The topic that first led me to become an editor on Wikipedia was
onomastics, the study of proper names. For several years I had searched for information about
Latin and
Etruscanpersonal names, cataloging and categorizing names by origin, meaning, and usage. Wikipedia gave me the opportunity to share relatively obscure information about a fascinating topic. In the past, I also scoured historical sources for names of
Germanic origin, organizing them by theme and linguistic variation, and have dabbled in similar projects involving
Hebrew,
Slavic, and
Japanese names.
I'm also interested in the study of
Greek and
Roman religion, specifically topics related to the nature and
mythology of the gods, and in particular the progeny of the
Titans. I was first introduced to these subjects through
D'Aulaire'sNorse Gods and Giants when I was six, and Greek Myths when I was eleven. Since then I've enjoyed reading about Greek,
Norse, and
Ancient Egyptian religion, as well as the myths of
Sumeria and other cultures of the ancient near east, which introduced many of the traditions common to Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
I've also spent time studying the
History of ancient Egypt, with emphasis on the various dynasties of
Egyptian kings, and similar topics from other cultures, including the ancient kings of the Germanic peoples, found in the
Saxon Chronicle and other sources. From my interest in names, I've developed a great deal of interest in the
Magistrates of the
Roman Republic, and the numerous
gentes from which they came.
I've completely revised and expanded the article,
praenomen, and created separate articles for each of the masculine praenomina. I intend to go back and revise the other sections of the article over the coming months.
I also expanded and overhauled the article,
gens, about the Roman family structure.
The
List of Roman gentes, a work in progress, is an attempt to treat all of the known families in a systematic and orderly fashion. Most of the information for these articles comes from the
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, edited by
William Smith. However, these articles are intended to expand and improve on the original material, by adding new discoveries and providing historical background for each gens, together with discussions of the praenomina, stirpes and cognomina associated with each gens, and a list of all known individuals who belonged to the gens, linking to separate articles whenever there appears to be enough information to justify them.
Curia, major revision and expansion, focusing on both the thirty curiae of the comitia curiata, and the history of the senate house.
Tribune of the Plebs, a new article based loosely on the core of Tribune, considerably expanded and given additional sourcing.
Tribune, pruned and cleaned up after making Tribune of the Plebs a separate article; consolidated and elaborated on material about military tribunes, tribune of the celeres, and added section on the consular tribunes.
The Animal Sha. (After an original by E.A. Wallis Budge)
Sha (animal) is an attempt to describe the totemic animal of the god
Set, otherwise known only as the Set animal or Typhonian animal.
Other
John Reinhard Weguelin, an English painter and watercolourist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, specializing in classical and allegorical figures, as well as the female form in nature. Nearly forgotten today, I felt that the beauty and warmth of his work deserved a more substantial article than the stub I found in March, 2012.
Mermaid of Zennor, an article I stumbled across while working on the Weguelin article. Revised for readability and to delete unsupported and biased speculation about the origin of the legend.
Camden Park (amusement park), a revision and expansion of the original article, with detailed descriptions of current and former rides and attractions.
Oil spill, documented three spills at the top of the list of largest spills in history, after finding sources detailing the size and scope of three spills associated with the 1991 Persian Gulf War; most notably, the Kuwaiti Oil Fires, resulting in the uncontrolled release and destruction of more oil than any other spill, by at least two orders of magnitude.
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