Tag Archives: Ancient Athens

Why Boris should have remembered the Ostracism of Hyperbolus

Posted on 30/06/2016 by Maria Pretzler

UK Politics is just too distracting these days. Today we arrived at a point where both main parties are in the middle of differently shambolic leadership contests. These last few crazy days have brought to mind quite a few ancient parallels … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Greece, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

On Pledges Carved in Stone

Posted on 05/05/2015 by Maria Pretzler

Yesterday, just four days before the election, the Leader of the UK Labour Party, Ed Miliband, unveiled an eight-foot limestone slab, carved with his six main election promises.  Reviews were mixed, but it was a delight to all  who regularly get … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Current events, Politics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Greek Treasures: ancient and modern

Posted on 06/03/2012 by Maria Pretzler

I just came across this opinion piece in the LA times of 26th February by James Romm, a scholar I admire greatly. But here he offers an example of  highly emotional rhetoric which is historically unjustified. At the same time, his article … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Inventing the Past | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Higher Education in the Marketplace

Posted on 08/01/2012 by Maria Pretzler

Sometime towards the end of the fifth century BC the young Athenian Xenophon encountered a man in a narrow side street. The man blocked his way and asked where every kind of food was sold. Once he had received a reply, he asked another … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Universities | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments