Author Archives: Uncomely and Broken

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About Uncomely and Broken

I am a classicist in Sewanee, Tennessee.

Venus, Vulcan, Mars, and Joe

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Uncomely and Broken

Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, but carried on a long-standing affair with Ares.  Neither god was happy, of course, with the idea of the goddess being with the other. What are we to make of it?  On the one hand, … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics | 3 Comments

Currency & Current Events

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Uncomely and Broken

“If Greece leaves the euro, the most likely interim currency is the existing euro overprinted with a Greek delta symbol (for ‘drachma’), or possibly with a corner clipped.”  So speculated yesterday’s Independent.  The intentional defacing, or rather “re-facing,” of currency … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Classics, Emblems, Numismatics | 1 Comment

Sappho’s Supermoon

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Uncomely and Broken

A few days ago, I posted a piece about a Homeric passage that the recent supermoon reminded me of.  But I’ve just realized that there is a description by Sappho, in a short poem not entirely complete, that I like … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomical, Classics, Poetry | 2 Comments

Vos Salutamus

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Uncomely and Broken

My chief duty on graduation weekend in Sewanee is to coach the salutatorian on the Latin address.  The Commencement ceremony on Sunday begins with greetings in turn to the Chancellor and the Episcopal bishops whose dioceses own the university, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

O Swallow, Swallow

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Uncomely and Broken

My friend David Haskell asked his students on their Ornithology final, “If you could come back as a bird, which species would you choose and why?”   As I responded in the Comments section of his blog, my choice would be Hirundo … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Cartoons, Classics | 1 Comment

Night-piece

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Uncomely and Broken

Tonight’s “supermoon” puts me in mind of a passage from the Iliad.  A long day’s battle has been raging outside the walls of Troy, but by the end of Book Eight, the Trojans have taken the field and determinedly set … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomical, Bible, Classics, Military, Poetry, Sewanee | 3 Comments

Angry Bird

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Uncomely and Broken

Usually the phoebe’s nest is a chirpy little bundle on the drainpipe out back, but this spring it is silent, and for this we blame the towhee.  We’re not sure when he arrived, but he has been a constant presence … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Sewanee, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

By the Rude Bridge

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Uncomely and Broken

Those are my boys, standing by the Old North Bridge in Concord, grimly determined to face down the Redcoats, and wondering when we can get some ice cream.  The picture was taken a few years ago when we were spending … Continue reading →

Posted in Boston, Family, Ireland, Military, Poetry, Statues & Monuments | Leave a comment

Major Archibald Butt

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Uncomely and Broken

Major Archibald Butt has a funny name, it cannot be denied— Major Butt! Har har har— but by all accounts, he was a kind and even noble soul who died a hero’s death when the Titanic sank in the North … Continue reading →

Posted in Military, Nautical, Poetry, Sewanee | 2 Comments

Argus’ Tale

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Uncomely and Broken

Sometimes when I’m teaching Homer’s Odyssey, I ask students to write a short story about a passage they’ve read but from the perspective of a character other than Odysseus.  I decided to try my own hand at the assignment.  It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics, Dogs, Education, Poetry | Leave a comment