de RES HISTORIAE ANTIQUA
Part I of this website is designed to question the 'history' of history itself. We learn from the teaching of our elders, who themselves gained their knowledge in the same fashion and thus history is perpetuated. Its onward progress is, however, often studded with new thinking and this is sometimes incorporated with less than valid reasoning. Thus history is flavoured with fashion, conceit, academic patronage or just plain ignorance. Common sense argues that, if 'docendo discimus' holds good then we should also parody Juvenal and ask 'quis docuit ipsos doctores'
History is best approached with an open mind!
PART I - CONCERNING ASPECTS OF HISTORY IN ANTIQUITY
'de RES HISTORIAE ANTIQUA' is concerned with matters of ancient history and literature where the documentary or archaeological evidence is not clear or where subsequent academic conjecture has tended to be empirical, which passing time has cemented into factual belief. For instance, as regards literature consider such statements as, 'Horace did not write love poetry' or, 'Horace's Book IV Odes are not up to the same standard as Books' I-III.' Again, as regards history, consider such statements as, 'The Romans invaded Britain in 43AD. with three legions and elephants.' or that 'Ptolemy in his Geographia gave misleading co-ordinates for well known sites'. These are the themes that will be dealt with initially and are covered by the following four books. While access for reference purposes is quite free, downloads are best obtained from the Oxford Text Archives (See Below) .
NB. There is now an alternative choice! All four books have been accepted by Oxford Text Archives, from where they can be accessed and more easily downloaded subject to OTA's own conditions. Regards, Louis Francis Ref. is http://ota.ahds.ac.uk
CLICK HERE for ECCE HOMO AMORE! - The love poetry of Horace
CLICK HERE for VERBA AMBIGUA HORATI - The enigma of Book IV.
CLICK HERE for CIVILISED BRITAIN 43AD - The real 'Invasion' scenario!
CLICK HERE for PTOLEMY'S GEOGRAPHIA - Books I & II,
PART II - POST CLASSICAL, MEDIAEVAL AND MODERN
While Part I of this website dealt with prose or prose translations of classical significance, this new section, deals with works from subsequent eras, both of literary and historical significance. Initially it will contain:-
1: A new, modern translation of Chaucer's Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.
2: The Rubaiyat reassessed, with Omar Khayyam's Quatrains transposed as Sonnets.
3: Valedictory Soliloquies of certain classical figures, in an hexametrical verse cycle.
4: 'Time Flies:Love Remains', an original cycle of 21 Love Sonnets cycle.
PART III - PRE-CLASSICAL, OLD TESTAMENT AND CONTEMPORARY MESOPOTAMIAN ERAS
Initially there are two works, both from the Old Testament,incorporated with fresh translations from the Greek text of the 'SEPTUAGINT'.
The first will consider 'Psalm 23' as a factual statement of an historical eventCLICK FOR THE ENIGMA OF PSALM 23
The second will concern the erotic implications of 'The Song of Songs'
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