Gregory Hays
@aristofontes.bsky.social
Teacher, Latinist. Neither the son of true believers nor of good reputation. Once translated Marcus Aurelius, but I don't speak for him. (Neither of us speaks for UVA.) Minor outlying island. Can serve briefly as a boat. He/him.
Pinned
Gregory Hays
@aristofontes.bsky.social
· Sep 25
Profiles in Power | Gregory Hays
As Mary Beard’s Twelve Caesars and Peter Stothard’s Palantine show, the real currency in ancient Rome was flattery.
www.nybooks.com
For those interested, my review of three (fairly) recent books on Roman emperors is out in @nybooks.com.
No longer a real university.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M adopts policy requiring professors to get OK from school president to discuss certain race and gender issues.
November 13, 2025 at 11:46 PM
No longer a real university.
Not for the first (or second, or twelfth) time I ask why it is so goddamn difficult to find out who a UVA student's Association Dean is. You would think it was the formula for Coca Cola.
November 13, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Not for the first (or second, or twelfth) time I ask why it is so goddamn difficult to find out who a UVA student's Association Dean is. You would think it was the formula for Coca Cola.
As someone who works in this area (kinda), I'm impressed by the confidence with which people discuss whether the fall of the Roman empire (something that has no agreed-upon definition) was a Good Thing or a Bad Thing.
November 13, 2025 at 5:44 PM
As someone who works in this area (kinda), I'm impressed by the confidence with which people discuss whether the fall of the Roman empire (something that has no agreed-upon definition) was a Good Thing or a Bad Thing.
Bezos's rag on the "free market" beat this morning
Stop fearmongering over dynamic pricing in restaurants
New animated illustration for @postopinions.bsky.social about dynamic pricing for food and why it’s unlikely to work for restaurants anyway.
wapo.st/4p2Lwyg
New animated illustration for @postopinions.bsky.social about dynamic pricing for food and why it’s unlikely to work for restaurants anyway.
wapo.st/4p2Lwyg
Opinion | Stop scaremongering over dynamic pricing in restaurants
Discerning customers are the best check on surge pricing.
wapo.st
November 13, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Bezos's rag on the "free market" beat this morning
Reposted by Gregory Hays
I do think we all owe a tremendous apology to Suetonius in general.
November 12, 2025 at 11:37 PM
I do think we all owe a tremendous apology to Suetonius in general.
YES
Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger sent a letter to the UVA Board of Visitors on Wednesday, saying it should wait to pick a new president until after her inauguration in January.
Spanberger tells BOV to pause process to pick new UVA president
Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger says the University of Virginia should wait to pick a new president.
www.cbs19news.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:29 PM
YES
Annual rewatch of High Noon for the Roman Movies class, and that's another film that lands a lot harder in 2025 than it did in 2023.
November 12, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Annual rewatch of High Noon for the Roman Movies class, and that's another film that lands a lot harder in 2025 than it did in 2023.
Huh, wouldn't have predicted Bad Lieutenant, but he's full of surprises.
Pope Leo has shared his four favorite movies of all time, as the Vatican prepares to host dozens of actors and directors in a “World of Cinema” gathering on Saturday at his official residence. See which films made the pope's list. nyti.ms/4p3exK9
Pope Leo Shares His Favorite Movies Ahead of Vatican Event
The list leans heavily on uplifting classics.
nyti.ms
November 11, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Huh, wouldn't have predicted Bad Lieutenant, but he's full of surprises.
This, uh, certainly goes places.
November 11, 2025 at 9:10 PM
This, uh, certainly goes places.
This blows my mind every time I run across it. We understood perfectly well how to teach people to read, it worked effectively for decades, and then we just decided ... not to do that any more. I think the best analogue is the history of treating scurvy.
how did i go so long not knowing we were literally teaching people to read wrong. i knew something wasn't right but jesus christ www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers
For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't kno...
www.apmreports.org
November 11, 2025 at 6:39 PM
This blows my mind every time I run across it. We understood perfectly well how to teach people to read, it worked effectively for decades, and then we just decided ... not to do that any more. I think the best analogue is the history of treating scurvy.
Happy Veterans Day
Eric Bogle - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
YouTube video by undercovermusicvideo
www.youtube.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Happy Veterans Day
The omens are bad, folks.
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 PM
The omens are bad, folks.
Obvious solution is to have JB replaced by his Irish cousin, Seamus Bond.
November 11, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Obvious solution is to have JB replaced by his Irish cousin, Seamus Bond.
Reposted by Gregory Hays
if "ah, well, nevertheless" were a political party
November 11, 2025 at 6:40 AM
if "ah, well, nevertheless" were a political party
Reposted by Gregory Hays
dril is our Picasso and JCO our Matisse.
June 8, 2025 at 3:46 PM
dril is our Picasso and JCO our Matisse.
You're doing a lot of lecturing for someone who just got dogwalked by Donald Trump.
The sooner we get past internal recriminations and back to fighting united, the better off we all are — the likelier our victory next November.
November 10, 2025 at 11:10 PM
You're doing a lot of lecturing for someone who just got dogwalked by Donald Trump.
Sports, an area where repeatedly leading your team to defeat will eventually result in your dismissal.
WHOA! The Giants are firing head coach Brian Daboll, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
November 10, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Sports, an area where repeatedly leading your team to defeat will eventually result in your dismissal.
FOX NEWS (last Wednesday): By winning big, Democrats have actually lost
SENATE DEMS (this morning): By surrendering, we have won a glorious victory
SENATE DEMS (this morning): By surrendering, we have won a glorious victory
November 10, 2025 at 5:07 PM
FOX NEWS (last Wednesday): By winning big, Democrats have actually lost
SENATE DEMS (this morning): By surrendering, we have won a glorious victory
SENATE DEMS (this morning): By surrendering, we have won a glorious victory
Alan Grayson had these people's number.
Rep. John McGuire: "We need to rethink healthcare in America. It needs to be a preventative healthcare system, not a reactive, put-a-bandaid-on system that we have...you cannot exercise your way out of bad nutrition. Eat right, exercise right, lead a healthy lifestyle, & maybe have early screenings"
November 10, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Alan Grayson had these people's number.
Reposted by Gregory Hays
Happy There Is A Circulatory System Walking Through The Kitchen Day to all who celebrate.
November 10, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Happy There Is A Circulatory System Walking Through The Kitchen Day to all who celebrate.
Lady, you haven’t talked to a non-millionaire constituent in years.
Shaheen: "When I talk to my constituents in New Hampshire, you know what they say to me? They say, 'Why can't you all just work together to address the problems that are facing this country?'"
November 10, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Lady, you haven’t talked to a non-millionaire constituent in years.
Reposted by Gregory Hays
"Enough Dems are chickenshits who don't believe in anything that you can always roll them" is proving to be a reliable heuristic, with consistent real world results.
November 10, 2025 at 3:03 AM
"Enough Dems are chickenshits who don't believe in anything that you can always roll them" is proving to be a reliable heuristic, with consistent real world results.
Foaming the runway is how Democrats have always seen their mission. Once for foreclosures, now for fascism.
November 10, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Foaming the runway is how Democrats have always seen their mission. Once for foreclosures, now for fascism.
Mamdani is going to institute Maria law. Contractors doing business with the city must post publicly a notarized list of their favorite things
November 9, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Mamdani is going to institute Maria law. Contractors doing business with the city must post publicly a notarized list of their favorite things
I assumed this was about the Supreme Court, but apparently it's a proposal for an actual coin.
A Two-Headed Coin That Always Comes Up ‘Trump’ www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/u...
A Two-Headed Coin That Always Comes Up ‘Trump’
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:39 PM
I assumed this was about the Supreme Court, but apparently it's a proposal for an actual coin.