Classics

Air mail from Greece in which Palaima informs Bennett of his new job at Fordham University and what the fall semester holds. At the end Palaima includes some personal requests. We heartily thank Professor Palaima for sitting down with us to explain some of the names and features of this letter. "Mrs. Vlassopoulou" refers to a private Greek citizen who worked at the National Museum of Athens at the time. Professor Palaima recognized the sketched Linear B tablet as "my first joke tablet!" It translates to "Going to Fordham - 1 man, 1 woman, 1 dog, 4 cats: 2 Hellenic, 2 American": a shipping inventory in the best tradition of Linear B tablets. The figures refer to Professor Palaima, his then-wife Marsha Gallo, their cocker spaniel Arete, two cats adopted in Greece named Sminthia and Mycenae, and two cats they had already owned in America and brought to Greece, an Abyssinian named Rako and a Siamese named Thera.