Laurence Totelin

TOMBSTONE OF M. ULPIUS IANUARIUS, 130-150 CE. S. CATERINA DEI FUNARI This rather lovely tombstone was turned face-down and reused as a paver in the C16 church of S. Caterina dei Funari in Rome. The top part, trimmed off, shows the deceased on a kline, banqueting. His epitaph is purely military: "Marcus Ulpius Ianuarius, sesquiplicarius [an offer who received pay-and-a-half] of the Emperor's horse guard, from the squadron of Valerius Bassus, a Pannonian by birth, lived 45 years and served 23 years. Marcus Ulpius Primus, from the same squadron, his heir, took care to have this set up for his well-deserving friend". Ianuarius was from the turbulent province of Pannonia in the Balkans, and took the family name of Trajan, along with Primus, his heir. Based on the epitaphs we have of these guards, many came from the Balkans: skilled cavalrymen, they were not from old Roman settlements sponsored by members of the court, but owed loyalty only to the emperor.

The #tombstone of an imperial guard for #EpigraphyTuesday tells us quite a lot about the changing composition of the #Roman #empire in the C2 CE, and provides another splendid example of #Antonine #epigraphy. This slab was used as a paver for the church of S. Caterina dei Funari. #AncientBluesky 🏺

My eldest son found this hard for a very long time, but the research does state that there will always be a need for liquid medication. Perhaps - and one can hope - a move to cheaper tablets for the majority of kids might mean more funds available to provide liquid medicine when required

This is a very interesting read!

My article on a vase with a kalos-inscription for Hephaistos has just been published, open access! In the article, I present a vase that's been largely ignored, but which gives us a new way to think about Hephaistos and his importance in 5th century BCE Athens.

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

A lovely walk! Carrying a four year old is no mean feat!

Lost page of the Archimedes Palimpsest identified in Blois, central France A page long believed to have been lost from the Archimedes Palimpsest, one of the most important surviving manuscripts of antiquity, has been identified at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Blois, central F...

Lost page of the Archimedes Palimpsest identified in Blois, central France.
phys.org/news/2026-03...

In the midst of all this, I can't help but laugh at the use of the term 'alignment', used in reference to people working in a Humanities school, for whom the term will not doubt have various connotations. But as usual, I'm overthinking.

Last week, I've been 'aligned' in our reorganised Humanities School. While there was no surprise (I'll be in History, Archaeology, Heritage), I'm desperately sad at the dissolution of our department of Ancient History and Religion. It's been an honour to be its head. I wish I could have done more.

Il y a 70 ans, le Planning familial naissait de la conviction d’une gynécologue engagée

Pour lutter contre le drame des grossesses non désirées, Marie-Andrée Lagroua Weill-Hallé créa l’association à l’origine du Planning familial. La chercheuse Bibia Pavard nous éclaire sur cette initiative fondatrice des droits des femmes.

This appalling fat cat wants to shut the door on all my mature students, many of whom left school after GCSE and give up a lot to go to university. I can tell him that they’re the hungriest for education and far from being unable to graduate, they regularly get the highest grades. Hateful man.

Thank you. It took so long, I can't quite believe it's almost there.

Selling Pharmaka, Buying Health in Ancient Greece and Rome: Retail Therapy This book examines Greek and Roman pharmacology in its mercantile dimensions, studying the people who were involved in the trade, the places where they worked, and the consumers whom they tried to att...

My forthcoming book!
www.routledge.com/Selling-Phar...

The declyne of readinge ys caused by manye thinges. A huge cause ys a systematic & decades-long devaluinge of literature at all levels of educacioun. We kan not put instrumentalitye above meaninge and still thrive. Fundinge the humanityes ys key to a just societye of well-informed citizens.

Rylands BlogDiscovery and Empire: The botanical works of Caspar Commelin and Maria Sibylla Merian A blog by Verity Burton, placement student, BA Art History. The John Rylands Library holds a remarkable collection of rare books that can be consulted in its specialist Reading Rooms. Among the mos…

Nice blog post on Caspar Commelin’s 'Praeludia Botanica' (1703) and Maria Sibylla Merian’s 'Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium' (1705), by Verity Burton, a BA Art History student doing a placement at @thejohnrylands.bsky.social #histstm

rylandscollections.com/2026/03/04/d...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/La_Sorbonne._Conf%C3%A9rence_de_M._le_professeur_Bloch._RBA_3%3D_163-1._Pi%C3%A8ce_79.jpg Carte postale / Gustave Bloch (wikipedia)

Le père de Marc Bloch donnant un cours d’histoire romaine à la Sorbonne vers 1910. On remarque les trois jeunes femmes dans l’assistance fort studieuse pré-ordis portables.

(On adore l’idée qu’un éditeur de cartes postales se dise que c’est un bon sujet, à quand un revival)

Whoop. So delighted that this is now out. "Beauty that glows: Tho-Radia and radioactive cosmetics"

I started working on Tho Radia in 2012 but this is the first time I have written about the company in depth which is ridiculous. Might have to do some more now as there is still a lot to say ....

Photo of banks of daffodils in a lawn.

Happy St David's Day from the English Gardens.

Bookplate of daffodils by Anne Pratt

🌼 Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!🌼Happy St. David's Day!🌼

Daffodils have been a national symbol of Wales since the 19th century.

This bookplate of daffodils is from ‘Flowering Plants, Grasses, Sedges and Ferns of Great Britain’ by the botanical illustrator Anne Pratt (1806-1893).

Edinburgh University taking strike action after plans for 1,800 job losses University of Edinburgh faces renewed UCU industrial action ballot over £140m funding cuts and up to 1,800 job losses, with union opposing…

'Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at the University of Edinburgh are to begin strike action following management's plans for £140 million in cuts and up to 1,800 job losses.' 1/2

Have heard Francophones say 'burrata' for the first time(I think) in Geneva - made me laugh. Learnt with some consternation that the Stoics did not think of plants as alive!!!

Exciting week: visit to Cambridge with PhDs on secondment at Cardiff on Monday-Tuesday to see a.o. great manuscripts; Dr
@clareparry.bsky.social viva on Wednseday!!!; conference in Geneva on ancient embryology Thursday and yestersay. And today some visiting of Geneva.

That is perfectly normal and healthy!

150% of what they should be, sorry. Using the workload model of the University, which underestimates much and ignores even more.

25% research time in practice means: you'll be lucky to have half a day in weeks that are not during the semester for your own redearch. PhD supervision often counts as research - not teaching (or its own category). Our workloads are also often 150% of what they are (before the next levelling down)

It’s worse than it looks too. Cuts to admin staff have massively increased admin workload across the board and they are considering including PGR supervision as research time = taking it off the workload. Meanwhile university valued research = desperately chasing funding but no buyout after success.

Overhearing convo between two dads whose youngest kids are about to start uni. They rejoice at soon being free. The personal tutor in me laughs hollow at their entitled approach to parenting.

: Half of UK universities face a deficit next year. Up to 50 could close.

That is a sector in crisis. Simply blaming a tuition fee freeze and nudging fees up with inflation is not a plan. Where is the long-term strategy for higher education?

#Universities #HigherEducation

The Consortium for History of Science, Technology and Medicine invites applications for research fellowships in their eponymous topics.

For more details see: www.chstm.org/fellowships

#histmed #histstm

And yes, it is very likely that this will lead to further job losses and more budget tightening. More misery for staff. But let's put the blame where it should be, not on students. /fin

I have always made it clear that I objected to fees and marketisation. But this claim was entirely to be expected. I wish UCL hadn't settled, but then again I am not so sure the outcome in court will be that favourable to universities. 3/