To Be A Lantern In The Darkness

| Esra | 29yo | He/they | AuDHD | Exploring the many paths of history and mythology. From art, to archeology, to historical blorbos. Amateur, from the Latin "amare"; to love.

[philhellenistic]

🌿🏺 About This Blog 🏺🌿

For as long as I can remember I have been interested in- and fascinated by ancient history and mythology. Dyscalculia prevented me from studying Classical History as a teen. Later, in my mid 20’s, covid and subsequently long covid made me have to give up working and most hobbies due to the chronic illness. But I realised that - even homebound -  I can oftentimes still read! And so I’ve decided to start a kind of “at home study” of Ancient- and Classical History.

This blog is to keep learning, and to share others’ posts and my own interests on the many subjects relating to history and mythology. It will also serve as a sort of archive - The Bibliotheca Historiae - on these things, some books and essays I have read on this journey, and occasionally my thoughts on them. I plan to upload some original art whenever I am able to draw and paint too. If you find history, art, mythology, archeology or ancient languages interesting as well, feel free to peruse this blog, or send a message!

Bibliotheca Historiae & Tagging System

I have organised the topics and the tags for this Bibliotheca Historiae (and other tags occasionally used) here below. Additional tags may be added later based on the topics, books, and essays read or studied.

(This is quite a new blog. I have not worked with an extensive tagging system before so please bear with me as I try and figure this out 😌 Therefore categorization is also still a work in progress: some tags might not yet have been added to this list, but it will be updated regularly and to the best of my ability.)

Original Posts • felis mara (my lovable often floofball of a cat <3) • verba mea (original posts or commentary) • ars mea (original art) • currently reading • book list [dateyear] General Tags • favourites (some of my favourite posts) • useful resources - resources ancient greece • documentary • books • essays • links • pdfs • videos • video games • youtube • films • series • news • history memes • archeology memes Time Periods • antiquity • ancient history • classical history • tagamemnon • medieval history • middle ages • ottoman empire • byzantine • mycenean • minoan • scythian • scythian empire • renaissance • enlightenment Location • Athens - ancient athens - acropolis - delphi • Rome - ancient rome - pompeii • Egypt - hathor temple - karnak temple complex - khonsu temple Art & Archeology • archeology • archeological site • contemporary art - comic - graphic novel - renaissance inspired - medieval inspired • historical art - vanitas • arthuriana - sir gawain and the green knight • knight art • pottery - amphoras - skypos - kylix • statues • sculptures • frescoes • mosaics - mosaic flooring • majolica flooring • painting • illuminated manuscripts • illuminated lettering • calligraphy • bookbinding • antiques - antique jewellery - ancient jewellery - egyptian jewellery - swords - antique swords - daggers - tapestry • 3D • clothing • museum • architecture • temples • ancient greek theatre Historical Figures • alcibiades • socrates • pericles • aspasia • medici - lorenzo de medici • oracle of delphi • Agnodice Mythology • mythology • greek mythology • roman mythology • egyptian mythology Gods • greek gods - athena - apollo - dionysos - hermes - morpheus - epiales • roman gods - minerva • egyptian gods Mythological Heroes & Figures • odysseus • heracles • hermaphroditus • sisyphus • helen of troy Epics & Plays & Poets • epics - the iliad - the odyssey - the epic of gilgamesh • poets - homer - ovid Languages • ancient languages • latin - latin learning books • ancient greek - ancient greek learning books • ancient egyptian Books • books - history books - archeology books - latin learning books - greek mythology books Musicals • hadestown • epic the musical Other • knights • gender • lgbtq+ • queer • ambience for reading • music • music video • video games • desidero (wishlist) • et cetera (outside of other tags or no need for specific archiving)

[mwagneto]

i forgot to post this last year so im scheduling it to post march 15th 2024 (it's march 17th 2023 rn)

[castielssuperhell]

original post x

[snailspng]

Egyptian mosaic glass PNGs

(3rd century BCE — 1st century AD)

[thehelplessmortals]

It was alright once

original

[reno-matagot]

🪷 This linen-backed wool woven Dionysus tapestry from the heyday of Antinoopolis Egypt (known for fabulous fabric art) is extraordinary for its huge size: 210 cm x 700 cm (7 feet x 23 feet). The German language text says it adorned a Roman villa or temple.

Full text: https://abegg-stiftung.ch/collection/der-spaetantike-mittelmeerraum/ 🪷

[flaroh]

Buried 🌋🙇🏻‍♀️🕊️

Aprils work is Pompeii themed, inspired by photos I took in the House of the Vettii. The illustration is named Buried and is of the remains of the villa’s north courtyard, bathed in streaming morning light, with a mysterious occupant. Even though this scene is modern day, the girl is in Roman dress looking at the viewer. And oh what’s that? She’s slightly transparent...👻

[theancientwayoflife]

~ Wig rings of Sithathoryunet.

Period: Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty; Reign of Senwosret II–Amenemhat III

Date: ca. 1887–1813 B.C.

Place of origin: Egypt, Fayum Entrance Area, Lahun, Tomb of Sithathoryunet (BSA Tomb 8), BSAE excavations 1914

Medium: Gold

[kebriones]

Idk why but i am very happy for you to make so many Alcibiades posts and art about him. I feel he's very underrated in Greek history.

I know many are more interested in the pantheon and the mythological heroes like Odysseus and Hector, but honestly there were actual Greek figures worth recognising.

YAY and yeah, mythology and history are two different topics i guess. There will be many people interested in ancient greek mythology and not ancient greek history and vice versa.

But yeah he's so underrated. Everyone knows at least a little something about classical era Athens, democracy and philosophy and theater and stuff, and he's such an important part of that period. He's also frequently misunderstood or presented as nothing more than a sleazy traitor and the truth is so much more complicated. Even in greece now he's underappreciated and misunderstood. (Also why isn't there a statue of him in Athens? Vote me for mayor and I'll remedy that. I'll commission an extremely hot statue of him. He'll be reclining half-naked and contemplating. I'll put him in some cool location, near the pnyx or something.)

[via-appia]

Terracotta lekanis (dish). Eos top - Eros, woman, and swan bottom.

Attributed to the Stuttgart Group, Greek, late 4th century B.C.

[specialagentartemis]

I do think it’s funny how consistently Menelaus is portrayed in Greek tragedy as just, a total asshole. Rude and cruel and just the fucking worst.

This is because Menelaus was the mythic king of Sparta, and Sophocles and Euripides who were writing these plays were Athenian, and more to the point, Athenian living during the Peloponnesian War against Sparta. It’s literally just the ancient version of making all the antagonists in every American movie in the 80s and 90s Russian. Writers going, You know the guys we’re at war with? They SUCK

[dollar-store-kazoo]

Apollo :) my fav Greek deity

Based off this statue:

[s-c-r-ee-ch]

Apollo with a statuette of Athena

By: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

[frostedmagnolias]

Torre Abbey Jewel

c. 1540-1550

English memento mori pendant meant to be hung on a chain

Victoria and Albert Museum

[maybemacdc]

a little tribute to my new fav song from the epic musical

[another-era]

Gold ring with a bust of Jupiter, ca. 50 BC. - AD. 20.

State Museums, Germany, Berlin, Old Museum.

[s-c-r-ee-ch]

Apollo (detail)

Sculpture from the Temple of Venus at Hadrian's villa, dating to around 150 AD

made by Apollonios (according to an inscription on the statue)