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Trimalchio in West Egg: Connections Between Petronius and Fitzgerald’s Iconic Personnages
Fitzgerald alludes to Petronius’s Trimalchio in the mannerisms, lifestyle, and habits that Jay Gatsby exhibits in The Great Gatsby (1925). In the similarities between their nouveau-riche abodes and their significance in the world of wealth, the parallel among the collection of knowledge present in their ownership of libraries, and the contrast present in their habitual…
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Chinese Terracotta Army: Chinese or Greek?
What is the Terracotta Army? The Terracotta Army consists of thousands of life-like terracotta sculptures, estimated to contain over 8000 soldier figures, 130 chariots, 520 Horses, 150 cavalry, and numerous sculptures of non military people, such as officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. The army itself is a part of a massive necropolis, the tomb for…
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Clash of Titans: The Hypothetical Fist Fight Among Roman Emperors
Introduction The Roman Empire, a colossus of history, was defined by its fearless leaders who wielded power with an iron grip. As we dive into the realm of imagination, let’s embark on a thrilling journey – envisioning a no-holds-barred fist fight among the legendary Roman emperors. This electrifying exercise challenges us to explore who would…
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Three Ancient Roman Women You Should Know
In the annals of history, many voices of women have been drowned out by the voices of more prominent male figures. The ancient world, including Ancient Rome, was no exception. However, behind the scenes, there were women who played important roles in shaping the course of history. Here are three Ancient Roman women who overcame…
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Sulla: The End of the Roman Republic
The end of the Roman Republic is often imagined as Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon and marching on Rome in 49 BCE, however another ambitious Roman statesman and general achieved the same feat, establishing himself as dictator of Rome over thirty years earlier. Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, more commonly known as Sulla, was born into…
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2000 Years Prior to Its Invention, Ancient Greeks Warned of the Dangers of Artificial Intelligence
When people discuss the origin of robots, they usually think of the science fiction of the early to mid-20th century, when machines similar to our current conception of robots began to enter the public imagination. The term itself originated in the writing of Czech playwright Karel Capek, whose “Rossumovi Univerzalni Roboti” in a 1920 play…
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Delphi
My sister was certain that I was going crazy. I was certain of the opposite. In thirty days I’d have to face a board to approve or deny me a position as one of their members. We devised a plan to prove my innocence or guilt before the month was up – visiting an oracle…
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Combat in the Ancient World
Unarmed combat is the oldest and simplest method of fighting. This method of fighting has evolved from millions of years ago, from when our cave dwelling ancestors bashed each other’s skulls in with their fists for survival, to now where fighters are still trying to bash opponents’ skulls in, but for sport instead, and as…
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Latin Famous Phrases and US State Mottos
Have you ever heard anyone say, “with a grain of salt” or “seize the day”? The Latin language has had many influences on how we speak and what we say today, and one of the influences are famous phrases. In everyday conversations one might hear phrases thrown around which solely originated from the Latin language,…
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Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is a volcano located along the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy. It is notoriously known for its eruption in 79 AD that destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, Stabia, and several other towns. On August 24th of that year, Mount Vesuvius erupted a cloud of stones, ash, and gasses that killed about 2,000 people,…
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Baiae – Debauchery and Revelry
The Italian coast is renowned for its picturesque beaches and azure waters. The Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Seas, both so critical in the rise of Rome, store and protect rich troves of Roman artifacts and ruins underneath their waves. On the coast and beneath the waves of Naples lies the Roman city of Baiae, which has…
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Randomized Democracy: Sortition in Ancient Greek Politics
Imagine a world where political leaders are chosen by pure chance instead of campaigns and elections. Among the many facets of their political system, sortition—the random selection of public officials—holds a unique place. In this comprehensive exploration, we shall delve into the historical origins, practical implementation, and philosophical underpinnings of sortition. Additionally, we will examine…
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Historia Augusta
Roman history is generally marked by the renowned and accurate scholarship from ancient sources, such as Livy and Tacitus. There is a relatively in depth understanding of the general mythology surrounding the founding of the Kingdom of Rome, the later republic, and early Roman Empire from these sources. The written sources decline in quality, depth,…
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An Ancient Nobles Classics Magazine
With the release of the physical NCQ anthology, I thought it would be interesting to look at the history of the newspaper. Through my research, I discovered that the ancient forefather of the newspaper originates from the Roman Empire. Let’s explore the Roman “Acta Diurna”. Acta Diurna (Daily Acts) is regarded by some scholars to…
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Our Banana House
“Not totally white,” my mother protested. “See? Is little yellow.” We were huddled around a sea of paint swatches, which sloshed around in shades of grey and beige and, inexplicably, shades of those shades too. My father shook his head. Huffing, my mother fixed it back onto the wall. It was a Sunday, which in…
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Summaries of Greek Gods
You may have heard of these names: Athena, Zeus, Poseidon, Aphrodite; you may also know that these are some of the names of significant Greek gods—perhaps that’s it. Only knowing that much information centuries ago—in the ancient Roman and Greek worlds—would have been a crime because these gods were the mold and outline of Greek…
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Trimalchio and Jay Gatsby Parallels
The parallels observed between Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby and Petronius’ short story Cena Trimlachionis illustrates how the characters of both men has not only been shaped by their wealth, but also defines the caliber of the people, they are frequently surrounded by or acquaint themselves with. Lines 55-57 read “ivi enim ad funus. Homo…
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Aurelian’s Reign: The End of the Crisis of the Third Century
Introduction: Emperor Aurelian and the Crisis of the Third Century The Crisis of the Third Century (235-285 CE) was the combination of administrative incompetence, foreign invasions, and the fracturing of the Roman Empire into three self-governing states which nearly collapsed the Roman Empire. However, the empire was able to recover and survive for nearly another…
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Background of the Trojan War
The Trojan War, many times acted and many times told, holds a great place in Greek mythology and people all around the world are in respect to the different sectors of the war. This war held cunningness, death, perseverance, expeditions, friendship, and most of all, deceitfulness. This war influenced the writings of many books we…
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Latin Letter Project
Latin: Ante diem xv Kalendas Martias XLIV A.U.C. Oliver Burstein Tito S.P.D. Si vales laetus ego sum laetus. Tua epistula delectavit me valde. In tuā proximā epistulā, tu rogavisti de me cane. Quoniam accepi tuam epistulam, meus canis effugit. Tandem inveni meum canem in media viā. Ego sum felicissimus quod meus canis non est ictus…
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Inflation in the Late Roman Empire
One of the most noticeable characteristics of the later Roman Empire was the heavy inflation they faced. For 2 centuries after Augustus became emperor, the Roman Empire was able to maintain two separate currencies: gold and silver. The silver coin, or denarius, was the standard currency. Small change was done in copper or bronze coins,…
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Then Versus Now
As you all hopefully know, the Roman Empire was at its height many millennia ago. The Romans were significantly ahead of their time in many aspects, especially in their architecture. To this day, Ancient Roman architecture is still some of the most beautiful and intricate in the world. Although the Romans did not have access…
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Medicine and Health in Ancient Rome
In Ancient Rome, the most common treatment for any illness, ranging from migraines to fevers to a broken foot, was bloodletting. Bloodletting, or the withdrawal of blood from patients, was widely accepted due to the humoral theory created by the Greek physician Hippocrates. The humoral theory states that the body is composed of four fluids,…
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How the Roman Empire Made Their Own Poison and Drank It
In the time of the Roman Empire, there weren’t many options to satisfy a sweet tooth. Honey was expensive and difficult to obtain, and sugar was somewhere on the opposite side of the world. The Romans’ solution to their problem took the form of artificial sweeteners. Sapa was an artificial sweetener commonly used in the…
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Perpetua Emotions Essay
In Perpetua’s Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis, Perpetua experienced a wide range of emotions from anger to joy, caused by her relationship with her family members and her religious faith. As Perpetua wrote about her life as she prepared for martyrdom, she noted a discussion with her father about her religion and how it angered…
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Caesar’s Use of Literary Devices
In Julius Caesar’s Dē Bellō Gallicō (Book 1 section 1 and Book 6 section 16), he employs various literary devices to create different effects in his writing. Although one may think he was not a skilled writer at first, after examining his work more closely, it is evident that his writing style was quite sophisticated.…
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Emotions in Perpetua
In Perpetua’s Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis, Perpetua is emotionally rescued from stifling darkness and terror by the warmth and familiarity of her infant son. In Section 3A, Perpetua is yet to experience the isolation and squalor of prison. Thus, she is infused with righteous vigor in her religion. This is evident in her confident…
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Catullus: the Conscience of an Adulterer
Catullus’ use of self-describing pronouns is an indicator of his honesty. This is evident in a variety of his poems, such as Carmen 5, Carmen 49, and Carmen 72. In his fifth poem, Catullus uses first-person pronouns with respect to himself, which indicates his sincerity to Lesbia. When Catullus wrote this poem, he was in…
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Lupercalia: Ancient Rome’s Valentine’s Day
On February 15th, the ancient Romans celebrated their pagan “Valentine’s Day” with an annual festival called Lupercalia. Unlike Valentine’s Day, this event was a bloody, violent celebration inundated with animal sacrifices. Throughout the practice of Lupercalia, matchmaking, and hopes of repelling ill wishes were a constant part of the ancient Valentine’s Day, Lupercalia. The precise…
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The Most Important List You Will Ever Read
As I’m sure all of you know and deeply care about, Rome was a monarchy before it was a republic and an empire. Rome had seven different kings, ranging from the father of Rome to the father of one of the most infamous rapists in history. In this article, I will rank all the kings…
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The Portrayal of Women in Greek Mythology
From movies like Disney’s Hercules to the Percy Jackson series, countless traces of Greek mythology have found their way into the modern world. Within myths, readers follow heroes as they face the extremes of human experience along with a slew of monsters and angry gods. These stories carry moral values and present admirable qualities through…
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The Life of Women in Ancient Rome
Are you a Nobles student who is sick of school? Well, then, you may be envious of Ancient Roman women. Most women did not receive an education and spent their days developing skills to be a good housewife after marriage . Even girls from wealthier families only received a rudimentary education before they, too, were…
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How to Do Laundry Like an Ancient Roman
We should worship our home appliances. I mean, they make our lives so much easier and more convenient. We have appliances that store and preserve food, metal boxes that cook and heat our food for us, and machines that take care of cleaning our clothes, plates, and floors, with just a push of a button.…
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On Aurelian
Just recently, I devised a back-of-the-napkin metric for historical influence: [Years of Continued Influence Following Death]/[Years Active]. Here’s how it’d work for Jesus. Jesus died in 33 CE, and no doubt this kick-started his greatest claim to fame. Last time I checked, Christianity was still relevant, so let’s make his years of continued influence 2022…
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Apuleius: Sorcerer, Fortune-hunter, and Cultist?
The sorcerer, Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis, purportedly bewitched a friend’s wealthy mother in 157 AD, and then nearly went to trial for that and murder. Romans and sorcerers are not usually associated, and though there may have been other sorcerers, their stories were likely lost to time. However, the most is known about Apuleius since he…
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Idioms: the Key to Understanding Latin Better
Similar to English, Latin has many idioms. One example of an English idiom is “going the extra mile.” Latin idioms can be found in most classical texts. While some may have gotten lost in translation, many remain and help the reader to understand the Latin text better. An example is the phrase “Hercle quī.” This…
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Apuleius: Sorcerer, Fortune-hunter, and Cultist?
The sorcerer, Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis, purportedly bewitched a friend’s wealthy mother in 157 AD, and then nearly went to trial for that and murder. Romans and sorcerers are not usually associated, and though there may have been other sorcerers, their stories were likely lost to time. However, the most is known about Apuleius since he…
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Kandake Amanirenas: the Victor of her own Story
It’s safe to assume that most people who study the ancient world have heard of the charismatic and clever Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, but few other African queens, who are just as notable, get the same amount of recognition. One such woman was Kandake Amanirenas, the second queen of the Kush Kingdom. The land of…
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Beginner’s Guide to Speaking Latin and Impressing Your Friends
Have you ever wanted to sound like a master orator and appear sophisticated in front of your friends? Well, never fear — Latin is here. While your friends might be learning one of the common modern languages such as Spanish, French, or Mandarin, they most likely will not know much Latin beyond a few phrases…
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Romans Being Used for Hate
Great paintings, murals, architecture, and statues: the ancient world had all of these and more. We admire and revere the ancients. Even now in the modern world, there are many ties back to the ancient world, affecting the way we see the world and interact with it. Our beliefs and ideals have been derived from…
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Sports in Classical Antiquity
In today’s world, we enjoy making fun of barbaric Roman gladiator battles and laughing at the naked statues of Ancient Greek athletes. In terms of historical accuracy, these two examples are pretty truthful. In terms of self reflection, however, we might find these examples uncomfortably familiar. To better understand this and inflict insecurity in your…
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Comparing the Res Publica (Roman Republic) to the US Government
Everyone learned that in the 1630’s, the Puritans bravely sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in search of freedoms they lacked in England beneath the overbearing rule of King Charles II. We know these patriotic Americans fought and won in the Revolutionary War against Great Britain in 1775, creating a need for a new government to…
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Latin Insults for Everyday Life
What’s the best way to deal with someone you don’t like? You could try throwing them the cold shoulder, but that usually doesn’t work. Most times, they don’t even know that you are avoiding them or simply don’t care in general. If you really want to mess with someone, try insulting them (NOTE: Please don’t…
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The Abduction of Persephone and Its Darker Historical Context
The myth of Hades and Persephone is a popular one that has been developed into many modern adaptations. From the popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the webcomic Lore Olympus, to the award-winning Broadway musical Hadestown, it’s clear that this myth has had a large effect on pop culture. But what was the cultural…