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Beware the Ides of March
Baffling calendars, made-up quotes, and ominous livers underlie the story of Julius Caesar’s death Consult a good soothsayer before heading out this weekend. Artwork: Portrait of Julius Caesar (detail)...
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A Guide to Aeschylus’s “Persians”
The Western world’s oldest surviving play is also one of its most sorrowful. What to know about the unique tragedy coming to the Getty Villa this fall SITI Company production in progress: Ellen Lauren...
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Aeschylus’s Persian Queen: An Actor’s Craft
Five questions for Ellen Lauren, who portrays the queen of Persia in SITI Company’s production of Aeschylus’s Persians Ellen Lauren as the Queen of Persia SITI Company, under its director Anne Bogart,...
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Potions and Poisons: Classical Ancestors of the Wicked Witch, Part 1
Our idea of an old witch making evil potions can be traced back to a more benign Greek origin (later morphed by the Romans) As Halloween approaches, children and adults transform into old, warty,...
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Potions and Poisons: Classical Ancestors of the Wicked Witch, Part 2
Another powerful, formidable proto-witch from ancient Greek and Roman drama: Medea Medea (left) brings Jason’s father Aeson back to life with a potion that includes foam from a werewolf’s mouth. Medea...
View ArticleThe Seven Plagues of the Ancient Roman City Dweller
Think city living is a struggle today? The ancient Romans had it just as tough, giving their poets plenty to complain about Roman poetry is filled with entertaining rants against urban evils, which I...
View ArticleReclining and Dining (and Drinking) in Ancient Greece
History on the customs with a how-to video on playing the drinking game kottabos.
View ArticleReclining and Dining (and Drinking) in Ancient Rome
A look at the ancient Romans' practice of reclining when dining.
View ArticleSeven Ways of Seeing “Lion Attacking a Horse”
Artwork, relic of lost grandeur, stone monument—this sculpture is many things at once.
View ArticleThe Getty Villa Guide to the Ancient Olympics
The Olympic Games began almost three thousand years ago as an athletic contest held during Greek religious celebrations. The Olympics continued for over a millennium, setting a standard for athletic...
View ArticleUpdating Ancient Roman Comedy for the 21st Century
Written 2,200 years ago, Plautus’s play Mostellaria (Haunted House) has a premise that suits a movie or sitcom episode today: while his father is away, a rich young man parties nonstop, falls for a...
View ArticleA Non-Philosopher’s Guide to Plato
The ancient Greek philosopher Plato still influences popular culture, art, and thought 2,400 years after his death in 348 B.C. He and his mentor Socrates are fascinating characters of fifth and...
View ArticleBaking Bread the Roman Way
Although Ceres (Greek Demeter) was in charge of all agriculture, she is most famous as the goddess of wheat and other grains that made up 70 percent of the Roman diet. Her name gives us the word...
View ArticleThe Enduring Stories of Homer’s Odyssey
The Homeric epics, which tell stories of war, heroism, and coming home, have endured for perhaps 3,500 years. From their start as performances by oral poets to the books we read today, the tales have...
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