mary naples

Members Homer, Hesiod, Apollonius, Ovid, Virgil, Nolan... Dear Classical Wisdom Reader, It’s fair to say Circe has been enjoying a bit of a renaissance. The powerful sorceress enjoyed a particularly visceral spotlight in Christopher Nolan’s recent film, where she quite literally strong-armed Odysseus’ men into swine, as well as the more empathetic, psychologically nuanced retelling in Madeline Miller’s bestselling novel. But which Circe are we actually talking about?

Dear Classical Wisdom Reader, It’s certainly a trend I can get behind... Over the last century or so, more and more historians and classicists have been taking a second look at important figures from the past. Reexamining the literary tradition and cross-referencing it with archaeological evidence, they are attempting to parse the truth from the story. Can they determine whether the version we think we know is the real one?

Dear Classical Wisdom Member, It is one of the greatest controversies of the ancient world. Indeed, if you want to set a comment section ablaze, all you have to do is offer an opinion on the topic... And there is a reason for that. It has been deeply controversial from the very beginning. Some even say it brought a curse upon the man responsible. Of course, I’m talking about Lord Elgin’s removal of the Parthenon Marbles in 1802. Was it preservation... or plunder?