Eidolon’s Tattoo Issue
E(i)ditorial — May 2018
I haven’t done a formal survey, but based on anecdotal evidence I’d estimate about a third of my Classics friends already have or have seriously considered getting Classics-related tattoos. It makes sense: studying Classics puts you into contact with the visual culture of the ancient world (read: amazing artwork), not to mention the constant exposure to iconic, pithy Latin and Greek phrases. On top of that cultural knowledge, getting a graduate degree in Classics (or any subject, for that matter) is hard; I completely understand the desire to ink that accomplishment into your skin as a literal badge of honor. (In case you’re curious: I don’t have a Classics-themed tattoo of my own yet, although at this point I suspect it’s only a matter of time.)
Putting together this special issue and seeing all the amazing pictures people have sent in of their tattoos has certainly given me no end of inspiration. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be sharing some special tattoo-related content: musings on the experience of being a tattooed classicist, a study of how the visual language of classical tattoos is used in different communities, and advice for any readers thinking of getting their own Classics ink.
Kicking the issue off today, we have a translation by Johanna Hanink of a truly bizarre and fascinating elegy attributed to Hermesianax in which the narrator threatens to tattoo various scenes from mythology onto his enemy’s body. And capping off the issue next Friday will be a list of some of our favorite Classics tattoos sent to us by readers. If you’d like to share yours, there’s still time! Just send us an image and description on Twitter or to pitches@eidolon.pub.
Contributions:
Donna Zuckerberg is the Editor-in-Chief of Eidolon. She received her PhD in Classics from Princeton, and her writing has appeared in the TLS, Jezebel, The Establishment, and Avidly. Her book Not All Dead White Men, a study of the reception of Classics in Red Pill communities, is forthcoming from Harvard University Press in Fall 2018.
