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The Thief Who Stole The Pharaoh’s Money
One of Herodotus’s charms is that he is always willing to share a good tale. Some of these stories he apparently believes; others strike him as dubious. Either way, he considers them imporant, and dutifully records their details. “Those who find such things credible,” he warns us, “must make what use of them they will…
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What Do Young Men Want? (Podcast)
What do young men really want? What impulses and motivations drive their thoughts and actions? I offer four fundamental necessities.
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Francisco De Orellana’s Epic Navigation Of The Amazon
Francisco de Orellana Bejarano Pizarro y Torres de Altamirano was born in Trujillo, Spain, probably around 1511, although the precise date is uncertain. He seems to have been a relative of the conqueror of Peru, Francisco Pizarro; and this sanguinary connection, combined with opportunities for glory and wealth, may have provided the impetus for him…
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The Positivism Of Benjamin Constant
I made an effort today to visit the house and museum of Benjamin Constant in the Santa Teresa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. I had visited it some years ago and thought it would be a good idea to see it again to gain some perspective. The site was closed for renovations, unfortunately, so I…
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Selection And Supervision Are Critical In Any Great Enterprise
I have lately been rereading Candace Millard’s excellent River of Doubt, a narrative of Theodore Roosevelt’s ill-fated sojourn through the Amazon in 1914. As is well known, the expedition was plagued by a lack of adequate food supplies and equipment. This fact nearly caused the entire project to unravel once it was deep in the…
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Footprints Leading In, But None Coming Out (Podcast)
A reader is concerned that hanging around with a certain group of friends might get him into problems or trouble. He is unsure how to deal with the situation, and asks for some guidance on the best course of action. For some people, this is an easily-handled situation, but for others, it is not. We…
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The Pitfalls And Vices Of Old Age
We are afflicted by different vices in different periods of life. While much energy is spent in discussing the pitfalls and failings of youth, it is just as important to be mindful of the pitfalls of old age. It seems to me that these are especially difficult to correct if not identified for what they…
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Three Embalming Techniques Used In Ancient Egypt
Herodotus spends more time discussing Egypt than any other nation in his Histories. One gets the feeling that he very much enjoyed himself there. The amiable and curious Greek had a talent for getting along with nearly everyone; he seems to have fallen into conversation with priests and merchants in every country he visited.
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The Importance Of Thinking On One’s Feet: A Lucky Escape For Ibn Abi Muslim
We all know that the ability to think on one’s feet is an important skill. There may even be times when this ability makes the difference between survival and execution. The amusing anecdote that follows appears in Ibn Khallikan’s biographical sketch (IV.200) of a government official and administrator (مولى) named Yazid Ibn Abi Muslim, who…
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It’s Your Job To Set The Record Straight (Podcast)
After reading Charles Leerhsen’s excellent biography of baseball player Ty Cobb (Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty), it’s clear that each of us is responsible for making sure that misinformation and lies do not go unanswered. Even if you are not a baseball fan–maybe especially if you are not a baseball fan–there are very important life…
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Movie Roundup (10/5/2019)
In this podcast, we discuss two films: “Joker” (2019), and “The Killing Fields” (1984), both of which I recommend.
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Hercules And The Apple Of Athena
One of the fables of Aesop concerns Hercules and Athena. One day, Hercules was proceeding along a pathway in the mountains when he spotted an apple lying on the ground. Irritated at its presence, he decided to smash it with his club; and when he tried to do so, the apple doubled in size. Shocked,…
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Angelo Poliziano’s 1484 Description Of A Planetary Clock
In studying the writings of scholars of ages past, one often begins to suspect that they were aware of more things than we generally give them credit for. We begin to understand that the progress of knowledge is not always “upwards” in a steadily sloping straight line; there are periods of setbacks, stagnation, and decay. …
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The Illustrated, Annotated Translation Of Cornelius Nepos’s “Lives Of The Great Commanders” Is Now Available
My fully illustrated and annotated translation of Cornelius Nepos’s Lives of the Great Commanders was published on September 20, 2019. It is available in paperback, hardcover, audiobook, and Kindle editions.
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What Are We, After All?
I was recently reading some of Cicero’s letters to Atticus, and came across this sentence in one of them: Quid enim sumus, aut quid esse possumus? Domis an foris? [Epistulae XIII.10]
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Camels, Eyes Of Needles, And An Old Proverb
Readers are likely to have heard, in one form or another, the New Testament proverb, “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). The saying is an old one, and…
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Two Recent Questions From Readers (Podcast)
In this podcast we deal with two recent emails. One email asks about the military: what lessons did I learn, and how did it change me. Another email is from a man asking about what subjects he should be studying in college, and what sort of career he should pursue. There are no easy answers…
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The Chain Of Fortune Links The Fates Of Men
The British invasion of the Dardanelles in 1915 is a text-book example of how wishful thinking and imagination can override sound judgment and careful planning. The idea of knocking Turkey out of the war with an amphibious landing at Gallipoli, followed by a march on Istanbul, was in principle strategically sound; but as a practical…
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A Pineapple Plantation, Sete Cidades, Ribeira Grande, And More
Yesterday saw a lot of travel around São Miguel. We started at a pineapple plantation near Ponta Delgada. Pineapples are here called “ananas” instead of the word they use in Brazil, which is abacaxi. I’m told there is a botanical difference between these two words, depending on who you speak to. Those interested in learning…
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Visiting Lagoa Do Fogo, A Tea Factory, Santa Iria, Lagoa Das Furnas, And More
We explored more of the island of San Miguel today. Starting off early in the morning, we drove by van to the volcanic lake known as Lagoa do Fogo. It’s a very scenic drive from the city of Ponta Delgada, and I was impressed with how organized and well-planned the agricultural efforts are here.
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Ponta Delgada, San Miguel, The Azores
I arrived in Ponta Delgada on the island of San Miguel in the Azores early yesterday morning. I have had a chance to do a bit of exploring of the city, and have some short trips lined up for the coming week. I’m very impressed so far; the climate is temperate and pleasant, and the…
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On Choosing Between Alternatives
Many times in life we will be faced with a choice between two or more alternatives. As we weigh each option, it may become difficult to know which choice is best; the strengths and merits of each possibility cancel each other out, and we are left only with indecision.
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Where Have All The Leaders Gone? (Podcast)
Does it sometimes seem as if there are no leaders of substance any more? That, as we look around the world, or around our nation, every so-called “leader” is a mediocrity who does nothing of consequence? Did leaders of previous eras have better character and overall fortitude? We ask whether this sweeping generalization has some…
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The Merciful Filtration Of Memory
James Boswell, in his 1785 memoir Tour to the Hebrides, makes the following psychological observation:
Original copy of Cicero’s De Officiis (On Duties) published in Holland in 1642. From the collection of Fortress of the Mind.
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