May takes its name from Maia, a figure linked with growth, fertility, and the nurturing force of spring. This short article connects the ancient meanings of May with the extraordinary Sotades Tomb, found in nineteenth-century Athens, where a delicate cup showing a seated woman and child offers a quiet image of care, infancy, and the fragile hope of renewal.
March is a threshold month by the sea—when the light shifts, the coast feels alive again, and simple fish cooking returns to the table. This post revisits ancient Greek fish plates, especially the South Italian masterpieces of the 4th century BCE, with their painted seafood “menus” and spiny rockfish/scorpionfish forms. From the realism—and quiet humor—of these plates to the enduring taste of kakavia, one idea carries through time: the Mediterranean sea as everyday abundance, worthy of both art and appetite.
In ancient Athens, the month of Mounichiōn—spanning mid-April to mid-May—was rich in spring symbolism and renewal. Its highlight was the Mounichia festival (where Kastella is located today), dedicated to Artemis, protector of young girls and harbors. On this day, maidens offered...
