Eduardo García-Molina

@egarcmol.bsky.social

3692 Followers 851 Following

Ancient Historian. Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. PhD UChicago. Seleukid Empire, ancient archives, Hellenistic law, inscriptions, coins, antiquity in video games, & otters. 🇵🇷 (Bayamón) & 🏳️‍🌈

Pokemon edited evolution screen, first has text "What? Your Octavian is evolving!" Second has pixelated image of Augustus Di Prima Porta statue, text reads "Congratulations! Your Octavian evolved into Augustus!"
German shepherd on bed in office
Three failed Perception rolls in Baldur’s Gate 3
Screenshot of article abstract and title: Inscriptions, Writing Cultures, and Epigraphy as Play in Video Games Abstract: This article explores the intersection of epigraphy, archaeology, and game studies within the reception of writing cultures in video games. It argues that video games serve as a unique medium for experiencing ancient material culture, a medium wherein digital inscriptions act as intermediaries between designers and players for worldbuilding and immersive storytelling. We offer a cursory typology with which to research the variety of ways that historical writing cultures interact within both historical and fictive ludic settings: epigraphy in games (or the in-game representation of attested real-world inscriptions), epigraphy of games (or the fictional epigraphy creatively invented by and embedded in contemporary games), and epigraphy as games, where the act of deciphering, reading, and inscribing become gameplay mechanics that fosters a deeper, more active engagement with historical and fictional writing cultures. Ultimately, the article shows that these digital inscriptions shape player perception of historical "truth" and cultural depth, demonstrating that the interactive nature of video games provides a unique pedagogical space for experiencing the materiality of the past in an increasingly digitized world. Keywords: Video games, inscriptions, epigraphy, digital humanities, museum studies, archaeogaming, worldbuilding
Sega Genesis with two controllers and sonic the hedgehog 2
Course explorer course description: Sallust - “Plain and abrupt, hostile to eloquence, ostensibly archaic but in truth artful, insidious, innovatory.” This is how the Roman historian Ronald Syme described the style of Sallust, considered even in antiquity to be one of the greatest historians Rome produced. In this class, we will be reading his Bellum Catilinae, an account of the machinations of the Roman statesman Lucius Sergius Catilina, to explore Sallust’s unique historiographical style. Through close readings of the Latin text, students will gain a deeper mastery of non-standard syntax and archaic vocabulary, while discussing the blurred lines between biography, rhetoric, political thought, and history exemplified in the conflicted figure of Cataline and the overarching setting of a Republican Rome in moral decay and civil strife.
Online quiz response to the question “What was the most interesting aspect of the class for you?” And the answer “Honestly, the most interesting aspect for me was how openly the class dealt with sexuality in the ancient world. There was a lot of talk about penises and gay stuff, but it made the material feel real and engaging.”