MARCH 2017

MICHIGAN JUNIOR CLASSICAL LEAGUE

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APPLICATIONS IN ASTRONOMY MYTHOLOGY

MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY CLASSICS TODAY

SPRING CONFERENCE AT EAST KENTWOOD HS ON APRIL 29, 2017

TAEDA

Roman bathhouse and theater uncovered in Israel Read about a recently uncovered Roman bathhouse and theater, which was found near other excavation sites in Israel.

The theme of the 67th MJCL Spring Conference is "Omnis ars naturae imitato est!"

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MARCH 2017

MICHIGAN JUNIOR CLASSICAL LEAGUE

Archaeologists discover Roman bathhouse and theater in excavation in Israel Andrew Biondo Brother Rice High School President The modern city of Sussita, known in ancient times as Antiochia-Hippos, was founded after 200 BC when the Seleucids seized the land from the Ptolomies. After the Roman conquest in 63 BC, it became part of what is known as the Decapolis, which is a group of 10 Ancient Greek cities that were taken over in this conquest. The University of Haifa has been doing excavations here for years. In 2015, a bronze mask of the god Pan was unearthed and later, a monumental gate which held the mask was discovered. This led the team to believe that there was a shrine to either Pan or Dionysus nearby. “First we found the mask of Pan, then the monumental gate leading to what we began to assume was a large public compound — a sanctuary, and now, this year, we find a public bathhouse and theater in the same location, both facilities that in the Roman period could be associated with the god of medicine, Asclepius, or with Photo credits: sci-news.com gods of nature such as Dionysus and Pan,” said Dr. Michael Eisenberg, an archaeologist at the Zinman Institute of Archaeology and the Department of Archaeology at the University of Haifa and head of the Hippos Excavations Project, speaking with sci-news.com Sci-news.com reports that there are multiple indicators of a theater in the area. First, there was a “basalt depression” covered with layers of debris which, for archeologists, is a classic sign of a Roman or Greek theater. Second, a passageway was found which was enclosed by a semicircular wall of basalt ashlars. Archeologists believe that this basalt passage divided the lower and upper blocks of seats. Archeologists also found vaulted corridors which served the purpose of allowing the audience to access their seats. This is referred to as the vomitorium. Third, the foundations of several rows of seats were found in a later excavation. Archeologists suggest that both the monumental gate mentioned earlier and the theatre were constructed around the 2nd century AD.

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MARCH 2017

MICHIGAN JUNIOR CLASSICAL LEAGUE

Mythological applications in astronomy Katherine Colleran Mercy High School TAEDA Editor The influence of Greek and Roman mythology can clearly be seen in the field of astronomy. Many constellations, moons, and planets can trace their names back to mythological characters in antiquity. Mercury, named after the quick messenger god, revolves the fastest around the sun; Mars, named for the god of war, appears blood-red; Venus, named for the goddess of beauty, shines the brightest; and Jupiter, who shares its name with the king of the gods, is the largest planet. All of Jupiter's moons are also named after his lovers. In addition, mythology is prevalent in constellations. For example, the constellation Orion, who was a great hunter in myths, was known for his battle with a scorpion. After their battle, it was said that Zeus placed Orion in the winter sky and the constellation Scorpius in the summer sky so they can not see or fight each other. Two constellations near Orion are also named after his hunting dogs — Canis Major and Canis Minor. Many other constellations also originate in mythology, including the hero Hercules; Aquila, an eagle who was the keeper of Jupiter's lightning bolts; and Gemini, which shows the Argonaut twins, Castor and Pollux. Astronomers continue to use the Classics today. When NASA launched a spacecraft in 2011 to orbit and study Jupiter, it was appropriately named after Juno, the queen of the gods. Also, a series of satellite missions that measured ocean surface topography were named after Jason, the hero who sailed with the Argonauts to find the Golden Fleece. For more information about mythology in the field of astronomy, check out http://www.tcoe.org/scicon/instructionalguide/ constellations.pdf.

The constellations Hercules, Aquila, and Gemini are pictured above, respectively. Photo credits: pachamamatrust.org

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MARCH 2017

MICHIGAN JUNIOR CLASSICAL LEAGUE

Classics in modern medicine Ellie Janitz Mercy High School Secretary/Historian Many students study Classics to prepare for a career in medicine, and there are many applications of the Classics in medical terms. In medicine, learning mythology is actually very helpful in addition to learning Latin and Greek derivatives. Here are some examples: • Atlas: the fierce Titan whose punishment for losing the battle again Zeus and the Olympians is bearing the weight of the earth and heavens on his back for all eternity. In ode to this, the Atlas vertebrae is the first vertebrae of the spine, carrying the weight of the skull, similar to Atlas himself. • hysteria: the medical term hysteria actually stems from the Greek word for uterus, "hyster." The Greeks thought women were more emotional and prone to emotional disorders. This also explains the use of hyster in other medical terminology such as hysterectomy. • Hermaphroditus: the son of Aphrodite with whom the nymph Salmacis fell in love. Salmacis prayed to the gods that their bodies may be joined, thus male and female became one. This gives rise to the medical term hermaphrodite, which is someone who has both male and female genitals. • Mania: the medical term for periods of great excitement, delusions, and overactivity stems from Mania, the personification of madness in mythology. These are just some of the applications of the Classics in medicine today! If you'd like to read more about mythology in medicine, or the application of mythology, check out this amazing resource: http://greekmythologytoday.com/medical.html.

Quid agitis? What great things is your JCL chapter doing? Each TAEDA issue will feature stories from around the state, so submit your stories to MJCL Chairperson Mrs. Lauren Marquard: [email protected]. Stories must be received by the third Friday of the month, in order to be published. MJCL Officers, 2016-2017 President: Andrew Biondo, Brother Rice HS TAEDA Editor: Katherine Colleran, Mercy HS Parliamentarian: Matthew Connors, Detroit Country Day HS Secretary/Historian: Ellie Janitz, Mercy HS MJCL Chairpersons, 2016-2017 Ms. Liz Brady, Detroit Country Day MS Mr. Reed DeMarco, Brother Rice HS Mrs. Lauren Marquard, Mercy HS !4

MARCH 2017

MICHIGAN JUNIOR CLASSICAL LEAGUE

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