The theatre of Aspendos is of Roman origin. The stage house has been preserved at its full height and, together with the theatres in Orange (southern France) and Bosra (Syria), is thus one of the last three ancient theatres with a fully intact stage house.

New TAW-Thea Podcast Episode T8 - The Eucratidion, the largest surviving gold coin struck in antiquity, a 20-stater piece measuring 58 mm in diameter and weighing 169.2 grams, recovered in Bukhara in 1867 and currently on display in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris #Bactria

Our conservators have been busy getting objects ready for our upcoming #TroyExhibition. Here old restorations are being removed on a Roman marble sarcophagus, which is decorated with scenes from the life of Achilles ow.ly/BENx50vcPGa

'Let's eat grandpa!', etc...

"No man ever steps into the same river twice" bbc.in/2K4vAuF from 2011

Welcome to August, the second month named after a human being: Gaius Octavius, heir to Julius Caesar, last man standing in a brutal civil war. He became princeps, was granted the title Augustus by the senate, and declared divine upon his death.

On this day - the Kalends of August - the Romans celebrated Hope. Spes, the Roman goddess of Hope, is often portrayed holding an opening flower, and hitching up her long skirts as if about to take flight. Hope is - worse luck - an inconstant companion. sit Spes tecum hodie.

The second issue of St John's College online outreach magazine is out. It's on volcanoes, and so includes a lot of Pompeii stuff. A piece from yours truly on the Sulpicii tablets, trying to do a bit of fun social history sjcinspire.com/2019/07/31/arc… ... /1 #OxOutreach

Today 30BC Octavian (later known as Augustus) enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Republic

#August is named after the Roman emperor Augustus. This bronze head of Augustus was made between 27–25 BC. The expressive eyes are made from glass and calcite ow.ly/BiGd30pgvs0

Born today 10BC Claudius, Roman Emperor (41-54), born in Lugdunum, Gaul. Invades Britannia in 43AD

arma virumque cano : I sing of arms and of a man - Vergilius Maro

A reminder:

Tip for students going off to college: study 80s/90s pop culture. Particularly Ferris Beuller, Princess Bride, Simpsons seasons 2-5. Your gen x/early millennial profs will try to connect with you through these, and will be confused/sad when you stare blankly at them. Not joking.

Hannibal's forces defeated the Roman army at the Battle of Cannae #OnThisDay in 216 BC bbc.in/2Kd44v8

Congratulations to all our amazing students for their outstanding results today - we are so proud of you all! Sixth Form Team

On October 15 70BC, Publius Vergilius Maro, author of the Aeneid, was born. He was 7 years old during Cicero’s consulship, 21 years when Caesar crossed the Rubicon, 26 when the dictator was murdered, and 39 when Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium. He died aged 51.

I'm sorry for missing Halloween, but seeing as today is #DayoftheDead, let's celebrate with some deathly, spooky or otherwise horrible inscriptions. First up this Roman 'memento mori' skeleton mosaic (with Greek inscription "Know yourself"), c. 1st C AD.

We don't talk enough about how the proper plural of dilemma is dilemmata.

A very well preserved Roman Hippodrome in jerash in Jordan