The Story of an Inaugural, by Professor Helen Lovatt
February 28, 2017
It is traditional for academics promoted to a professorship to give an ‘inaugural lecture’ in which they present their research to the wider community.
Long-lived monarchs, ancient and modern
May 11, 2016
In light of the Queen’s recent 90th birthday, Nicholas Wilshere discusses long-lived monarchs ancient and modern. April 21st marked the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, an event which prompted royal reporters to make comparisons with other long-lived and long-reigning rulers, and to point out that she is both the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch, …
Comedy 2500
April 14, 2015
Alan Sommerstein commemorates a very special anniversary. It is exactly 2500 years ago this month that Athens saw its first official production of comic drama, at the Dionysia festival in the month of Elaphebolion (March/April), in the year that they called “the archonship of Telesinus” and we call 486 BC. (That’s 2500 years ago, not 2501 …
Death at York
February 4, 2015
As part of the Nottingham ‘Anniversaries through Coins’ project, Larissa Ransom describes how on this day, 4 February 211, the Roman emperor Septimius Severus died in York. Lucius Septimius Severus was born in April 145, the son of the equestrian Publius Septimus Geta, in Lepcis Magna, North Africa. In March 193 Pertinax, the successor …
The Lex Titia…
November 26, 2014
As part of the Nottingham Anniversaries through Coins project, Mike Welbourn describes how, on this day, 26th November, in 43 BC, the lex Titia was passed at Rome. By this law a board of three men was given complete control over the Roman state. The lex Titia turned Rome into a de facto dictatorship, and …
On this day, 20 November, in AD 284, Diocletian became Roman emperor.
November 20, 2014
As part of the Nottingham ‘Anniversaries through Coins’ project, Lois Howorth, a first-year Classics student describes the rise to power of Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (usually known simply as Diocletian). Diocletian began life very humbly. The future emperor was originally named Diocles and came into the world in 240 or 244 on the Dalmatian coast. …
Happy Classical National Poetry Day!
October 2, 2014
In great haste… I spotted this morning, while procrastinating, that today is National Poetry Day! This clearly needed to be marked, and I’m just back from some rapid poetry-bombing of the Humanities Building. I felt that what was needed was some poetry in English (I wanted it to speak too everybody in the building) that …
The emperors resign!
May 1, 2014
Today’s anniversary by Will Leveritt. 1709 years ago today, on the first of May A.D. 305, the joint emperors Diocletian and Maximian took the incredible decision to resign the imperial power, the former at Nicomedia, the latter at Milan. This coin is an antoninianus, and on the obverse shows Maximian wearing the radiate crown. The legend …
Happy birthday Marcus Aurelius!
April 26, 2014
In a new occasional series, Nottingham PhD student Will Leveritt posts his own photos of coins to reflect on significant anniversaries. 1893 years ago today, on the 26th of April A.D. 121, the Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was born in Rome. On the obverse of the coin we see the laureate head …
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