Alyssa takes Classics

Alyssa is taking a classics course for the first time second semester senior year. She has an awesome and hilarious professor. These are quotes from class.

[midnight-infatuation]

[alyssatakesclassics]

Unfortunately, the semester has come to a close.

This means I will not have this class anymore, but I will leave this blog up for reference. 

Classmates-- if you have anything you'd like me to add, please let me know. :)

[alyssatakesclassics]

Obviously they knew that blood loss was dangerous, since there had been many wars over the millennia and many people died. In visible ways.

On knowledge of blood loss leading to death.

[alyssatakesclassics]

Once you have gone to the girl store and gotten your 3 drachmas worth of lead...

On recipes for abortifacients or contraceptives.

[alyssatakesclassics]

And the women said: Let's market it in the man stores as an aphrodisiac! Brilliant!

On a specific herb which was rumored to be both a contraceptive and an aphrodisiac.

[alyssatakesclassics]

He doesn't think about us. He doesn't care about us, even though we think about him. Which is sad.

On Soranus, who was a gynecologist.

[alyssatakesclassics]

I did actually buy some and plant it in my garden. ...it died.

On rue, which was used as an ancient abortifacient. It attracts butterflies.

[alyssatakesclassics]

Well, there is abstinence, which is highly unpopular in many countries around the world.

On contraceptives.

[alyssatakesclassics]

There is a high likelihood that you will die in Antiquity.

[alyssatakesclassics]

Nothing is ever truly historical fact. That's another thing you should write down.

I can't take notes without being suspected of writing quotes for this blog.

[alyssatakesclassics]

We are just like molecules! ...write that down! ... Did you know she has a blog?! I'm going to be embarrassed.

On molecular 'handedness', which was brought to our attention by a Bio major while analyzing the root of a word.

[alyssatakesclassics]

Late Roman/early Byzantine. Where do we draw the line? It is unclear.

[alyssatakesclassics]

Classmate: Your whole family was in my dream last night!!

Prof: No shit!! What were we doing?!

[alyssatakesclassics]

I'm Odysseus. I have a huge epic poem written about me. Bitch, please. Listen to yourself.

Odysseus to Hecuba after her warning.

[alyssatakesclassics]

Prof: Agamemnon is really only an idiot in modern TV.

Classmate: But what about parading his mistress in front of his wife?

Prof: Well... that's doesn't really count. She's not really his "mistress," she's his property. That's like saying "hey honey, look at the new plasma TV I got! Half price!!"

[alyssatakesclassics]

Dear Aphrodite, please make me hotter today, cause I really need the money.

On Hetaira praying to Aphrodite for blessings

[tombful]

i’m laughing so hard because my latin textbook has this demon incantation for cursing charioteers and i just 

like can you imagine a bunch of dudes in togas prancing around a pentagram in the floor and asking a bunch of demons to kill some dudes so their team wins in the chariot races

romans don’t fuck around

[classicalcivilisation]

I’m guessing this would actually have been written on a curse tablet like this one: 

They were usually written on lead sheets, but have also been found in the shape of race horses (!) or people depending who they were aimed at. They’re found right across the Graeco-Roman world - Bath is a particularly good spot for them, and there are plenty in the museum there - generally at sites of religious power. The most common type are requesting justice (at Bath, usually for stolen clothes), but there’s a strong line in love spells as well as occasionally those placed in graves to help those who died young/violently find peace.