Ancient and modern
Why does the Latin mass prevail?
The Pope is visiting Lebanon and Turkey. Will anyone be raising the vexed question of the Latin mass and sacraments…
What the newspapers reported in ancient Rome
Nero’s personal amphitheatre, recently discovered near the Vatican, was praised to the skies in the ancient Romans’ ‘newspaper’. The historian…
Aristophanes would have loved Zohran Mamdani
Mr Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old elected mayor of New York, who has described the police as ‘racist, anti-queer and a…
The golden thread between Donald Trump and Nero
Donald Trump has knocked down the east wing of the White House and is turning it into his Golden Ballroom.…
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and the ancient struggle with shame
The most extraordinary thing about Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is that he seems to have no sense of shame. That word…
The Romans would have known that AI can’t replace architects
Architects are thrilled about AI, confident that it will take us into an exciting new world at the flick of…
How to succeed, Roman-style
Whatever Prince Andrew has done, the succession to our throne is secure. How envious the Roman emperor Augustus would have…
What did the ancients consider a ‘just war’?
Since the UN does not provide a definition of the ‘just war’, it is interesting to see the ancient take…
Keir Starmer and the ancient question of word vs deed
Sir Keir Starmer said that Britain had come to a fork in the road. As usual, he took it –…
How to create an educational elite
University term has started, and even more students are being taught in even larger classes. But to what end? Education…
What would the Romans have made of Trump’s state visit?
The Roman historian Tacitus commented that the visit of an Armenian king to Rome to clinch a deal in ad…
Cicero’s tips for the Labour party
Labour may be in a bit of a mess, but Cicero (d. 43 bc) has some top tips. ‘Let conscience…
Angela Rayner and the ancient question of ‘good judgment’
Angela Rayner has returned to the back benches because, as housing secretary, she failed to follow the rules relating to…
The ancient Greek take on human rights
While Greek and Roman thinkers were influential in developing ideas such as citizenship, justice and equality, the notion of universal…
How Athens handled asylum seekers
Since, in the absence of border posts, people in the ancient world could come and go at will, refugees and…
The ancient dangers of ‘proscription’
‘Proscription’ appears to be the current word of the month. But what does it mean? The Latin scribo means ‘I…
The Romans would have been baffled by the Gaza protests
Why are people in the UK protesting about the situation in Gaza? Surely it should be because the helpless Gazans…
How the Spartans got fighting fit
Donald Trump has brought back the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, once used in state schools to gauge young…
Is Trump playing the same game as Nero?
Last week, in his jovial Spectator piece about Donald Trump’s golf diplomacy, Patrick Kidd drew a comparison with the Roman…
How ‘cosmopolitan’ is Lord Hermer?
The Telegraph reports that Attorney General Lord Hermer has ‘been accused of asserting the primacy of human rights law over…
What Aristotle would have made of Gregg Wallace
The BBC chef Gregg Wallace has been sacked for his objectionable behaviour over many years, but has blamed the BBC…
Orcas, dolphins and the ancient question of animal sentience
Killer whales have been seen offering titbits to divers – but as a gift or a lure? Plutarch (c. AD…
A Spartan’s guide to body shaming
Now that new drugs have allowed the government’s Fat Controller to celebrate a nation of skinnies – let us hope…
The abortion debate is as old as time
Now that parliament has decided to decriminalise abortion, it is interesting to see what the ancients made of the matter.…
What Seneca would have made of the assisted dying bill
Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill has generated much talk about the ethics of suicide. As far as the ancients were…
