ClassicsTober 2024

ClassicsTober 2024: Figures from Ancient History

This year's ClassicsTober prompts are all Ancient History figures, chosen by classicists, archaeologists, historians, writers (and me!).

Minimus and Minima have picked out a few to tell Silvius about, and I'll be posting their versions on this page.

Here's the link to the official ClassicsTober page, with all 31 prompts

Here's a link to short biographies of all the figures

October 1: Regina of Arbeia

Regina of South Shields (‘Queenie’) (picked by Dr Cora Beth Fraser, Classical Association Prizewinner 2022)(2nd century CE ) A British woman, Regina from the tribe of the Catuvellauni, who married a man from Syria. She was a slave, and was freed by her Barates so that he could marry her. When she died, aged 30, he had an expensive tombstone made for her, currently on display at Arbeia South Shields Roman Fort. It is Roman in style, with Palmyrene elements in the details of the figure and her accountrements, and has a Latin inscription: ‘To the spirits of the departed (and to) Regina, his freedwoman and wife, a Catuvellaunian by tribe, aged 30, Barates of Palmyra (set this up)’. But also, uniquely in Britain, a second inscription in his own language, Palmyrene, reading ‘Regina, freedwoman of Barates, alas’.

Minima is dressed as Regina. Her underdress has a ruffled neckline, and the overdress is shorter. She has a necklace, bracelets and earrings. She's holding a distaff to show that she worked in wool, and there's a basket of spun wool by her feet. At her other side is a strongbox for jewellery or the household budget.
Photo of original tombstone from Roman Inscriptions of Britain

October 2: Eumachia

Eumachia (picked by Dr Victoria Austen, Classicist and Art Historian)
(c. 1st Century AD) Roman priestess and business entrepreneur of Pompeii. Daughter of Lucius Eumachius, a wealthy manufacturer of building supplies and amphorae. Eumachia married into the Numistrii family, one of Pompeii’s oldest and most powerful families. She became public priestess (the only political office able to be held by a woman) of the city’s patron goddess, Venus Pompeiana. She was a patron of the Guild of Fullers, giving her name to the Building of Eumachia in Pompeii’s Forum where they met; a statue and inscription labelling it as of Eumachia stand in front of the building.

Silvius is watching the workers in a fullonica, a Roman laundry. Eumachia, as a statue, gazes down benevolently from her pedestal. The two slaves in the foreground are removing stains and grease from woollen clothes by treading them in tubs of urine. Silvius is helpfully offering his own chamberpot.
Photo of Eumachia from Wikipedia

October 3: Thucydides

Thucydides (Picked by Professor Neville Morley, Ancient Historian)

(c. 460—c. 400 BCE) Athenian general and historian. Fought in the Peloponnesian War, contracted the plague during the Athenian Plague in 430BCE, and was exiled by the democratic vote, after in his role as strategos he failed to save Amphipolis. Author of The History of the Peloponnesian War. Considered the Father of Scientific History.

Today's Ancient History figure is Thucydides, the great Greek historian. This mosaic portrait was made in the 3rd century CE in Jordan, separated from the man himself by more than 900 miles and 700 years #Classicstober2024
Third century Roman era mosaic of Thucydides, with his name written in Greek above the figure.
Photo from Wikipedia

October 4: Cleopatra Selene

My photo shows Cleopatra Selene and her husband watching elephants in Mauretania. Juba was a scholar, and wrote a book about North African wildlife, including elephants.

Cleopatra Selene (picked by Dr Jane Draycott, Ancient Historian)

40 BC to c. 5 BC, Ptolemaic royalty, daughter of Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator and Marcus Antonius (Cleopatra and Marc Antony), twin of Alexander Helios. . Her parents were beaten by Octavian in the Battle of Actium, and then the Battle of Alexandria. After the suicides of her parents, Cleopatra Selene was brought to Rome with her brother, Alexander Helios, and paraded dressed as the moon and sun and in chains, in Octavian’s triumphal parade. They were then raised in the household of Octavia, Octavian’s sister, and Marcus Antonius’ former wife. Cleopatra Selene married Juba II of Numidia in 25BCE. She was thus Queen of Numidia (briefly) until it was once again annexed by Rome, after which Octavian/Augustus conferred on her and her husband the province of Mauretania (25 BCE – 5 BCE), and the kingdom flourished. Cleopatra Selene died at the age of 35, and was placed in the mausoleum she and Juba had built.

The first four of 31 Lego portraits by my student Micah

Regina

Eumachia

Thucydides

Cleopatra Selene

October 5: Pliny the Elder

Pliny the Elder (picked by Dr Sophie Hay, Archaeologist and Public Historian)

(AD 23/24–79) Gaius Plinius Secundus, naturalist, naval and army commander, author of the encyclopaedia Naturalis Historia (Natural History). Born into a equestrian family, he was educated in Rome in the law, entered the army aged 23 as a junior officer, under Corbulo. He was promoted to military tribune, under Publius Pomponius Secundus, who became his friend for life. He began writing while in the army. He left the army and stayed under the radar while Nero reigned, practising law and writing, but was incredibly popular under the Flavian dynasty, becoming procurator repeatedly. He was finally appointed Commander of the imperial fleet at Misenum, where he resided with his sister and nephew. He never married but adopted his nephew, Pliny the Younger, as his heir. When Vesuvius erupted, he was initially keen to investigate the natural phenomenon for his encyclopaedia, before realising the need to use the fleet to attempt rescue of the residents near Vesuvius. The wind was against him and he was forced to land at Stabiae and reside with Pomponianus, where he died the next day.

On the left: Pliny the Elder (Minimus) reads to Pliny the Younger (Silvius) his theory of how hedgehogs survive the winter: "Hedgehogs also prepare food for winter and, having rolled on fallen fruit and stuck it to their spines, holding one more fruit in their mouths, they carry it into hollow trees
On the right, this photo by my student Elio shows Pliny during the eruption of Vesuvius

October 6: Meleager of Gadara

Meleager of Gadara (picked by Dr Flavia Amaral, Classicist, winner of the 2024 Working Classicists Educator Classicist Award)

(c. 1st Century BCE) Poet. He was the son of Eucrates, born in the city of Gadara (present-day Umm Qais in Jordan), a Hellenized community. Educated in the Phoenician city of Tyre he spent his later life in Cos where he died around the age of 70. He is particularly famous for his own epigrams, autobiographical and concerned with his personal experiences of love and admiration, and for his anthology of epigrams called The Garland, collected from 46 Greek poets covering every lyric period up to his own.

My drawing illustrates one of Meleager's epigrams, where he scolds the mosquitoes for keeping his girlfriend awake, and threatens them with retribution.

October 7 Harmodios & Aristogeiton

Harmodius and Aristogeiton (picked by Professor Joel Christensen, Classicist)

(? – 514 BCE) Athenian national heroes, they were lovers who assassinated Hipparchus, the brother of the tyrant Hippias, in 514. Harmodius was killed on the spot by spearmen of Hipparchus’ guards, but Aristogeiton was arrested and tortured in an attempt to give up his fellow conspirators. He tricked Hippias into shaking his hand, then reminded him he had just shaken the hand of his brother’s murderer, causing Hippias to kill him. Hippias was later forced into exile, allowing for the democratic reforms of Cleisthenes to come in. Cleisthenes commissioned statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton, the Tyrannicides.

Here's my photo of playmobil Harmodius and Aristogeiton, in the poses of the famous statue pair, with a backdrop of pillars and a view of the ancient Athenian Agora

October 8 Boudicca

Boudicca (picked by Greg Jenner, Public Historian)

(? – 60/61CE) Queen of the Iceni tribe of Britain. Succeeded her late husband Prasutagas, Client King under Roman occupation, to the throne according to his will, which left his wealth to his daughters and Emperor Nero. Rome instead annexed the kingdom, committing outrages against Boudicca and her young daughters. Boudicca raised a rebellion throughout East Anglia, burning the Roman capital Camulodunum (Colchester), Verulamium (St. Albans), the mart of Londinium (London), and several military posts; Tacitus records that Boudicca’s rebel forces massacred 70,000 Romans and pro-Roman Britons and annihilated the Roman 9th Legion. The governor, Suetonius Paulinus, finally met Boudicca’s rebels on Watling Street and defeated them. Boudicca either took poison or died of shock or illness after her defeat.

My picture shows the mice re-enacting Boudicca's Revolt. Minima, resplendent in a long ginger wig, tartan skirt and cloak and a gold torc, is standing in her war chariot and brandishing her spear. Silvius (in a pair of tartan trousers) is driving the chariot. Minimus is the sole representative of the Roman legions, but he is standing his ground.

Boudicca by Poppy

Boudicca (with Iceni chickens) by Orla

Pliny

Meleager of Gadara

Harmodios & Aristogeiton

Boudicca

October 9 Eritha

Eritha (picked by Dr Emily Hauser, Classicist and Historical and Mythological Fiction Author)
(c. 1180 BCE) Eritha was a Mycenaean Priestess, probably of Potnia (meaning ‘mistress’ or ‘lady’, likely an important earth goddess), at Sphagianes, a religious centre near the palatial centre Pylos. Details about her and her life come from the clay Linear B tablets found in the archive room at Pylos, meant to be temporary but accidentally preserved when fired as the citadel of Pylos burned down.One of the main pieces of information gleaned from the tablets is about her dispute with the local damos (village community) about her landholdings. It is also the longest intact sentence in Mycenaean Greek (on tablet PY Ep 704), and the first known European legal dispute.

I've based my drawing on a wall painting of a Mycenean priestess. Eritha, is holding a clay tablet with the symbols for her name E-RI-TA in Linear B

October 10 Vitruvius

Vitruvius (picked by Tony Potter, Archaeology PhD student)(born c. 80–70 BC – died after c. 15 BC) Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (possibly). Roman engineer and architect. Probably a Roman citizen, was in the army under Julius Caesar, working as an artilleryman and engineer specialising in the construction of ballista and scorpio artillery, possibly alongside Lucius Cornelius Balbus, Caesar’s chief engineer. Wrote De architectura, a multi-volume treatise on architecture. In his later years, the emperor Augustus sponsored him, through his sister Octavia Minor, giving him a pension.

Vitruvius' book explained the perfection of human proportions, an idea taken up by Leonardo da Vinci. Here, Silvius is Vitruvian Mouse, trying to fit into a square with his arms straight out, and a circle with his limbs in a star shape. His arms are a bit short to fit Vitruvius' description (Book 3, Chapter 1, section 3)

October 1 1 Julia Felix

Julia Felix (picked by Elodie Harper, Journalist and Ancient Historical Fiction Author)
(? – c. 62-79CE) Probably born to a lower-class family, possibly in Rome and moving to Pompeii after the 63CE earthquake, she became a wealthy businesswoman. She is known through her property in Pompeii, a compound of apartments, shops, gardens and baths: her baths contained a natatio (swimming pool) making it particularly attractive to wealthier male clientele, and her female baths were marketed as ‘The Venus bath, fitted for the well-to-do’. Frescos found in the property depict mythology and everyday life in Pompeii.

The mice are re-enacting the fresco of the bread distributor from Julia Felix's estate. Minimus, in a toga, is behind the counter and handing a loaf to Minima, while Silvius watches. There's bread on the counter and on the shelves behind Minimus, and more in a basket.

Research on Julia Felix by my students Lauren and Julien

October 12 Homer

Homer (picked by Helen McVeigh, Classicist and founder of The Classics Academy)

(c. 8th Century BCE) Ancient Greek poet, author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Possibly from Chios, possibly blind, possibly died in Ios, possibly didn’t actually exist. Most influential poet in history.

Photo of playmobil figures in front of a backdrop of the walls of Troy. Achilles is dragging Hector behind his chariot, while Homer sings about it to the music of his lyre

Two stop-motion animations about Homer

Eritha

Vitruvius

Julia Felix

Homer

13 Zenobia

Zenobia (picked by The Partial Historians: Dr Fiona Radford and Dr Peta Greenfield, Ancient Historians and Podcasters)

(c. 240 – c. 274CE) Septimia Zenobia. from Palmyra was apparently fluent in Egyptian, Greek, spoke Latin, and enjoyed hunting, suggesting a noble birth. She was married at 14 to Odaenathus, the lord of Palmyra, as his second wife. Odaenathus and his co-ruler son Herodianus, were loyal to Rome, but in 267, they were assassinated . Vaballathus, aged 10, became king and Zenobia ruled as Regent. In 270, her forces conquered parts of the Levant and Egypt. Zenobia ruled a multicultural Empire, accommodating different beliefs, and turned her court into a centre of learning. Finally, Palmyra broke with Rome, Zenobia assumed imperial titles, and the Roman Emperor Aurelian sent forces. defeating and eventually capturing Zenobia.

Photo of Minima and Silvius, the Latin mice, as Zenobia and Vaballathus. Minima wears Palmyrene dress and jewellery, and Silvius has a robe embroidered in silver and a golden radiate crown on his head.

14 Kallistomache

Kallistomache (picked by Dr Ellie Mackin-Roberts, Ancient Greek Historian)

In 342 BCE (when Sosigenes was archon) Kallistomache, a woman of Athens, dedicated a white chitoniskos* with a battlement pattern on it, to Artemis at Brauron. This information comes from an inscription in The Brauron Clothing Catalogue Dataset, which is based on 13 fragmentary inscriptions from stelai (wooden or stone slabs erected as monuments) from the Sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia in Athens

Photo of a playmobil woman offering a woven cloth to a statue of Artemis, in front of a backdrop of her sanctuary at Brauron. There's a white hind by Artemis, and a bear (symbol of the festival) on a pillar.

15 Aesop

Aesop (picked by Caroline Lawrence, Children’s Historical Fiction Author)

(possibly c. 620–564 BCE) Legendary Greek storyteller. Popularly, he was a slave – and fabulously ugly – who earned his freedom and became an advisor to city-states and kings. The stories attributed to him as Aesop’s Fables have animal characters that teach a moral through the story.

Photo of Minimus and Silvius, the Latin mice, acting out one of Aesop's fables, the Lion and the Mouse. Minimus is dressed as a lion, and tied up with ropes. Silvius is setting him free after nibbling the rope.

16 Elagabalus

Elagabalus (picked by Dr Mike Beer, Classicist)

(c. 204 – 13 March 222CE) Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, known posthumously as Elagabalus, Emperor of Rome from 218 to 222. From a prominent Syrian Arab family in Emesa (Homs), Syria, he served as the head priest of the Arab-Roman sun god Elagabal from a young age, after whom he was nicknamed. After the death of his cousin, the emperor Caracalla, his grandmother Julia Maesa raised an army revolt against Caracalla’s successor, Macrinus, and put Elagabalus on the throne aged 13. His reign was scandalous. He was assassinated in a conspiracy headed by Julia Maesa and the Praetorian Guard, and replaced with his cousin Severus Alexander.

Photo of a dinner party scene with playmobil figures, a copy of the Alma-Tadema painting "The Roses of Heliogabalus". Elagabalus reclines with his friends, watching as rose petals smother less fortunate guests, one of a series of disturbing dinner party pranks recorded by hostile historians,

Paper animation of Elagabalus by Olivia

Zenobia

Kallistomache

Aesop

Elagabalus

17 Iphikrates

Iphikrates (picked by Dr Roel Konijnendijk, Historian)(c. 418-353 BC) Athenian general famous for reorganising the infantry and made many improvements. Particularly famous for his use of peltasts (light infantry using a special type of shield).

Drawing of Iphikrates, all-round Greek over-achiever, swimming towards his trireme during the Battle of Knidos. He is pulling along a prisoner who he has captured on the deck of an enemy ship.

18 Tacfarinas

Tacfarinas (picked by Dr Jo Ball, Archaeologist)

(c. 24 CE) Leader of a Berber tribe that fought against the Romans during the reign of the emperor Tiberius. Originally from the Numidian tribe of the nomadic Musulamii, he became a soldier of the Roman auxiliary troops, learned how to find a Roman war, deserted, and in 17CE began raiding and even annihilated a Roman legion, Augusta III. Defeated by Governor Quintus Junius Blaesus and then Publius Cornelius Dolabella.

Photo of playmobil scene: Tacfarinus and his warriors, on horseback, look down from a higher vantage point at the Roman soldiers, lying on the ground or fleeing the battlefield. There are lions in the background, because Tacfarinas and his rebel army lived in the wild highlands.

19 Vespasian

Vespasian (picked by Jamie Heath, Classicist)

(17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79CE) Imperator Caesar Vespasianus Augustus, founder of the Flavian Dynasty of Emperors. He reigned from 69-79, the last in the Year of the Four Emperors following the deposing and death of Nero. Was the first emperor from an equestrian family, well-known for his military success during the Roman invasion of Britain in 43CE (under Claudius) and in Judea in 66 (under Nero). Initiated the building of the Flavian Amphitheatre (the Colosseum), completed by his son Titus who acceded the throne after Vespasian’s death.

Photo of the mice outside the 'Mouse Laundry'. Minimus is Emperor Vespasian, collecting the vectigal urinae or urine tax. Vespasian's reply when teased for the tax was "pecunia non olet" - money doesn't smell.

20 The Trung sisters

The Trung sisters (picked by Dr Owen Rees, Ancient Historian)
(c. 14 – c. 43) Daughters of a wealthy family, Trưng Trắc and her younger sister Trưng Nhị led the Lạc Việt to rise up in rebellion against the invading Han Chinese in 40CE. After Su Ding, the Chinese governor of Jiaozhi province at the time, tried to behead Trưng Trắc’s husband, Thi Sách, without trial, Trưng Trắc became the central figure in mobilizing the Lạc lords against the Chinese. They were successful, and Trưng Trắc was proclaimed as queen regnant, with her sister as vice.The rebellion was defeated in 43CE: Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị were beheaded, their heads sent to the Emperor.

For this picture I've combined two Dông Hồ traditional Vietnamese woodblock pictures "Trung Queens eliminating the Han enemies" and "Mice's Wedding" Mice and a cat replace the queens and the Han governor

Iphikrates

Tacfarinas

Vespasian

The Trung Sisters

21 Marcus Aquilius Regulus

Marcus Aquilius Regulus (picked by David Meadows, Classicist, Teacher and Blogger)

(? – sometime before 106CE) Roman senator, highly-regarded orator, and notorious delator (informer), active during the reigns of Emperors Nero and Domitian. He was written about by Martial the Epigrammist, Tacitus the Historian, and Pliny the Younger the lawyer, writer and magistrate. He was later prosecuted for his role as delator, but evaded punishment. Under Vespasian, he again found favour and, according to Pliny, became active as a delator once more.

Pliny the Younger tells us that when his son died, Regulus ordered statues and a biography of him, and the wholesale slaughter of the boy's pets as funeral sacrifices.

22 Martial

Martial (picked by LJ Trafford, Ancient Historian and Author)(c38 to c102-104 CE) Marcus Valerius Martialis. Poet was born in Hispania, moving to Rome after completing his education. He is famous for his epigrams focussing on life in the capital, detailing the reality of living in Rome. His earliest complete work celebrates the opening of the Colosseum. He knew many other writers in Rome, and made many influential friends and patrons and secured the favour of Emperors Titus and Domitian.

Photo of Minimus and Silvius. the Latin mice. Minimus (as Martial) is writing an epigram to accompany the gift of a huge cheese. Silvius is climbing aboard with his cheese knife at the ready. This is the epigram (Book 13,30) entitled "caseus Lunensis" - Cheese from Luna (which is an Etruscan town)
caseus Etruscae signatus imagine Lunae
praestabit pueris prandia mille tuis.
This cheese, stamped with the image of Etruscan Luna, will provide a thousand lunches for your boys

30 Flavius Cerialis

Flavius Cerialis from Vindolanda (picked by Dr Helen Forte, Illustrator and Latin teacher)

(c.100CE) Prefect of the ninth cohort of Batavians, who lived with his family in the praetorium (official residence of the Roman governor) at Vindolanda in the years around AD 100. His correspondence accounts for over 80 of the letters contained on the wooden tablets found there, written in ink. Some personal details are suggested by his correspondence: his name ‘Flavius’ suggests his family may have gained citizenship under Vespasian (the first Flavian emperor), and he must have been of equestrian status to gain his position.

Flavius, of course, is one of the main characters in the Minimus books, Flavius is behind his desk, which has wooden writing tablets on, representing the 80 ink tablets surviving from his correspondence. His youngest child Rufus is peeking out from a cupboard, and Vibrissa from under his desk. Minimus is standing on Flavius' wolfskin rug (we know he was a keen huntsman)