Dr Renske Janssen🟥
@renskejanssen.bsky.social
Law, Religion & Power in the Ancient World | Tacitus | Classics and Ancient History | Editor-in-chief of Dutch-language series 'Wegen naar Rome' (Roads to Rome) on Antiquity in Popular Culture | Leiden (NL) | She/her | Posts in Dutch and English
Fortunately my voice is getting better, but I'm still thoroughly frustrated that it abandoned me just when I wanted to show my students that Cicero's first Catilinarian oration should be understood as spoken, not written, text. Try performing that thundering opening while sounding like bloody Elmo.
November 13, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Fortunately my voice is getting better, but I'm still thoroughly frustrated that it abandoned me just when I wanted to show my students that Cicero's first Catilinarian oration should be understood as spoken, not written, text. Try performing that thundering opening while sounding like bloody Elmo.
This cold is so bad I'm starting to quote emperor Vespasian's dying words.
November 6, 2025 at 12:42 PM
This cold is so bad I'm starting to quote emperor Vespasian's dying words.
The results of a marathon: brownies with salted caramel pecans (a house favourite); a courgette galette with home-made pastry (my dinner) and take two of the peanut and caramel chocolate chip cookies (this time with peanut butter mixed into the batter for extra nuttiness - a present).
November 1, 2025 at 9:06 PM
The results of a marathon: brownies with salted caramel pecans (a house favourite); a courgette galette with home-made pastry (my dinner) and take two of the peanut and caramel chocolate chip cookies (this time with peanut butter mixed into the batter for extra nuttiness - a present).
I love how academic spam is just as transparently scammy as regular spam. Sir, that 'peer reviewed study' that you're hoping to turn into a 'short audio summary' (my guess is through use of AI)? You know, thát 'study'? That's a book review.
October 31, 2025 at 1:12 PM
I love how academic spam is just as transparently scammy as regular spam. Sir, that 'peer reviewed study' that you're hoping to turn into a 'short audio summary' (my guess is through use of AI)? You know, thát 'study'? That's a book review.
Een allegorie
October 30, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Een allegorie
Vanochtend heb ik weer gebruik gemaakt van mijn democratische privilege. Het ging tijdens de campagne veel over mensen die 'hun eigen stad niet meer herkennen'. En in alle eerlijkheid: ik herken het land waar ik geboren ben ook niet meer - maar niet omdat het diverser is geworden.
October 29, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Vanochtend heb ik weer gebruik gemaakt van mijn democratische privilege. Het ging tijdens de campagne veel over mensen die 'hun eigen stad niet meer herkennen'. En in alle eerlijkheid: ik herken het land waar ik geboren ben ook niet meer - maar niet omdat het diverser is geworden.
People, I WEPT.
October 28, 2025 at 8:27 PM
People, I WEPT.
Ik zet deze maar even naast elkaar...
October 28, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Ik zet deze maar even naast elkaar...
If you happen to be in Haarlem (NL) between now and January 25, I cannot recommend this exhibit on Michelangelo's men in Teyler's Museum highly enough - truly extraordinary!
teylersmuseum.nl/nl/zien-en-d...
teylersmuseum.nl/nl/zien-en-d...
October 26, 2025 at 12:07 PM
If you happen to be in Haarlem (NL) between now and January 25, I cannot recommend this exhibit on Michelangelo's men in Teyler's Museum highly enough - truly extraordinary!
teylersmuseum.nl/nl/zien-en-d...
teylersmuseum.nl/nl/zien-en-d...
Nothing says 'autumn' more than the fact that a torrential downpour started the moment I took this photo 😅
October 21, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Nothing says 'autumn' more than the fact that a torrential downpour started the moment I took this photo 😅
Chocolate chip and peanut cookies with a caramel topping!
October 17, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Chocolate chip and peanut cookies with a caramel topping!
Red Grape and Walnut Tarte Tatin
September 28, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Red Grape and Walnut Tarte Tatin
Today marks the fifth anniversary of my PhD defense. My baby is all grown up! A lot has happened in the meantime, but working on this project and getting to defend it in front of family, friends, and some very eminent colleagues is still one of the most beautiful things I've ever done.
September 23, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Today marks the fifth anniversary of my PhD defense. My baby is all grown up! A lot has happened in the meantime, but working on this project and getting to defend it in front of family, friends, and some very eminent colleagues is still one of the most beautiful things I've ever done.
Not to be all 'ancient history is relevant!!!' about this, but the Dutch parliament adopting a motion designating Antifa as a terrorist organisation strongly reminds me of this passage from Tacitus (Ann. 1.72), describing how Augustus and Tiberius stretched the law on treason to its breaking point.
![Yet even so he [that is: Tiberius] failed to inspire belief in himself as a citizen among citizens, since he had resurrected the law against treason (lex maiestatis) which previously bore the same name but applied to a more restricted range of offences; betrayal of the army, inciting sedition among the masses, in short any official misdeed threatening the majesty of the Roman people: actions were denounced, words were immune.
Augustus was the first to recognize that the statute seemed to cover libel, prompted to do so by the impudence of Cassius Severus, the orator, who had defamed illustrious men and women in his scandalous writings. Then Tiberius, asked by the praetor Pompeius Macer whether a similar judgement could be returned under that same statute, replied ‘that the law must take its course’. He too had been exasperated by certain notorious verses of unknown authorship satirizing his cruelty, his arrogance, and his disagreements with his mother, Livia.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6cqyg352aicuf3wletksucxx/bafkreidyfpkougi5x2sygnvn2bxegpdd35yqrzjlbcwc5an6ga5aegrlqm@jpeg)
September 19, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Not to be all 'ancient history is relevant!!!' about this, but the Dutch parliament adopting a motion designating Antifa as a terrorist organisation strongly reminds me of this passage from Tacitus (Ann. 1.72), describing how Augustus and Tiberius stretched the law on treason to its breaking point.
Peer reviewer: I think it would be helpful if you discussed this one particular passage. Why didn't you include it? Me:
September 17, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Peer reviewer: I think it would be helpful if you discussed this one particular passage. Why didn't you include it? Me:
Home-made brown butter and walnut cinnamon rolls - half with frosting and half without, since not all household members are a fan of cream cheese.
September 14, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Home-made brown butter and walnut cinnamon rolls - half with frosting and half without, since not all household members are a fan of cream cheese.
Looking forward to giving a guest lecture at the Radboud Ancient and Medieval Lecture Series in Nijmegen on Monday 15 September! I will discuss the legal position of marginalised religious groups in the Roman Empire, covering the key themes of my book (global.oup.com/academic/pro...)
September 3, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Looking forward to giving a guest lecture at the Radboud Ancient and Medieval Lecture Series in Nijmegen on Monday 15 September! I will discuss the legal position of marginalised religious groups in the Roman Empire, covering the key themes of my book (global.oup.com/academic/pro...)
For the next few days, I will be attending the annual SIHDA conference in Budapest. Looking forward to spending a lot of time talking and thinking about Roman law, particularly in the provinces!
August 27, 2025 at 6:17 AM
For the next few days, I will be attending the annual SIHDA conference in Budapest. Looking forward to spending a lot of time talking and thinking about Roman law, particularly in the provinces!
Oud paleis cq. Huidige bibliotheek in Boedapest
August 22, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Oud paleis cq. Huidige bibliotheek in Boedapest
It worked!!! A fully iced cake this time, made with lemon-almond cake and strawberry frosting, with whipped cream and fresh strawberries inside. It was inspired by strawberry lemonade, to fit in with the 'drinks' theme of the London Fog cheesecake and the Hot Chocolate chocolate cake - see replies.
August 15, 2025 at 6:45 PM
It worked!!! A fully iced cake this time, made with lemon-almond cake and strawberry frosting, with whipped cream and fresh strawberries inside. It was inspired by strawberry lemonade, to fit in with the 'drinks' theme of the London Fog cheesecake and the Hot Chocolate chocolate cake - see replies.
Components of a strawberry-lemon cake
August 15, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Components of a strawberry-lemon cake
Bye bye, concrete!
August 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Bye bye, concrete!
Thanks for the kind birthday wishes! I had a wonderful day :)
August 9, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Thanks for the kind birthday wishes! I had a wonderful day :)