CAVE: Editorial Warning

Over the next few days I'm going to be experimenting with one of the features Radio includes with their blog software which allows me to create 'categories'. The idea here is that I can set up a section that just has job listings, calls for papers, etc. and hopefully I can then close down my advertisement-laden lists at Yahoo. As such, if you are a frequent visitor to this site (as I hope you are!) you might find some strange posts every now and then as I try to figure things out. Thank you for your patience.

::Thursday, August 28, 2003 7:09:31 AM::
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INSCRIPTION DU JOUR

"courtesy"

This is, I believe, the oldest Latin inscription ever found in Egypt. It dates from 116 B.C. and was found on the tiny island of Philae (in the Nile). It documents the visit of a group of Roman travellers who, as tourists are wont to do, decided to 'leave their mark' behind for posterity.

original text:

[ ] ACV[ ]VS [ ] F TER 
HOC VENIT PRIMVS 
A D V K SEPTEMBRIS 
Q FABIO C LICINIO COS 
  
M CLAVDIVS VARVS 
  
SP VARAEVS N F 
HOC VENERVNT 
A D V K SEPTEM COS 
ROMAE Q FABIO C LI[ ] 

restored:

[C(aius)] Acu[ti]us [-] f(ilius) Ter(etina)
hoc venit primus
a(nte)d(iem) V K(alendas) Septembris
Q(uinto) Fabio C(aio) Licinio co(n)s(ulibus)

M(arcus) Claudius Varus

Sp(urius) Varaeus N(umeri) f(ilius)
hoc venerunt
a(nte) d(iem) V K(alendas) Septem(bres) co(n)s(ulibus)
Romae Q(uinto) Fabio C(aio) Li[cinio]

translation:

Gaius Acutius, son of ? from the Teretina tribe got here first on August 28, during the consulship of Quintus Fabius and Gaius Licinius. Marcus Claudius Varus and Spurius Varaeus, the son of Numerus came here on August 28, during the consulship at Rome of Quintus Fabius and Gaius Licinius

personal commentary:

This is the sort of inscription which provides an immediate link to the regular folk of the ancient world. You can just picture Gaius racing to get to the island first and make his mark. Then his two pals catch up and have to 'top' him, so they make sure that folks know they came from Rome.

Bibliography at the EDH ...

The UNESCO site has an article which mentions these (and other) inscriptions from Philae and environs.

::Thursday, August 28, 2003 6:44:47 AM::
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LUDI: Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance

Fans of computer games set in the ancient world (I'm currently working my way through Legion) will want to keep an eye open for Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance, coming soon from Acclaim. Games Domain has a preview ...

::Thursday, August 28, 2003 5:49:09 AM::
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NUNTII: The NJCL News Keeps Pouring In!

The Clarke Time-Courier has a nice feature on Emma Leahy, a sixth-grade homeschooled student who is also a student of Susan Shearer. Emily did very well and took home 14 ribbons and other assorted hardware ...

::Thursday, August 28, 2003 5:37:13 AM::
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THIS DAY IN ANCIENT HISTORY

ante diem v kalendas septembres

• rites in honour of Sol and Luna near the Circus Maximus
• 29 B.C. dedication of the ara Victoriae in the Curia
• 430 A.D. -- death of St. Augustine
• 1797 -- birth of Karl Otfried Muller

::Thursday, August 28, 2003 5:30:07 AM::
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