Just got proofs for one of the project publications, coming soon in an open access volume from Reichert Verlag (Proceedings of the XVII. Fachtagung der Indogermanischen Gesellschaft)

Upcoming project conference: New Perspectives on the Early History of Ancient Greek (Copenhagen, 4.–5. August 2025). Link to the programme in the alt-text.

Matthew Scarborough 𓀀@mattitiahu.bsky.social · last yr.

Graphic design is not really my passion (but I think this turned out alright).

Homer attests exactly once a term, αἰσυμνήτηρ, used to describe the god Hermes as he travels from Olympus to Troy to give Priam instructions to pay a ransom for the body of Hector: βῆ δ᾽ ἴεναι κούρωι αἰσυμνῆτρι ἐοικώς (Il. 24.327) He set out to go resembling an [αἰσυμνῆτρι] young man...

I suppose that since BlueSky is a much bigger thing than it was when I started this account with one of my own invite codes, maybe I should post with this occasionally.

I have now translated the Hesychius gloss for this lemma in the dataset as "nourishing soft cheeses; these also are considered to be advantageous for sex" since I have been informed that aphrodisiac cheeses were apparently a thing.

Matthew Scarborough 𓀀@mattitiahu.bsky.social · 3y ago

σαύσακας· τυροὺς ἁπαλοὺς εὐτρόφους. καὶ δοκοῦαι δὲ οὗτοι ἐπιφόρους ποιεῖν πρὸς συνουσίαν. (Hsch. σ 284 Hansen) first clause is straightforward enough: 'nourishing soft cheeses'. I don't know what to make of the second clause but I think they might be saying that these are good sex cheeses.

Ilya Yakubovich and Alice Mouton have published a new edition, translation, and commentary on Cuneiform Luvian ritual texts, *and* it's Open Access?? Okay, maybe the future isn't so bad after all.

I did not expect to find a reference to 'Merica in an academic paper about Hittites and the Ahhiyawa question:

Ancient Greek Word of Uncertain Provenance of the Day: ἄνθρωπος 'person, human being', first attested in a dative-instrumental form a-to-ro-qo (*ἀνθρώκʷωι) 'with (a figure of) a person' describing an inlaid decoration on a ta-ra-nu *θρᾶνυς 'footstool' in a Linear B inventory list (PY Ta 722.1).

I have created an account for my Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions project. Project-related tweets and general Ancient Greek substrata related tweets will go there. bsky.app/profile/phil...

First post! This account will be for general outreach activities of the EU funded MSCA project Pre-Hellenic Loanwords in Greek!