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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 4h

Witness Augustus as you’ve never seem him, re-sculptured to look nothing like himself!

The scene is ostensibly Augustus driving a chariot of Tritons. The imagery includes Tritons holding a shield with an oak wreath (thought to be the clipeus virtutis) and Victoria.

#ReliefWednesday #AncientRome

Description from Kunsthistorisches Museum: “The cameo shows Augustus, clad in a toga – the heads of the figures are all modern – viewed from the front in a chariot being pulled through the sea by Tritons. The triumphant naval victor holds a branch in his right hand and a sceptre in his left. An oak wreath is attached to the parapet of the chariot, and a shell is attached to the end of the handle. While the two middle Tritons – one holding a horn in his right, the other a dolphin in his left – each raise an arm symmetrically as if pointing at Augustus, the two outer Tritons carry the symbols of his reign in front of him: the left holds a globe, on which a shield with an oak wreath (clipeus virtutis) flanked by two ibexes, and the right shows Victoria floating on the globe. The cameo was probably created soon after 27 BCE, when Augustus was awarded the oak wreath, which - together with the ibex - was also engraved on the back of the stone in the 16th century.”

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 15h

Oooo beautiful!

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 19h

Thank you! It’s such an arresting painting ☺️

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 1d

‘The Magic Circle’ 1886 by John William Waterhouse is our pick for φαρμακίς ‘witch, sorceress’ #ClassicsTober25

This painting captures the power and potential of harnessing a knowledge of nature to achieve certain ends. Could this be Medea, Circe or yet another powerful ancient figure? #Witch

Description from the Tate: “The woman in this picture appears to be a witch or priestess, endowed with magic powers, possibly the power of prophecy. Her dress and general appearance is highly eclectic, and is derived from several sources – her hairstyle is like that of an early Anglo-Saxon; and her dress is decorated with Persian or Greek warriors. In her left hand she holds a crescent-shaped sickle, linking her with the moon and Hecate. With the wand in her right hand she draws a protective magic circle round her. Outside the circle the landscape is bare and barren; a group of rooks or ravens and a frog - all symbols of evil and associated with witchcraft - are excluded. But within its confines are flowers and the woman herself, objects of beauty.”

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 2d

Hector for #MosaicMonday?

Very little is known about this mosaic including the provenance, but the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna offers a tentative date of C1st–C2nd CE and the tantalising hint that this may be part of a Trojan War cycle depicting Hector.

#AncientRome #AncientGreece #TrojanWar

Mosaic depicts five warriors. The left-most figure appears to be able to throw a javelin with his shield raised in his other hand. He is seemingly watched by three others who stand ready but not about to throw anything. A fifth figure can be seen about to take action though the nature of the action is not clear.

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 3d

Hermes Psychopompos for #ClassicsTober25

This plaster sculpture entitled ‘Hermes Psychopomp’ by Dervis Yusuf Akdemir combines a Greek classical style portrait head with cut out sections. Does it really feel like you should trust this guy with your journey to the underworld?? Not sure we would!

A plaster statue of a Greek figure labelled as Hermes with slices taken out of it on both sides of the face.

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 3d

Obviously a novel pitch set for success 😅

The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 4d

A woman’s linen shroud from Roman Period Egypt is our pick today for #ClassicsTober25.

The artistry is phenomenal. The woman is surrounded by uraeus-cobras and the goddesses Isis and Nephthys depicted as red kites. At the bottom we see the woman led by Horus and Anubis into the afterlife.

Description adapted from The Met: “Placed over the supine mummy the naturalistic painted bust would lie over the face, and the panels of gods would have been draped along its sides. The woman’s rosy face and large eyes are striking. A long bone or ivory pin holds coils of her hair in place on top of her head, and she holds a small wreath in one hand. Over her abdomen Isis and Nephthys mourn, and over her lower body are placed the long strands of the late protective ornament as well as a net garment. Columns on either side of her head are invocations to the god Osiris, but her name is lost. The side panels are paired, showing the goddesses Isis and Nephthys as red kites (a bird related to the hawk); the four mummy-shaped “sons of Horus” associated with the bodily integrity; jackals associated with transit and cemetery; the Thoth-ibis and the Horus-falcon; and at the bottom scenes of the dead woman led by Horus and alternatively Anubis into the afterlife.“

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 4d

We really don’t! The restoration is highly speculative

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 5d

It’s time to celebrate #FrescoFriday with a little bit of monkeying around 🐵

We travel back in time to Knossos. Dating to c. 1580–30 BCE this fresco panel is largely fragmentary. Flowers and nature seem to be abundant but the exact composition of the scene remains elusive.

#AncientHistory

Fresco in creams, yellows, and blues showcasing flowers - likely papyrus - potential bird life and monkeys. Most of the fresco is small fragments with large sections of hypothetical restoration.

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 5d

That’s the dream!

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 6d

What do you mean most of your photos together are outtakes?

This is what we mean! For every photo where we’re both looking at the camera there’s at least two (or more!) where something drastic has been caught on camera. At least we know our Roman history 😅

#RomanRepublic #RomanEmpire #Podcasting

Dr Rad and Dr G both looking at the camera smiling.

Dr Rad looks wistfully into the middle distance twirling her hair while Dr G smiles somewhat half-heartedly.

Dr Rad looks whimsically into the middle distance while Dr G pulls a face that probably doesn’t deserve to be in a photo.

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Reposted by The Partial Historians 🏺

The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 7d

😴Hypnos, the personification of sleep💤

We’re celebrating all the delights of restful slumber with this beautiful bronze head of Hypnos (not sure about where the rest of the body may be!).

#ReliefWednesday #ClassicsTober25 #AncientGreece

Description from the BM: “Bronze head from a statue of Hypnos. Wings are shown sprouting from his temples, and his hair is arranged into a series of locks, some falling freely, others tied in a knot at the back of the head. Museum number: 1868,0606.9. © The Trustees of the British Museum.“

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 7d

Hypnos’ has a twin brother Thanatos and both these likely characters were thought to be the sons of Nyx (Night) and to live in the underworld with Hades!

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 7d

😴Hypnos, the personification of sleep💤

We’re celebrating all the delights of restful slumber with this beautiful bronze head of Hypnos (not sure about where the rest of the body may be!).

#ReliefWednesday #ClassicsTober25 #AncientGreece

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Reposted by The Partial Historians 🏺

The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 9d

🪷Lily pad frog 🪷

This #MosaicMonday we’re enjoying the sparky cuteness of this little frog enjoying their lily pad amongst the water birds in this Nilotic scene.

#AncientRome

This stunning mosaic depicts life on the water with ducks, river flora, and of course, this cheeky frog. This mosaic panel can be found today in the MAN Napoli.

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 9d

🪷Lily pad frog 🪷

This #MosaicMonday we’re enjoying the sparky cuteness of this little frog enjoying their lily pad amongst the water birds in this Nilotic scene.

#AncientRome

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 10d

Resist the urge! But not too much 🤣

The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 10d

Catch Dr G over on the livestream event celebrating International Podcast Day with the Memory Collective! She’ll be online from AEST 10:30am until about 1pm 🥳

www.youtube.com/live/0VN_BKq...

a purple background with the words live now in pink

Alt: GIF with purple background with the words ‘live now’ in pink

media.tenor.com

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 10d

Ah!! It is one of a few villas at Boscoreale. A lot of amazing frescoes from these villas ended by at The Met as well

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 11d

Where in the villa or where in the museum? The piece is part of the MAN Napoli

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 11d

🤣🤣🤣 They certainly are!

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 12d

This #FrescoFriday we travel to the villa of Publius Fannius Synistor to enjoy the complex and engaging architectural fresco complete with theatrical masks!

The use of colour, perspective, and drama all come together to create a brilliant and arresting whole.

#AncientRome

The fresco combines architectural details like columns on pedestals elaborate framing of doors and glimpses of fabric awnings for shade outside. The colours include reds, blues, and yellows. The fresco is held by the MAN Napoli.

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 12d

If only - the tale is almost as comical though!

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The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 13d

Our commitment to staying in the weeds is our strength 💪

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