Italy | Pilgrim to the Past

Works and Days (a hymn, but not to Hesiod)

12th century mosaic, Bobbio, depicting the month of March, emphasizing wind (I think) By the time March arrives, the January 1st...

Origins of Sirens

On October 25th, 2022, I gave a lecture at Metropolitan State University on the Origins of Sirens. In the presentation, I trace how...

The Good (After) Life: More Roman Sarcophagi

Ancient Roman sarcophagi were for the wealthy, and were created in workshops which concentrated on particular themes: demonstrating the...

Rome's Metaphoric Others: Barbarians and Amazons

Images of barbarians were created to support a narrative of Roman superiority, and to justify military aggression as a defense of...

Early Christian Churches in Rome, Part 2

Here, I continue to point out some features of church architecture, generally before 1100. Please see Part 1 post for more on this...

Treasures of the Villa Giulia Museum in Rome

The Villa Giulia houses a great collection of Etruscan art. This post provides you with a few of the highlights. Here is a close-up of...

Rome and Barbarians--Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus

The barbarians here are not a journalistic representation of a specific battle, just as the image of the decedent at the center of the...

Pilgrim to the Past