Friday, April 12th, 2019
Participants:
Sibylla Ambrosia Fulvia (Hostess)
Marcus Quintius Clavus
Marcus Cassius Julianus
Mercuria Cassia
Ed
Wenna
Aulus Iulius Paterculus
Quintius & I arrived to find Sibylla, Cassius, and Mercuria already in the room and deep in discussion.
We left for dinner almost immediately. The Afghani restaurant where we had eaten the previous year had closed, so we ate the "Basil" restaurant (a Thai/Chinese/Japanese fusion establishment) next door instead. Cassius passed out laminated fact sheets on the interactions between Rome and China in antiquity, which we read in appreciative silence. Soon after our orders arrived, Ed and Wenna joined the group.
There was some disscussion on general topics, MithraCons past, and what restaurant we might visit next year, but much of our attention was occupied by the food in front of us, which were in generous portions accompanied by pots of tea for the table. Reactions on the food itself varied.
After dinner, Ed and Wenna said their farewells and the rest of us returned to the room to engage in further conversation. Sibylla shared insights gained from another year's reasearch into Mithraism. Cassius contributed more insights from his Masonic experience; Mercuria fact-checked information online, discovering some additional details, of which even Cassius had not been aware.
Sibylla mentioned the recent reintroduction of the priesthood training by Cn. Lentulus and the possibility that Sibylla might organize an official Mithraic cult to be recognized by Nova Roma.
Cassius caught us up with some of the progress made by Byzantium Novum over the previous year.
Cassius also presented us with T-shirts which had been made at his copy shop, which showed a beautiful image of the Rockbirth of Mithras.
Saturday, April 13th, 2019
Additional Participants:
Alex
Adam
The following day we enjoyed the now traditional breakfast at Patricia’s, the diner less than a block from the hotel. Mercuria was sadly not able to join us at breakfast due to headache, but later arrived at the Sterling library for a day of intense research. When the library finally closed, we exited to find a group of students practicing improv of the steps ahead of the library entrance.
Afterwards, we split into two groups, head to the Yale Barnes & Nobles and the hotel. We re-united in an hour or two in the hotel room over a feast including stuffed grape leaves, fruit, bread, chicken, lettuce, and large quantities of cheese, followed by raspberry and apple tarts brought down from Maine. Our discussion touched on a number of topics including the modern U.S. navy, before turning to the research we had done in the library during the day. Sibylla had a long list on Mithraism which she had ordered to Sterling in advance. Cassius told us about two particular books he had recently purchased, Pictish Mithraism, which postulated a link between Pictish carved
standing stones and Mithraism and The Trail of Mithras which examined a supposed line of Mithraea running
across the Roman Empire and the churches later built above some of them. I had read selections from books on various topics, including the infinity problem in quantum physics, the lives of Laura Ingalls
and Rose Wilder, the novels of Steven King, and Greek tragedy.
Alex & Adam arrived partway through our discussion of library research. Conversation turned to how Alex had
come to join us: as it turned out, he had been entranced by the Mithraeum when he began working as at the Yale Art Gallery and been told by a fellow employee about the conference which visited each year. We discussed Mithraism for some time after that; in particular details of initiation which it appeared could be deduced from the
mosaic and frescos at the Felicissima Mithraeum and the "Mithraic liturgy".
Sunday, April 14th, 2018
We returned for Patricia's for a second excellent breakfast, this time with Mercuria as part of the group. Quintius was not with us, as he had returned home the previous night. Discussion turned mainly upon life in New England and personal interests, including research into runes by both Mercuria and Sibylla.
On our way to the art gallery, we passed an interesting used bookstore, but although the sign said "Open", it was actually closed. Someone joked that on the way back the sign would say "Closed", but the store would be open.
We arrived at the gallery somewhat early, and hence had time to tour not only the Classical wing of the gallery but a section devoted to coins of assorted eras and another devoted to Byzantine art. Alex soon joined us at looking over the items in the Classical wing, and particularly the Dura Europe exhibit. This exhibit had been somewhat
diminished, as certain items were on loan elsewhere, but the Mithraeum was still intact. Sibylla spoke about the items before us both with Alex and with some other patrons of the gallery. After a little while, Cassius and Mercuria left, followed soon after by Alex. Quintius joined Sibylla and me shortly afterwards. We had coffee & tea together, followed by a visit to the bookstore we had passed earlier, which was indeed open and had an adequate collection of Classics-related books.
Showing posts with label Museum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Museum. Show all posts
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Saturday, April 14, 2018
After Action Report: MithraCon 2018
Friday, April 6th, 2018
Participants:
Sibylla Ambrosia Fulvia (Hostess)
Marcus Quintius Clavus
Marcus Cassius Julianus
Ed
Wenna
Aulus Iulius Paterculus
Quintius & I arrived by car. During the ride, we had a fair amount of discussion. Among other things, Quintius had mentioned recent and upcoming Roman (and Bronze Age) reenactments he was involved in including a “Heroes & Villains” day and CT State Latin Day. He had also recommended a novel, Trampling in the Land of Woe, featuring Alexander the Great & Hephaestion as major characters.
Sibylla had already checked in and set up the room, while Cassius had been delayed by snowstorm along the way down from Maine. We spoke for a little in the room before heading to dinner, and Cassius shared some amazing T-shirts & book bags produced at his copy shop. They depicted the leontecephalus, the lion-headed deity with a role in Mithraism.
Dinner was expected to be at an Indian restaurant, but, to our surprise, it had been replaced by an Afghani establishment. As we had a reservation, we decided to stay and Sibylla called in the two other attendees, Ed & Wenna, who were likewise confused when they arrived.
Much discussion took place during dinner, including of fiction in which large groups of people are sent through time. The restaurant itself had great food, and occasioned some conversation on the interaction between Afghanistan and the Classical world.
After dinner, four of us returned to the hotel, where discussion continued back in the room until around 11 p.m. Sibylla gave a talk about the seven grades of Mithraic initiation and we also touched on other subjects.
Saturday, April 7th, 2018
Additional Participants:
Elizabeth
Mockingbird
The following day we had breakfast at Patricia’s, a restaurant next to the hotel which had become a tradition. Sibylla showed some pictures of a recent trip to northern Italy, including some of historic buildings.
Next, there followed several hours of research at the Sterling library (and at the linked Bass library for part of the group). Sibylla did research for an upcoming work on runes. Cassius found texts on a number of in ancient history and religion. Quintius was researching Alexander, including biography and one analysis of a popular movie. I found a few (basic) works on the Roman military, and book on ancient influences on A Song of Ice & Fire/Game of Thrones.
After the library, Quintus & Cassius went to Yale bookstore, while Sibylla & I returned to the hotel. Shortly thereafter, the group reunited for dinner, joined by Mockingbird & Elizabeth. The was plenty of food, including dates, figs, almonds, grapes, carrots, Caesar salad, olives, feta cheese, and roast chicken. Elizabeth had even
brought homemade spelt bread. After the appetizers and entrée were complete, Cassius also produced some apple turnovers.
Discussion that evening began with more details from Sibylla on Mithraic grades. Everyone discussed their research at the library.
Mockingbird analyzed possible relation of Stonehenge to the phases of the moon. Quintius pointed out different strands in the Bible, and Cassius mentioned upcoming projects related to Etruscans & Hittites.
There were many other subjects which came up as well. Mockingbird and Elizabeth went home soon after dinner was complete, but the discussion again carried on until around 11.
Sunday, April 8th, 2018
Additional Participant: Tera Perry
Since Patricia’s was closed on Sunday for Orthodox Easter, we had breakfast downstairs in the Marriott’s own bistro. After that we packed up the room and conversed in the lobby until shortly before the Yale Art Gallery was set to open.
Tera met us at the gallery, and we toured the Classical wing of the gallery as a group. There had been a few changes since our last visit, and there were some insights into the art, such as Tera’s observation on the development of perspective over time.
In the Dura Europa exhibit, we studied the different artistic styles and modes of dress. Quintius and Tera each commented on the cultural influences visible. Sibylla talked with several groups touring the gallery about Mithraism. We took a picture of the Mithraeum & part of the group to put on the internet before heading home.
Participants:
Sibylla Ambrosia Fulvia (Hostess)
Marcus Quintius Clavus
Marcus Cassius Julianus
Ed
Wenna
Aulus Iulius Paterculus
Quintius & I arrived by car. During the ride, we had a fair amount of discussion. Among other things, Quintius had mentioned recent and upcoming Roman (and Bronze Age) reenactments he was involved in including a “Heroes & Villains” day and CT State Latin Day. He had also recommended a novel, Trampling in the Land of Woe, featuring Alexander the Great & Hephaestion as major characters.
Sibylla had already checked in and set up the room, while Cassius had been delayed by snowstorm along the way down from Maine. We spoke for a little in the room before heading to dinner, and Cassius shared some amazing T-shirts & book bags produced at his copy shop. They depicted the leontecephalus, the lion-headed deity with a role in Mithraism.
Dinner was expected to be at an Indian restaurant, but, to our surprise, it had been replaced by an Afghani establishment. As we had a reservation, we decided to stay and Sibylla called in the two other attendees, Ed & Wenna, who were likewise confused when they arrived.
Much discussion took place during dinner, including of fiction in which large groups of people are sent through time. The restaurant itself had great food, and occasioned some conversation on the interaction between Afghanistan and the Classical world.
After dinner, four of us returned to the hotel, where discussion continued back in the room until around 11 p.m. Sibylla gave a talk about the seven grades of Mithraic initiation and we also touched on other subjects.
Saturday, April 7th, 2018
Additional Participants:
Elizabeth
Mockingbird
The following day we had breakfast at Patricia’s, a restaurant next to the hotel which had become a tradition. Sibylla showed some pictures of a recent trip to northern Italy, including some of historic buildings.
Next, there followed several hours of research at the Sterling library (and at the linked Bass library for part of the group). Sibylla did research for an upcoming work on runes. Cassius found texts on a number of in ancient history and religion. Quintius was researching Alexander, including biography and one analysis of a popular movie. I found a few (basic) works on the Roman military, and book on ancient influences on A Song of Ice & Fire/Game of Thrones.
After the library, Quintus & Cassius went to Yale bookstore, while Sibylla & I returned to the hotel. Shortly thereafter, the group reunited for dinner, joined by Mockingbird & Elizabeth. The was plenty of food, including dates, figs, almonds, grapes, carrots, Caesar salad, olives, feta cheese, and roast chicken. Elizabeth had even
brought homemade spelt bread. After the appetizers and entrée were complete, Cassius also produced some apple turnovers.
Discussion that evening began with more details from Sibylla on Mithraic grades. Everyone discussed their research at the library.
Mockingbird analyzed possible relation of Stonehenge to the phases of the moon. Quintius pointed out different strands in the Bible, and Cassius mentioned upcoming projects related to Etruscans & Hittites.
There were many other subjects which came up as well. Mockingbird and Elizabeth went home soon after dinner was complete, but the discussion again carried on until around 11.
Sunday, April 8th, 2018
Additional Participant: Tera Perry
Since Patricia’s was closed on Sunday for Orthodox Easter, we had breakfast downstairs in the Marriott’s own bistro. After that we packed up the room and conversed in the lobby until shortly before the Yale Art Gallery was set to open.
Tera met us at the gallery, and we toured the Classical wing of the gallery as a group. There had been a few changes since our last visit, and there were some insights into the art, such as Tera’s observation on the development of perspective over time.
In the Dura Europa exhibit, we studied the different artistic styles and modes of dress. Quintius and Tera each commented on the cultural influences visible. Sibylla talked with several groups touring the gallery about Mithraism. We took a picture of the Mithraeum & part of the group to put on the internet before heading home.
Monday, October 31, 2016
After Action Report: Tour of the Slater Memorial Museum
Attendees: Iohanna
Nina Barclay [host]
C. Claudius Barbatus
Chris Chan
A. Iulius Paterculus
Iohanna and I arrived outside of the Norwich Free Academy around 12:45 p.m. There was quite a bit of traffic. There was a woman in uniform at the gate letting in cars, who gave us directions to the museum. Nina, Barbatus, and Chris joined the group one at a time.
After we had greeted one another and introduced ourselves. Nina began the tour with a description of the school’s history. It had been founded by a textile magnate & funded by other wealthy Norwich residents who lived on what was then “Millionaire’s Mile”, built on donated land. The intention of the school was to offer free education to bright students without means, so originally an entrance examination was required. When laws were passed requiring free public schooling for all, the town of Norwich offered money for additional teachers & educational resources in exchange for dropping the entrance exam. We also learned that an exhibition of pastels was currently taking place in the museum, one of several events which had drawn the crowd.
After this introduction, we entered the atrium, which had been built recently and was shared with other school buildings. As we took the elevator to the entrance of the museum itself, Nina explained how the school’s administration had come to build the museum. We entered through the gift shop, each paying $3 admission at the register
The first room was modelled to show what the “Grand Tour” taken during the Victorian Era would have looked like, with the specific voyages of the museum’s founder and his family used as an example. One exhibit we examined closely was a collection of plaster medallions, common souvenirs at that time. Many had mythological themes, including one of Achilles being dipped into the river Styx which we attempted to find amidst the assortment. Also of interest was a portrait of Lucretia in mid-suicide, which prompted a brief discussion.
Next was a series of rooms filled with plaster replicas of various Classical sculptures. These had been part of the over 200 plaster statues added to the museum’s collection when it first opened. Nina told us a bit about the maintenance process. Then we spent a while looking over the statues one or a small group at a time, discussing their significance and admiring the artistry behind them. In some cases, such as the winged Nike of Olympia with her pedestal or the altar frieze from Pergamum with the famous statue of Laocoon from Rome , the juxtaposition of two replicas could offer perspectives which would have been difficult to achieve with the originals due to their presence in separate locations in Europe. In addition to sharing her knowledge of the historical background, Nina pointed out the works which drew the most appreciation from students.
After we had seen the Classical artwork, there were several more galleries to explore: African artwork, contemporary paintings by Norwich artists, Renaissance artwork (part of the same original collection of plaster replicas), items from the Middle East, Asian antiques, and another group of works by Norwich artists, these . There were also rooms devoted to the history of Norwich and of the school.
Barbatus departed; Chris, Nina, and I purchased refreshments at a stand open for a sporting event taking place before rejoining Iohanna for some conversation. The subject was mostly teaching, with which the others were all familiar. We also discussed ClassConn’s upcoming meeting, and talked about spoken Latin we had done or planned to do.
Nina Barclay [host]
C. Claudius Barbatus
Chris Chan
A. Iulius Paterculus
Iohanna and I arrived outside of the Norwich Free Academy around 12:45 p.m. There was quite a bit of traffic. There was a woman in uniform at the gate letting in cars, who gave us directions to the museum. Nina, Barbatus, and Chris joined the group one at a time.
After we had greeted one another and introduced ourselves. Nina began the tour with a description of the school’s history. It had been founded by a textile magnate & funded by other wealthy Norwich residents who lived on what was then “Millionaire’s Mile”, built on donated land. The intention of the school was to offer free education to bright students without means, so originally an entrance examination was required. When laws were passed requiring free public schooling for all, the town of Norwich offered money for additional teachers & educational resources in exchange for dropping the entrance exam. We also learned that an exhibition of pastels was currently taking place in the museum, one of several events which had drawn the crowd.
After this introduction, we entered the atrium, which had been built recently and was shared with other school buildings. As we took the elevator to the entrance of the museum itself, Nina explained how the school’s administration had come to build the museum. We entered through the gift shop, each paying $3 admission at the register
The first room was modelled to show what the “Grand Tour” taken during the Victorian Era would have looked like, with the specific voyages of the museum’s founder and his family used as an example. One exhibit we examined closely was a collection of plaster medallions, common souvenirs at that time. Many had mythological themes, including one of Achilles being dipped into the river Styx which we attempted to find amidst the assortment. Also of interest was a portrait of Lucretia in mid-suicide, which prompted a brief discussion.
Next was a series of rooms filled with plaster replicas of various Classical sculptures. These had been part of the over 200 plaster statues added to the museum’s collection when it first opened. Nina told us a bit about the maintenance process. Then we spent a while looking over the statues one or a small group at a time, discussing their significance and admiring the artistry behind them. In some cases, such as the winged Nike of Olympia with her pedestal or the altar frieze from Pergamum with the famous statue of Laocoon from Rome , the juxtaposition of two replicas could offer perspectives which would have been difficult to achieve with the originals due to their presence in separate locations in Europe. In addition to sharing her knowledge of the historical background, Nina pointed out the works which drew the most appreciation from students.
After we had seen the Classical artwork, there were several more galleries to explore: African artwork, contemporary paintings by Norwich artists, Renaissance artwork (part of the same original collection of plaster replicas), items from the Middle East, Asian antiques, and another group of works by Norwich artists, these . There were also rooms devoted to the history of Norwich and of the school.
Barbatus departed; Chris, Nina, and I purchased refreshments at a stand open for a sporting event taking place before rejoining Iohanna for some conversation. The subject was mostly teaching, with which the others were all familiar. We also discussed ClassConn’s upcoming meeting, and talked about spoken Latin we had done or planned to do.
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