The phrase "ancient references" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing historical texts, artifacts, or sources that are from a long time ago and are relevant to a particular topic or context.
Example: "The historian examined ancient references to understand the cultural practices of early civilizations."
Alternatives: "historical citations" or "old sources".
The only two ancient references, those in Suetonius and in Dio, refer not to gladiators but to naumachiarii, men condemned to die, and even these references are to one specific episode, the circumstances of which indicate that the supposed salute was not even a regular salute of the naumachiarii.
Even the name Bathonea is a placeholder, inspired by two ancient references: the first-century historian Pliny the Elder's "Natural History," which refers to the river feeding the lake as Bathynias; and a work by a ninth-century Byzantine monk, Theophanes, who called the region Bathyasos.
The libretto includes other ancient references that presuppose a degree of audience familiarity, though its broad plot outlines are clear enough.
Ancient references to the poet's "companions" and "students" have led one expert to argue that Sappho was the leader of a female collective, whose role was "instruction leading to marriage".
Others, noting ancient references to expensive dedications stored in that room, believe it served as a treasury of some kind — perhaps for part of the immense fortune that belonged to the Delian League.
The symbols will be familiar to followers of Mr. Kiefer's oeuvre, and it is striking how at home his art looks in the precincts of the Louvre, with its somber tones and ancient references.
This ancient reference is appropriate, for life in Egypt revolved around agriculture.
ERIC MCCORMACK: I was only surprised because things are moving so fast that "Will & Grace" seemed like an ancient reference.
A few facts can be inferred by triangulating various sources: the poems themselves, ancient reference works, citations in later classical writers who had access to information that has since been lost.
The title Mapa de una parte de la America Septentrional uses the old term "septentrional" meaning "of the north". This term is derived from an ancient reference to the seven stars of the Big Dipper, used by navigators to find the North Star, and subsequently the name for North America that appears on many early maps.
The best known ancient reference is God's own description in Exodus (3.14): "I am that I am".
