A great post here on the new Samnite grave in Pompeii by Virginia L. Campbell. She's also posted about the Oscan epigraphy of Pompeii here. A new discovery at Pompeii is always an exciting event, and even more so when it's from the 'Samnite' period of the town rather than its final destruction. I'm looking... Continue Reading →
“Oscan in Southern Italy and Sicily” is out this week
I'm very excited to announce the publication of my book Oscan in Southern Italy and Sicily. The editor very kindly dropped the first copy round to my house last night, and I'm really pleased with how it has turned out. This book started life as my PhD thesis (pictures of its journey from thesis to book... Continue Reading →
Why do some Greek and Latin words mean (almost) the opposite in English?
As a learner of Greek or Latin, you are sometimes confronted by words that seem to have obvious counterparts in English - and most of the time, that's very helpful. English has borrowed lots from the ancient languages, particularly from Latin (often via French). Sometimes a word means exactly what it should in a weird... Continue Reading →
The Mysterious Case of the 112-year-old Woman
ahvdiú. ni. akun. CXII Ahvdio daughter of Ni. 112 years Oscan inscription on plaster. Teanum Sidicinum, c. 200 BC. Imagines Italicae: Teanum Sidicinum 24; Sabellische Texte: Po 51. People have struggled with Ahvdio's gravestone. On the one hand, the Roman numerals at the end of the inscription (on the left-hand-side of the picture) look quite... Continue Reading →
