SCS Blog Author Page

Posts by Jen Ebbeler

A close-up of a red-figure aryballos with a seated figure holding the extended arm of a standing figure

Blog: Accessibility at conferences should be a priority

Note: This post was written in mid-March 2023, shortly after the SCS circulated a survey to members concerning hybrid/virtual options for annual meetings. On Friday, the SCS announced that the 2024 Annual Meeting in Chicago would be entirely in person but allow for individual speakers to deliver talks via Zoom. The SCS noted that the costs of providing a fully hybrid meeting were prohibitively expensive, despite the fact that many members expressed concerns about accessibility and an interest in virtual options. This post should not be construed as a response to that announcement. I do hope that, as the SCS moves forward, the concerns of many of its members over accessibility will be given serious weight. This blog post by Dr. Josh Nudell Read more …

Vincenzo Camuccini. The Assassination of Julius Caesar, between 1804 and 1805. Oil on canvas. Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea.

Blog: Teaching With Historical Fiction: Revisiting the Ides of March in Steven Saylor’s The Throne of Caesar

Historical fiction based in the ancient world has long been a fruitful way to encourage the interest of non-specialists in the ancient world. These novels can also be used profitably to improve classroom pedagogy. I regularly assign a work of historical fiction in my online Intro to Ancient Rome course. This summer, I opted for Steven Saylor’s most recent addition to his Gordianus series, The Throne of Caesar. My students in the summer are nearly all STEM majors who are looking to complete a core requirement, often while simultaneously working full-time. I need to select novels that are readable, follow Roman history accurately, and add dimension to the world and characters that they are studying. Ideally, the novel will also encourage the students to think about some aspect of Roman history from a new perspective. For instance, Saylor’s Read more …