The post on writing well was a fun literary get-away, but my “official” July kickstarter is on everyone’s not-so-favorite but inescapable subject: death. I’m reading Philodemus’ On Death (Book 4) and so the subject has been on my…
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Festschrift for Seyoon Kim Is Now in Print!
Guess what came in the mail today? After a year of planning, writing, editing, proofing, and indexing, finally the Festshrift in honor of Dr. Seyoon Kim, Fire in My Soul, is not only in print,…
There Can Be Only One… So Run to Win!
Hope you don’t mind the “highlander” reference in the title (if you don’t know what I mean, click: this), but here is a short excerpt from Lucian again. It’s such a perfect parallel to 1…
The Manic Christian and Lucian’s Satire on Greco-Roman Athletics
In the excerpts below, I quote the 2nd century AD satirist Lucian’s parody of the pancratium, wrestling and boxing. It features a dialogue between the Greek Sidon and a visiting Scythian Anacharsis, the latter…
Gold’s Gym or God’s Gym?: Abstinence, Discipline, and Endurance for Godliness
Bronze boxer (ca. 2nd cent. BC) recovered from the ANTIKYTHERA shipwreckPhoto taken by Max Lee © 2014 Athens Museum Continuing from the post on ancient athleticism and training regimes, I wanted to make a few remarks…
Déjà vu… Teaching Undergraduates Again
In case anyone is wondering why I’m adding some post-script assignments to select blog posts, well, I’m slotted to teach an undergraduate class for the Biblical and Theological Studies Department at North Park University this…
Ancient Athletic Training: Regimes, Dieting, and Sports Complexes
When athletes train, they usually enter a sports complex called the palaestra (Latin; Greek παλαίστρα), which in classical times often referred to the wrestling ring but by the Roman era came to designate a specialized…