Category: Not Pokémon

Anonymous asks:

Does it irk you that most people seem to refer to Heracles as Hercules, even when they’re talking about the Greek version of the hero?

Eh… not really.  It’s not often that the distinction is important, unless you’re in a technical context, since they’re basically the same guy (unlike, say, Ares and Mars, where the Italian conception of the god is actually different enough that it sort of matters which one you’re talking about).  The ancient Greeks had at least three different ways of spelling “Heracles” anyway.

Cavedraconem adds: I don’t know, I think that Hercules Olivarius, as protector of olive merchants, is a pretty important Roman version of Hercules whom one might want to specifically refer to.

Well, I did specify “unless you’re in a technical context.”  But yes, if you’re a classicist talking about Roman religion and you call him “Heracles” then you should absolutely be shot.

Anonymous asks:

If you’re a Classical archeologist, how come you’re so knowledgable about evolutionary biology? And is Jim as smart as you are? Curious because I admire your wide-ranging intellect!

Flattery will get you everywhere, anonymous grey sphere.

So, for my undergrad I did what in New Zealand we call a conjoint degree.  You have a higher course load, and it takes four years (instead of three, which is the standard for a bachelor’s degree in New Zealand), but you come out of it with two degrees.  As a result, although I’m an archaeologist, I actually also hold a BSc in chemistry, which is fundamental to a lot of my work, because I’m interested in analytical techniques for investigating the chemical composition of artefacts and archaeological materials (for my PhD, I want to conduct analyses of that kind on samples of Roman window glass).  I also have a better-than-layman’s knowledge of biology and statistics, but they’re definitely not specialist subjects of mine.

Jim the Editor is about half as clever as he thinks he is, but that’s still enough to make him as smart as me. 😉 He probably has broader knowledge of a lot of subjects where I tend to dive down obscure rabbit holes… which helps in keeping me honest.

Vikingboybilly asks:

Are you out on a dig again?

Actually, I hit crunch time on submitting a proposal for my PhD thesis topic.  But I survived that, my topic was approved (I’m going to be researching the role of window glass in the evolution and social meaning of Roman architecture), and my students in the Roman Civilisation class mostly did pretty well too.  I’m going back to New Zealand for a bit in late June, then from there to Athens in late August for a year-long intensive study program.  It’s… pretty full-on, from what I’ve heard, but since I’ll be staying at a cushy research institute, my internet access will be much better than when I head out to the middle of nowhere for an archaeological dig, so it’s hard to say how often or how long I’ll vanish.

Anonymous asks:

ARE YOU DEAD?

YES

I recently chose to spend some time dead, for tax reasons

Accordingly, I booked a few weeks at a luxury resort in the inner ring of the seventh circle of hell, concealed my treasures within a hermetic vault beneath the Southern Alps, and arranged my own murder at the hands of an international cabal of mystic assassins

My remaining agents on the mortal plane have now established a psychic link to allow me to answer reader questions, as well as orchestrate terrible vengeance against all those who have abandoned my service or otherwise wronged me during my absence, in preparation for my inevitable resurrection

The ritual will commence shortly; please do not be alarmed if you are struck by falling frogs while outside, and if you have pets, try to keep a qualified translator of Old Babylonian on hand to record any instructions they may give you

Anonymous asks:

What are you doing at the moment? How are feeling? where is Jim the editor?

Ehhhhhh… Well, I’m in charge of a university-level class for the first time ever, which is a lot of fun but so, so exhausting… and I have to propose a PhD thesis topic in a couple of weeks, and I know I want to work on Roman window glass, but beyond that there are still a bunch of methodological details to work out… So yeah. Fun times all around. As for where Jim is… Rome, as it happens. He’s in Rome, doing some research for his own thesis at the British School.

Anonymous asks:

What’d you think of Homestuck’s ending?

I liked it.  I know a lot of people were disappointed, and thought it left too many loose ends, which I think is sort of fine, in a way, because so much of Homestuck’s aesthetic is “random $#!t happening for no reason,” and there are times when it explicitly calls itself out for that.  We see enough of the happy ending stuff to fill in the blanks, I think.  Although I will grant you I’m still not entirely sure what Vriska did to destroy Lord English.

Anonymous asks:

What kind of music do you listen to?

I sort of don’t, really.  I have a great big iTunes playlist of my favourite video game music (lots from Pokémon, lots from Civ V, lots from Undertale, lots from Homestuck which isn’t a video game but sort of acts like one, quite a bit from Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights, little bit from Starcraft, little bit from Final Fantasy), but I don’t follow any bands or performers, and to be honest couldn’t even name many, or describe them in terms of genre.