Friday, November 13, 2015

Dolus aut Dulce? Halloween Costume Contest Results

Lydia Haile Fasset, dressed as
a wolf, holds her twin girls,
Secunda, left, and Prima, who
dress as Romulus and Remus.
Over the past month we asked teachers and students to dress up in classics-themed costumes for Halloween and to send their pictures to us through Twitter. We requested that those already intending to dress send us pictures as well. Though we had a nice mix of students and teachers send pictures to us, we will be seeking greater participation from both next year!
Mont Allen, right, and partner
Stephanie Pearson dress as a
blue-skinned Charun and
an Etruscan noblewoman.

Still, it was nice to see such an array of costumes, ranging from traditional Roman mythology, to Greek grammar, and even an Etruscan Charun and noblewoman! Thank you to all who participated, and congratulations to the winners, who were randomly selected from the pool of participants.

Congratulations to winner Mont Allen, Assistant Professor of Classics & Art History at Southern Illinois University. He and partner Stephanie Pearson, Assistant Professor of Classical Archaeology at the Humboldt University-Berlin, dressed together as a blue-skinned, hook-nosed Charun, one of the psychopompoi of Etruscan mythology, "claiming" an Etruscan noblewoman clutching her mirror.
Rebeccaa Sahlin, in her
rainbow bustle and train,
dresses as the personification
of the rainbow, Iris.

Congratulations also to our second winner, Lydia Haile Fassett. Another group entrant, she and her twin girls, who go by their Latin names of Prima and Secunda, dressed as Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome, with the maternal wolf who found and raised them in their infancy.

Lastly, congratulations to our third winner, Rebecca Sahlin. She dressed as Iris, personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods, with a rainbow bustle and train.

Did you miss out on this year's Halloween contest? Be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to keep up to date with upcoming contests, new books, and conference and webinar schedules!

Monday, November 02, 2015

October Answer for Roman Calendar Worksheet

If you have not already done so, check the inside back cover of our 2015-16 Roman Calendar for a reproducible worksheet that asks students to engage with the mythology-oriented artwork included in the calendar.

For those completing the worksheet, here is October's
This Vatican statue depicts Bacchus,
the god of wine and festivities.
image, question, and answer.

Question: What symbols in this statue identify the subject as Bacchus?

Answer: Classicists will identify this Vatican statue as Bacchus for several reasons. As Ovid writes, "The god himself, garlanded by clustered grapes in respect to his forehead, waves a wreathed wand" (Metamorphoses 2.666). Though this statue of Bacchus does not include the wand, it does capture the garland referenced in Ovid's epic poem. In Ovid, as well as in other sources, Bacchus is called boyish and youthful, but as often as he is depicted thus, artists choose to portray him as older and bearded. This sculptor clearly chose the latter take. Lastly, he holds a drinking vessel and a bunch of grapes, representative of his position as the god of wine.

Think your students know the answer to the November question on the worksheet? Tweet @BCPublishers the answer by November 25th for a chance to win five of our new buttons. We’ll announce our answers, as well as the winner, at the beginning of December. Submit an answer for your class, or encourage students to participate individually.

To add your name to our mailing list for the Roman Calendar, email orders@bolchazy.com with the subject line “Roman Calendar”; be sure to include your name and mailing address in the body of the email. Calendars are mailed annually in August.