NEW BOOK: my first children's book is out this week. It's an encyclopedia of Europe for 8-12s.

Featuring Ben Paites, Senior Curator at @colmuseums.bsky.social, Kate Sumnall, Curator of Archaeology at @londonmuseum.bsky.social and Lexi Diggins, archaeologist and guest curator at @stalbansmuseums.bsky.social... Ancient History 101 presents: BOUDICA Part 1: Prelude to Destruction

I am one of those! 'Super sexy Alcibiades' is the best way to describe him anf understand why people kept letting him get away with so much cr@p.

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

Also if I had a penny for expert guests who want to emphasise how attractive Alcibiades was, I'd have 2 pennies. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice. #supersexyAlcibiades www.ancienthistory101.org/p/the-sicili...

After his wonderful episode discussing the Thirty Tyrants, @roelkonijn.bsky.social has returned to give us a crash course in the Sicilian Expedition this week! Crack open your copy of Thucydides, we're going sailing...

The South Asian edition of HUMANS: A MONSTROUS HISTORY is out from @westlandbooks.bsky.social! It’s the history of the category of the human since antiquity, told through ideas about monsters and monster-making. 🧪💙📚 🗃 #ancient #medieval #earlymodern #histsci #histmed #18thCentury #politics #HAMH 🧵

📣 Announcement! We’re delighted to share a brand-new podcast series that invites expert historians to challenge your perceptions of the past. CHALLENGING HISTORIES is hosted by historian and author, @amyfuller.bsky.social. Listen wherever you get your podcasts! podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c...

Some fun stuff in here about Aphrodite as a war-god.

Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees@badancient.bsky.social · last mo.

New Bad Ancient article is out, with a new contributor from @uonclassarch.bsky.social ... so obviously it is about Sparta! www.badancient.com/claims/ares-...

New Bad Ancient article is out, with a new contributor from @uonclassarch.bsky.social ... so obviously it is about Sparta! www.badancient.com/claims/ares-...

Was Ares the patron god of Sparta?

The Greek god of war, Ares, seems like a natural fit as the patron god of Sparta, but how prominently was he worshipped in this supposedly militaristic society?

badancient.com

New Bad Ancient article is out, with a new contributor from @uonclassarch.bsky.social ... so obviously it is about Sparta! www.badancient.com/claims/ares-...

Was Ares the patron god of Sparta?

The Greek god of war, Ares, seems like a natural fit as the patron god of Sparta, but how prominently was he worshipped in this supposedly militaristic society?

badancient.com

Took my 11yo to the videogaming museum in Sheffield today and found these two beauties! Wasn't happy to see things in glass cases as exhibits that I distinctly remember playing as a kid. That was just rude.

Last day of the holidays, so here are a few things I have coming up once I get back to work 🧵

Working through a draft of a new Bad Ancient article submitted by a new contributor. Always an exciting prospect, but I am particularly happy because this question on Spartan religion has been in our backlog for years!

I am VERY EXCITED to see the ad come out for post-doc positions associated with my Cambridge Lab for Ancient World Studies: please pass on to anyone who might be interested and works across ancient regions/languages/worlds... www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...

New books have arrived so I can practice my Sanskrit (I'm definitely not procrastinating from the book I need to finish). Very excited to find that there is a Loeb-like edition of some texts (i.e. dual language), less excited to have numerous book retailers claim to have then but actually not!

Fun data: this year the most ordered book via my blog's Amazon links is @badancient.bsky.social's The Far Edges of the Known World, followed by 1942: Crux of War and The War People. Last year it was @michaellivingston.com's Agincourt, followed by Infantry in Battle, 1733-1783 and Waging a Good War.

"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux@bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 2mo ago

(I do actually get a small kickback from Amazon if you order books using the links on my blog)

New episode alert! @drdragases.bsky.social joins 101 to give us a crash course in Late Antiquity, a fascinating period that gives Game of Thrones a run for its money. Was the Roman empire really 'split in half'? How did Christianity become the official religion? And when did Rome *actually* fall?

Had a chat with the WarTalk team about The Odyssey www.chinatalk.media/p/wartalk-od...

WarTalk: Odyssey Edition

yes you need more odyssey content

chinatalk.media

In my life time? Gladiator, 300, Troy, and Alexander all come to mind and all since the year 2000. What happens each time is people say it will save the study of ancient history, it is loved for a bit before the next big thing happens: all while ancient history depts across the world shut.

Robert Borden Stan Account@bordenstan.bsky.social · 2mo ago

When in your life is there ever going to be this much public fascination and investment in a story so ancient and fundamental? There is an audience out there which is primed to hear more about this and find a whole new interest in it who are seeing you mock a passionate adaptation as slop for rubes.

Very short notice (deadline 18 August) but we're advertising a 0.5fte lectureship in public history for next year. Covers my 3rd year undergraduate course on public history of Rome (ancient to modern) plus some MA public history teaching.

Historians and archaeologists have mixed feelings about the spectre haunting Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster. www.iflscience.com/were-the-mys...

Yay! It’s here

Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees@badancient.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The Bad Ancient team's interview with @iflscience.com is live! Inspired by the Odyssey film, it focuses on the question of the Sea Peoples and 'collapsing civilisations'. Also, it is the first time we have ever been called a 'ragtag team' and I like it. We should put that in a bio somewhere!

The Bad Ancient team's interview with @iflscience.com is live! Inspired by the Odyssey film, it focuses on the question of the Sea Peoples and 'collapsing civilisations'. Also, it is the first time we have ever been called a 'ragtag team' and I like it. We should put that in a bio somewhere!

Were The Mysterious “Sea Peoples” Lurking Throughout Nolan's The Odyssey Real? We Asked The Experts

Historians and archaeologists have mixed feelings about the spectre haunting Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster.

iflscience.com

Like if the Powerpuff Girls fought bad history takes 💪

Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees@badancient.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The Bad Ancient team's interview with @iflscience.com is live! Inspired by the Odyssey film, it focuses on the question of the Sea Peoples and 'collapsing civilisations'. Also, it is the first time we have ever been called a 'ragtag team' and I like it. We should put that in a bio somewhere!

The Bad Ancient team's interview with @iflscience.com is live! Inspired by the Odyssey film, it focuses on the question of the Sea Peoples and 'collapsing civilisations'. Also, it is the first time we have ever been called a 'ragtag team' and I like it. We should put that in a bio somewhere!

Were The Mysterious “Sea Peoples” Lurking Throughout Nolan's The Odyssey Real? We Asked The Experts

Historians and archaeologists have mixed feelings about the spectre haunting Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster.

iflscience.com

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!

When I was governor of a local primary school, reading for pleasure was the latest obsession (rightly so). But every solution was to look like they were fostering a love of reading (posters, book reviews up on walls, etc) - not to actually do anything about it. This is great thread on the topic.

Louie Stowell@louiestowell.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Ok, it's time for Finally Read The Longread Tabs I Have Open Sunday! This one's a LONG one...the edcuation select committee report on reading for pleasure. publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5902/cm...

This has been sent off and was as difficult as you would expect. Nuance is hard at the best of times, but the Sea Peoples is a topic that is difficult to cover in enough detail to be fair, but also useful enough for a public audience to engage with! I hope we managed it.

Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees@badancient.bsky.social · 3mo ago

The Bad Ancient team has been asked for an interview about Nolan's Odyssey and one particular topic it touches on*. I said of course, but did not anticipate the large debate between the archaeologists this topic has now caused 😅 Hope we reach a consensus before the deadline!

Bad Ancient is getting recognition in the academic world! The new website for the International Sparta Seminar has a 'resource' section that includes our Sparta articles, and I also spy a blog series by @bretdevereaux.bsky.social as well as some @askhistorians.bsky.social threads on there! 🏺🗂

Resources

Resources Useful Links These are a selection of suggested links to resources which provide current and well-researched information regarding the history, society, culture, and representation of anc…

internationalspartaseminar.org

Not sure if I will have to hand in my 'ancient historian badge' for this, but ... I did not enjoy this film.

The Bad Ancient team has been asked for an interview about Nolan's Odyssey and one particular topic it touches on*. I said of course, but did not anticipate the large debate between the archaeologists this topic has now caused 😅 Hope we reach a consensus before the deadline!