Vast, unknown, and rapidly evolving.

Last week, the Aligned Council of Australia held an international press conference to discuss the World Health Organisation’s proposed pandemic instruments that are due to be voted on at the 77th World […]

from The National Pulse: Martyna Bohuslavets, Director of the Mezha Anti-Corruption Center, has raised alarms over the misappropriation of funds in Ukraine amidst the ongoing military conflict with Russia. Writing in Pravda, Bohuslavets reports that millions of dollars were “transferred to Kharkiv OVA to front companies of avatars.” Bohuslavets claims that money intended for constructing military fortifications was instead siphoned off to the Kharkiv […]

  The Romans believed there were a myriad of gods that maintained the functioning of the universe, and not all of them were known to them. In their conquests of the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, they encountered many cultures that worshipped foreign deities. While some might assume that they would outlaw them, after all a Roman victory meant that their own gods were more powerful than their enemy’s, the Romans were surprisingly tolerant of other customs. On multiple occasions the Roman Pantheon incorporated foreign gods, giving them new, Latin names.   Rebranding a God Mythra, God of Sun and Light, Slaughtering a Sacred Bull, 2nd century CE, Source: The Hermitage Museum, Saint-Petersburg   The Romans adopted deities from other cultures for centuries, since the dawn of the republic. Many of the most famous Roman gods weren’t even Roman at all but were taken from other Italic neighbors like the Etruscans or the Sabines. Others were lifted from Greek stories — Gods like Apollo or Hercules. The Romans took these foreign deities and gave them new names and Roman qualities to suit their needs.   The ways in which the Romans brought foreign gods back to Rome varied. Partly it came about through the movements of populations. As new peoples were incorporated within the state they brought with them their local gods. Politically, incorporating the local deity into the state religion enfranchised the new population and legitimized Roman rule.   Another method, called evocatio, was more deliberate. While at war the Romans would invoke the god of an opposing city to come over to their side and reside in Rome, where they would continue to be worshipped. Victory in battle was a direct confirmation that the god had agreed.   Finally, gods were brought over through necessity. Romans were a very pious people and their gods actively influenced their daily lives. To anger one had dire consequences. As a deeply utilitarian people, the Romans made use of every advantage they could, including offering prayer and sacrifice to foreign deities. Emperor Constantine famously won a decisive victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge after he marked the sign of the Christian god on his soldiers’ shields. This was a defining moment in the history of the empire but was far from the first time a new god was introduced to the pantheon.   1. Cybele Marble statue of Cybele from Asia Minor, circa 3rd-2nd century BCE, Source: The Hermitage Museum, Saint-Petersburg   Cybele, known to the Romans as Magna Mater, or Great Mother, was an Anatolian goddess of birth and spring. Worshipped since the first millennium BCE by many different names, Cybele came to the republic during the Second Punic War against Carthage.   The senate consulted the Sibylline Oracles which told that the Romans would not defeat Hannibal until the “Great Mother of Mount Ida” was brought to Rome. They understood this to mean the goddess Cybele. Sending an embassy to Pergamon they requested to take the goddess, represented as a black meteorite, back with them to Rome. The Romans went on to defeat Hannibal and in 191 BCE they erected a temple to Cybele on the Palatine Hill. At first, Roman men were forbidden from becoming priests to the goddess due to the practice of castration symbolizing the goddess’s lover Attis, but after three centuries Emperor Claudius lifted the ban.   2. Mithras Bronze plaque of Mithras slaying a bull, dated 2nd-3rd century CE, Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York   Mithras is somewhat of a mystery among the gods of the Roman pantheon, as he appeared in historical records in the late first century CE then just as quickly vanished by the fourth century CE. Most temples to the Romanized Mithras are located in the western parts of the empire with very few in the east, leading to debate among scholars as to the god’s true origins. The Romans themselves seemed to believe that he was Persian and they called Mithraism “the mysteries of the Persians.”   Among the Indo-Iranian cultures of the east, the god was known as Mithra, or Mitra, and was being worshipped as early as the first millennium BCE. Mithras is commonly depicted slaying a bull or with two torchbearers at his side, and he was associated with contracts and the sun.   3. Bacchus Marble sculpture of Dionysus seated on a panther, dated 1st-3rd century CE, photograph by François Duquesnoy, Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York   Bacchus was a god of wine and revelry whose worship gradually took over from that of Liber, Rome’s native god of wine and fertility. Bacchus, or Dionysos, came to Rome by way of the Greek cities in Southern Italy, yet even in Greek tradition he was a foreign deity who came from the east.   Dionysus was born of Zeus and a mortal woman named Semele, but due to Semele dying while the god was still in the womb Zeus took the unborn Dionysus and sewed him into his thigh. When the baby had matured, Zeus removed the stitches and sent him off with Hermes to Mount Nysa in Asia. As an adult he was said to have wandered Syria and Egypt before returning to Greece.   4. Isis Status of Isis holding her son Horus in her lap, dated to the 1st millennium BCE, Source: The Hermitage Museum, Saint-Petersburg   Isis came to Rome via Egypt around the second century BCE. She was originally the protector of the Egyptian throne and was associated with magic. She was the mother of Horus and sister-wife to Osiris, and at the height of her influence was more important than the sun god Ra.   She had power over life and death, as seen in the myth when Osiris was killed by his brother Seth then chopped into pieces and scattered across Egypt. Isis collected the pieces and revived her husband, then magically conceived a child, Horus. In Rome, Isis became extremely popular among the lower classes and slaves, since her cult promised resurrection in the style of Osiris to its adherents.   5. Serapis Silver bust of Serapis, dated to the 2nd century CE, via The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York   Serapis was the name given by Ptolemy I to the god Wsir-Hp, the Osirified Apis bull. He was a combination of Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld, and the Apis bull, believed to be the manifestation of the Memphite creation god Ptah. As Serapis, his cult spread outward from Alexandria.   His popularity grew in Rome, despite Augustus’s ban on foreign religious rites within the city, and he was worshipped together with Isis in the Iseum Campense. Under the Flavian emperors Serapis was even depicted on imperial coinage.   6. Juno (Regina) Bronze model of Juno, dated to the 16th century CE, after a model by Alessandro Vittoria (1525-1608), Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York   Juno is the wife of Jupiter and queen of the gods. She is generally associated with her Greek counterpart Hera, and much of her iconography and attributes mirror the Greek goddess. Juno was the patron goddess of the Roman Empire yet she was not originally Roman. Many traditional Roman myths show the goddess as an antagonistic force. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, during the reign of Rome’s founder Romulus, Juno unfastens the bolts of the city’s gates to allow for the Sabines to attack.   The goddess was imported from the Etruscan city of Veii, where she was known as Uni. As Livy recounts, the Roman dictator Camillus evoked the goddess before the city was captured, and after their victory the goddess herself was heard to have agreed to come back to Rome. A temple to Juno Regina (Queen of Veii) was then erected on the Aventine Hill. She is commonly depicted wearing a chiton and cloak, and her sacred animal was the peacock.   7. Trivia Marble statuette of triple-bodied Hecate and the Graces, dated 1st-2nd century CE, Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York   Trivia, or Hecate to the Greeks, was a goddess of magic, crossroads, the moon, and necromancy. Her earliest appearance in literature is in Hesiod’s Theogony from the eighth century BCE where she is conceived of as one of the Titans, the generation of gods that ruled before the Olympians. In the Hymn to Hecate, she was given power over the earth, seas, and heavens, and it tells us that even Zeus did not deny her these powers.   By the Roman era, she was commonly depicted as being three-headed and three-bodied and has been associated with Diana and Selene due to the similarities the three goddesses share. She was usually invoked by her name “Trivia” as protector of travelers due to her association with crossroads.   8. Minerva Bronze bust of Minerva, dated 1st-2nd century CE, Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York   While people usually associate Minerva with her Greek counterpart Athena, she actually originated from the Etruscans as Menrva. To the Etruscans, as to the Romans, she was the goddess of war, wisdom, and crafts. In Rome, she was worshipped alongside Jupiter and Juno as the Capitoline Triad, the three main deities of the empire.   Through the fourth and third centuries BCE she was Hellenized and took on more of her Greek counterpart’s attributes. The Romans even appropriated the myth of her birth from the Greeks and attributed it to the formerly Etruscan goddess, contributing to misconceptions regarding her Greek origins. Regardless, the location of her temple on the Aventine Hill confirms that Minerva is an imported goddess. She was revered by traders, craftsmen, soldiers, artists, and philosophers alike.   9. Aesculapius Roman copy of a statue of Asclepius, based on 5th-4th century BCE original, dated to 1st-2nd century CE, Source: The Hermitage Museum, Saint-Petersburg   Aesculapius was a god of health and medicine imported to Rome from Epidauros, Greece, in 293 BCE. Due to a plague devastating the city, the Romans consulted the Sibylline Oracles, which told them that the plague would not end without the aid of Aesculapius. They sent an ambassador by the name of Quintus Ogulnius Gallus to Epidauros and once the god was brought to the city a sanctuary was established for him on Tiber Island.   Known to the Greeks as Asclepios, he was the son of Apollo and a mortal woman named Coronis. He was trained by the centaur Chiron in the art of medicine and hunting, and became such a skilled surgeon that he was not only able to save the dying but he could even bring the dead back to life. Zeus feared his ability and so struck him down with a thunderbolt.   10. Christ Scenes of the lives of Christ and Saint-Peter (Christ depicted riding on a donkey), dated to the early 4th century CE, Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York   Christianity began as a form of messianic Judaism in the forties CE after the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. Christ’s apostles spread his message through the eastern Mediterranean, but it was Paul who had the most lasting impact due to his ability to speak and write in Greek, the lingua franca of the time.   When the Romans took notice of the budding Christians they persecuted them relentlessly. Being a monotheistic faith, Christians were forbidden from sacrificing to any other gods, and especially not to men. As such they refused to sacrifice to the imperial cult of the emperors. It wasn’t until the time of Constantine that Christianity became a recognized religion in the empire. In 380 CE, Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official state religion of the empire.   Bibliography   Eric M. Orlin. (2002). Foreign Cults in Republican Rome: Rethinking the Pomerial Rule. Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, 47, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.2307/4238789   Ovid. (43 B.C.-17 A.D. or 18 A.D.). Metamorphoses (C.Martin, trans). W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2005

  Sometimes as a powerful, nightmarish villain and others as a symbol of dangerous femininity, Medusa never ceases to fascinate and inspire. Hers is arguably one of Greek Mythology’s most famous tales. Be it in movies like Percy Jackson (2010/2013), Clash of the Titans (1981/2010), video games like Assassin’s Creed and God of War, the clothes of Versace, numerous TV series, and innumerable graphic art books, Medusa’s myth has retained a special place in the popular imagination. Those familiar with art history have probably encountered various interpretations of Medusa’s image, from the temple of Artemis in Corfu to the famous Medusa of Caravaggio. So, what’s so special about Medusa? Here are nine facts to learn everything you need to know about the beast with venomous snakes for hair and eyes with petrifying powers.   1. Medusa Was Beautiful Before Turning into a Monster The Return of Neptune, John Singleton Copley, c. 1754. Source: Met Museum, New York   Before turning into the famous monster, Medusa was a beautiful, attractive young woman. To her bad luck, she was attractive enough to become Poseidon’s object of desire. According to the Roman poet Ovid, the god of the sea raped Medusa inside the temple of Athena. However, many scholars argue that Medusa and Poseidon’s relationship was consensual. Indeed the Greek sources never mention Medusa being raped. Only Ovid talks about the sea god violating the young woman, and not everyone agrees with this translation of the original text.   2. Athena Turned Medusa Into a Beast Medusa, attributed to the C. Painter, 575 BCE. Source: Met Museum, New York   In any case, Athena had to avenge the desecration of her house. However, Poseidon was immortal and older than her. Therefore, Medusa had to be punished even though she was the victim. Consequently, Athena turned Medusa from a beautiful maiden into a hideous beast, unable to stare someone in the eye without turning them into stone. The hair that once attracted compliments, the source of her beauty, turned into venomous snakes. Medusa had become a Gorgon.   3. She Was One of the Three Gorgons Amphora with two gorgons chasing Perseus, 575-550 BCE. Source: Louvre, Paris   Medusa had two sisters named Stheno and Euryale. The three of them were known as the Gorgons in Greek Mythology. Their parents were Phorcys and Keto. Not much is known about the two other Gorgons other than that they were immortal, whereas Medusa was not. Presumably, Medusa was mortal to serve the storyline, as Perseus could not have taken her life (and head) otherwise.   Although the sources do not mention what the other Gorgons looked like, we can assume that their appearance was similar to Medusa’s. At least, that is how ancient artists depicted them. Interestingly, in many of these early depictions, the Gorgons had wings. However, the representations of the Gorgons would change with time.   4. Medusa’s Appearance Changed Throughout the Centuries Perseus slaying Medusa, detail from an olpe attributed to the Amasis painter, 550-530 BCE. Source: British Museum, London   There are many different versions of Medusa’s tale, from Archaic Greece to Late Antiquity. These different versions did not only record different storylines but also offered varying descriptions of Medusa’s appearance.   The Library of Apollodorus was written in the 2nd century CE and is considered one of the canonical versions of Medusa’s story. Apollodorus wrote that the Gorgons had “the scales of dragons tusks like swine’s and golden wings by which they flew”.   Terracotta painted gorgoneion antefix (roof tile), ca. 540 BCE. Source: Met Museum, New York   In the Archaic Greek Period, Medusa’s head was a popular decoration found on houses, temples, and various objects including ceramics. Known as the gorgoneion, this decoration was typically a cartoonish spherical head with big, wide eyes and an open mouth with tongue and tusks showing. However, a gorgoneion was not just decorative. The head of the Medusa was a powerful symbol that warded off evil and offered protection.   The Gorgon Medusa at the Temple of Artemis in Corfu, 6th century BCE. Source: Archaeological Museum of Corfu   For centuries, Medusa’s head would be represented as unnaturally large and round bringing to mind Pindar’s Pythian Ode 12, where the Greek poet spoke of the “fair cheeked Medusa.” A classic depiction of this comes from the temple of Artemis in Corfu dating to the 6th century BCE (see image above).   From the Hellenistic Period onward, artists reimagined Medusa as a woman with slightly different eyes and snakes for hair. With time, Medusa transitioned from a horrible beast to a dangerously beautiful woman, which is the way she eventually became represented in 20th and 21st-century visual art too.   5. Athena Hated Her  Pallas Athena by René Boyvin, 16th century. Source: Met Museum   If you thought that Athena was done with Medusa after turning her into a Gorgon, you are mistaken. Though she was the goddess of wisdom, Athena was a legendary example of cold bloodiness and cruelty, even for a Greek deity.   When the hero Perseus was tasked with bringing Medusa’s head to the king of Seriphos, Polydektes, Athena gladly offered her help. In the end, Perseus successfully slayed Medusa but was he really the one who killed her? If we look at the myth closely, we will realize that Athena was the true mastermind, but this will become evident in the next section.   6. Perseus Took Medusa’s Head Perseus fleeing after cutting off Medusa’s head, attributed to the Pan painter, 460 BCE. Source: British Museum, London   Before confronting Medusa, Perseus equipped himself with Acquiring these objects was no easy task. Alone, Perseus would not even come close to obtaining them. But the hero had Athena’s help.   In the myth, Perseus was tricked by the king of Serifos, Polydektes, to bring Medusa’s head as a gift to the king’s wedding. Perseus set out to find Medusa but her location was a secret. Without unexpected help from a goddess, Perseus would have been completely clueless as to where to find the beast. However, unexpected help from a goddess arrived and Athena guided him to three old women known as the Graeae, who knew the whereabouts of the Stygian nymphs, deities who equipped Perseus with a range of gadgets that even James Bond would envy: an adamantine sickle, a kibisis (i.e. a bag or wallet to place Medusa’s head), the helmet of Hades, which turn its wearer invisible, and a set of winged sandals lent by Mercury. Additionally, Athena gave him a shield. Every single item would play its part in what was to come.   Perseus left the nymphs for the cave where the Gorgons, Medusa and her sisters, resided. There she found his target asleep. Approaching silently, he turned his back to the monster, avoiding to look at her directly. Using his golden sword or the shield that Athena had given him as a mirror, he managed to sneak close to his target and decapitate her with his sickle. With swift moves, he took the head, placed it in his bag, used Hades’ helmet to become invisible, and flew away with his winged sandals. The Gorgons chased after him but Perseus was invisible and fast as the wind.   7. She Gave Birth to Pegasus The Perseus Series: The Death of Medusa I, Edward Burne-Jones, 1882. Source: Southampton City Art Gallery   When Perseus took Medusa’s head, something extraordinary happened. When Medusa was raped by Poseidon, it seems that she got pregnant but for some reason, never gave birth. Consequently, when her head was removed, two children sprang from the opening. These were Chrysaor and Pegasus. Chrysaor became the father of the three-headed (or three-bodied) giant Geryon, mainly known for his fight with Heracles. Pegasus was a winged horse and one of the most famous mythological beings. So why did Gorgon Medusa give birth to a horse? Probably because Poseidon was, among others, god of the horses.   8. Medusa’s Head Retained Its Powers Even After Medusa’s Death Perseus Confronting Phineus with the Head of Medusa, Sebastiano Ricci, ca. 1705–1710. Source: J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles   Perseus carried Medusa’s head to present it to Polydektes, the king of the Greek island of Seriphos. On the way back, he encountered many dangers, and if it was not for Medusa’s head, he would not have made it back to his home on the island of Seriphos.   The first time Perseus used the head was against the titan Atlas. When the titan saw the head, he was petrified, turning into the Atlas mountains of northern Africa. Next, Perseus passed from Aethiopia, where he fell in love with Andromeda, who was being threatened by the sea monster known as Keto. Perseus turned the monster into stone with Medusa’s head and then did the same with a suitor of Andromeda named Phineus.   When he finally arrived at Seriphos, Perseus raised the head once more to kill Polydektes, the king of the island who was trying to marry Perseus’ mother, Danae, against her will.   9. Athena Wore Gorgon Medusa’s Head on Her Aegis Pallas Athena, Gustav Klimt, 1898. Source: Historisches Museum der Stadt Wien   After Perseus returned to Seriphos, his mission was complete. There was no reason for him to carry Medusa’s head any longer. Besides, Athena was now interested in it. The goddess of wisdom took the head of her sworn enemy and placed it either on her aegis (shield) or armor. This way, she appropriated Medusa’s powers and proclaimed her ultimate triumph over her rival.   Athena, the goddess-symbol of female chastity and virtue within the deeply patriarchal Greek society, had finally exterminated the threat of the dangerous Medusa, a symbol of the power of the natural and the feminine. Medusa hadn’t done much to deserve such a fate. If she had been raped by Poseidon in Athena’s temple, she had no choice. If she had chosen to mate with the god in Athena’s house, she would have been punished enough by becoming a hideous beast that would live the remainder of its life in the middle of nowhere. Even after death, Medusa would be shown no mercy and no dignity. Her head would be dragged from one corner of the known world to the other only to end up being worn by one of the gods who had caused her suffering.   “And now, to terrify her enemies, numbing them with fear, the goddess wears the snakes, that she created, as a breastplate” Ovid, IV.753-803

  In December 2020, archaeologists working in Region V of Pompeii caught their first glimpse of a painted wall as it peaked through the layers of ash and pumice. Digging down deeper, they were astounded to find the vibrantly painted counter of a fast food restaurant, known to the Romans as a thermopolium (or thermopolia plural). Into the counter, large jars called dolia were set, and the frontage was decorated with a beautiful sea nymph riding a seahorse. This thermopolium is just one of 89 discovered in the town of Pompeii so far.   Dining Out or Eating In? Reconstruction of the thermopolium recently discovered in Region V of Pompeii, as it would have looked in 79 CE. Source: Pablo Aparicio Resco   The term thermopolium comes from the Greek θερμοπώλιον (thermopōlion), meaning “hot shop”, or literally “the place where hot things are sold”. However, despite this being the term commonly used today, more instances of the word popina are found in the ancient texts. If you were poor in ancient Rome, you would most likely not have access to a kitchen. Instead, you might be lucky enough to have a standalone brazier for cooking food or, if this was also not an option, you might instead use the local facilities.   Each person in Rome received a grain dole. From this, one could make their own porridge or bread, the latter of which could be taken to local bakeries and communal bread ovens to be baked. For those days when some extra sustenance was needed, or when workers were in a bit of a rush, the thermopolium was the place to go. Being dotted all over the city, diners did not need to go far to find a place to buy hot food to go or eat in. And while there, it was a great opportunity to catch up with friends, meet prospective new partners, flirt with servers, and gamble.   Artistic reconstruction of a Pompeii thermopolium. Source: Xsperienza   Thermopolia in ancient Rome were associated with the lower class and ‘seedy’ characters. Due to the fact that you were less likely to have the facilities for cooking at home in the domus (or at least not in a diverse way), the poor often ate out of the home, while the wealthy often opted for dining in. For the middle- and upper classes, this was deemed to be safer and provided the opportunity to socialize with other members of one’s own class (by invitation). Despite this, it is likely that the upper classes did visit such establishments for an experience outside of their normal day, the Emperor Nero apparently being one such case.   The Thermopolia of Pompeii   Pompeii was a thriving town and is today considered to be a good example of an average Italian town of the early Imperial period. Being located on central trading routes in Italy, including the River Sarno and the sea, it would have had many travelers passing through its gates daily. Other non-residents might also be traveling to the town to take in the local entertainment at the two amphitheaters, or for the local market. All of them needed to eat on their journey.   Photograph of the Pompeiian amphitheater, built 70 BCE. Source: PompeiiSites   In response to local and non-local demand for fast food, 89 thermopolia were operating in Pompeii in 79 CE, with each often following the same layout. The front of the shop tended to be open to the street and would usually be closed with shutters at the end of the day. A counter would then be placed facing the street to attract customers and allow them to order food without having to enter the shop. Typically, dolia would be set within the counter and would hold fruit, nuts, legumes, bread, cakes, hot food, and wine (the latter being a sort of mulled wine known as calida). There was typically a seating area, too, and in some thermopolia, a garden for dining under the vines.   Inside many thermopolia in Pompeii, fresco paintings detailing the types of food and drink on offer, the customers, and even the servers have been discovered. These offer a great insight into the types of activities occurring inside these shops in antiquity. In the thermopolium from Region V mentioned above, another fresco on the counter may point towards different types of food, other than ready-to-go options, being available to buy: freshly slaughtered birds.   The Common Themes of Thermopolia Photograph of Pompeii’s main street, the Via dell’Abbondanza, 2011. Source: Wikimedia Commons   One of the most comprehensive discoveries of a thermopolium from Pompeii was uncovered in 1911. Named “di Asellina”, this thermopolium was located on the city’s busiest street, the Via dell’Abbondanza. Here, an inscription detailing the names of three serving women, Aegle, Maria, and Zmyrina, had been scratched into the painted façade, giving the property its modern name. At the time of the excavation, almost all the furnishings were found on the site, including crockery, cups, jugs, and plates, as well as bronze and glass drinking vessels.   Here the counter was painted in a bright ‘Pompeian’ red, while the top was covered in marble slabs. Once again, four jars were embedded within the counter to hold the goods for sale. As is sometimes found in other thermopolia, this shop had a small masonry oven with a lidded bronze boiler, while in a back room, 22 wine containers, known as amphorae, were discovered. These can still be seen on the site today.   Some thermopolia owners also felt it important to include a religious shrine as a form of protection in their shop. In the Thermopolium of Lucius Vetutuius Placidus, an intricately painted shrine, designed to look like a small lararium (a form of mini, indoor temple), was found at the end of the counter. It would have been directly visible to anyone entering the shop from the street through the wide, open entrance. Due to the quality of the paintings and materials in this shop, historians now consider it to be a good example of merchants and craftsmen holding a high local social status, a status typically reserved for landowners in former times.   Activities in the Thermopolium Painted shrine in the thermopolium of Lucius Vetutunius Placidus, Pompeii. Source: World History Encyclopedia   As has been found to be typical in Pompeii, the Thermopolium of Lucius Vetutuius Placidus is attached to a house. In some cases, as in this one, they are interconnected, while in others they simply serve as a front. Regardless of the wealth or extent of a house, a shop or similar establishment was frequently found on the front. This provided extra security for the houses located behind as they would then only be accessible from the street front by one, often heavy, door and a narrow corridor accessed from between the shops. Such establishments attracted all sorts of characters, and the frescoes (or paintings) left on the walls of some of the excavated thermopolia and inns (caupona) give some indication of the sorts of activities being carried out inside.   In the restaurant attached to an inn in Region VI of Pompeii, known as the Caupona of Salvius, a fresco shows two individuals seated on wooden stools. As a server approaches them with a jug of wine and a cup, the writing above them reads: “Hoc!”, “Non! Mia est!”, and “Qui vol, sumat! Oceane, veni! bibe!”, translated as: “The cup is mine!”, “No! It’s mine!”, and “Oceanus! Come here and drink!”   Fresco from Region VI of Pompeii depicting customers being served wine in a thermopolium, 1st Century CE. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Another fresco found in the same location depicts a couple canoodling. They are wearing the cloaks typical of lower- and middle-class Romans at the time, as well as recognizable Roman sandals. To their right is written: “Nolo cum Myrtale [hoc facere]!”, which translates as “I don’t want to do this with Myrtle!” On the north wall, two gamblers sit at a table playing a game of dice. One points at the other and exclaims “Exsi!”, “I won!”, while the other retaliates with, “Non, tria duas est”, or “It’s not three, it’s two”.   Food on Offer in the Thermopolia of Pompeii Examples of the types of food remains found in Pompeii’s bars. Farrell Monaco. Source: BBC   What food and drink would be on offer at a thermopolium? Due to the way in which the town was preserved in the eruption of Vesuvius, excavators have been able to uncover the remains of food in Pompeii’s thermopolia. In one recent example, the remnants of goat, pig, duck, fish, and snails in earthenware pots have been discovered, sometimes all within the same pot, potentially as some sort of stew.   Crushed beans have also been discovered in the dolia set into the counters, which may have been used to modify the taste and color of wine. Wine, almost always red, would have been served either hot or cold. The hot wine would have been heated in bronze containers with lids, much like mulled wine in European bars today, while cold wine would have been served in jugs. Before decanting into jugs and cups, wine would be stored in amphorae, many examples of which have been discovered in Pompeii’s bars.   Much like today, different prices would have been set for different quality wines. A piece of graffiti on the outside of a thermopolium in nearby Herculaneum lists the different prices for the wines on offer, sold ad cucumas, “by the pitcher”. The four different jugs of wine start at 2 asses (1 as being roughly equivalent to a dollar today) for a sextary (0.545 liter jug), up to 2 and ⅔, 3, and 4 asses. A piece of graffiti found at the entrance of the Taberna Hedones in Pompeii advertises the cost of wine inside. It reads, “Hedone says, ‘You can drink here for one as, if you give two, you will drink better; if you give four, you will drink Falernian.’” 

How you can plan for spiritual success But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.... – 1 Peter 3:15 When Rosina Hernandez was in college, she saw a young man beaten. She could have stopped the attack, but decided not to get involved. She was heartbroken to later hear that the young man had died from the wounds he had sustained during the attack. Years later, Rosina witnessed another catastrophe when a car driving ahead of her skidded off the road, flew over a causeway, and plunged into the water below. In a moment, a woman appeared at the surface screaming that her husband was stuck inside. Rosina didn't wait. She plunged into the water and beat on the back window of the car, even screaming at some bystanders to get involved. Together, she and others broke the glass and saved the man in the sinking car. Rosina recounted that she promised herself to never again fail to do whatever she could to save a human life. She made good on her promise! Most people don't plan to fail, but they often fail to plan. They don't think about the situations they might encounter and how they'll react if put on the spot. But when it comes to your faith, it's crucial to plan to stand up and take action when called upon. Don't leave the work of the Christian life to others. Plan for action! Prayer Challenge Pray and ask God to live with readiness in the spiritual life and not to be content with only letting others take action. Questions for Thought Can you think of a time when you shrunk back spiritually instead of being bold? How did you feel afterward? How can you ready yourself to share the truth of Christ at a moment's notice if someone were to ask? Visit the Senior Living Ministries website Visit the Senior Living Ministries website The post How You Can Plan for Spiritual Success – Senior Living – May 16 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer to Find Calm In God’s PresenceBy Chris Eyte "The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.'Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?'" 1 Kings 19:11-13 The other morning I opened my eyes after a deep sleep to see a large black slug blocking my vision. My mind reacted quickly, recognizing from experience what had happened – it was another bleed in my left eye from diabetic retinopathy. I could see nothing but a marmalade of ugly red clouds, swirling in the vitreous of my eyeball as I turned my head.  I have had these bleeds many times over the years. In fact, my right eye went completely blind 15 years ago, and I had a major eye operation called a vitrectomy to restore my sight. That had involved the surgeon putting a needle into my eyeball and sucking the blood out, replacing it with a gas bubble. It was quite something to go completely blind and then regain my sight. The surgeon himself said to some doctors at a hospital event I later attended as a patient: ‘If Christopher had lived before the 1970s [when this sight-saving surgical technique was created], he would have lived in a world of darkness.' Meanwhile, my left eye has faced similar bleeding challenges, such as what happened recently. I don't know the eventual outcome, but the same major surgery is a reality I may face one day. But perhaps not. My children have laid hands on me and prayed. I believe children carry a special anointing in God. We trust Jesus and carry on.  It can be hard to ‘carry on' and keep calm though when you can't see properly. Trying to smile and have normal conversations when you're panicking inside. That's why carving out time to spend in God's presence is SO important. Finding calm in prayer with the Holy Spirit is essential to dig deep and receive the strength needed to overcome trials. Receiving prayer from loved ones is important in that.  That's why Elijah ran away and hid in the cave. It wasn't so much the situation that scared him – he just really, really wanted to know God was with him. And the Lord showed he was with Elijah not in the powerful wind or earthquake but in the gentle whisper. If you face a challenge today (I've written this devotional with one eye closed because of the blood in it!), prioritize spending time with Jesus and simply listen through the storm and the earthquake for the powerful tones of his gentle whisper. Nothing is impossible with God, and he loves you.  Let us pray: Lord.You are love defined, and you are my strength. I am glad that when the situation seems impossible, you are in charge of the tempest. I can trust in the uplifting of your presence, in the counseling of your Holy Spirit. I confess today that I am struggling with anxiety about what is happening to me. And I find it hard to share with others. But you understand, Lord. You sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. I am not alone – I am with you, and you are with me. I can do all things through my God, who gives me strength. I am calm in your presence. I am free to see light on the horizon because you are the light of my world. Dearest Father of the heavenly lights: I commit it all to you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Image credit: AI-Generated Image / DALL.E 2024 Christopher Eyte lives with his wife Céline and three children in Swansea, Wales, UK. He has worked as a journalist for many years and writes his own blog (hislovefrees.life) encouraging others in their walk with Jesus. He became a Christian in February 2002, after a friend explained God’s amazing grace! Teach Us to Pray is a FREE prayer podcast hosted by iBelieve writer Christina Patterson. Each week, she gives you practical, real-life tips on how to grow your faith and relationship with God through the power of prayer. To listen to her episode on What to Pray in the Morning for a Worry-Free Day, click below! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer to Find Calm in God’s Presence – Your Daily Prayer – May 16 appeared first on GodUpdates.