iter -ineris n. journey

I've been back from my holiday around Europe for nearly two months and I still haven't posted any photos from our trip. Here is a selection of some of the best - all ruins, of course!

paideia, -eias f. education

Ancient education began with learning to read and write and later progressed to the reading of Greek and Latin authors, grammar, literary criticism, arithmetic, geometry and algebra. It also included music, rhetoric, philosophy and astronomy. From the Hellenistic period onwards, the whole collection commonly went under the name enkyklios paideia, whence we derive our English word, encyclopaedia.

pater, -eros m. father; kleos, -ou n. fame

In the ninth book of Homer's Iliad, Phoenix tells a story to Achilles about Meleager and his wife, Kleopatra. The tale is an attempt to lure Achilles back into the fighting. As it is he goes on to lose his closest companion, Patroklos, before he overcomes his pride. There is no myth surrounding Achilles' mentor, and Homer might have made up the story of Meleager and Cleopatra to compensate for this. After all Kleopatra and Patroklos are exactly the same name!

elementa, -orum n. (pl) alphabet

This is a little rhyme which fifth century Greek children used to recite when learning the alphabet.

coquus, -i m. cook

Roman Lunch 1

It was a really fun experience making this meal, but the ingredients were pretty expensive, so I don't think I'll be going too wild with the dinner. The pyramid cakes were quite hard to shape as the dough was very sticky, but they were sweet and crispy, and were perfect as a starter snack. The bread was really delicious, but I didn't follow the recipe exactly as I got impatient waiting for the dough to rise. The texture was moist and dense, and the cheese layers worked well. The pate was probably the best. It tasted smooth and refreshing, and I'll definitely be making that again. The sesame biscuits were the most difficult to make as the honey was really difficult to work with, but they were also quite nice. I didn't get around to the honey water, but I bought a 'fresh and fruity' rose, which went perfectly with the meal. I had a really good time preparing everything, and my guests were suitably impressed.

culina, -ae f. kitchen

I recently bought two books in England - Roman Cookery by Mark Grant and The Classical Cookbook by Andrew Dalby and Sally Grainger. These both recreate ancient recipes for the modern kitchen, taking into account the difference in ingredients and equipment. I have undertaken to throw a Roman dinner party, but I need to practise making some of the dishes first.
My first menu will include Pyramid Cakes, Sponge Bread, Olive and Celery Pate, and Sesame Biscuits. And to drink, some honey water and of course, some wine!

magistra, -ae f. teacher

I love ancient Rome and Greece and I want to share my passion for classics with others. I'm doing my thesis on ancient education, but my blog will be about every aspect of the ancient world that interests me. Please feel free to browse through my postings and add comments.