Dr Victoria Austen
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vickyausten.bsky.social
Dr Victoria Austen
@vickyausten.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Classics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Public Engagement Coordinator for @peoplingthepast.bsky.social
Gif Enthusiast.
My own unique mix of 🇬🇧🇨🇦🇺🇸
victoriaausten.com
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
a phd
January 27, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
Where else could you listen to over 188 hours of ancient Roman history (and counting!)? We’ve been podcasting for many years and we’re thrilled to be still enjoying ancient Rome together and sharing it with you ☺️

#AncientRome #History #Podcast 🏺🎙️
January 27, 2026 at 6:08 AM
Nobody:…
My Instagram algorithm: We see you are in your late 30s and have never expressed interest in having kids. BUT OMG YOU MUST BE DYING TO HAVE A BABY. HAVE YOU TRIED THESE SUPPLEMENTS?!?! HAVE YOU CONSIDERED YOUR *FERTILITY*?!?!? LET US INSIDE YOUR WOMB!!!! WE WILL NURTURE YOU.
January 27, 2026 at 10:28 PM
I would like everyone to know that this is the first article I’ve read today and I think it should be yours too.
You’re welcome in advance.
“The very first rubber dick to touch government-issued leather boots triggered a full-blown chemical weapons response.”
THE DILDO DISTRIBUTION DELEGATION
The revolution did not arrive with speeches, pamphlets, or a carefully moderated Zoom call about optics.
www.closertotheedge.net
January 27, 2026 at 12:25 PM
“10:30 AM: I arrive at my first training of the day and spend an entire page putting up my beautiful but understated hair.”
💀
"I wake before dawn, screaming from my nightmares. My three love interests burst into the room. They all have one-syllable names like Shale, and Bird, and Nine. I will repeatedly fall in love with them with over three books."
A Day in the Life of a Female Lead in a Dystopian Novel
6:30 AM: I wake before dawn, screaming from my nightmares. My three love interests burst into the room. They all have one-syllable names like Shale...
buff.ly
January 26, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
I don’t dress for men; I dress so I can twirl and say to other women “it has POCKETS”
What to swap them for??

How about swapping them for a FUCK OFF
January 26, 2026 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
Don't even know which of them are MPs anymore to be honest.
*UK LAWMAKER SUELLA BRAVERMAN DEFECTS TO REFORM UK: PA MEDIA
January 26, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
This is so smart of the New York Public Library.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdami advises New Yorkers to stay home and read ‘Heated Rivalry’ during the winter storm

via hearts530
January 25, 2026 at 7:05 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
imagine if all that money had gone to teachers instead
January 25, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Paging @nimiumamatrix.bsky.social because I keep meaning to send you this re: fulleries!
#FrescoFriday - A real favourite! The paintings from the Fullonica of Veranius Hypsaeus, Pompeii (VI.8.20), showing the stages of the laundry process, with an owl (symbol for the Fullers) atop the 'viminea cavea'. #Pompeii #Archaeology 🏺

Image: MANN (9774). Link - mann-napoli.it/numismatica/...
January 23, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
"Slavery was real"

Tiny sign at the base of a brick wall that, until yesterday, held panels about the people enslaved by George Washington.

Presidents House, Philadelphia.
January 23, 2026 at 3:22 PM
The dynamic of my feed being full of scenes from Minneapolis interspersed with clips of politicians behind bullet proof glass from the “March for Life” is… quite something.
January 23, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
I just thought everyone should see this
January 22, 2026 at 11:02 PM
I should say, though, living in Winnipeg for 3 years has fundamentally changed my brain chemistry about the cold forever… because when I first saw this my first thought was “well I’ve done it wind chills of -47 before” 😅🙃
The big chill has arrived in Illinois ❄️❄️❄️ (this is in Celsius because my brain will never adapt to Fahrenheit)
January 23, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
In 2016 7% of biographies on #Wikipedia about classicists were about women. Now @richardnevell.bsky.social's wonderful analysis shows that 10 years later, that number is now almost 20%. That's a huge achievement! #WCCWiki
January 23, 2026 at 11:23 AM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
What happened with #WCCWiki in 2025? How are women and non-binary classicists looking on #Wikipedia?

Here's a thread to wrap-up last year, and to forge a path for 2026 ...
January 23, 2026 at 11:23 AM
The big chill has arrived in Illinois ❄️❄️❄️ (this is in Celsius because my brain will never adapt to Fahrenheit)
January 23, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
My local bookshop understands their audience.
January 22, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
The latest Pasts Imperfect is out! @ingerkuin.bsky.social discusses her new Diogenes book and the controversy over teaching Plato in Texas. Then, a new open access book on Chinese philosophy, archaeological ecosystems, RaceB4Race, new ancient world journals by @yaleclassicslib.bsky.social & more! 🛢️
Pasts Imperfect (1.22.26)
This week, intellectual historian and classicist Inger N.I. Kuin discusses her new book on Diogenes and ruminates on the controversy in Texas surrounding teaching Plato. Then, a new edited, open acces...
pasts-imperfect.ghost.io
January 22, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
This is an excellent analogy, because my recollection from grade school is that the pen on the right looks fun and exciting, and then you play with it for a few minutes and realize it's not actually useful for anything and in fact makes some tasks more cumbersome, and never think about it again.
yeah, just out of interest, how many people choose the pen on the right for real work or art? See a lot of them in professional workplaces, do you?
January 22, 2026 at 12:21 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
The best way of describing someone who’s all talk and no action that I’ve ever heard in the UK, by far, is “they’re all wardrobe and no Narnia.”

* read on for fun ways of saying “all talk and no action” in other languages (a thread)
January 22, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
Every once in a while I see mention of someone's running list of articles about AI and education. Does anyone have that bookmarked that they could share?
January 20, 2026 at 11:50 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
January 20, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Do not recommend finding out you need to replace your entire furnace on the first day of a new semester 🙃
January 20, 2026 at 10:28 PM
Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen
We are thrilled to have been recognised by the Archaeological Institute of America with a Public Engagement Award! Congratulations to all of the other fantastic winners 🥳
www.archaeological.org/congratulati...
News - Congratulations to the AIA's Inaugural Public Engagement Award Winners! - Archaeological Institute of America
news from the AIA
www.archaeological.org
January 20, 2026 at 4:00 PM