Bringing alive an ancient queen. More»
A theater-goer’s guide to the western world’s oldest play. More»
If the sacrificial liver looks bad, stay home…and other soothsaying wisdom from ancient Rome. More»
In August, the Greek sculpture Lion Attacking a Horse flew over the back wall of the Getty Villa and took up residence in our Atrium. We have now lived with the sculpture for over three months, and are already lamenting… More»
The ancient Greeks had a recumbent approach to their (male-only) dinner parties, as I discussed in a previous post: elite men reclined, propped on pillows, to drink, converse, and—sometimes—overindulge. The practice of reclining and dining continued into ancient Rome, but… More»
Elite Greeks and Romans reclined to dine, and ordinary people copied them when they could. Although the practice seems strange to us, it must have been both comfortable and convenient, since reclining during meals spread throughout the Mediterranean and survived… More»
Think city living is a struggle today? The ancient Romans had it just as tough, giving their poets plenty to complain about Roman poetry is filled with entertaining rants against urban evils, which I revisited with glee while preparing for… More»
Peacocks were imported into Rome and bred there as exotic pets, sacred animals, and extravagant delicacies (especially the tongues!).
They represented immortality, and were often a status symbol. Painted on the wall, this peacock keeps watch over a garden.