Historian Gregory S. Aldrete, professor of Humanistic Studies, recently had two articles published, including one in the most prestigious journal in the field of Roman history. That article, “Hammers, Axes, Bulls, and Blood: Some Practical Aspects of Roman Animal Sacrifice,” appeared in The Journal of Roman Studies 104, 2014. In the article, Aldrete notes that sacrifice was a central component of ancient Roman religion, but scholars have tended to focus on the symbolic aspects of these rituals, without addressing the practical challenges involved in killing large, potentially unruly animals. He draws upon ancient sculpture, comparative historical sources, and animal physiology to argue that the standard, semi-sanitized interpretations don’t capture what must have been the real nature of these public rituals. Aldrete’s second article, “The Linothorax Project,” with Scott Bartell and Alicia Aldrete, appeared in the February 2015 edition (Vol. 13, Issue 1) of The Virtual Costumer Magazine, the journal of the International Costumer’s Guild.
Leave a Reply