · last wk.

If you love the Ancient World and video games, as I do, this is a great episode!

Something a little different this week! Our new episode with @alexvandewalle.bsky.social talks about the various ways that video games treat and portray Greek myth, and it's more diverse than you might imagine! We discuss more than half a dozen games, from the good, the bad to the downright weird!

Ancient History 101 Podcast @ancienthistory101.org · last wk.

Something a little different this week! Our new episode with @alexvandewalle.bsky.social talks about the various ways that video games treat and portray Greek myth, and it's more diverse than you might imagine! We discuss more than half a dozen games, from the good, the bad to the downright weird!

Watched The Odyssey again tonight and how did I miss Telemachus saying “you’ve got wise eyes, the eyes of Athena” to all the people who were actually Athena in the original.

Just DM’d my first online D&D session and oh boy… When DMs talk about how crazy it gets when everyone is going in different directions to what you expected. Scrambling to adapt the story on the go. I am EXHAUSTED! But it was so much fun and I can’t wait for the next session!

D&D .50 Caliber Magic Missile Spell

Alt: A wizard says “I cast .50 Caliber Magic Missile” and it cuts to some confused looking orcs. All in different blue colours.

static.klipy.com

Just DM’d my first online D&D session and oh boy… When DMs talk about how crazy it gets when everyone is going in different directions to what you expected. Scrambling to adapt the story on the go. I am EXHAUSTED! But it was so much fun and I can’t wait for the next session!

D&D .50 Caliber Magic Missile Spell

Alt: A wizard says “I cast .50 Caliber Magic Missile” and it cuts to some confused looking orcs. All in different blue colours.

static.klipy.com

Full moon at Colchester Castle, all day every day (until November) @lukejerram.bsky.social

A giant inflatable moon hanging inside Colchester castle above the model of the Norman Keep. It’s lit internally, with the light picking out the many craters and dark patches across its surface.

Full moon at Colchester Castle, all day every day (until November) @lukejerram.bsky.social

The city of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ was filmed in Morocco at Aït Benhaddou. This place features in quite a few movies. I visited back in 2008 and took this photo. You can see why it has become the set of so many movies set in the ancient world.

A Yellowstone city covering a hill with palm trees and scattered green plants below. A very shallow river runt in front of it with a few similar style buildings in the foreground. The city looks ancient. Grey clouds are in the sky are overhead.

The image on this Roman oil lamp has been interpreted as Odysseus, returned home disguised as a beggar. The Romans were very familiar with #TheOdyssey and tales of the Trojan War. This lamp was probably made in Colchester, showing the story’s popularity even stretched to the provinces.

A fragment of a Roman oil lamp. On the front is what looks like an old man in a cloak. It is a yellow cream colour ceramic.

The image on this Roman oil lamp has been interpreted as Odysseus, returned home disguised as a beggar. The Romans were very familiar with #TheOdyssey and tales of the Trojan War. This lamp was probably made in Colchester, showing the story’s popularity even stretched to the provinces.

Well here it is, my thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’. Putting aside any desire for a 100% authentic reproduction, I think it’s a great movie. Yet, he still manages to include some fantastic touches that reference the Ancient World and the original text. www.benpaites.uk/blog-4-1/chr...

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey - Review — Ben Paites

To start, a reminder to those that need it (probably no one reading this) that the original Odyssey, a compilation of authors’ works put into one single narrative (probably), written down over 2000 ye...

benpaites.uk

So, I saw The Odyssey last night. I’m going to write a full review this weekend, but I actually really enjoyed it. Like any movie or retelling, there are moments I questioned. But I felt it managed to get a real sense of the original myth whilst reflecting the present (as all retellings should).

Well here it is, my thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’. Putting aside any desire for a 100% authentic reproduction, I think it’s a great movie. Yet, he still manages to include some fantastic touches that reference the Ancient World and the original text. www.benpaites.uk/blog-4-1/chr...

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey - Review — Ben Paites

To start, a reminder to those that need it (probably no one reading this) that the original Odyssey, a compilation of authors’ works put into one single narrative (probably), written down over 2000 ye...

benpaites.uk

So, I saw The Odyssey last night. I’m going to write a full review this weekend, but I actually really enjoyed it. Like any movie or retelling, there are moments I questioned. But I felt it managed to get a real sense of the original myth whilst reflecting the present (as all retellings should).

Flora 🏺 Ancient History Art @flaroh.bsky.social · 4mo ago

More rich/famous people buying antiquities and donating them to public institutions please! www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

Erling Haaland: Manchester City striker donates rare £100k Viking book to home town in Norway

Erling Haaland donates a rare 16th-Century book of Viking sagas, worth £100,000, to be displayed in the library in the Norwegian town of Bryne, where he grew up.

bbc.co.uk

My illustration of Life in a Roman Street 🏛️🍷🌿🚶🏻‍♀️

Art by flaroh illustration; on the left, a couple are walking past the thermopolium wearing their finery. On the right, two children play in the road with their dog while their nursemaid orders them onto the pavement. Behind them, a matrona enters the street from some steps, shielding her eyes from the sun while her attendant holds a parasol. Across the road from the two, a togate man and his two attendants walk towards the thermopolium and are acknowledged by one of the old-timers at the door. Moving further to the background, a donkey cart loaded with amphora approaches the stepping stones. To its left two people chat at the fountain, and a child plays with his doll next to the man. Above, people look out from windows and balconies, gossiping or doing household chores.

Ancient History 101 Podcast @ancienthistory101.org · 3w ago

Disability aids are made by societies that care for people with disabilities - but are they a modern phenomenon? Listen to our full episode about disability in Ancient Egypt with @disabledarchaeo.bsky.social, out now!

Also, with all this hype over modern reimaginings of ancient epic poems…. Movie of the Aeneid when?!

Alexandra Sills @belovedofoizys.bsky.social · 3w ago

So, I saw The Odyssey last night. I’m going to write a full review this weekend, but I actually really enjoyed it. Like any movie or retelling, there are moments I questioned. But I felt it managed to get a real sense of the original myth whilst reflecting the present (as all retellings should).

A childhood dream realised, in no small part due to the support, encouragement and training I received at @bbkhistorical.bsky.social and @archanchistleic.bsky.social. I'll never stop being grateful for my life changing time spent with each.

So, I saw The Odyssey last night. I’m going to write a full review this weekend, but I actually really enjoyed it. Like any movie or retelling, there are moments I questioned. But I felt it managed to get a real sense of the original myth whilst reflecting the present (as all retellings should).

Wearing My Helmet Odysseus

Alt: A man with grey hair and beard putting on a Greek style helmet. The sea is in the background and he wears a dark green cape and leather vambraces on his lower arm.

static.klipy.com

LifuX@lifux.bsky.social · 3w ago

How the pokéball was invented:

Curiosity didn't kill the cat, it just packaged it. 📦🐈‍⬛ #Cat #Caturday #Catsofbluesky #LifuX

Ancient History 101 Podcast @ancienthistory101.org · 3w ago

Spotify tell me that the podcast now has 500 subscribers on that platform!🥳What a nice milestone to reach! Thank you to all that have subscribed, and if you haven't yet, what are you waiting for?