Year: 2015

The Story Of John The Cappadocian: Schemes And Intrigues In The Palace

Quintus Curtius History , , , ,

The Emperor Justinian (A.D. 485-565) and his wife, the Empress Theodora, are well-known sovereigns of the eastern Roman Empire.  The absolute power which centered around the throne at this period in history encouraged palace intrigues of all sorts, and their reign was no exception.  One of the more interesting stories of betrayal and revenge during their rule is that of John the Cappadocian, the Praetorian Prefect of the East.  He was a native of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and was of obscure background.  He came to the attention of the emperor somehow during the scope of his duties as a magister militum (master of soldiers).  By his own schemes he rose up through the ranks to become Praetorian Prefect around A.D. 531.

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The Conquest Of Anxiety And Fear

Quintus Curtius Thought , ,

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The foremost lesson of philosophy should be the lesson of perspective.  When I say perspective, I mean the different interpretation of events that can be given from viewing the matter from different vantage points.

What we think is a product of our relative position to an issue.

You say to me, how oppressed I am with earthly worries and anxieties.  I can barely continue in my day-to-day struggle.  I feel overwhelmed by the brutality and iniquity of the world.

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A Few Bits Of Wisdom From The Poet Claudian

Quintus Curtius Literature , , ,

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Long poems generally bore me.  Even the most eloquent verses, stacked up on each other at great length, can wear on the reader.  Perhaps every long poem is best digested as a series of short poems, read at one’s leisure.  No one ever wished a long poem to be longer.

In this spirit, I will make a short post today.  I’ll give you a little something to flavor the palate.  The heavy lifting we can do some other time.

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Your Guardian Deity

Quintus Curtius Thought , ,

Plutarch’s essay On Socrates’s Personal Deity (593A-594A) contains an idea that I find appealing.  He proposes that every man has a “personal deity” that looks out for him and helps him in a time of need.

We can think of this deity as a kind of guardian angel.

The personal deity is an experienced attendant-god or demi-god, who is well-versed in the struggles of life.  He now watches over the struggles of mortal man, and every now and then reaches down to help those he believes are deserving of his aid.

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The Strange Adventures Of Antonio Marques Da Sylva

Quintus Curtius History ,

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Toby Green’s excellent book Inquisition:  The Reign of Fear contains an interesting story that highlights how uncertain and adventurous life could be in ages past.  The story concerns one Antonio Marques da Sylva, a Brazilian man who lived in seventeenth century Bahia.

In 1647 he was married to Maria Figeuira de Abreu.  He had children with her and lived in Bahia for three years.  He then decided to sail to Portugal for business in 1650.  What seemed like a simple decision actually set in motion a bizarre sequence of events.

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How To Read A Book

Quintus Curtius Literature, Uncategorized , , ,

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I often get questions on book recommendations.  People will ask me, “What book do you recommend for learning about XYZ historical event?”

Or they will say, “What book do you recommend for learning about XYZ philosophy?”

Or whatever.

And this is fine.  I always am happy to give my opinion.  I like to discuss, to critique, and to analyze, because this is how the forward movement of knowledge works.

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Michael Collins: The Irish Prophet Of Urban Guerrilla Warfare

Quintus Curtius Biography, History , , ,

Few figures in the history of guerrilla warfare have been as influential and successful as Michael Collins (1890-1922), the Irish revolutionary leader.  His tactical and strategic mastery of urban guerrilla techniques showed what a determined minority could do against an oppressive system of domination.  His career is said to have been studied carefully by such widely disparate figures as Mao Zedong and Yitzak Shamir.

He was born on October 12, 1890 in County Cork, Ireland, as the youngest of eight children.  The Ireland into which he was born was subject to direct British rule.  But Irish nationalism was in his blood: his father’s family had had connections with the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and he imbibed from this well as a youth.

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An Excerpt From The Upcoming “Stoic Paradoxes”

Quintus Curtius Current News ,

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This fall, I will be releasing a translation of Cicero’s Stoic Paradoxes.  The book deals with some of the major questions on life and conduct that every man must confront.

The book came about in response to the many questions I received asking for good introductory texts on Stoicism.  I feel that this little book is a very useful preparatory work in the subject.

I have produced a modern and accessible translation of this work.  There will also be separate chapters on the life of Cicero, the history of Stoic thought, and a detailed synopsis of the text.  These extra materials help frame the work in proper context.

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On Making Setbacks Appear To Be Advances

Quintus Curtius History, Thought , ,

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Conflict surges back and forth.  There will be advances, and there will be reverses.  It is inevitable:  no one who is actively engaged in the games of life will be able to avoid reverses.  But then the question becomes:  how may reverses be characterized as gains?

If you believe that this is not a question worth asking, then I would disagree strongly with you.  There are times when it will be necessary to conceal the magnitude of one’s reverses, so as not to embolden the enemy.

Remember:  you will normally have very few allies.  Most people want to see you fail, so that their inaction and timidity are thereby affirmed.  We must be mindful of human nature, which in these matters resembles the proverbial crab in the bucket, clawing at every other crab, to the detriment of all.

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Paul Von Lettow-Vorbeck: The Greatest German Commander Of The Great War

Quintus Curtius Biography, History , ,

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The leadership principle of “economy of management” holds that we should strive to do more with less.  If the ability to do much with limited resources is a measure of greatness, then few field commanders in twentieth century military history are greater than Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck.  His name is relatively unknown today, but a recounting of his exploits in East Africa during the First World War leave no room for doubt that this was one of the few truly great men of that conflict.  His tactics and innovations form the foundation for modern rules of guerrilla warfare.

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