Classics Tutor
@classicstutor.bsky.social
Enchanting adventures in Greek & Roman history, literature, mythology & religion! classicstutor.substack.com
Forget the marble statues—did you know the most sacred form of Iuppiter was once a prehistoric piece of flint? ⚡️🏛️
Discover why Rome’s most powerful god was once worshipped as the mountain itself.
#AncientRome #History #Iuppiter #Archaeology
Discover why Rome’s most powerful god was once worshipped as the mountain itself.
#AncientRome #History #Iuppiter #Archaeology
Before the Olympians: The Italic Iuppiter
An investigation into the archaic "numen" of Jove and the lithic origins of the Roman Sky Father
classicstutor.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Forget the marble statues—did you know the most sacred form of Iuppiter was once a prehistoric piece of flint? ⚡️🏛️
Discover why Rome’s most powerful god was once worshipped as the mountain itself.
#AncientRome #History #Iuppiter #Archaeology
Discover why Rome’s most powerful god was once worshipped as the mountain itself.
#AncientRome #History #Iuppiter #Archaeology
How do you build a nation from a vow? 🏛️
The ancient Ver Sacrum turned crisis into renewal, sending consecrated youth—the Sacrani—to found new states led by wolves and woodpeckers.
My latest: Mars, Saturn, and the ritual quest for the "Golden Age."
#History #Mythology #Italy
The ancient Ver Sacrum turned crisis into renewal, sending consecrated youth—the Sacrani—to found new states led by wolves and woodpeckers.
My latest: Mars, Saturn, and the ritual quest for the "Golden Age."
#History #Mythology #Italy
Children of the Wolf and Woodpecker
The Ver Sacrum and the Ancient Italic Rituals of Displacement
classicstutor.substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:35 PM
How do you build a nation from a vow? 🏛️
The ancient Ver Sacrum turned crisis into renewal, sending consecrated youth—the Sacrani—to found new states led by wolves and woodpeckers.
My latest: Mars, Saturn, and the ritual quest for the "Golden Age."
#History #Mythology #Italy
The ancient Ver Sacrum turned crisis into renewal, sending consecrated youth—the Sacrani—to found new states led by wolves and woodpeckers.
My latest: Mars, Saturn, and the ritual quest for the "Golden Age."
#History #Mythology #Italy
Is your soul tuned to the stars? 🎶✨ In 238 CE, a #Roman scholar named Censorinus wrote a birthday gift that mapped the entire universe. For him, the growth of a human fetus, the intervals of a musical scale, and the orbit of #Saturn were all governed by the same divine ratio. #SacredGeometry
Censorinus the Grammarian
Historian and Pioneer in the Harmony of the Spheres
classicstutor.substack.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Is your soul tuned to the stars? 🎶✨ In 238 CE, a #Roman scholar named Censorinus wrote a birthday gift that mapped the entire universe. For him, the growth of a human fetus, the intervals of a musical scale, and the orbit of #Saturn were all governed by the same divine ratio. #SacredGeometry
Janus’ position as the bridge between old and new merited him a special feast on the first day of every month (kalends), and especially on the first day of the new year.
#ancientrome #janus #newyear
#ancientrome #janus #newyear
Janus: God of the Portal
Patron of Thresholds, Transitions & Passageways
classicstutor.substack.com
January 1, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Janus’ position as the bridge between old and new merited him a special feast on the first day of every month (kalends), and especially on the first day of the new year.
#ancientrome #janus #newyear
#ancientrome #janus #newyear
To celebrate Rural Dionysia, which was observed in Attica throughout the month of Poseidon (around the winter solstice), there was a pompe (πομπή), the procession, as well as the recitation of poems, songs, and theatrical plays dedicated to Dionysos.
#ancientgreece #dionysos #dionysus #bacchus
#ancientgreece #dionysos #dionysus #bacchus
The Masks of Bacchus
Greek Theatre & the Cult of Dionysos
classicstutor.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 12:16 PM
To celebrate Rural Dionysia, which was observed in Attica throughout the month of Poseidon (around the winter solstice), there was a pompe (πομπή), the procession, as well as the recitation of poems, songs, and theatrical plays dedicated to Dionysos.
#ancientgreece #dionysos #dionysus #bacchus
#ancientgreece #dionysos #dionysus #bacchus
In this last issue of Classics Tutor for 2025, we delve into the profoundly ancient goddess, #Hera, Queen of the Gods, yes, but also a powerful, independent deity presiding over the cycles of nature.
#GreekMythology #Juno #Homer #Hesiod
#GreekMythology #Juno #Homer #Hesiod
Cow-eyed Hera
Goddess of the Cycles of Nature and Preserver of the Essential Nature of All Beings
classicstutor.substack.com
December 29, 2025 at 7:43 PM
In this last issue of Classics Tutor for 2025, we delve into the profoundly ancient goddess, #Hera, Queen of the Gods, yes, but also a powerful, independent deity presiding over the cycles of nature.
#GreekMythology #Juno #Homer #Hesiod
#GreekMythology #Juno #Homer #Hesiod
Learn about the winter fireside ghost tales of the #ancient #Greeks, which served not merely for thrills but to reinforce the cultural boundaries between the world of the light and the world of the dark.
Spectral Symposia
Fireside Ghost Tales of Ancient Greece
classicstutor.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 6:57 PM
17 December was the first of the week-long #Saturnalia, celebrating the golden age of King Saturn. During the festival, slaves were treated as free citizens, and the days and evenings were filled with feasting, drinking wine, gambling, and the giving of gifts.
#Rome #Italy #AncientHistory
#Rome #Italy #AncientHistory
The Saturnalia
Feast of the Golden Age
classicstutor.substack.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:49 PM
17 December was the first of the week-long #Saturnalia, celebrating the golden age of King Saturn. During the festival, slaves were treated as free citizens, and the days and evenings were filled with feasting, drinking wine, gambling, and the giving of gifts.
#Rome #Italy #AncientHistory
#Rome #Italy #AncientHistory
The Vates is intimately tied to the concept of frenzy or inspiration that grants access to hidden knowledge. They were prophets who would give their visions in poetic form. Learn more in this edition of Classics Tutor!
#ancientrome #romanreligion #italicculture #classics #rome
#ancientrome #romanreligion #italicculture #classics #rome
The Poet-Prophets of Vatican Hill
The Vates in Italic and Roman Culture
classicstutor.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 6:32 PM
The Vates is intimately tied to the concept of frenzy or inspiration that grants access to hidden knowledge. They were prophets who would give their visions in poetic form. Learn more in this edition of Classics Tutor!
#ancientrome #romanreligion #italicculture #classics #rome
#ancientrome #romanreligion #italicculture #classics #rome
Five cities in ancient Italy are said to have been founded by the Titan Saturn himself. Learn more about these cities and the mysteries which still enshroud them in today's Classics Tutor!
#lazio #latium #romanmythology #rome #toponymy
#lazio #latium #romanmythology #rome #toponymy
The Saturnian Cities of Latium
Patrimony of the Golden Age of Saturnus
classicstutor.substack.com
December 9, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Five cities in ancient Italy are said to have been founded by the Titan Saturn himself. Learn more about these cities and the mysteries which still enshroud them in today's Classics Tutor!
#lazio #latium #romanmythology #rome #toponymy
#lazio #latium #romanmythology #rome #toponymy
There are several theories about the so-called “Archaic Smile”, including the proposition that it represents a positive life-force, or a sense of strength, high social rank, contentment, and inner-divinity. Learn more in this issue of #Classics Tutor! #ancienthistory #rome #greece #archaeology
That Enigmatic Smile
A Quick Look at the Archaic Smile
classicstutor.substack.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:38 PM
There are several theories about the so-called “Archaic Smile”, including the proposition that it represents a positive life-force, or a sense of strength, high social rank, contentment, and inner-divinity. Learn more in this issue of #Classics Tutor! #ancienthistory #rome #greece #archaeology
The #Roman #goddess Bona Dea (“The Good Goddess”) was an ancient deity whose true name was a closely guarded secret known only to her female initiates. Dec 3 was the feast of her secret rites. Learn more in today's free edition of Classics Tutor!
Bona Dea
Guarantor of Virtue, Fertility & The Health of the Roman People
classicstutor.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Ancient #Roman military officers had pet monkeys, and the pet monkeys had pet piglets!
Ancient Roman Military Officers Had Pet Monkeys, And The Pet Monkeys Had Pet Piglets
Some monkeys also had their own puppies and kittens.
www.iflscience.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Ancient #Roman military officers had pet monkeys, and the pet monkeys had pet piglets!
There has been much controversy surrounding the meaning of the #Gorgon #myth, which is why I thought it would be useful to look at some basic information regarding its origins and differing messages from one period to another. This article will be released to free subscribers on Wed 3 Dec.
Myths of the Gorgon
Interpretations of the Stories of Medusa
classicstutor.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:38 PM
In today’s Classics Tutor we trace Diana’s cult from the ancient Alban Hills of Latium to the ““Good Walkers” of 17th c. Friuli.
#rome #ancienthistory #pagansurvival
#rome #ancienthistory #pagansurvival
The Cult of Diana, Ancient & Modern
Tracing the Cultural Survival of the Divine Huntress
classicstutor.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:18 PM
In today’s Classics Tutor we trace Diana’s cult from the ancient Alban Hills of Latium to the ““Good Walkers” of 17th c. Friuli.
#rome #ancienthistory #pagansurvival
#rome #ancienthistory #pagansurvival
Maintaining a balance of good will with the gods was a matter of state security and survival for the #Romans. Learn more about their relative religious tolerance in this FREE issue of Classics Tutor!
Pax Deorum
Religious Tolerance in Rome
classicstutor.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Maintaining a balance of good will with the gods was a matter of state security and survival for the #Romans. Learn more about their relative religious tolerance in this FREE issue of Classics Tutor!
It is crucial for #classics students to re-calibrate their way of thinking about the world and the divine. First of all, there was no distinction between earthly things and spiritual things. Everything that we see in the archaic and classical periods is enchanted; every leaf and animal is sacred.
Pleasing the Gods
R.E.S.P.E.C.T., find out what it means to me
classicstutor.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:48 PM
It is crucial for #classics students to re-calibrate their way of thinking about the world and the divine. First of all, there was no distinction between earthly things and spiritual things. Everything that we see in the archaic and classical periods is enchanted; every leaf and animal is sacred.
The Roman cult of Mithras wasn't imported from Persia; it was a new mystery religion (1st c. CE) centered on the cosmic act of the Tauroctony (bull-slaying). Spread by Roman soldiers & organized into 7 secret grades, its theology remains a puzzle! #MysteryCult #RomanEmpire #Archaeology
The Mystery Cult of Mithras
Mithraism in the Roman Empire
classicstutor.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:38 PM
The Roman cult of Mithras wasn't imported from Persia; it was a new mystery religion (1st c. CE) centered on the cosmic act of the Tauroctony (bull-slaying). Spread by Roman soldiers & organized into 7 secret grades, its theology remains a puzzle! #MysteryCult #RomanEmpire #Archaeology
A monumental, high-resolution digital map has been recently developed that synthesizes historical, archaeological, and remote sensing data to reconstruct the entire #Roman road network as it existed around 150 CE.
All Roads Lead To Rome
The Breakthrough Digital Atlas of the Roman Road Network
classicstutor.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:34 PM
A monumental, high-resolution digital map has been recently developed that synthesizes historical, archaeological, and remote sensing data to reconstruct the entire #Roman road network as it existed around 150 CE.
Join me as we trace the earliest verifiable origins of #Greek and #Roman deities through layers of epigraphical, artistic, and linguistic evolution.
Ancient of Days
The Origins of Greek and Italic Gods
classicstutor.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Coming up on Tues 11 November, for Classics Tutor paid subscribers, a look at the immensely ancient origins of the #Greek and #Italic gods. Image: A #Minoan Linear B tablet from the Knossos archives. It records a jar of wine being offered to DI-WO-NU-SO (Dionysos), dated to 1450-1375 BCE
November 9, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Reposted by Classics Tutor
How often can you say that you've seen a kantharos-rhyton? This cup has a bridled donkey head attachment, usually seen only on rhyta. It mirrors the donkey seen on the reverse of the cup, ridden by Dionysos. When you drank from this vessel, you looked like an ass! 🏺 1/
Greek, 520-500 BCE. 📸 me
Greek, 520-500 BCE. 📸 me
November 6, 2025 at 4:18 PM
How often can you say that you've seen a kantharos-rhyton? This cup has a bridled donkey head attachment, usually seen only on rhyta. It mirrors the donkey seen on the reverse of the cup, ridden by Dionysos. When you drank from this vessel, you looked like an ass! 🏺 1/
Greek, 520-500 BCE. 📸 me
Greek, 520-500 BCE. 📸 me
To celebrate my 500 subscribers, here is a brief review of the most recent publications of interest in #Classical Studies!
#greece #rome #ancienthistory #philosophy #religion #mythology
#greece #rome #ancienthistory #philosophy #religion #mythology
Recent Classics Publications
A Brief Review of New Classics Resources
classicstutor.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:48 PM
To celebrate my 500 subscribers, here is a brief review of the most recent publications of interest in #Classical Studies!
#greece #rome #ancienthistory #philosophy #religion #mythology
#greece #rome #ancienthistory #philosophy #religion #mythology
How did Southern #Italy and #Sicily become such an important part of the #Greek-speaking world? What great monsters and heroic deeds of the poets took place on these ancient western shores? Learn more in today's free issue of Classics Tutor!
Magna Graecia
The Greek Settlement of Italy and Sicily
classicstutor.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:28 PM
How did Southern #Italy and #Sicily become such an important part of the #Greek-speaking world? What great monsters and heroic deeds of the poets took place on these ancient western shores? Learn more in today's free issue of Classics Tutor!
I’m opening up my recent piece on reading #omens to free subscribers and followers. Learn all about the art of reading entrails and watching birds for signs! Happy #Halloween, everybody! #rome #classics #augury #haruspicy #ornithomancy
Reading Omens
A Brief History of Græco-Roman Divination
classicstutor.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 5:46 PM
I’m opening up my recent piece on reading #omens to free subscribers and followers. Learn all about the art of reading entrails and watching birds for signs! Happy #Halloween, everybody! #rome #classics #augury #haruspicy #ornithomancy