Gone But Not Forgotten, painted by John William Waterhouse (1873). The Parentalia was a private remembrance day for the family’s deceased. The festival, for lack of a better word, lasted from February 13 to 21. During these days, all of… Read More ›
Europe
October 11 – The Meditrinalia: The Mid-Autumn Wine Tasting
The days are starting to get a bit cooler, with chilly mornings and soft crisp breezes throughout the day. The leaves are changing color and dropping to the ground, and animals are busily stockpiling food for their long Winter dormancy…. Read More ›
Haplocanthosaurus: An Enigmatic Sauropod from the Late Jurassic Period
Introduction The sauropods are the definitive image of the dinosaur. Almost always, whenever one hears the word “dinosaur”, the image of the long-necked long-tailed four-legged behemoth is what immediately springs to mind. The sauropods were the dominant land herbivores during… Read More ›
Hybodus, the iconic shark of the dinosaur age
Many people, usually un-informed talking heads that appear on populist nature documentaries who want to make claims that will grab your attention, will say that sharks have remained unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. It’s wrong. The Mesozoic Era,… Read More ›
Liopleurodon
The middle to late 19th Century can arguably be seen as the glory days of paleontology. While this time frame is often associated with the discovery of dinosaurs and the so-called “Bone Wars” of the American West, discoveries were also… Read More ›
June 1 – The Month of Marriage and the Carnal Kalends of Carna
June is the month of Juno, the goddess of women, marriage, and women’s health. Most weddings in ancient Rome took place in June to honor Juno. Even today, there is a tradition of “June weddings”. The poet Ovid states that… Read More ›
May 14 – The Sacrifice of the Argei
This is a follow-up post to another article that I had posted on March 16. I suggest that you read that one before you read this article. To read the article dated to March 16, click here. Ancient writers such… Read More ›
April 4 – The Feast of Cybele
Statue of the goddess Cybele, made approximately in 50 AD. Getty Museum. Public domain image.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Unknown_-Statue_of_a_Seated_Cybele_with_the_Portrait_Head_of_her_Priestess-_57.AA.19.jpg. April 4 marked the beginning of a multi-day festival in ancient Rome dedicated to Cybele, the mother of the gods; Cybele is the Roman version… Read More ›
April 1 – The Feast of Venus, Changer of Hearts
“Spring”, painted by Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1894)https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alma_Tadema_Spring.jpg April is the month of Venus, the Roman goddess of love, and April 1 was one of several days in the Roman calendar dedicated to her. April is also the month of Apru, the… Read More ›
March 31 – The Feast of the Moon
March 31 was the day held in honor of Luna, the divine personification of the Moon. As Ovid says, “The Moon rules the months: this month’s span ends with the worship of the Moon on the Aventine Hill” (Ovid, Fasti,… Read More ›
DINOSAURS AND BARBARIANS 
