iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

“Eros the melter of limbs (now again) stirs me— sweetbitter unmanageable creature who steals in” - Sappho, poem 130 (tr. Anne Carson)

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Listening to an excellent talk from Robert Harris about #Agrippa, brilliantly interviewed by Shahida Bari

Two comfy chairs separated by a table supporting the book Agrippa by Robert Harris. They are on a wooden stage with a black and white rug.

A close up of two glasses of water on a table next to a hardback copy of Robert Harris’s book Agrippa.

A view of a large projection screen saying ROBERT HARRIS SHAHIDA BARI and a picture of a Roman army helmet, all above two chairs and a table on a stage.

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Another classical cartoon in the latest Private Eye #GenZeta

Cartoon in the style of an ancient Greek vase painting: four figures in classical dress walk in procession, with an older warrior lagging behind three younger companions. Caption: “It’s Gen-Zeta’s sense of entitlement that really grates!”

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Cartoon in the current edition of Private Eye #classics #icarus

Cartoon of the myth of Icarus: Icarus flies towards the blazing sun on wings made of feathers and wax, while Daedalus stands on a rocky shore below, holding up a bottle of sun cream and shouting, “Icarus, come back! You’ve forgotten your SPF 50!”

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Well, no Microsoft Word - that's kind of the point... #Book19 #Homer #Odyssey #Penelope

A translation of the Odyssey (Emily Wilson's) - the end of Book 19. The phrase "she cried for her dear husband" has a pop-up box from MS Word, with the words "Grammar: Possible Word Choice Error" and the word "dead" to replace the word "dear"...

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Looking forward to today's seedtalks #Ancient #History Summit online. Speakers: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (on #Babylon), @drcdavenport.bsky.social on Emperors, @shelbyjudge.bsky.social on Medea, Steph Holton on Epicureanism, and Eve MacDonald on Carthage! #ancienthistorysummit

Promotional graphic for Seed Talks’ “The Ancient History Summit”, an online event on Sunday 2 August from 11am to 5.10pm. Large white lettering appears on a dark blue background, with stylised ancient Greek warriors, shields, spears, an owl and clouds along the bottom. The graphic includes “@seedtalks” and “#ancienthistorysummit”.

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

A #Roman sarcophagus fragment from #Pula, with accompanying dubious description. Apparently the Battle of #Marathon was a sea battle…

Fragment of a Roman marble relief depicting a chaotic battle scene, mounted against a rough stone wall. Several armoured soldiers are shown in high relief, though many heads and limbs are missing through damage. One figure in a short Roman military tunic stands over a fallen opponent, while another raises an arm in combat. Despite its fragmentary condition, the carving retains deep folds in the clothing and a strong sense of movement and violence.

Museum label for a Roman sarcophagus fragment depicting Greeks and Persians. Curiously, it identifies the scene as a “sea battle at Marathon”—despite Marathon (490 BC) being famous as a land battle rather than a naval one.

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Replica Roman tombstone of the Molia family at the Pazin museum, Istria, Croatia

Roman funerary stele carved in pale limestone, showing two half-length figures standing side by side beneath a temple-like pediment. Both wear Roman tunics and cloaks with one hand across the chest; the figure on the right holds a scroll. Below them is a long Latin inscription recording the monument. The stele is displayed indoors against whitewashed walls.

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Wait… is this why Count #Binface is called Binface? Because you can’t see his face? “bn-face”

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

It has just struck me that we are seeing a rerun of #Aristophanes’ Knights in Clacton, with Farage as Cleon and Count #Binface as the Sausage Seller…

Ancient Greek black-figure vase painting. At left, a seated bearded man on a throne raises one hand while attendants stand behind and in front of him. A flute player performs between the throne and a large horse. The horse is supported on a platform and has a rider seated on its back. A small figure climbs a ladder into the horse while another crouches beneath it with an axe, apparently making final adjustments. Above the horse, a winged figure runs carrying two large circular objects. The scene is a stylised depiction of the construction and presentation of the Trojan Horse.

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Another bit of Classics in this Private Eye cartoon… #odyssey

Cartoon of two people chatting indoors. One asks, “So how was The Odyssey?” The other, wearing a coat and backpack as if only just arriving home, replies, “Really long – I thought I’d never get home.” The joke is that the speaker is describing both Homer’s epic journey and the unusually long runtime of Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming film adaptation.

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Another classically-inspired cartoon from Private Eye

Cartoon of the Trojan Horse standing outside the huge gates of Troy. The horse is shabby, with its wooden covering falling apart, while two Trojan guards look down from the city walls. Caption: “Well, I guess that’s what happens when you don’t tackle a military spending deficit.”

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

From this fortnight’s Private Eye…

A cartoon from Private Eye, signed James. Two gladiators drinking from water bottles as a woman walks past with a tray titled “DORMICE”. One gladiator is missing a hand, which is lying on the ground oozing blood. This gladiator is saying “Are these hydration breaks really for gladiator welfare, or is there a commercial motive?”

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Just finished making this lyre from a Build Your Own Lyre kit. Now to use it for a Latin Play!

A blue painted lyre with a yellow sun emanating from the hole in the soundbox. It has seven strings. The painting is a bit rough and ready but charming nonetheless…

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Introduce yourself with 10 bands and singers you’ve seen live Bob Dylan Ride Richard Thompson Katherine Priddy Divine Comedy Peat and Diesel Pixies Richard Dawson They Might Be Giants Nick Cave

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Name ten bands/musicians you’ve obsessed over at some point. Bob Dylan Pixies Ride Leonard Cohen Peat and Diesel The Cure Pulp Neutral Milk Hotel My Life Story The Divine Comedy

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

An Aventine Hill cake made by my Y11 GCSE Latin students today… with pallid heads and warm blood on the floor! They’re calling it “Hercules and Cake-us”…!

A green iced cake in the shape of a hill with a cave half way up with pink icing and white spheres with black dots to look like eyes.

A green iced cake in the shape of a hill with a cave half way up with pink icing and white spheres with black dots to look like eyes. (Close up of the cave)

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Classics in the current Private Eye…

Article from Private Eye: “THE TIMES NEW ROMAN
• April Fools Day 279BC
KING PYRRHUS DECLARES 'TOTAL AND COMPLETE VICTORY' by Our Military Staff HUGH CYDIDES
celebrated a triumphant defeat of the entire Roman civilisation in a series of recent battles.
King Pyrrhus said the Epirote army had "met and exceeded all military objectives" and that the defeated Romans were begging him for a peace treaty.
"These mad bastards have surrendered in the face of Operation Epirus Fury," the king said. "This is the last you will ever hear of the Roman Empire, and I certainly won't be deposed in a few years' time!"
Pyrrhus added that the Roman 10-point peace plan, which includes Rome retaining total control over the Ancient World, was "not a problem" and showed that, "we will win big TOGETHER!"
Last week the king had been given a message from the Oracle at Delphi that, "A great empire will suffer a crushing defeat", and reposted the message on his tablet, saying, "Even loser Oracle supports me! Make Epirus Great Again!"
However, there are worries that King Pyrrhus might be overstating the nature of what he calls, "this great Pyrrhic victory that will go down in history and never be forgotten, and the name of Donald Pyrrhus will live for ever! Thank you for your attention to this matter."”

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Turns out a speculative bet on a horse with a Roman name has paid off… #Maximus

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Created and printed a GCSE Class Civ Myth and Religion revision board game. Now to test it out!

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

One of my highlights of the Ramses exhibition at Battersea: Ostracon Depicting a Cat Herding Geese Limestone, Ink New Kingdom, Dynasties 19-20 Egyptian Museum

Ostracon Depicting a Cat Herding Geese
Limestone, Ink
New Kingdom, Dynasties 19-20
Egyptian Museum

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

This is me 1 Penthesilea 2 Cassandra 3 Andromache 4 Priam 5 Nestor 6 Hector 7 Anchises 8 Memnon 9 Briseis 10 Helen 11 Patroclus 12 Aeneas 13 Ajax Minor 14 Odysseus 15 Sarpedon 16 Paris 17 Diomedes 18 Menelaus 19 Ajax Major 20 Achilles 21 Glaucus 22 Agamemnon

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Excellent. No cheating, your last saved pic of a celebrity is your therapist.

A woman wearing an enormous fluffy hat with tassels. She is singing in front of a microphone. It is one of the musical duo Mermaid Chunky performing live.

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

I went to Ravenglass yesterday. Last time I was there was 2015. The bath house was built alongside the Roman fort which once stood here. Once nearby the wooden buildings in the vicus lay along cobbled roads which were alive with soldiers, women and children, traders, sailors, and craftsmen.

The Roman Bath house ruins at Ravenglass, viewed from further away

A 2m high wall of the Ravenglass Roman Bath house ruins, viewed through the birch wood next to it

The exposed brick work of the ruins of the Ravenglass Roman Bath house

An arch still standing as part of the Roman Bath house ruins at Ravenglass

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Off to spend an afternoon listening to this wonderful man tomorrow #JohnTaylor #GreektoGCSE

A picture of John Taylor in a blue check shirt with a sunny grassy hillside behind

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Off to spend an afternoon listening to this wonderful man tomorrow #JohnTaylor #GreektoGCSE

A picture of John Taylor wearing glasses and a blue check shirt with a backdrop of a grassy hillside in the sunshine

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Today, Chedworth Roman villa (and its snails) and Corinium museum, with 28 students and 4 staff! #classicsbluesky

A partial floor mosaic, with a column behind and various other museum exhibits in Corinium museum, Cirencester UK

A large snail in the grass by a Roman wall

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

“The 1st half introduces the characters of Dido, Aeneas, and the mischievous gods through song, music, and visual projections. The 2nd half features a full performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, re-imagined with traditional harpsichord and continuo.” www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/whats-on/bri...

stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Bristol Grammar School | St George's Bristol

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

Sad news. A brilliant poet and playwright. And he and Oliver Taplin made the best documentary ever about Orpheus about twenty years ago…

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

Rather excited to be going to Gloucester today for the #GloucesterHistoryFestival with talks today and tomorrow.

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

“auferre, trucidare, rapere, falsis nominibus imperium, atque, ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.” - Tacitus www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

Blair joins White House meeting with Trump on post-war Gaza

The talks come as Israel prepares to seize Gaza City as a step towards full control of the territory.

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Reposted by Andy Keen

marybeard @wmarybeard.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

New podcast from two women with a shared intellectual project: classics from the ancient world to now…theatre, architecture, history, film, you name it

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

We have come to Dunham Massey with family. Beautiful day and wonderful gardens. Getting peckish. Do they do scones @nationaltrust.org.uk?! 😂

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

Just booked tickets for Gloucester History Festival in September: Lyse Doucet, cider tasting, Islam Issa, @drjaninaramirez.bsky.social, @gregjenner.bsky.social, and @davidolusoga.bsky.social! 20-21 Sep. www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/autumn-2025/

gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk

Autumn Festival 2025 - Gloucester History Festival

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Andy Keen @keenerclassics.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

What perfect album came out when you were 16? These were four of my favourites at the time.

The cover of the album wish by the Cure. Blue circle on red background with doodled eyes

The cover of the album uforb by the Orb. Large letters and planets

The cover of the album rage against the machine by the band of the same name. A burning monk

The cover of the album Automatic for the People by R.E.M. - a big black and white metal shape

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