Editorial for Rosetta issue 30.
Articles
This investigation explores the term μόναρχος as it appears in Solon 9 (West) (Gentili Prato 9). Alongside the use of μούναρχος in Theognis 52, this Solonian fragment stands as the only surviving instance in archaic Greek literature of the concept of ‘monarch.’ By analyzing the manuscript witnesses, particularly the evidence provided by Diodorus Siculus’ Bibliotheca Historica, and comparing other Solonian passages that feature terms for sovereign rulers, I contend that the term μονάρχου in Solon is likely an interpolation, replacing an original τυράννου.
Vergil’s Aeneid written in hexameters throughout contains in Mynors’ Oxford Classics Texts edition 58 so-called half-lines. These are lines in which the hexameter otherwise adhered to in the poem is incomplete, that is, not the full six metrical feet long. It is shown that the 58 half-lines are metrically, syntactically, and pragmatically diverse but that the common denominator is that they appear at switchpoints, that is, points where the poem switches direction, either at the narratological level, for example, switching locations, or at the metatextual level, that is, switching modes of narrative. The half lines signalling narratological switchpoints act as signposts and those signalling metatextual switchpoints act as guideposts. Both are used to direct the reader’s attention. The metrical, syntactic, pragmatic, and functional diversity of the half-lines allows Vergil to tap into different grades of attention directing the reader consciously at switchpoints.
One of the most characteristic interpretations of ancient Egyptian mathematics, which has largely been maintained throughout its historiography since the first translations of the Rhind and Moscow papyri, is its eminently practical character; that is, empirical and concrete cases would constitute mathematical knowledge. Such anchoring in the concrete would be based on treatment of different mathematical themes through numerical cases. In the present investigation, we will propose a discussion of this position; for this, we consider, a type of research will be necessary that goes beyond the mathematical papyri and that, in a complementary way to the strictly mathematical approach, takes into account other dimensions of the field of Egyptology. Our main
objective will be to propose the use of concrete numbers in Egyptian mathematical problems not as the exposition of a concrete case but as the mode of exposition of a paradigmatic case that makes it possible to understand the algorithm of the problem.
Although much attention has been paid to Greco-Roman medicine, significantly less attention has been paid to veterinary medicine, despite the current degree of academic interest and scholarship on ancient animals. Modern studies on ancient veterinary medicine have either focused on the procedures performed on animals without any comparison to the same procedures in human medicine or briefly mentioned the similarities between procedures in animal and human medicine in the Greco-Roman world. They have also focused on similarities in theoretical frameworks of veterinary and human medicine or similarities in surgical procedures but neglected other types of procedures like bloodletting. Previous studies have also not addressed the differences in procedures when performed on humans in comparison to animals. To what extent were human and animal health and disease understood to be similar, or divergent? Did the same factors cause illness in both humans and animals? Did animals and humans suffer the same ailments and injuries and were they treated in similar ways? The aim of this paper is to answer these questions by comparing bloodletting and bone setting in human and veterinary medicine. This paper builds on previous scholarship discussing the similarities between the procedures of human and veterinary medicine including Sephocle, Gitton-Ripoll and Vallat’s ‘Extension et insufflation: les soins de l’épaule du cheval chez les hippiatres antiques’ and Ortoleva’s ‘I termini rota, strophus mac(h)ina e
la riduzione della lussazione della spalla del cavallo.’ It will examine both medical and veterinary texts including the Hippocratic texts On Joints and On Fractures, Celsus’ De Medicina, Galen’s texts on bloodletting, Apsyrtus’ letters in the Hippiatrica, the Mulomedicina Chironis and Vegetius’ Mulomedicina.
This paper explores the significance of night in Book 10 of Homer’s Iliad through the theoretical framework of Conceptual Metaphor (CM), a cognitive-based interpretation of how the mind construes language. Book 10 relates a self-contained episode within the Iliad: the planning and execution by the Greeks of a daring night raid into the Trojan territory. The choice to focus on night in Book 10 was motivated by the dominance of night in this book and its agency over a narrative which plays out completely in the hours of darkness. The research question that this paper poses is as follows: How does night function as a conceptual metaphor in Iliad Book 10? A content analysis of Book 10 finds night to function as a CM in three aspects. First, the CM of NIGHT = DISRUPTOR OF DAY (the capitalisation follows cognitive linguists’ convention of expressing metaphorical relations in upper-case) in that when the activity of day, namely conflict, is transferred to the unfamiliar environment of night, there is disorientation, particularly in how time is experienced. Second, NIGHT = SLEEPSCAPE recognises the power of sleep and the result when it is withheld due to exceptional circumstances. Third, NIGHT = CLANDESTINE articulates the sense of jeopardy fermented in an atmosphere of secrecy and deception. This paper concludes that night as a CM accentuates the atmosphere and drama of Book 10, demonstrating the usefulness of CM as an analytical tool.
There are many mythical variations surrounding the legend of Romulus, layered over time to create a rich and complex tradition about Rome’s origins. This study examines different versions of the conception and birth of the twins, exploring the reasons behind these variations and, where possible, their chronology. Focus is also given to the question of primogeniture – whether Romulus or Remus was considered the elder – as well as to the identity and role of their parents, whose stories shift across ancient sources. These elements are crucial to understanding how Rome shaped its own foundation myths, adapting them to different historical and cultural contexts over time. By tracing these variations, we gain deeper insight into the evolving nature of Roman tradition and efforts to define its legendary past.
The aim of this paper is to examine luxuria and its semantic evolution from its earliest appearances to the reign of Emperor Tiberius. Deeply embedded in Roman society, the concept of luxuria represents a luxurious way of living in both private and public life. It is closely associated with avaritia and conceptually opposed to parsimonia and frugalitas, two moral values central to the mos maiorum. Luxuria is a recurring theme in historiographical works, particularly in their prologues. In this research I will compare, in chronological order, the Bellum Catilinae of Sallust (5, 9-12, 24-28, 52) and the Ab Urbe Condita of Titus Livy (Praef. 5, 9-12, 24-28, 52) and conclude with the Annales of Tacitus, focusing mainly on the letter of Tiberius in Book 3 (52-54), where the issue of luxuria is discussed. The ultimate aim is to highlight the evolving meaning of this concept in Tacitus, where luxuria is no longer merely an undermining factor for Roman moral values and social cohesion. Initially regarded with a fully pejorative connotation as a primary cause of moral decline following the expansionist wars of the second and first centuries BC, luxuria appears to be received with relative leniency by the Principate. It is increasingly recognized as a fundamental axis of political power and social reality. White’s (2014) study is particularly valuable for this paper, as it clarifies key terminology and its interpretation through an analysis of various texts. Similarly, Bhatt’s (2017) article contributes to the discussion by examining corruption in parallel with luxury, viewing the latter as a specific manifestation of a corrupt lifestyle—an interpretation crucial for understanding the luxuria debate in the Annales.
Political leaders’ sexual behaviour has been a source of interest and intrigue in both ancient and modern societies. When this sexual behaviour publicly deviates from societal norms, it can have a damaging effect on a leader’s standing. This paper does not seek to argue against this idea, but does suggest that in some contexts a leader’s non-standard sexual behaviour, here defined as sexual behaviour that is not traditionally acceptable, can act as an alternative source of power. Sex scandals surrounding the presidential terms of Bill Clinton and Donald Trump will be read alongside the sex lives of Mark Antony and Nero to further our understanding of how non-standard sexual behaviour impacts a leader’s image.
Reviews
Review of Grasso, Valentina A. (2023) ‘Pre-Islamic Arabia. Societies, politics, cults and identities during Late Antiquity.
Review of Freu, Christel. (2022) Les salariés de l’Égypte romano-byzantine. Essai d’histoire économique.
Review of Annese, Andrea, Francesco Berno and Daniele Tripalid, eds. (2024) I Codici di Nag Hammadi: Prima Traduzione Italiana Integrale.