Monthly Archives: October 2014

The deer and the palm tree

Posted on October 29, 2014 by laurencetotelin

Today is our last day in Italy – tomorrow return to the green valleys. Big Boy T (7 years and 3/7) and I went to visit the archaeological site of Herculaneum. It is extremely impressive. Visiting the site is also … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient History | Tagged deer, Fallow deer, Frescoes, Geoponica, Herculaneum, Mosaics, Neptune and Amphitrite, Palm trees | 2 Comments

A tale of two graffiti

Posted on October 28, 2014 by laurencetotelin

The area around Naples is a bit of a shock to the system after Rome. While in Rome everyone in the tourism business speaks English, around Naples, my – very rusty – Italian is coming in very handy. Finding your … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient History | Tagged Ercolano, graffiti, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Ship Europa | Leave a comment

A pilgrimage to Asclepius

Posted on October 28, 2014 by laurencetotelin

Mondays are a bit tricky for the tourist craving her dose of historical sites in Italy. Most museums and archaeological sites are closed. Big Boy T (who, as he pointed to me, is 7 years and 1/3 rather than 7 … Continue reading →

Posted in History of medicine | Tagged Aesculapius, Asclepius, Isola Tiberina, Livy, Ovid, Tiber Island | 1 Comment

She-Wolf

Posted on October 26, 2014 by laurencetotelin

Today Big Boy T and I went to Ostia Antica, the ruins of the harbour of Rome. I thought I would blog about the midwife Scribonia Attica (second century CE), whose tomb is supposed to be somewhere in Ostia. Let’s just say … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's History, History of the body | Tagged breastfeeding, Ostia Anica, Romulus and Remus, Sarcophagus, She-wolf | 3 Comments

Unctuous Rome

Posted on October 25, 2014 by laurencetotelin

This week Big Boy T (age 7 and a half) and I are visiting Rome and the Vesuvius area and this blog will turn travelogue. We have left P and Little Boy G behind, as I am on a research … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmetics, History of the body | Tagged Latin epigraphy, Masseur, palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome, Unctor | Leave a comment

Autumn song

Posted on October 13, 2014 by laurencetotelin

I have two favourite times of year: the first is when the cherries are in bloom; and the second, which has just come to an end, is the beginning of the autumn, when the blackberry brambles are in fruit. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Food history, History of medicine | Tagged autumn, blackberries, Dioscorides, Galen, Pergamum, Vienna Dioscorides | 1 Comment