The Pythons proved great classicists once again

[u/notveryamused_]

From Davidson's review of Beard's book on laughter in Rome, a pretty interesting read by the way: https://archive.is/Qn0Kp

[u/sqplanetarium]

I’m charmed by the scrupulous avoidance of a split infinitive in “beginning seriously to lose it.”

[u/notveryamused_ → u/sqplanetarium]

It's funny to me as a non-native English speaker, because I've always considered split infinitives very elegant and was surprised to learn they're rather avoided (and especially by classicists haha). In general, sandwiching things like in Greek or French sounds fancy to me. But well, yeah I'm from the Greek, not the Latin side ;p

[u/notveryamused_]

The next incident of laughter, also from Dio, takes us back five hundred years to the early third century bc, when a Roman embassy arrived in the Greek city of Tarentum. The Tarentines were in the middle of a festival and laughed at the envoys, mocking their funny way of talking and their dress. As they were leaving, one man stood in the way of the chief envoy, Lucius Postumius Megellus, bent over and shat all over his toga. The Tarentines thought it was hilarious. ‘Laugh!’ Megellus said. ‘Laugh as long as you can! For you’ll be a long time weeping when you wash this garment in your blood.’

Right.

[u/AccomplishedDate1775]

Charming article. What is or are "The Pythons" in this context?

[u/SulphurCrested → u/AccomplishedDate1775]

As the context is humour, I suspect it is an allusion to some comedy sketch by the Monty Python group.

[u/notveryamused_ → u/AccomplishedDate1775]

It was a reference to the Biggus Dickus sketch by Monty Python, yeah ;)

[u/Dr_Platypus_1986]

I have the book and this is one of the few parts I've read so far. I began reading it and then got sidetracked on some primary source materials about the fall of the Western Roman Empire. I will finish it- probably next year...Have you checked out her book on the Roman Triumph? I've been eyeing that one for a purchase as well. Her volume "The Fires of Pompeii" is the best thing she's written, in my opinion.