Sep / Oct 2017

Volume 28, issue 5 

Metamorphoses of the mind

We still appreciate the ‘indiscreet, sexy and witty’ verse of the Roman poet
Ovid, who died in exile 2000 years ago, and we continue to see the wildly
amorous world of the Greek gods through his eyes. John Davie

For the love of the gods

Inspired by Ovid’s collection of Classical myths – stories of divine love
and seduction – an exhibition at the National Archaeological Museum
in Naples looks at how they have been interpreted by artists. Dalu Jones

Unbelievable treasures

Damien Hirst’s faux antiquities, supposedly rescued from a Roman
shipwreck, are his most audacious art works to date; are they a tribute
to marine archaeology or just a load of old crock? Sean A Kingsley

In the lap of luxury

The elegant silver tableware, elaborate drinking vessels and dazzling
jewellery that rich Romans used to show off their wealth is displayed
at an exhibition in Arles in the South of France. Nicole Benazeth

The galloping goldsmiths

The Scythians are often seen as a band of illusive nomadic warriors,
but the autumn exhibition at the British Museum reveals that they
could also produce beautifully crafted gold objects. St John Simpson

Magnificent Monteverdi

Born 450 years ago, the great Italian composer is known for his three
surviving operas, inspired by Greek mythology and Roman history,
with glorious music that has a timeless quality. Tom Ford

Taking the tablets

Monumental inscriptions tell us about the grand events of the Roman
Empire but the Vindolanda and Bloomberg Tablets reveal intimate details
of the everyday lives of soldiers and citizens in Britain. Paul Chrystal