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The Hardcover Edition Of “On Moral Ends” Is Now Available
The hardcover version of the groundbreaking new translation of Cicero’s On Moral Ends is now available. It can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository, Books-A-Million, and many other retailers as well. Let me know if you have any questions or issues. Some people prefer hardcover for important literary works, so I wanted…
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Movie Roundup (11/11/2018)
I’ve seen quite a few lately, along with some decent miniseries productions. But here are the highlights of the movies that most caught my attention.
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The Wise Sayings Of Al-Muhallab
The Arab military commander Al Muhallab Ibn Abi Sufra (المهلّب بن أبي صفرة الأزدي) was born around A.D. 632, but not much is known of his early life beyond anecdotes. His biographer Ibn Khallikan tells us on good authority that “His surnames Al-Azdi, Al-Ataki, [and] Al-Basri indicate that he descended from Al-Atik, member of the…
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How Were Ancient Books Made And Stored?
There has been surprisingly little information published on how books were made, edited, distributed, and stored in ancient times. Yet the subject holds real interest for many of us today. My goal in this short essay will be to summarize how books were made and stored during the Greco-Roman period. I am confident that readers…
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Whether It Is Advisable To Change Religions, Or Remain With An Inherited Faith
It is well-known that there is great variability in religious practices across the world. Climate, geography, and historical memory shape the outlook of man; and what may be routine and normal for one, may be seen as anathema to another. Yet this variability in practices does not mean that morals, or beliefs, are irrelevant; it…
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“On Moral Ends” Lectures: Part 3 (Podcast)
This podcast is the third and final lecture in a series of three on my translation of Cicero’s On Moral Ends. In this lecture, we focus on the fifth and final book of On Moral Ends, which deals with the somewhat eclectic philosophy of Antiochus of Ascalon. The speakers in book V, Cicero and Marcus…
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Washington Crosses The Delaware And Attacks
Anyone who thinks the American Revolutionary War was a gentleman’s affair has been seriously misinformed. We are sometimes given the impression that genteel types in powdered wigs maneuvered this way and that, and at the end of the day, everything was neatly wrapped up as almost a foregone conclusion. This, however, was not the case,…
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Avoiding Irritating And Boorish Habits In Conversation
We are all acquainted with those people who have not sense enough to keep a conversation flowing smoothly. They have never been taught the conversational arts; they have nothing of consequence to talk about; and they try to compensate for these deficiencies by taxing the patience of their interlocutors. I have noticed a sharp rise…
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“On Moral Ends” Lectures, Part 2 (Podcast)
This podcast, the second in a series of three, discusses the highlights of books III and IV of Cicero’s “On Moral Ends.” In these two books, Cato and Cicero aggressively debate the merits of Stoicism and its conception of the Ultimate Good. The discussion takes place at Tusculum, Italy, a place that was extensively photographed…
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The Sirens Seduced Not With Song Or Pleasure, But With The Prospect Of Knowledge
Many readers, no doubt, have heard the Homeric fable about the Sirens. These were the alluring mythical creatures who, by using their advanced powers of song, were able to divert mariners who happened to sail by the rocks they inhabited in the Mediterranean Sea. Their voices were supposed to be so seductive that sailors could not…
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“On Moral Ends” Lecture Series: Part 1
This podcast is the first of a series of three podcasts that will discuss Cicero’s treatise On Moral Ends. I have just published an illustrated, annotated translation of this rich and nuanced work, and wanted to introduce readers to the book’s major concepts and arguments. This podcast discusses the following subjects:
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Dr. Johnson Makes An Eloquent Petition For Clemency
It is a noble thing to intercede on behalf of another’s worthy cause. But the cause should be a worthy one; we must work to manage expectations; and, when every effort has been exerted, we must know when to let matters take their own course. Advocating on behalf of another in this way could almost…
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One Should Avoid Dangerous Places: The Rescue Of Euthymios And His Brethren
When considering tales from the lives of the great saints, we should be more mindful of the moral imparted by the story than strictly attentive to the accuracy of its details. We must take into account the perspective of the writer, his proximity to the events he describes, and his moral purposes. To do anything…
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“How Can I Mentor Someone Else”? (Podcast)
A reader tells how he had a very good mentor when he was young. As an older man, he now wants to be a mentor to a young person, but is not sure of the right way to go about it. We offer some suggestions.
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Euthymios Declares His Life’s Road
At some point in every man’s life, he must declare the road he wishes to follow. This statement may be openly verbal, or it may be spoken indirectly, through actions and deeds. It does not matter how the statement is made: the point is that it is made, whether the man is aware of it…
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Movie Roundup (10/14/2018)
Venom (2018) Director: Ruben Fleischer One of the things that makes Venom so refreshing is its old-school feel. The characters are not preachy, obnoxious, or offensive, and you never get the sense that the director is trying to push any kind of agenda on you. It’s just a good fable, engagingly told. This is an…
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“On Moral Ends” Is Now Available
My illustrated, annotated translation of Cicero’s De Finibus (On Moral Ends) was released today. Purchase details can be found by clicking on the image above. An audio version will be also soon be available. This article will explain the unique features of this highly original translation, and why it represents a new direction for what…
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The Right To Evolve
Anyone who has ever cleaned out his basement or attic has certainly come across writings or photos from earlier years. We are likely to wince upon reading things we wrote ten, fifteen, or twenty years ago, to the same degree that we shake our heads in bewilderment at seeing old photos of ourselves. This is…
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Legends Related To The Conquest Of Spain
Musa Ibn Nusair (موسى بن نصير) lived from 640 to 716 A.D. and served as the Umayyad governor-general of the province of Afriqiyya (North Africa). It was he who planned and directed the Arab conquest of the Gothic kingdom of Spain. The biographer Ibn Khallikan, writing in Baghdad in 1274, sketched the outline of his…
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Film Roundup (10/4/2018)
I haven’t done any film reviews in a while, so maybe it’s time to talk movies again. Here are a few recent experiences that I felt moved to write about.
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George Forster Travels Overland From Bengal To England
Little is known of the early life of British explorer George Forster. His travel memoirs, published in 1808 after his death, were edited by persons who apparently never considered that such information would be of interest to readers. We can thus only rely on what we find in scattered letters and journals. He was probably…
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Ictus Animi: The Smiting Of The Mind
We are unlikely to arrive at any awareness of things while sitting within the confines of our domestic barricades. Enlightenment requires perception; perception, sensory input; and sensory input, direct experience with the world of the living outside our familiar habitations. The leisure of contemplation, and the enticements of philosophical reflection, allow for the refinement and…
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Keep Moving Forward, No Matter What Happens (Podcast)
We discuss the importance of continuing to move forward, no matter what happens, and no matter how many bad things happen to you. Everyone’s luck changes for the better sooner or later, and you have to be in the game when it happens. We compare and contrast the experiences of Nikki Sixx of the rock band…
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The Liberation Of The Mind
From birth we are surrounded by the inherited and imposed belief systems of our environment. Such systems exert a silent force on our thinking; they channel our behaviors within defined limits, and demarcate the boundaries of conventional thought. They can become so pervasive that they escape even our own notice. We should not necessarily see…
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The Sorrow Of The Grammarian Of Basra, Iraq
Abu Faid Muwarrij al-Sadusi was a grammarian from the city of Basra, Iraq. We do not know the precise date of his birth, but he is reliably said to have died in the year A.D. 810 (year 195 in the Islamic calendar). His biographer Ibn Khallikan says that he studied at the school of Abu…
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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