The Classics Society Mk II

Original post by medbh4805

Yeah, mine is an edition from 1973 so you're probably right :beard:

Your beard is irritating.

Reply 1222

medbh4805

20

Original post by Sappho

Your beard is irritating.

I'm sorry

Reply 1223

Original post by medbh4805

I'm sorry

It's best when conversations only consist of smileys anymore. That does work...

Reply 1224

Original post by Mushrooms

Are teacher never told us about that....

We had 2 lectures on it. A stunned silence followed. In my lecturer's famous words, "He's taking the piss" out of a similar thing done for dead pets in Greek or something.

It's been a while since I did the module, but good God, he's a rude one.

Reply 1225

placenta medicae talpae

Original post by Mushrooms

it was about steeling napkins!

Ah I remember this one.
A little gem, I thought: so short, but interesting and full notions which make you go off and investigate (e.g. why 'left hand', and why would anyone care about napkins :P), and mentions characters from some of his other poems too, which seems to make a lot of his emotions in poetry come together.

Though I can understand why it could be seen as paling in comparison with some of the others :teeth:

Reply 1226

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx9e5MZJSOg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNFC_ZzdOj4&feature=related

I like the napkin character for the... Pettiness?... That it brings out in the Catullus character - he adds that the napkins were special gifts from beloved friends at the end, as if an afterthought. It shows how obsessed the character is with forcing the idea that he has urbanitas by pointing out how others lack it, some what of a Hyacinth Bucket character. However, in this poem, his very forcing of this idea through picking at small misjudgments of manner suggest that he is not urbane at all. Indeed, we only get that character's viewpoint.

Yeah, I liked my Catullus module.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1227

placenta medicae talpae

Original post by Aemiliana

I like the napkin character for the... Pettiness?... That it brings out in the Catullus character - he adds that the napkins were special gifts from beloved friends at the end, as if an afterthought. It shows how obsessed the character is with forcing the idea that he has urbanitas by pointing out how others lack it, some what of a Hyacinth Bucket character. However, in this poem, his very forcing of this idea through picking at small misjudgments of manner suggest that he is not urbane at all. Indeed, we only get that character's viewpoint.

Yeah, I liked my Catullus module.

Being wrapped up in things that don't matter can be pretty hilarious in a comedy (EDIT: I'm not suggesting for one moment that this was meant to be overly comedic though!).
I guess it's like being overly distracted by shiny things :biggrin:

Though it really depends on the viewpoint you come at it from.
It seems to me that it is quite natural to attach a lot of importance to these more symbolic things (like an heirloom, whose functionality is usually pretty much zilch), and that once an 'outsider' realises the significance that these things have for such a person, they too will think it's quite justifiable that the person feels this way - even though, when no explanation is given, getting defensive about some napkins might seem a bit weird.

PS You might or might not have just made me watch loads of Keeping up Appearances on YouTube ... :p:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1228

SirMasterKey

18

I had almost forgotten about this thread. In a couple of weeks I shall be beginning my module on Classical and Post-Classical Latin. Also stated my interest with my Ancient History department about their group where they meet once a fortnight to read a text in the original language and discuss it.

Reply 1229

Feel like a love story? http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/news/2011/12/14/a-centuries-old-mystery-hidden-in-rare-book-room/

:suith:

edit: Here's a picture, too: http://www.epoc.de/sixcms/media.php/912/thumbnails/Gedicht_nln_1.jpg.1143752.jpg

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1230

cl_steele

by any chance is anyone here an expert on ancient greek pottery, sculpture and architecture and would be in a place to help me, i cant get my head around this topic! :frown:

Reply 1231

Original post by cl_steele

by any chance is anyone here an expert on ancient greek pottery, sculpture and architecture and would be in a place to help me, i cant get my head around this topic! :frown:

Maybe we're not experts on those topics but experts on finding decent books and/or webpages on topics. What's your problem/question and level of study?

Reply 1232

Tweaky

Good A-Level choices for taking a classics degree?

Spanish
Classical Civ
Economics
History

Reply 1233

Aesc

11

Original post by Tweaky

Good A-Level choices for taking a classics degree?

Spanish
Classical Civ
Economics
History

Sounds good to me, but you might want to make sure your specifications for Spanish and Class Civ have a decent literature element to get the full skill set

Reply 1234

The Lyceum

Nah History will more than sort that out, as well Economics depending on which examination board he takes. Any combination of good strong subjects with at least one essay based one is fine.

Reply 1235

Tweaky

Thanks guys - I was considering taking English Literature. However, It's not my strongest or my favorite subject and I also want to be able to read lots and lots of ancient history books, instead of ones specific for English. Is anyone taking classics here? And how enjoyable is it?

Reply 1236

Original post by Tweaky

Thanks guys - I was considering taking English Literature. However, It's not my strongest or my favorite subject and I also want to be able to read lots and lots of ancient history books, instead of ones specific for English. Is anyone taking classics here? And how enjoyable is it?

Why don't you like Eng Lit? Because in classics modules you'll still have to analyse texts etc. Those that took English A level certainly found the poetry/drama modules easier than those (like me) who did't. Would you be doing the languages?

Reply 1237

faber niger

17

Original post by Tweaky

Thanks guys - I was considering taking English Literature. However, It's not my strongest or my favorite subject and I also want to be able to read lots and lots of ancient history books, instead of ones specific for English. Is anyone taking classics here? And how enjoyable is it?

As Aemiliana says, if you prefer ancient history to English, it would seem to make sense just to study [as a degree] ancient history, rather than learning languages and forcing yourself to study literature that doesn't really tickle your tastebuds. I studied classics (picking up both languages at university), and found it both enjoyable and infuriating in equal parts, but how you personally find it will, of course, be dependent on all kinds of things. It's easy to find out what kind of material you'd be expected to study on various courses though, so I'm sure you can have a skim through some of the books that you'd have to look at, and see what you think of them.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1238

Tweaky

Original post by Aemiliana

Why don't you like Eng Lit? Because in classics modules you'll still have to analyse texts etc. Those that took English A level certainly found the poetry/drama modules easier than those (like me) who did't. Would you be doing the languages?

I don't not like it, It's just not one of my favorite subjects. I'd prefer to do history instead, thats all. And I really want to earn latin and greek.

Reply 1239