Michael Conway

So I wrote a play that’s in inspired by the Tragedians. It’s called “GATHERING IN AULIS.” Euripides was my primary inspiration. Here’s page 1. #classicist #classicists #ancientworld #ancienthistory #mythology #ancientrome #ancientgreece

@PulpLibrarian The top guy was in I, Claudius too. As Augustus Caesar.

The Hawkmen actors in Flash Gordon (1980) could not sit down on set because their huge costume wings would rip into their backs. Instead they spent their rest periods lying on their stomachs and struggling to get up.

@HeraklesCithare Wow, of all of your posts, this one got so much traction! Congrats @HeraklesCithare

Une scène émouvante qui ne figure pas dans l’Iliade d’Homère : Ajax portant sur ses épaules le corps sans vie d’Achille, dont le destin fut d’être tué par Pâris, le plus lâche des Troyens. Début du VIe siècle ac. J.-C. Musée archéologique de Florence

@HeraklesCithare I always this of how Demosthenes overcame his speech impediment by stuffing his mouth with pebbles and then trying to speak clearly.

Je suis un célèbre athénien qui commença sa carrière d’avocat dès l’âge de vingt ans. Considéré comme l’un des plus grands orateurs de l’Antiquité en ayant vaincu mon bégaiement, j’ai notamment prononcé les « Philippiques » une série de quatre discours contre le roi de Macédoine et son irrésistible ascension… je suis ?

@carolemadge Have a happy Birthday!

Flights to Rome booked today! This year, I turn 50, and I’ll be celebrating it in Rome, just as Hadrian did when he reached the same milestone 1,900 years ago. #Hadrian1900 followinghadrian.com/2026/05/04/ad-… Sharing a photo from 10 years ago, my 40th in Rome, standing beside Hadrian himself.

@carolemadge @namastenancysf I got to hang out with Marcus at the Uffizi last summer.

I love it when museums or exhibitions display portraits of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus together! The co-rule of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus (AD 161–169) was the first formally recognised joint emperorship in Roman history, marking a significant development in imperial governance. When Emperor Antoninus Pius died in 161, Marcus Aurelius, his adopted heir, insisted that Lucius Verus, his adoptive brother, be granted equal imperial power. Although Marcus held greater authority in practice (as senior Augustus and pontifex maximus), both men officially ruled as co-emperors, sharing titles and responsibilities. Lucius Verus took charge of the major military campaign against the Parthian Empire in the East (AD 161–166), spending much of his reign in cities like Antioch while Roman generals conducted the war. Meanwhile, Marcus Aurelius remained in Rome, overseeing administration, legal matters, and internal stability. This arrangement allowed the empire to respond more effectively to threats across its vast territory. However, the co-rule also faced serious challenges. Troops returning from the East brought back the Antonine Plague, which spread throughout the empire with devastating demographic and economic consequences. Soon after, new conflicts erupted along the Danube frontier, where Marcus Aurelius would spend much of his later reign. The co-rule came to an abrupt end in AD 169, when Lucius Verus died suddenly, likely from illness, possibly related to the ongoing plague, while travelling back from the Danube frontier. His death left Marcus Aurelius as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. From that point onward, Marcus bore the full burden of imperial leadership amid escalating crises, including continuous warfare along the northern frontiers in the Marcomannic Wars. His sole reign lasted until AD 180.

@HeraklesCithare I do. Just as long as they don’t stray too far from the original myth. Stephen Fry, Jennifer Saint, Natalie Haynes, Madeline Miller are great for Greek Myth. Robert Graves and Colleen McCullough for Roman History. Do you?

@MichaelConwayHB Do you enjoy mythologic retailings ?

Héra, reine des dieux et des hommes.

@Assiko23 Apollo fighting Python?

❤️Des chefs-d’œuvre partout au Tate Britain de Londres 🇬🇧

@HeraklesCithare Antikythera mechanism!

Que représente cette image reproduisant un chef-d’œuvre d’ingénierie mécanique antique découvert par hasard dans les eaux grecques ?

@carolemadge Great strike quality, you can really see the details!

#CoinWednesday - Roman imperial bronze dupondius of Hadrian, struck at the Rome mint around AD 118. This coin celebrates Hadrian’s role in ensuring Rome’s food supply, a key political and economic priority. Early in his reign, such imagery reinforced stability and prosperity under his rule. The goddess Annona represents Rome's grain supply. S C (“Senatus Consulto”) indicates the coin was issued under the authority of the Senate. RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 161 numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2_… Coin from my collection.

@HeraklesCithare Congrats and best of luck!

Vous êtes près de 1000 à avoir rejoint mon compte ces derniers jours, et une présentation s'impose ! Autodidacte passionné par la Grèce antique, j'aime partager mes émerveillements quotidiens ici, et si mes publications vous plaisent, vous allez adorer mon encyclopédie illustrée Mythologie gréco-romaine parue à Noël 2025, ainsi que ma trilogie romanesque sur Alexandre le Grand dont le premier tome sortira fin août. 📸Merci à tous ceux qui sont venus me rencontrer en librairies et en salons pour échanger sur les mythes et l'Antiquité. C'est pour ces moments-là que j'écris !

@carolemadge I recently bought a Hadrian Sestertius!

21 April AD 121 – Hadrian celebrates Rome's 874th birthday with circus games. #NatalediRoma 🐺 followinghadrian.com/2021/04/21/21-…

@HeraklesCithare Best of luck and congratulations!

@MichaelConwayHB If the novel is a success, I have no doubt that it will be translated.

J’adore cette couverture 🤩

@HeraklesCithare Love that book too. The audiobook is a nice complement as well.

@HeraklesCithare I’m one. I enjoy the expanded experience and your content.

Depuis la Màj des traductions automatiques, les abonnés non francophones sont bien plus nombreux à rejoindre mon compte 🌏

@carolemadge I’m glad the weather improved for you!

This morning exploring Arycanda, an ancient city in Lycia dramatically built on steep mountain slopes, arranged across a series of large terraces overlooking a valley. #ArchaeologyTravel —- Arycanda was likely inhabited as early as the 2nd millennium BC, with firmer archaeological evidence emerging from the 6th–5th centuries BC during the Lycian period, when it functioned as an independent city and participated in regional confederations such as the Lycian League. Under Hellenistic rule, particularly following the campaigns of Alexander the Great, the city expanded and adopted Greek cultural and architectural forms. Arycanda reached its peak during the Roman Imperial period, when it prospered economically and was embellished with monumental structures including baths, theatres, and civic buildings. The Odeon, richly decorated, was associated with Hadrian. Despite suffering significant damage from earthquakes, especially in AD 141 and in the 3rd century AD, the city was rebuilt and continued into the Byzantine era before gradually declining and being abandoned, likely due to a combination of natural disasters, economic contraction, and shifting settlement patterns. Unlike many ancient cities, it had no defensive walls, relying instead on its elevated, difficult terrain.

@JJIzydorczyk @ConsulofRome_ Trajan, correct?

@ConsulofRome_ Optimus Princeps

Who is your favourite Roman Emperor?

@carolemadge Chiron had such a tragic death, Hydra tipped arrow. He was immortal and was in immeasurable pain, then Zeus made him a constellation. I think that’s right, if memory serves.

#MythologyMonday - Centaurs are fascinating creatures from Greek mythology, known for their unique form: half human, half horse, with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. They combine human intelligence with animal strength and instinct, often symbolising the conflict between reason and wild behaviour. While most centaurs were portrayed as unruly and driven by impulses, the wise centaur Chiron stood apart as a teacher and healer, representing balance and wisdom. In ancient Greek and Roman art, centaurs were often depicted in sculpture and pottery as dynamic, muscular figures engaged in battle or revelry.

@carolemadge Agrippa was so cool. Truly a polymath.

#WorldTheatreDay 🎭 The Roman Theatre of Ostia was built along the Decumanus Maximus. Fragments of an inscription indicate that the first theatre was constructed at the end of the 1st century BC by Agrippa. This original structure, built with opus reticulatum and large tufa blocks, could accommodate 3,000 spectators. However, the masonry of the current theatre has been dated to the late 2nd century AD, when the theatre was enlarged to hold 4,000 people.