Like any bored high school or college student, I made doodles and drawings in the margins and reverse pages of my class notebooks. In high school I was already intent on studying Greek and Latin classics and their art and literature. This doodle of an ancient battle is meant to depict the war between the armies of Caesar and Pompey on the Greek coast in 48 BCE. Caesar is on the charging horse at left, labeled as "Caesar" and Pompey (labeled "Pompeius") is cringing on the right, as his forces fail in battle.
The tiny school image is an imitation of a famous battle scene found in the volcano-stricken town of Pompeii. The Roman image, done in mosaic, depicts a battle between Alexander the Great and the Persian King Darius, which I must have encountered in art history class or something like it. This scene is presented on the very interesting site of space artist Don Davis. My ink doodle here is only 8" x 5" on notebook paper. Back in the 60s when I did this I could have no idea how it would be exhumed from mildewed deposits and broadcast to the world on a magic Network that was only a concept at that time.
Roman Battle scene is black fountain pen ink on notebook page, 8" x 5", late 1960s. Click for larger view.
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