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The Ozymandias Project

@theozymandiasp1.bsky.social
2.4K followers 322 following 604 posts

Connecting Modern Societies to Ancient Worlds. Ancient Office Hours Podcast & The Reading Party Podcast. Pnyx Digital Magazine. #history #Archaeogaming #podcasts #reception #digitalhumanities & more!

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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Dr. Tori Lee, an assistant professor of classics at Davidson College, discusses her favorite authors, especially Catullus, and her MA thesis on how English translators handle obscenity, including euphemism, omission, and dysphemism, arguing for the importance of studying modern translations.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Dr. Jana Matuszak, a professor of Sumerology at the University of Chicago, discusses the need to advocate for and provide accessible translations of ancient works, Sumerian royal epics beyond Gilgamesh, Enheduanna as the oldest named poet, and hymns, erotic poetry, and humorous “contest” texts.
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Lexie Henning @lexie-henning.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
So happy to finally be able to announce the event I’ve been working on since January! Myth in Motion is a 2-day symposium that will welcome actors Melissanthi Mahut and Michael Antonakos to the University of Bristol on November 5-6, 2026! Info and tickets below! www.tickettailor.com/events/brist...
tickettailor.com
Select tickets – Myth in Motion: Embodying Ancient Greece in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – B.H05 Lecture Theatre (Arts Complex)
Myth in Motion: Embodying Ancient Greece in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – B.H05 Lecture Theatre (Arts Complex), Thu 5 Nov 2026 - Fri 6 Nov 2026 - This symposium will welcome actors Melissanthi Mahut and ...
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
On the latest episode of AOH, Dr. Constantine Karathanasis, a professor of classics at Texas A&M, discusses EU debates that separate “ancient” from “modern” Greece and developing an interdisciplinary project linking comedy’s frequent money references to Athenian democratic incentives.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
In this second “Odysseason” panel, another group of classicists discuss Christopher Nolan’s new “Odyssey” film and the major changes made in his adaptation and what those changes enable.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
On today’s episode of AOH, Ben Truska, an independent scholar and hoplite reenactor, discusses pursuing an archaeological approach to warfare, developing a master’s thesis on the socioeconomic evolution of Greek arms and armor, and his interest in re-enactment and experimental archaeology.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
In this first “Odysseason” panel, a group of classics scholars discuss Christopher Nolan’s new “Odyssey” film as a modern reinterpretation rather than Homer, focusing on war trauma in Odysseus, parallels to Bronze Age collapse, and a rules-based order undermined from within.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Today on AOH, Dr. Catherine Bonesho, a professor of Early Judaism at UCLA, discusses ancient languages as a grammar puzzle, identifying as a scholar of ancient Judaism in the Greek and Roman periods rather than simply “biblical studies,” and reflections from UCLA’s 2025 Bible conference.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
On this Ancient Office Hours special release, returning guest, Dr. David Schenker, a professor of classics at Mizzou, returns for a 6-year catch up! At the time of this recording, he had just taught his final formal class after 35 years at the University of Missouri.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
ICYMI - Dr. Salima Ikram, a Distinguished Professor and the Amelia Peabody Chair in Egyptology at the American University in Cairo, was recently featured on the podcast!
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Today on AOH, Dr. Jenn Finn, an Associate Professor and Chair of the Classics Department at Loyola University Chicago, discusses framing Alexander the Great in an ancient Near Eastern context, Alexander as a symbolic strategist, and consulting for the Netflix series “Alexander: The Making of a God”.
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Lexie Henning @lexie-henning.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Really exciting opportunity for me this morning. I was asked to speak on BBC Radio Bristol about the new Nolan Odyssey! The segment is currently live but for those wanting to listen back later - just search today's date, click the Joe Sims 6-10am segment and then skip to about 8:24 to hear me.
bbc.co.uk
Radio Bristol - Listen Live - BBC Sounds
Listen live to Radio Bristol on BBC Sounds
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Today on AOH, Dr. @petramcreamer.bsky.social, an archaeologist and professor of the Ancient Near East at Emory University, discusses studying the Assyrian Empire to understand how non-elites experienced state power, Assyrian deportation as a labor and control strategy, and her fieldwork experiences.
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Lexie Henning @lexie-henning.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Excited to share another CFP for a new volume on transmedia adaptation!
bristoldigitalgamelab.blogs.bristol.ac.uk
Call for Papers! – Between Screens: Video Games, Film, Television and Transmedia Exchange
Between Screens: Video Games, Film, Television and Transmedia Exchange  Editors: Dr Michael Samuel and Dr Richard Cole   Deadline: 7 August 2026 Adaptation is a dialogic process, a creative exchange a...
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Lexie Henning @lexie-henning.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
CFP for a great new proposed volume celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey! bristoldigitalgamelab.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2026/06/19/c...
bristoldigitalgamelab.blogs.bristol.ac.uk
Call for Papers! – Ten Years of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Legacy, Impact, Future
Ten Years of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Legacy, Impact, Future Editors: Richard Cole & Alexander Vandewalle  Deadline: August 24, 2026  In 2018, Ubisoft Quebec’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey introduced...
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Today on AOH, Dr. Jeffrey Newman, an Egyptologist and a research associate at UCLA's Pourdavoud Institute, discusses his dissertation on ritual performance and the origins of Egyptian bureaucracy and state formation, First Dynasty human sacrifice, and his heritage photography & photogrammetry skills
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
On today’s episode of Ancient Office Hours, Dr. Curtis Dozier, an associate professor of Classics at Vassar College, discusses founding Pharos: Doing Justice to the Classics, his new book The White Pedestal, and how “historical accuracy” rhetoric often masks racism and misogyny.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
On today’s episode of Ancient Office Hours, Jonathan Todd Ross, a voice actor and writer (the voice of Marik Ishtar & Yami Marik in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime), discusses getting into acting, stumbling into voice work via an urgent Ultraman audition, and why the original Yu-Gi-Oh! dub endures.
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Elisa Mekler @elisamekler.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Do you make games? Do you study or teach games? Do you create videos or blog about games? -- What theories or ideas help make good games? -- Share your opinion in our 10min online survey w @dooleymurphy.bsky.social & @florencesn.bsky.social res58.itu.dk/limesurvey/I...
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Today on AOH, Dr. @roelkonijn.bsky.social, the Darby Fellow in Ancient History at Lincoln College, Oxford, discusses psychological warfare and imperial brutality in antiquity,Greek ambivalence about war’s glory and horror, & myth-busts Sparta as less uniquely militarist than popularly imagined.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Today on AOH, Cricket Leigh, a therapist and accomplished voice-over artist (the voice of Mai on Avatar the Last Airbender), discusses studying intense classical works at NYU, booking Mai on Avatar: The Last Airbender and the show’s enduring appeal through big themes and values.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
On today’s episode of AOH, Dr. Dan-el Padilla Peralta, a Professor of Classics at Princeton, discusses how growing up unhoused in New York City led him to discover Classics, the limits of relying on one person for courses, and his new book Classicism and Other Phobias.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Today on AOH, Gigi Berardi, a Western Washington University environmental science professor and award-winning writer, talks about her historical fiction novel Bianca’s Cure. The book centers on the “greatest mystery of the Renaissance”.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Today on AOH, Dr. @katexe.bsky.social, a Lecturer in Greek Culture at King’s College London, discusses hostility toward prominent or “masculinized” women in modern games & ancient tragic narratives about women, and critiques the “historical accuracy” discourse including mods that remove women.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Today on AOH, Dr. @sarahebond.bsky.social, an associate professor of Classics at the University of Iowa, discusses her book 'Strike' and the evolution of labor unions from ancient Rome to modern times, the future of classics & the impact of AI on jobs, and the significance of empathy in humanities.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Dr. Alex Dold, a literary scholar, historian, and “Dr. of Outlander,” discusses blending literary scholarship and historical research, the challenges of researching an ongoing series, the importance of studying popular culture academically, and the essential role of books and public history.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
On today’s episode of AOH, Dr. @alexvandewalle.bsky.social, a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University, discusses his research on the characterization of mythological figures in video games, the evolution of classical reception in games & its growing legitimacy as a field of study.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Special release! Hailey Beaupre, is an American who moved to Scotland and she recounts her journey from a small-town Connecticut upbringing to becoming a Scottish history tour guide, inspired by a childhood fascination with the Titanic and a pivotal visit to Scotland.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Lexie joined the MWD crew to talk all things Percy Jackson! Check it out!
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
On today’s episode of AOH, Dr. Naomi Weiss, a Professor of Classics at Harvard, discusses the works of Euripides and Aeschylus, the complexities of modern adaptations, and the potential of transforming ancient stories into contemporary performances, like a musical adaptation of Greek tragedies.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Today on Ancient Office Hours, Dr. Lindsey Mazurek, an Associate Professor of Classics at Indiana University Bloomington, discusses her interests in Roman provincial archaeology, ancient migration, and the implications of migration on social and political dynamics in ancient civilizations.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Hitpoints & History begins in 20 minutes! Tickets are still available at hitpointsandhistory2026.eventbrite.com See you soon!
hitpointsandhistory2026.eventbrite.com
Hitpoints & History 2026
Like history and games? Play your way through the ancient world at Hitpoints & History, an interactive, virtual archaeogaming conference!
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
✨Meet the presenters!✨ Julie Levy (she/they) is an archaeogamer, independent scholar, and activist. She is the Managing Director at the Save Ancient Studies Alliance, an organization devoted to bringing ancient studies into the mainstream.
Photo of Julie Levy. Caption reads "Presenting: Repeating Rome: multiple Truths of The Forgotten City, January 31 @ 1:00pm US Central Time
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Today Hitpoints & History is shining a light on our conference’s panel: Using TTRPGs to Activate Mythology! Presented by Dr. Michael Anthony DeAnda, Kai Hakamori, Ziyi Wu, Alexej Hrajnoha, Bradley Estacio.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Often, when we think of archaeogaming, we think of The Assassin’s Creed games, but technically, all gaming can be archaeogaming! Here are a few non-traditional archaeogames to get your mind going:
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
✨Meet the presenters!✨ Dr. Alexander Vandewalle is a postdoctoral researcher who specializes in the reception of antiquity, history, and mythology in video games. For his PhD thesis (2024), he investigated the characterization of Greek mythological figures in games.
Photo of Dr Alexander Vandewalle. The caption reads "Presenting: Go Kill Time: Mythological Chrononormativity and Ludic Critique, January 31 @ 10:15am US Central Time
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Roll for info on some ancient gaming devices!
Photo of two dice, made of bone. One is smaller than the other and they have uneven, smooth sides which several chips and scratches. One shows 5 dots, the other shows 2. The caption reads: The earliest recorded gaming devices were made of bone and likely used in dexterity and probability games, similar to modern day knucklebones or dice. These were uneven, and varied in size and number of sides. Bone dice found in Skara Brae, Scotland are estimated to be from as far back as 3100 BCE.Photo of a twenty sided die made of rock. An ancient Greek letter is inscribed on each face. The caption reads: The first twenty-sided die ever found has been dated back to Ptolemaic Egypt, while the Ancient Egyptian game senet was played using throwsticks, two-sided objects that served the same function as dice.Photo of an upright  hollow cuboid box made of copper with Latin cut into the sides. Three small dice sit at the base. The caption reads: The Romans clearly took their dice games very seriously, as evidenced by the discovery of a 4th century CE dice tower or turricula (small tower) in Germany. The dice tower was used to maintain a fair roll outcome, preventing players from influencing how they rolled. Roman dice were usually six-sided, but they also used four sided oblongs known as tali.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
✨Meet the presenters!✨ Colin Snyder is a game designer and artist based in Brooklyn, New York. He is the founder and director of Little Red, an independent game studio and publisher of nonfiction games.
Photo of Colin Snyder. Caption reads "Presenting: Games as Modeled Beliefs, January 31 @ 3:45pm US Central Time"
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Humans have been playing games since earliest ancient history. We're a social species, and gameplay is one of the oldest forms of social interaction.
Photo of the Royal Game of Ur: Game-board; wooden; the face is of 20 variously inlaid square shell plaques; edges made of small plaques and strips, some sculptured with an eye and some possibly with rosettes; on the back are three lines of shell triangular ornamental inlays.

Text reads: One of the most famous ancient games was the Royal Game of Ur. Played throughout the Middle East, Ur was a strategy race game, and likely an ancestor of tables games such as backgammon. The first gameboard was discovered in the early 20th century, but the first rulebook - a set of clay tablets - wouldn't be found for another 60 years!Photo of a Senet gaming board inscribed for Amenhotep III with separate sliding drawer. Board is a blue rectangular cuboid shape, with a grid carved into the top and hieroglyphs along the side. Blue rounded gamepieces - half short, half tall and pointed - sit on and alongside the board, with some also in the inner drawer.

Text reads: The Ancient Egyptians played a board game called senet, where players moved their pieces - representing human souls - along a board which signified the journey through the afterlife. Ancient games give us valuable insight into the cultural beliefs and day-to-day lifestyles of those who played them - not unlike modern games like Monopoly or the Game of Life.Polychrome woodblock print of a raised board, sitting on four table legs with an inscribed grid on its surface. Small round gamepieces - some black, some white - sit on the board, while others are inside and around two black rounded pots next to the board. Chinese calligraphy takes up the top third of the picture.

Text reads: Some games have stood the test of time and are still played to this day. Abstract two-player strategy game Go was invented in China 2500 years ago and has been played across East Asia ever since. Videogame development company Atari took its name from the phrase that Go players would call out when a situation similar to 'check' in chess had been reached.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
✨Meet the presenters!✨ Meghan Sullivan is the founder of History N’ Games, an educational video & audio podcast that helps video game fans discover & explore the real history hidden inside their favorite games. Meghan has been in the games industry for 2 decades, & loves Mario Kart and Mass Effect.
Photo of Meghan Sullivan. The caption reads "Presenting: History's Greatest Hit: How The Oregon Trail Changed The Classroom Forever, January 31 @ 11:00am US Central Time"
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Let's talk about archaeogaming!
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
✨Meet the presenters!✨ Joel Gordon is a socio-cultural historian whose research focuses on the development of eschatological thought in the ancient world. Related to this is his reception studies work which explores how the gods/heroes of antiquity are portrayed in modern mass media.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
✨Meet the presenters!✨ Meet the presenters! Dr. Roselyn A. Campbell is a bioarchaeologist and Egyptologist Her most recent research project explores how players learn about gender in the ancient world through the Assassin’s Creed video games.
Picture of Dr Roselyn A Campbell. Caption reads "Usually too much titty: Player Perceptions of Gender in Assassin's Creed, January 31 @ 1:45pm US Central Time"
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
✨Meet the presenters!✨ Dr. Kate Minniti is an archaeologist and has been a gamer for more than two decades. Since 2013 she has been exploring how video games can represent and mis-represent both archaeology as a field and antiquity itself.
Photo of Dr Kate Minniti. Caption reads "Presenting: Players & Pyramids: a short history, January 31 @ 11:30 am US Central Time"
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Today on Ancient Office Hours, Dr. @byzantineprof.bsky.social , a professor of history at Indiana University Northwest, discusses the challenges in academic offerings in late antiquity, his work on Belisarius & Antonia, and the impact of digital records on future historical studies.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
✨Meet the presenters!✨ Ahmed Alameen is an award winning game developer/writer. He creates stories inspired by Mesopotamia and the MENA region, and his debut game - My Father Lied- was nominated at many events, and won best Arab Game developed at The Grand Game Awards 2025.
Black and white photo of Ahmed Alameen. The caption reads "Presenting: Why We Need to Make Games About History and Culture, January 31 @ 9:30am US Central Time"
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
✨Meet the presenters!✨ Sav Sood, presenting Video Games, Memory and how we think of the Ancient World, is a first year PhD student in Classics at the University of Glasgow, studying the ways in which the ancient world is mediated through video games.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
TOP is thrilled to announce 2026’s Hitpoints & History, a virtual conference all about archaeogaming! Join us Jan 31st to hear from scholars & industry insiders about the connection between developer intent, player agency & historical authenticity. Tickets and info can be found at hitpointscon.com
hitpointscon.com
Home
Play your way through the ancient world.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Last week on Ancient Office Hours, Dr. @egarcmol.bsky.social, an Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, discussed specializing in the Seleucid Empire, challenges of working with limited historical records, and his course on gaming and ancient history.
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The Ozymandias Project @theozymandiasp1.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
✨Special Release ✨ Inside the Art of Casting: From Historical Dramas to Fantasy Epics with Suzanne Smith Today on AOH, Emmy Award winning casting director Suzanne Smith discusses the intricacies of casting for film and television, particularly in historical and period dramas.
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