Yes, it’s been quiet on here recently; a combination of trying to get a chapter written and the recurrence of the bloody virus, and I suspect these things are feeding off one another. In addition, I’ve decided to be the last pompous middle-aged classicist left standing without having written a ‘state of the discipline, burn down classics, don’t burn down classics’ piece, and obviously any blog post is a temptation to do just that. So, this isn’t a proper post – that has to wait until this chapter is finished – but just an update on an interesting bit of Thucydideana. This time, well out of my price range.
Ornate cast metal desk clock with balance wheel escapement mechanism, made in 1908 by Japy Frères of Paris, yours for £2995 from Spencelayhs Antiques, to whom I am very grateful for permission to use these pictures. Why am I bothering to post this here? Because those aren’t just any old nymphs on the top; the one on the left is undoubtedly Clio, muse of history, as is made very clear by the scroll she’s reading…
Clio is always shown with a scroll, often though not always giving the name of an author; when the name is included, it is indeed often Thucydides (cf. the Dutch engraving used as the cover image of my Thucydides and the Idea of History). Still, it’s striking that this remained the case even in 1908, when a few more modern historians might have hoped to be in with a shout – and I love the fact that someone took the trouble to add such fine detail. Yes, it’s a bloody big clock – 64 cm across – but that is still a nice touch…
And obviously the Muse of History is an obvious character to be lounging about on a timepiece. I assume her companion is equally appropriate (indeed, at a guess this will turn out to be a traditional pairing) – given the globe, Urania as the Muse of Astronomy?
Sphinx 
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