Armchair Classicist (Ryan Schaller)
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armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Armchair Classicist (Ryan Schaller)
@armchairclassicist.bsky.social
2.8K followers 4K following 2K posts
Ancient history and lit, photos of my cats. Writer, reader, fantasy, sci-fi, 🏳️‍🌈Ally, No🚫GenAI content. Lawyer by day.

Probably followed you for mentioning reading, history, or writing in your profile.

"Armchair Classicist: The Page" on FB
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Armchair Classicist (Ryan Schaller) @armchairclassicist.bsky.social · Sep 3
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One of my posts earlier this week has been shared 500+ times over the past few days. So if you're looking at the page for the first time, here's a pin status explaining what this page is:

I am not a professional Classicist or historian. I am an enthusiastic amateur who works by day as a lawyer
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
This is one of the more memorable things I've stumbled on in an older book. In 1933, this University of Sydney Professor dedicated this book to all of his students who died fighting in World War I.

#History 📚💙
List of Students title page of "King Agis of Sparta and his campaign in Arkadia" by W.J. Woodhouse Red cover of a red book with an embossed image of a hoplite.
November 7, 2025 at 9:33 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Stack o' Landmarks. Can we get a Pausanias or Strabo next? Please? Pretty Please?

📚💙 #HistoryBookChat #Classics
November 7, 2025 at 9:23 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
From the Odyssey:
Circe's Hospitality Circe "prepared them a mixture of cheese, barley-meal, and yellow honey flavored with Pramnian wine. But into this dish she introduced a noxious drug, to make them lose all memory of their native land."
November 7, 2025 at 8:26 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Zora (tortie) and Chaucer (gray) alternating keeping me company today.
🐈‍⬛📷 #CatsOfBluesky
November 7, 2025 at 6:53 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Chaucer
#Cats #CatsOfBlueSky
#Nebby
🐈‍⬛📷
Large gray cat on a scratching pad
November 6, 2025 at 11:04 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
A couple of optimistic quotes from the fragments of the Greek poet Mimnermus.
#Classics #Poets 📚💙
"But short-lived like a dream youth passes in all its preciousness; and, grievous and unsightly, old age immediately hangs over our heads." "But as soon as this youthful season has passed by to its end, then at once to be dead is better than life for many sorrows come to the heart...There is no one of humankind to whom Zeus does not give sorrows in plenty."
November 6, 2025 at 5:14 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Chaucer demanded that he get to try some ice cream last night so I put a tiny bit on a napkin and he walked up to it, sniffed once, then hissed directly at the ice cream before turning and rocketing away. Gives a whole new meaning to lactose intolerant.
🐈💙
Image of a screenshot by a user named "hotdrinks" that reads as follows: "I wish I could make cats understand the concept of fairness. Of hypocrisy. I wish next time Beatrice was eating I could stick my hand in her bowl and dig around and say "see? Not very nice is it?" And she would say "I understand now father, you're right." But instead? Big fat paw in my soup.
November 6, 2025 at 12:15 AM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
If Cato worked in the filing room.
#Rome
A piece of paper labeled "Carthage" being placed in a box that says "to be destroyed".
November 5, 2025 at 9:51 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Chaucer and our eldest cat, Izzy the Tabby, who normally finds some dark corner for slumber, but here makes a rare public appearance for some sun.
#CatsOfBlueSky #Tabby #Cats #CatPhotos
🐈📷
Two cats on different levels of a cat tree.
November 5, 2025 at 9:36 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Lines from the Greek poet Sappho.
📚💙
"You came, and I was yearning for you; you plunged my heart into coolness when it flamed with longing." Sappho, fragment 48, translated by Andrew M. Miller
November 5, 2025 at 9:33 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
🤣
Top text: "Normal archeologists: let me get my brush" Middle text: "Heinrich Schliemann:" Image of Danny DeVito with two guns and the text "So anyway, I started blasting."
November 5, 2025 at 9:31 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
One of the tragic undercurrents of the Iliad is that while Zeus very much loves Troy and it's people, he must watch the fated destruction of the city.
#Classics #Mythology
On left is a sculpture of the head of Zeus. On the right is the following quote from Homer's the Iliad, Book IV, starting line 52, translated by Robert Fagles: "Of all the cities under the sun and starry skies, wherever men who walk the earth have dwelled, I honor sacred Ilium most with my immortal heart: Priam and men of Priam who hurls the strong ash spear. Never once did my altar lack its share of victims, winecups tipped and the deep smoky savor. These, these are the gifts we claim—they are our rights.”
November 5, 2025 at 9:30 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Chaucer informing Zora that it’s his turn for cuddles.
🐈‍⬛📷 #Cats #CatsOfBlueSky
Two cats facing each other.
November 5, 2025 at 2:57 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
One of my favorite panels. By cartoonist MariNaomi.
#Writing
Teacher hands a paper to student with quote bubble: "This is really good. You should be a writer." Student responds: "Really?" Caption: "And thus, little Mari's life was effectively ruined."
November 4, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Reposted by Armchair Classicist (Ryan Schaller)
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Lucian's "The Downward Journey" portrays the voyage of souls to the underworld. This line is spoken by Rhadamanthus as he evaluates the souls of the new arrivals.

#Classics
📚💙
#Mythology
White text on a black and white photo of a Greek landscape: "For every wicked deed that each of you has done in his life bears an invisible mark on his soul." Lucian, The Downward Journey, Translated by A.M. Harmon
May 22, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Reposted by Armchair Classicist (Ryan Schaller)
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
World’s best biscuit maker.

#Cats
#CatVideos
🐈‍⬛📷
June 2, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Reposted by Armchair Classicist (Ryan Schaller)
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Zora and books.
🐈‍⬛📷 📚💙
#Cats
Brown tortoiseshell Maine Coon cat sits in front of bookshelf.
July 27, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Reposted by Armchair Classicist (Ryan Schaller)
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
#poetry #Classics #myth
White text over a black and white photo of the ruins at Sparta, which reads: "Well ahead of the war-cars they reached the brink, closed ranks as drivers backed them yards behind. But Zeus drove a swirl of panic deep in their lines and down from the vaulting skies released a shower raining blood, for Zeus was bent on hurling down to the House of Death a rout of sturdy fighters." Homer, Iliad, X.58, Fagles translation.
August 3, 2025 at 1:12 AM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Chaucer and Zora
🐈‍⬛📷
November 2, 2025 at 2:30 AM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
Found this book bound with beautiful marbled paper a couple months ago. English translation of the French novel “Asmodeus” by Alain Rene Le Sage.
📚💙
November 2, 2025 at 2:28 AM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
She’s a long girl.
#CatPics 🐈‍⬛📷 #Cats
Brown tortoiseshell Maine Coon cat on floor in front of bookshelf.
November 2, 2025 at 2:24 AM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
This new extra large cat couch my wife bought has been a big success with the house panthers.
🐈‍⬛📷
November 1, 2025 at 10:09 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
November 1, 2025 at 7:51 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
🤣
#Halloween
November 1, 2025 at 7:27 PM
armchairclassicist.bsky.social
N.C. Wyeth’s illustration of Athens from an old edition of the Odyssey.
#Classics #Art
Photo of described illustration
November 1, 2025 at 2:01 PM