Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Scott McDonough

@sjmcdonough.bsky.social

1K followers 340 following 870 posts

Historian of the late ancient world: Sasanian Iran, the Caucasus, and the Eastern Roman Empire. Professor at William Paterson University. I like cats, photography, and sweet cabbage pierogi.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 4h

Hey, I'm one follower away from 1000. Let's see if I can get over the top if I post another prominent numismatic honker.

Judging from his silver penny, Edward The Martyr of England (r. 975–8) was just a beak and an eyeball.

#Numismatics
#OneThousand
#CloutChasing

Silver Penny of Edward the Martyr featuring very abstract left-facing bust with huge eye and prominent nose.

1 6

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 4h

Show OFF some Sasanian coins.

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 4h

I gave a talk today on my campus, since my Dean generously gave me funding to visit Central Asia this past summer. I enjoyed myself and I got a lot of good questions from those in attendance. Plus, I got to show of some Sasanian coins.

Cover slide for "'The Abundance of His Mercy and the Magnitude of His Affection': Christian Views of the Sasanian King and Court" Featuring image of "Cup of Chosroes" at the BnF.

Slide for "'The Abundance of His Mercy and the Magnitude of His Affection': Christian Views of the Sasanian King and Court," titled "Why Study the Sasanian Royal Court." With Image of Alexander enthroned from Šāhnamē from the Louvre.

Slide for "'The Abundance of His Mercy and the Magnitude of His Affection': Christian Views of the Sasanian King and Court" showing "Martyrologies and Saints' Lives."

Slide with translation of praise for the Sasanian King in the Acts of the Synod of Mar Ishoyahb.

1 1 16

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 5h

Karl XII of Sweden (r. 1697–1718 CE), check out the snout.

Gold ducat of Karl XII minted in 1714 with tousled hair and vastly out-of-proportion snoot.

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 5h

Francis I of France, "François du Grand Nez" (r. 1515–1547 CE), sporting a glorious ski-slope.

Silver teston du Dauphiné of Francis I, skinny little head adorned with huge beak.

1 1 12

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 5h

Carlos III of Spain (r. 1759–88 CE) had quite the snout on him.

Silver coin of Carlos III dated 1777, with oddly aerodynamic forehead sloping to beak.

2 1 13

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 6h

Who had the largest nose in numismatic history?
I'm particularly impressed by the schnoz on the Parthian king Mihrdāt/Mithradates II (r. 124–91 BCE), but there must be bigger.
#Numismatics
#Proboscis
#Parthia

Drachm of Mithradates II featuring bust of king facing left with fantasy dwarf beard and magnificent honker, wearing jeweled cap with ear flaps.

4 5 35

Reposted by Scott McDonough

Waffle 🧇 @wafflecut.bsky.social · 1d

Stravinsky saw Charlie Parker play at Birdland

club of all time by performing for Igor Stravinsky at Birdland. Alfred Appel tells it definitively in his book Jazz Modernism: From Ellington and Armstrong to Matisse and Joyce:
The house was almost full, even before the opening set - Billy Taylor's piano trio - except for the conspicuous empty table to my right, which bore a RESERVED sign, unusual for Birdland.
After the pianist finished his forty-five-minute set, a party of four men and a woman settled in at the table, rather clamorously, three waiters swooping in quickly to take their orders as a ripple of whispers and exclamations ran through Birdland at the sight of one of the men, Igor Stravinsky. He was a celebrity, and an icon to jazz fans because he sanctified modern jazz by composing Ebony Concerto for Woody Herman and his Orchestra (1946) - a Covarrubias
"Impossible Interview" come true.
As Parker's quintet walked onto the bandstand, trumpeter Red Rodney recognized Stravinsky, front and almost center. Rodney leaned over and told Parker, who did not look at Stravinsky.
Parker immediately called the first number for his band, and, forgoing the customary greeting to the crowd, was off like a shot. At the sound of the opening notes, played in unison by trumpet and alto, a chill went up and down the back of my neck.
They were playing "Koko, which, because of its epochal breakneck tempo
- over three hundred beats per minute on the metronome - Parker never assayed before his second set, when he was sufficiently warmed up. Parker's phrases were flying as fluently as ever on this particular daunting "Koko." At the beginning of his second chorus he interpolated the opening of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite as though it had always been there, a perfect fit, and then sailed on with the rest of the number. Stravinsky roared with delight, pounding his glass on the table, the upward arc of the glass sending its liquor and ice cubes onto the people behind him, who threw up their hands or ducked.
Parker didn't just happen to…

3 37 160

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 1d

En-nígaldi-Nanna, the daughter of the last king of the Neo-Babylonian empire (626-539 BCE), had a museum in Ur, complete with 1500 year old artifacts and “museum labels.”

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ennigal...

Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

1 11 43

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 1d

I tend to view the origin of Athenian Democracy as a bunch of dispossessed aristocratic families from the Dark Ages (e.g. the Alcmaeonids) could win popular support for a their coup against the Peisistratid tyrants...

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 1d

You think you can do without church insurance, but then the ball lightning arrives...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gre...

The Great Thunderstorm - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Reposted by Scott McDonough

Mateusz Fafinski @calthalas.bsky.social · 1d

Probably my favourite long late antiquity piece of art. The so-called "palimpsest" fresco in Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome shows consecutive layers of paintings from the sixth century (Mary as empress of heaven) all the way to the seventh and early eight century. The level of detail is just amazing.

3 34 140

Reposted by Scott McDonough

John McCafferty @jdmccafferty.bsky.social · 5d

Star-shaped tile with a phoenix and stylized flower spray

Kashan, c. 1250 - c. 1324

(Rijksmuseum)

10 66

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 5d

His description of the East German Trabant still amuses me: “Arkady lit a cigarette and found an ashtray, but no radio. What a perfectly Socialist car, designed for bad habits and ignorance, and he was its perfect driver.”

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 5d

Absolutely, Havana Bay was a blow after the “happy” ending of Red Square.

Polar Star is still one of my all-time favorites.

1 1

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 7d

Twenty-five minutes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on cheap, reliable public transit? Actually, a studio apartment at that price might be only 10 minutes away on foot.

I'm also from flyover country originally, and I see the appeal, but I don't need all the space, and I like my options.

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 9d

Maybe the lion film was Roar (1981)?

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roar_(f...

Roar (film) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 10d

I also vividly remember seeing both Local Hero and Krull in the theaters in 1983.

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 10d

There's a thing going around about dating yourself with the first films you remember seeing as a child.
For me:
First run, was Raiders of the Lost Ark in a drive-in theater.
Earlier, but not first run, was Disney's Robin Hood.

Poster for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Poster for Walt Disney's Robin Hood (1973)

1 2

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 11d

It turns out that watching The Sound of Music on the ABC Sunday Night Movie when I was 8 did not give me the comprehensive understanding of Austria’s geography I need for trip planning.

Original wide poster for The Sound of Music. Julie Andrews in pink with a guitar and children in yellow cavorting in alpine landscape while Christopher Plummer looks on, unamused.

1 9

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 12d

The Sumerian monitor said, ‘You spoke in Akkadian!’ and he beat me.
My teacher said, ‘Your handwriting is not at all good!’ and he beat me." George, tr., The Epic of Gilgamesh (1999), xviii. 2/

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 12d

The door monitor said, ‘Why did you go out without my say-so?’ and he beat me.
The water monitor said, ‘Why did you help yourself to water without my say-so?’ and he beat me. 1/

1 1

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 12d

Were You Beaten By Your Akkadian instructor in Cuneiform School? Tell Us.

NY Times Headline:
"Were You Assigned Full Books to Read in High School English? Tell Us."

1 3 13

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 13d

I can't wait until the R46 cars finally go away forever. I don't even want them in the vintage fleet.
It's an incredibly space-inefficient design and a totally miserable experience for standing passengers when the trains are crowded.

Scott McDonough @sjmcdonough.bsky.social · 13d

Mosaic pavement of the ancient Synagogue of Beth Alpha (בֵּית אַלְפָא) showing Zodiac Wheel with Hebrew labels. Dating to the 6th century, based on dedicatory inscription mentioning Byzantine Emperor Justin.