tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post8892186999725707118..comments2024-03-27T22:25:42.129-05:00Comments on Reading the Past: Guest post by Roger Hudson, author of Death Comes by AmphoraSarah Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-75686057989234282942010-04-01T16:49:49.891-05:002010-04-01T16:49:49.891-05:00A nice idea, Annette, and some of the pictures wer...A nice idea, Annette, and some of the pictures were on pottery (though Sparta wasn't notd for its pottery). I do think the women would have had an eye out for how women were treated in other places (Sparta wasn't the only place at the time where they had considerable freedom). And I think Herodotos reading from his book will have opened a few eyes with his tales of women ruling whole countries. Yes, I agree, it's very exciting extrapolating from little bits of evbidenc e how it might have actually worked for ordinary people.Roger Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11004329333686279569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-17832863153385181882010-04-01T15:40:44.484-05:002010-04-01T15:40:44.484-05:00Whoops - I just realized my post referred to pictu...Whoops - I just realized my post referred to pictures on pottery, when the author was referring to tomb carvings. That might shoot my 'oh so serious' theory all to Hades. :) This is what happens when trying to post something quickly before running off to work. And this shows how writers of historical fiction must treat their research findings with careful consideration.Annettenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-50369427322556236932010-04-01T13:46:39.852-05:002010-04-01T13:46:39.852-05:00Fascinating post.
I've been working on a nov...Fascinating post. <br /><br />I've been working on a novel set in ancient Sparta for the last couple of years, and it's so fun to have a certain amount of 'wiggle room', making plausible inferences from the information at hand. As long as it's plausible and believable and doesn't directly contradict information we have, I'm going to serve my story. <br /><br />Hmmm...I'm thinking those pictures Mr. Hudson described on the pottery are actually of Sparta, collected by envious Athenian women who wanted to wear revealing tunics, choose their own husbands, make their opinions known, and freely leave the house for all sorts of reasons. Brutal as Sparta was in some ways, women certainly seem to have enjoyed a level of freedom and societal respect not seen in Athens. Writing my story from the perspective of a young woman there gave me many more opportunities to play with. I'm having a blast.<br /><br />Good luck with <b>Death Comes by Amphora</b>.Annettenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-51506384024015120172010-04-01T06:54:07.804-05:002010-04-01T06:54:07.804-05:00Glad you found it interesting, Rowenna, and glad t...Glad you found it interesting, Rowenna, and glad to hear that others find similar discrepancies in other periods. I often feel that, besides being biassed as wealthy males, the writers we have relied on for our information about Ancient Athens had an axe to grind in impressing their views on their peers. Thanks again to Sarah for giving me the opportunity.<br />RogerRoger Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11004329333686279569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-53649583140070492042010-03-31T07:22:54.340-05:002010-03-31T07:22:54.340-05:00Fabulous points, all! I love comparing written hi...Fabulous points, all! I love comparing written history with other forms of history--a richer, more textured historical world emerges so often. I spend a lot of time on the eighteenth century, and a very similar contradiction emerged there regarding military camps--we've been led to believe by written accounts and edicts that the "distaff" or "baggage" (women and children) were kept separate from the main military camp, but excavation turns up the opposite. Children's toys found amidst what ought to be a strictly military camp and whatnot. Sketches from the period often show the same thing. So the life in these camps takes on a whole new nuance.<br /><br />Just a tiny example--thanks for letting me geek out a bit and share :)Rowennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09757364614589686606noreply@blogger.com