News & Views

A selection of recent Classics-related news stories...

A-level Latin & Greek to be scrapped

The last dedicated A-levels in Latin and Greek are to be scrapped from next year (2008). The OCR exam body is planning to combine the two subjects, along with ancient history and classical civilisation, into a single classics A-level. Although the new A-level would allow students to specialise in Latin, Greek or the other two subjects, there are fears that the level of knowledge require will be lowered. For the full story as reported in The Times, please click here.

Empress of sex - Messalina's sexual marathon

An article in The Sunday Times (4/3/2007) notes that Messalina's sexual antics are being held up as an example of the joys of Classics. A husband and wife team of Swedish archaeologists have identified Messalina as a record-breaker in a book aimed at young readers. Messalina's considerable sexual appetitie is recorded by the Elder Pliny who describes how she challenged a famous prostitute, Scylla, to an all-night sexual marathon. He claims Scylla gave up at dawn after 25 lovers, but Messalina carried on into the morning. And of course we should always accept the Elder Pliny's word without hesitation (!)...

Roman coins in Britain

A treasure-hunter has discovered one of the earliest Roman coins in Britain. The silver denarius dates from 146 BC and suggests that contact existed between Cornwall and the Continent long before the Roman invasion of 43 AD.
In a follow-up letter to The Times newspaper, Bill Wyman reveals that he found a similar coin fourteen years ago. After leaving the Rolling Stones, Bill Wyman says that he has developed a keen interest in archaeology and metal-detecting.

Link to the Times article. Mar. 2007

Torture at Roman Chester

Excavations at the Roman amphitheatre in Chester have shed new light on the grisly events that took place. A gladiatorial torture block has been discovered in the centre of the arena, indicating that victims (animal or human?) were held by chains in the centre of the open arena where they could be seen by all of the spectators. Chester was the location of the largest fortress in Britain, and the amphitheatre is the largest of the 18 remaining in the country.

Click here for the full story. Feb. 2007

Horace and the Sound of Music?

Research by Stuart Lyons suggests that the monk who invented Do-Re-Mi may have taken the music from a manuscript of Horace's Ode to Phyllis. The notation above the words in the manuscript was almost identical to the tune used by the monk Guido D'Abruzzo who developed the mnemonic which people use to learn their musical scales.

Click here to see the full story. Feb. 2007

Pompeii - the most expensive film made in Europe?

Roman Polanski has teamed up with author Robert Harris to re-create the last days of Pompeii in what may be the most expensive film yet made in Europe. The £100m epic will be based on Harris' novel Pompeii, recounting events surrounding the eruption of Vesusius near Naples in AD 79.

Click here to read more. Feb. 2007