Professor Marblestone

On Tuesday, a great man died, Howard Marblestone. He was my classics teacher at Lafayette, and in all honesty the man who started me on my path towards studying ancient history. Always kind and gentle, he always came to class with tales of ancient history or mythology and a smile. He was a great professor not because his teaching style was so unique or amazing, but rather because he was more concerned that you learned what he taught. His syllabi were more of a guideline then a rule. If a certain era took him longer to teach, it was fine. If you or the class had a problem with an exam or paper due date, he was flexible. He made learning not a tedious, difficult challenge, but rather something enjoyable. While his lectures were not always exciting, they were full of information and he was able to keep them interesting with fun anecdotes of ancient history.

My first class with him was in Ancient Greece, where I grew to enjoy and look forward to. He spent the time and effort to learn everyone’s name in the class (a remarkable achievement with a class of 45 students). I didn’t really know him that well at that time, but I decided to take his class on Ancient Rome the following year. This was the beginning of my relationship with him. He remembered me from the previous year, and we often would joke about some of the ancient history we were discussing while in class. When I saw he was teaching a class in Classical Mythology, I jumped. While I knew a lot of mythology already, I got the chance to take a class on the subject and learn more about how the Greeks used religion as the basis for their society. Looking back now, I wish I had taken the chance to take either Latin or Greek from him, as languages were his true passion. I regret not getting closer to him, but what I learned from him I shall always treasure.

Upon hearing of his death, I was shocked. I went out on the balcony outside the Academic Center here in Athens and I stared for a while at the scenery, and the Acropolis. He sent me an email about a week ago telling me about his first trip to Athens and seeing the Acropolis. He said “In a way, that feeling of wonder and awe never ceases, only intensifies.” I have come to realize he is right. He dedicated himself to all things ancient, and while his focus was mostly on linguistics, he willingly taught the history classes which eventually brought me here to Athens. He was even willing to help me on thesis next year in any way he could, despite his retirement. To this end, I’m dedicating this blog and all my experiences and memories I make here in Greece to his memory. I shall always remember him, and what he taught me. RIP.