Rambling Readers

The Partial Historians

It’s #PhallusThursday and we’re celebrating with this pelike which depicts a man placing a herm before an altar. The herm, is, you could say, ready for action. Let’s hope the gods smiled upon this respectful gesture!

#AncientGreece #History @AimeeMaroux

Description from the MFA Boston: “Side A: Man setting up an ithyphallic herm of Hermes, bearded, long haired with band around hair. In front of the herm, a low altar, and over it suspended, a votive tablet. Side B (not shown in post): Youth in himation, to left, addressing the god. Accession number: 13.100.”

The Partial Historians

💫New Episode - Storylife with Professor Joel Christensen💫

We chat with the one, the only Sententiae Antiquae about some of key ideas in his latest book Storylife. What happens when we think about stories as having their own drive to survive? Let’s find out!

#AncientGreece #History #Podcast

https://partialhistorians.com/2025/01/09/special-episode-storylife-with-professor-joel-p-christensen/

The Partial Historians

💫Early Release💫

We sat down recently to chat with Professor Joel Christensen aka Sententiae Antiquae about his forthcoming book Storylife. Out now on early release for our wonderful Patreon supporters 🥳

#AncientGreece #History #Homer

https://www.patreon.com/posts/117545516?utm_campaign=postshare_creator

Erotic Mythology 🧜‍♀️

A late #MythologyMonday thread on #Disability in #GreekMyhology. If you would like to learn more about the real life history of disability in #ancientGreece, I recommend the @phistorians's special podcast episode with Dr Debby Sneed:
https://partialhistorians.com/2021/04/08/special-episode-disability-in-ancient-greece/

In this thread, I'm introducing characters from Greek mythology who are disabled. First up: #Hephaistos 🔥
He was born disabled and thrown from Mount Olympos by his mother Hera as a baby or by his father Zeus...

@mythology #mythology

Greek vase painting of Hephaistos' return to Olympos. Dionysos is on the left, holding a kantharos cup in his left. A maenad is walking behind Hephaists, who is riding a donkey. Hephaistos' foot is turned the wrong way, indicating his disability.

The Partial Historians

✨Brand New Episode - Gods and Mortals with Liv Albert✨

We delve into the realm of mortal and divine unions across Greece and Rome with the one and only Liv Albert from the Let’s Talk about Myths, Baby! Podcast

#AncientGreece #AncientRome #History #Podcast

https://partialhistorians.com/2024/11/14/special-episode-gods-and-mortals-with-liv-albert/

Close up of Aphrodite from Botticelli’s ‘The Birth of Venus’. She has a serene expression of flowing golden hair.

Anne Deschaine replied to Anne Deschaine's status

Here! Have a taste!

Not convinced? It's *11 hours long*. BE DISTRACTED.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WedmHimZ63A

#ancientGreece #AssassinsCreedOdyssey

The Partial Historians

#ClassicsTober24 Day 15: Aesop

While there are many fables of Aesop’s to enjoy, we’re particularly enamoured of the story of the bear and the bees. May the weak stand united against the strong!

#AncientGreece #History

Illustration of the bear and bees fable showing a brown bear who has tried to steal some honey and found himself on the receiving end of quite a number of angry bees.

The Partial Historians

#ClassicsTober24 Day 12 is Homer.

A figure who has influenced countless stories, poetry, and art. The question about Homer’s historicity may never be settled, but the inspiration left behind is undeniable. Just one example is ‘The Suitors’ by Gustave Moreau:

#AncientGreece #History

This painting shows the suitors in complete disarray. Description from the Musée National Gustave Moreau: “Ulysses, on his return to Ithaca, massacres the young princes who had been courting his wife Penelope during his absence. He is depicted holding his bow in the background of the painting, with an owl on his head, the animal attribute of Minerva. The goddess appears, towering over this scene of carnage, her body surrounded by a halo, like a Christ at the Last Judgment. In this profusion of bodies, several figures stand out: on the right, the androgynous figure of a young man dressed in blue (inspired by a classical sculpture of the god Atys, copied at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in 1858); in the centre, a figure of the prince-poet kneeling down and leaning on a lyre personifying Phemios, the aed (singer of epic poetry), whom Ulysses spared at the request of his son Telemacus.”

Erotic Mythology 🧜‍♀️

I'm still immensely proud of my article on ancient (and medieval) sex jokes.

Read it here if you want to find out what hangs at a man's thigh and wants to poke the hole that it's often poked before 😉

https://eroticmythology.com/ancient-greek-sex-jokes/

@smutstodon @antiquidons
#ancientGreece #ancientRome #nonfiction

Erotic Mythology 🧜‍♀️

Do you live in ancient Athens and have a son or daughter to marry off?

With this handy guide you'll make a great match in no time!

https://eroticmythology.com/wedding-guide-ancient-athens/

@antiquidons @histodons
#nonfiction #humour #ancientGreece #wedding

Erotic Mythology 🧜‍♀️

How do cyou know a character is male? He's wearing phallus trunks, of course!

#PhallusThursday #GreekRomanArt #ancientGreece

@antiquidons @phistorians

Black-and-white image of a red-figure vase painting depicting a satyr as an actor wearing phallus trunks. He also has the pointed ears and horse tail of an ancient Greek satyr.

The Partial Historians

The Tralles Artemis ~ c. 120 BCE

This beautiful marble head is thought to depict a goddess, potentially Artemis or Aphrodite. There’s indications that the bust originally was fitted with a crown. The work is exceptional with comparisons made to the Venus de Milo.

🏛 KM, Vienna

#AncientAsiaMinor #AncientGreece #History

Description from the museum: “The marble head of a female goddess comes from ancient Tralles, a city in western Asia Minor. The well-preserved bust was originally set in a robe statuette. Part of the back of the head with the tuft of hair and the crown decoration, which the drill hole indicates, are missing. The finely crafted facial features and the hairstyle with the pinned-up hair are typical of depictions of the Greek goddesses Aphrodite or Artemis. For stylistic reasons, the head has often been compared to the famous statue of the Venus de Milo. The velvety-soft reproduction of the skin and the finely drawn details characterize our head as a high-quality work, which was modeled on a statue by the great Greek sculptor Praxiteles in the 4th century BC. In ancient times, Praxiteles was considered a master in the depiction of Charis, charm and spiritual feelings.”

The Partial Historians

#PhallusThursday

Nothing quite says phallic monument than the outsized remnants at Delos! Complete with chicken plinth just to enhance the mood.

#AncientGreece #History @AimeeMaroux

A large set of balls with the base of a shaft broken off part way through sits on a plinth with what looks like chicken facing the viewing straight on. Both phallus and plinth are marble. Photo by PhattyFatt via Wikimedia Commons.

The Partial Historians

Attic Greek terracotta oinochoe ~ C4th BCE

This scene depicts the personification of procession Pompe standing between Dionysos and Eros. Dionysos is recognisable on account of his thyrsus and scene is likely to be the lead up to a sacrifice to him.

🏛The Met

#AncientGreece #History

Description from the museum: “Pompe, whose mantle only accentuates her nudity, holds a wreath and looks toward Dionysos, seated and wearing a diadem. The winged Eros adjusts his sandals as though preparing to depart. The gilt openwork basket on the ground is the type used in religious processions to carry sacrificial implements to the place of sacrifice. This procession must be part of an Athenian festival in honor of Dionysos, probably the Anthesteria, which culminated in the sacred marriage of the god to the wife of the archon basileus, a high official representing the ancient Athenian kings. This is one of the most refined vase-paintings in the entire collection. The graceful figure of Pompe reflects full-scale statues of Aphrodite in the nude that were being carved in the wake of the first nude statue of the goddess created by Praxiteles in the mid-fourth century B.C.”

The Partial Historians

Reclining woman from the Hieron at Samothrace ~ c. 150 BCE

The significance of the ‘Sanctuary of the Great Gods’ is thought to relate to a mystery cult. This figure was part of exterior and one theory is she personifies the highest mountain on the island.

🏛 KM, Vienna

#AncientGreece #History

Description from the museum: “The reclining female figure supports itself with its right hand on a rock. The cloak has slipped down to the hips, in the left hand the figure originally held a drinking vessel. According to one interpretation, the gable showed the handing over of the founder of the Samothracian mysteries, Aetion, which would make the female figure the personification of the main mountain of the island.”