Manuscripts of the Illiad project

I just got word through Rogue Classicism that Harvard is initiating a project entitled ‘the first 1000 years of Greek’ – yes, I know a bit early for late-antiquity, but not really in that most of our manuscripts begin to emerge in the late antique era. This was part of a feature that I am most interested in concerning late antiquity – the urge to codify.

Roman law, Jewish Law, cookbooks, grammatical treatises – all were part of a larger movement of the late antiquity world – a world that began to reflect on what it had accomplished thus far.

Anyway check out the project: http://chs.harvard.edu/chs/chs_home

KM

Codex Sinaiticus

The Codex Sinaiticus is the first manuscript we have that covers the entire New Testaments. Unfortunately, the codex isn’t found en masse – but there is an interesting project that scholars are taking up which attempts to get the whole thing online!

I actually got to see parts of its whilst I was in England over the summer. It was fascinating to see the very legible print – as opposed to that difficult Gothic script of the Middle Ages – while I was there. 

The project is headed by the larger collaboration called the Digital Classicist:

Digital Classicist

The Codex Sinaiticus Project is an international collaboration to reunite the entire manuscript in digital form—text, high quality images, and metadata—and make it accessible to a global audience for the first time. Drawing on the expertise of leading scholars, conservators, and curators, the Project gives everyone the opportunity to connect directly with this famous artefact. This seminar will present the concept behind the digital edition of this manuscript.

 

Check it out!

KM

Vesuvius, Allen Ginsberg, Orality, and our windows into the ancient world

Today is the anniversary of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius – perhaps anniversary isn’t the most appropriate title I understand (who exactly is still married?) – but I wanted to write a bit on my thoughts about how we interpret the ancient world with regards to textual sources as compared to the wealth of resources (!) that Vesuvius has given us.

I had downloaded a few version’s of Allen Ginsberg’s America last week, and upon listening to them, I was struck by something marvelous. Stay with me here. In short, I have two completely different recordings of Ginsberg reading his infamous “America” – yet the two readings couldn’t be more different – specifically in regard to the ORALITY of the text.

What’s I’m trying to say here – is that in one reading Ginsberg is almost laughing as he reads it – as the audience laughs with him. The other is a recording, spoken in a solemn and authorial voice, with morose piano music played by Tom Waits as accompaniment in the background. 

What’s the make of this? As a historian I am always concerned about what an author is trying to say – so when we read the course, it’s interesting to consider the tone that an author is trying to use. Of course, I’m talking specifically about textual sources – and what’s more – is a very specific type of source. Because I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the New Testament for example, would have been voiced in a farcical kind of tone. But consider narratives; those authors who write long prose about a certain topic. I think we must ask ourselves whether the author’s intent is something that we can effectively ascertain.

Again, this of course wouldn’t mean much for the archaeological findings found at Vesuvius. And I think, that in terms of textual to archaeological sources, that the latter are a much more concrete (igneous rock perhaps – jeez!) kinds of source.

 

Just some food for thought.

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Roland was a warrior

Today, we remember our fallen heroes….our soldiers fighting in Iraq you ask? Well them too! But also the Frankish duc (I believe that would have been his title) Roland who lost to the evil Basques (sarcasm here ppl!) at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass – which is a little corridor between France and Spain.

While Roland did lose there – the battle is of course HUGELY important – for the way in which we receive the narrative lies in one of the first examples of chanson de geste – which is kind *the* most “medieval” account in my opinion of the era's literature. I find it personally fascinating – chanson de geste – basically translates to song of deeds – much like the roman Res Gestae – and here we see the continuity (of which I am a big fan as opposed to its Lex Luther [read: interruption] of the ancient to the medieval period.

Not that I would argue that in 778 represents the late antique world. Quite on the contrary, as by 778 the power center had most certainly shifted to the european amphitheatre.

Jeez – I must sound like a historian. These are just some thoughts – ramblings really and are subject to change at any moment…but the problem lies in something that I've written about before on this blog – and that's the idea of medieval history, roman history, mediterranean history, “FRENCH” history – whatever you fancy – it's really no more than a categorization. It's as if when you think of Roman history youre actually thinking of an 'object'. something that you can place into a nice box and prod, shine, drool, adore (insert fav. verb) to it. But history, as much as we want it to be does not fit nicely, as we would have it, unfortunately.

Still, three cheers for Roland…reminds me of Warren Zevon's “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner”

Iuscivile

Roman law, is in my mind, the most important area of inquiry to study when approaching, not only the late empire, but our modern day society. I have heard that the EU is attempting to make its system of laws more transparent, and of course are turning to codes which are of themselves basically late roman codes of law with slight emendations – no persecutions, and women are now citizens, I believe.

I would bet that they (EU) are trying to base it upon german civil code? I say this because zee Germans' law was developed by none other than Theodor Mommsen, who, in being trained as a Roman jurist in his gymnasium, was called upon to set up the modern system of laws for Germany – when was this 1848? A bit later? I think 1848 was the publication year of the Communist Manifesto? The Origin of Species is 1868 – wow really need to review my 19th century.

In any case, Germany's law is, as I understand it, very much based upon the codices of late antiquity. And of course, then there is T. Honore, who was called upon to formulate South African law as it stands now – very much based upon Roman law as well.

if your're interested in these kinds of ideas – and there are people out there (I swear!) who are – then check out http://www.iuscivile.com – it's your hub for all things roman law.

It's never too late for antiquity!

There's always room for jell-o – Bill Murray, Ghostbusters

And there's always room for antiquity no matter how late. That is what I have been telling my students lately. Got to keep at it – it's too easy to nod off and call the Middle Ages (which as of late I have begun to consider an entirely bogus term itself – not that I'm a revisionist historian type who would claim that the Middle Ages never happened – but rather that the idea of a “Middle” – like the Middle Ages as an interim period in history where we all had to wait for things to get back up to speed – that is bogus.)

And of course when you use a term like the Middle Ages – 99/100 times you use it to describe European history – and again, not that I think the term should apply to say South American cultures, but rather – do we want to use that term to describe Arabic culture? You say Middle Ages and I shall respond – “for whom?”

I really have been quite busy lately. Getting all of these applications together – for the Gates-Cambridge Scholarship amongst others. Then there is the whole THESIS thing – but that's OK I am a troop. I think it's the teaching that has been wearing me down – which it isn't – but teaching does require a bit more preparation than you might think – especially when you give a good hoot n' holler about the kids. It's like your their coach – but of the most precious muscle of all – the venerable brain!

Below – for the second time – is a link to Dr. Dorothy King's blog – she's like a 21st century “Indianae” Jones

http://phdiva.blogspot.com/

Ok…I am tired but – Salvete!

There's a Worm in my Apple….

Am sorry about not blogging regularly – my macbook is on the fritz. Technology is a wonderful thing when it works.

Well – perhaps to do things as they were done in the old days – by hand!