Peter Gainsford
@kiwihellenist.bsky.social
Kiwi Hellenist, Homerist, classicist, NZ. He/his/him/ia.
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
A commonly recognized feature in the speeches of Homer’s heroes is the offering of an example from another mythical tradition, called a paradeigma
sententiaeantiquae.com/2025/10/26/s...
sententiaeantiquae.com/2025/10/26/s...
Speaking of Centaurs: Paradeigmatic Problems in Iliad 1
In the first book of the Iliad, Nestor attempts to intervene in the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon. He eventually tells both men to simmer down—Achilles should act insubordinately and Agam…
sententiaeantiquae.com
October 26, 2025 at 8:38 PM
A commonly recognized feature in the speeches of Homer’s heroes is the offering of an example from another mythical tradition, called a paradeigma
sententiaeantiquae.com/2025/10/26/s...
sententiaeantiquae.com/2025/10/26/s...
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
I've been doing an AMA all day on r/AskHistorians if you care to jump in:
From the AskHistorians community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the AskHistorians community
www.reddit.com
October 3, 2025 at 8:33 PM
I've been doing an AMA all day on r/AskHistorians if you care to jump in:
Greek chorus vs Oompa-Loompas.
October 1, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Greek chorus vs Oompa-Loompas.
Lately my teenage son and I have been playing chess just before bedtime. Tonight I got the first ever en passant mate in my life. After ..Bh5, the final moves were g4 hxg4#.
September 26, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Lately my teenage son and I have been playing chess just before bedtime. Tonight I got the first ever en passant mate in my life. After ..Bh5, the final moves were g4 hxg4#.
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
💀 Le 9 octobre prochain paraîtra mon livre Terry Pratchett et la Mort : Mourir en majuscules (@edlatalante.bsky.social).
La mort est un sujet central dans l’œuvre et la vie de Pratchett, une évidence qu’il a longtemps cherché à comprendre et non à craindre.
1/4
www.l-atalante.com/catalogue/la...
La mort est un sujet central dans l’œuvre et la vie de Pratchett, une évidence qu’il a longtemps cherché à comprendre et non à craindre.
1/4
www.l-atalante.com/catalogue/la...
Terry Pratchett et la Mort : Mourir en majuscules | Éditions L'Atalante
C’EST BIEN DE LEURS COUPS, AUX MORTELS.ILS N’ONT QUE QUELQUES ANNÉES DEVANT EUX,ET ILS LES PASSENT À SE COMPLIQUER LA VIE.FASCINANT. PRENDS...
www.l-atalante.com
September 21, 2025 at 8:32 AM
💀 Le 9 octobre prochain paraîtra mon livre Terry Pratchett et la Mort : Mourir en majuscules (@edlatalante.bsky.social).
La mort est un sujet central dans l’œuvre et la vie de Pratchett, une évidence qu’il a longtemps cherché à comprendre et non à craindre.
1/4
www.l-atalante.com/catalogue/la...
La mort est un sujet central dans l’œuvre et la vie de Pratchett, une évidence qu’il a longtemps cherché à comprendre et non à craindre.
1/4
www.l-atalante.com/catalogue/la...
Some days are just like this.
September 22, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Some days are just like this.
Here's a really good site for hosting academic papers without ads, without spamming your and your colleagues' inboxes, and without signing away all manner of rights.
Zenodo is operated by a European institution (CERN) and, best of all, is named after an ancient Homer scholar.
Zenodo is operated by a European institution (CERN) and, best of all, is named after an ancient Homer scholar.
Zenodo
zenodo.org
September 22, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Here's a really good site for hosting academic papers without ads, without spamming your and your colleagues' inboxes, and without signing away all manner of rights.
Zenodo is operated by a European institution (CERN) and, best of all, is named after an ancient Homer scholar.
Zenodo is operated by a European institution (CERN) and, best of all, is named after an ancient Homer scholar.
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
Potential workaround if you're already logged in and get prompted by the ToS notification: opening this "privacy policy" link www.academia.edu/privacytakes you to a page where you can access the drop-down menu and reach "account settings." From there I was able to delete my account without agreeing.
Academia.edu | Privacy
Academia.edu is the platform to share, find, and explore 50 Million research papers. Join us to accelerate your research needs & academic interests.
www.academia.edu
September 17, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Potential workaround if you're already logged in and get prompted by the ToS notification: opening this "privacy policy" link www.academia.edu/privacytakes you to a page where you can access the drop-down menu and reach "account settings." From there I was able to delete my account without agreeing.
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
I'm sorry, worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable permission to my voice and likeness? For what now? In any manner for any purpose???
This is in academia/.edu's new ToS, which you're prompted to agree to on login. Anyway I'll be jumping ship. You can find my stuff at hcommons.org.
This is in academia/.edu's new ToS, which you're prompted to agree to on login. Anyway I'll be jumping ship. You can find my stuff at hcommons.org.
September 17, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I'm sorry, worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable permission to my voice and likeness? For what now? In any manner for any purpose???
This is in academia/.edu's new ToS, which you're prompted to agree to on login. Anyway I'll be jumping ship. You can find my stuff at hcommons.org.
This is in academia/.edu's new ToS, which you're prompted to agree to on login. Anyway I'll be jumping ship. You can find my stuff at hcommons.org.
Favourite take of the day, as a reaction to seeing some really dumb stuff in classic Who:
September 13, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Favourite take of the day, as a reaction to seeing some really dumb stuff in classic Who:
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
INDO-EUROPEAN #1: *h₁ey, *knh₃ck *knh₃ck
INDO-EUROPEAN #2: *kʷo's *thh₂re?
IE 1: *Larry
IE 2: *Larry *kʷo?
IE 1: Laryngeal! 😁
IE 2: ...
IE 1: *gh₂ddit? 🤣
IE 2: that was so bad I think we need to all get in our chariots and head out in all directions just to get as far away as we can from you
INDO-EUROPEAN #2: *kʷo's *thh₂re?
IE 1: *Larry
IE 2: *Larry *kʷo?
IE 1: Laryngeal! 😁
IE 2: ...
IE 1: *gh₂ddit? 🤣
IE 2: that was so bad I think we need to all get in our chariots and head out in all directions just to get as far away as we can from you
August 25, 2025 at 5:40 AM
INDO-EUROPEAN #1: *h₁ey, *knh₃ck *knh₃ck
INDO-EUROPEAN #2: *kʷo's *thh₂re?
IE 1: *Larry
IE 2: *Larry *kʷo?
IE 1: Laryngeal! 😁
IE 2: ...
IE 1: *gh₂ddit? 🤣
IE 2: that was so bad I think we need to all get in our chariots and head out in all directions just to get as far away as we can from you
INDO-EUROPEAN #2: *kʷo's *thh₂re?
IE 1: *Larry
IE 2: *Larry *kʷo?
IE 1: Laryngeal! 😁
IE 2: ...
IE 1: *gh₂ddit? 🤣
IE 2: that was so bad I think we need to all get in our chariots and head out in all directions just to get as far away as we can from you
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
My last living musical hero is still my hero but unfortunately no longer living. RIP to the great, great Mr. Tom Lehrer.
July 27, 2025 at 5:33 PM
My last living musical hero is still my hero but unfortunately no longer living. RIP to the great, great Mr. Tom Lehrer.
I have a piece out on the invention of the Trojan War in Ancient History Magazine 55. 'The Trojan War belongs to the era of the Argonauts, Perseus and Medusa, and Heracles: it belongs to the era of myth.'
(Not an academic magazine, but I'd be saying the same thing if I were still in academia!)
(Not an academic magazine, but I'd be saying the same thing if I were still in academia!)
Ancient History Magazine 55
Ancient history is full of people dubbed tyrants, yet the precise nature of ancient tyranny varied across periods and cultures. They could be bloodthirsty warlords, power-hungry populists, or even the...
www.karwansaraypublishers.com
July 28, 2025 at 5:20 AM
I have a piece out on the invention of the Trojan War in Ancient History Magazine 55. 'The Trojan War belongs to the era of the Argonauts, Perseus and Medusa, and Heracles: it belongs to the era of myth.'
(Not an academic magazine, but I'd be saying the same thing if I were still in academia!)
(Not an academic magazine, but I'd be saying the same thing if I were still in academia!)
Oof. Made it past the winter solstice. More daylight, here we come.
Kia pai te Matariki!
Kia pai te Matariki!
June 21, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Oof. Made it past the winter solstice. More daylight, here we come.
Kia pai te Matariki!
Kia pai te Matariki!
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
Normal Greeks: “emergency exit procedure.”
Me, a late antique Hellenist: “liturgy of the exodus of danger.”
Me, a late antique Hellenist: “liturgy of the exodus of danger.”
June 17, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Normal Greeks: “emergency exit procedure.”
Me, a late antique Hellenist: “liturgy of the exodus of danger.”
Me, a late antique Hellenist: “liturgy of the exodus of danger.”
There's a Spanish prose translation of the Odyssey that has some notable features, but I can't track down who the translator is. Might anyone know?
The first line runs:
Cuéntame, Musa, la historia del hombre de muchos senderos...
It's fairly widespread, but I can't find the translator credited.
The first line runs:
Cuéntame, Musa, la historia del hombre de muchos senderos...
It's fairly widespread, but I can't find the translator credited.
June 13, 2025 at 10:19 AM
There's a Spanish prose translation of the Odyssey that has some notable features, but I can't track down who the translator is. Might anyone know?
The first line runs:
Cuéntame, Musa, la historia del hombre de muchos senderos...
It's fairly widespread, but I can't find the translator credited.
The first line runs:
Cuéntame, Musa, la historia del hombre de muchos senderos...
It's fairly widespread, but I can't find the translator credited.
Mmmmm that's a Doctor Who villain I'd not mind if they had just been forgotten forever.
May 17, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Mmmmm that's a Doctor Who villain I'd not mind if they had just been forgotten forever.
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
It's too soon to tell, but we would not be surprised if this story started getting media attention soon.
Researchers at the University of Zurich used AI-based accounts to try and manipulate users without seeking consent or informing the community.
www.reddit.com/r/changemyvi...
Researchers at the University of Zurich used AI-based accounts to try and manipulate users without seeking consent or informing the community.
www.reddit.com/r/changemyvi...
META: Unauthorized Experiment on CMV Involving AI-generated Comments
www.reddit.com
April 26, 2025 at 8:04 PM
It's too soon to tell, but we would not be surprised if this story started getting media attention soon.
Researchers at the University of Zurich used AI-based accounts to try and manipulate users without seeking consent or informing the community.
www.reddit.com/r/changemyvi...
Researchers at the University of Zurich used AI-based accounts to try and manipulate users without seeking consent or informing the community.
www.reddit.com/r/changemyvi...
It's fascinating to watch the popular reputation of the 'library of Alexandria'.
The biggest shift came in 1980: Carl Sagan's largely fictitious account in 'Cosmos'. But the subsequent history is intriguing too.
A superb article on the library's pre-1980 reputation: www.jstor.org/stable/2709356
The biggest shift came in 1980: Carl Sagan's largely fictitious account in 'Cosmos'. But the subsequent history is intriguing too.
A superb article on the library's pre-1980 reputation: www.jstor.org/stable/2709356
April 25, 2025 at 12:23 AM
It's fascinating to watch the popular reputation of the 'library of Alexandria'.
The biggest shift came in 1980: Carl Sagan's largely fictitious account in 'Cosmos'. But the subsequent history is intriguing too.
A superb article on the library's pre-1980 reputation: www.jstor.org/stable/2709356
The biggest shift came in 1980: Carl Sagan's largely fictitious account in 'Cosmos'. But the subsequent history is intriguing too.
A superb article on the library's pre-1980 reputation: www.jstor.org/stable/2709356
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
@yaelrice.bsky.social and I co-authored this piece precisely to combat misguided work like this so people don't have to constantly rehearse the arguments about why it's specious. We laid it all out here for you!
hyperallergic.com/604897/how-s...
hyperallergic.com/604897/how-s...
April 5, 2025 at 5:54 PM
@yaelrice.bsky.social and I co-authored this piece precisely to combat misguided work like this so people don't have to constantly rehearse the arguments about why it's specious. We laid it all out here for you!
hyperallergic.com/604897/how-s...
hyperallergic.com/604897/how-s...
Reposted by Peter Gainsford
Some calendars, and how much they drift relative to the solar year:
Athenian calendar (Metonic cycle): 37.375 days per century
Julian/Alexandrian calendars (Kallippan cycle): 0.783 days per century
Gregorian calendar: 0.00033 days per century
Athenian calendar (Metonic cycle): 37.375 days per century
Julian/Alexandrian calendars (Kallippan cycle): 0.783 days per century
Gregorian calendar: 0.00033 days per century
March 18, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Some calendars, and how much they drift relative to the solar year:
Athenian calendar (Metonic cycle): 37.375 days per century
Julian/Alexandrian calendars (Kallippan cycle): 0.783 days per century
Gregorian calendar: 0.00033 days per century
Athenian calendar (Metonic cycle): 37.375 days per century
Julian/Alexandrian calendars (Kallippan cycle): 0.783 days per century
Gregorian calendar: 0.00033 days per century
Today is the 756,130th day since the Julian calendar began (1 January 45 BCE), and the 161,591st day since the Gregorian calendar began (15 October 1582).
Here's a handy converter which, unusually, gets the transition from Julian to Gregorian in 1582 right.
ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/jdc/#/jd
Here's a handy converter which, unusually, gets the transition from Julian to Gregorian in 1582 right.
ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/jdc/#/jd
JD Date/Time Converter
This website makes extensive use of JavaScript. The top menus will not function without it and most tools will also not work.
ssd.jpl.nasa.gov
March 17, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Today is the 756,130th day since the Julian calendar began (1 January 45 BCE), and the 161,591st day since the Gregorian calendar began (15 October 1582).
Here's a handy converter which, unusually, gets the transition from Julian to Gregorian in 1582 right.
ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/jdc/#/jd
Here's a handy converter which, unusually, gets the transition from Julian to Gregorian in 1582 right.
ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/jdc/#/jd