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The Bricklayer Of Granada: A Tale Of The Alhambra
I was lucky enough today to find an old copy of Washington Irving’s Tales of the Alhambra; the volume is lavishly illustrated and was actually published in Granada in the late 1940s. The following tale is found in this Andalusian collection; it reminds us of the influence of Fortune in the lives of mortals, a…
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The Recruit In The Soviet Army
In 1982 a former Soviet officer using the pen name Viktor Suvorov published a book entitled Inside the Soviet Army. The book discussed the doctrines, tactics, and organization of the Soviet Army. Reading it today feels like opening a time capsule; we even begin to feel in its pages a trace of nostalgia for the…
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The Syrian Lightning: The Fleeting Pleasures Of Imad Al-Din Al-Isfahani
The Persian scholar and poet Imad al-Din al-Isfahani (عماد الدين الأصفهاني) was an important figure in medieval Arabic literature. He was born in Isfahan in Persia in 1125 and studied in Baghdad. We are told that he studied law at the Nizamiya college there, but he preferred literature and adventure. His proficiency in letters brought…
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Sallust Is Now Available As An Engaging Audio Book
I am pleased to announce that my translation of Sallust’s Conspiracy of Catiline and The War of Jugurtha is now available as an audio book on Amazon and iTunes (click on the image above). The book is engagingly read by narrator Saethon Williams, who captures Sallust’s stirring narrative style. These great historical works are not…
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The Oppressive Burdens Of The Powerful
Many men are in the habit of seeing only the privileges of the powerful, while failing to take note of the crushing burdens that such men must carry. Nothing in this world is gifted to us for free; there is a price to be paid for every acquisition, every privilege, and every benefit. This cost…
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The Journey Through Life, And Out Of Life
When one examines the characters of different civilizations, one begins to notice commonalities of concern. That is, recurring patterns. Especially in the most ancient of civilizations. There is this obsession with capturing the Spirit of Life, mastering its principles, and using that Mastery as a sort of pole-vault—if you will—to leap over the Wall of…
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Giano Della Bella Confronts The Nobility And Institutes Reforms
The city-state of Florence in the late 13th century was suffering from an imbalance of political and economic power. In its hands, the nobility had concentrated vast powers to the exclusion of the common citizens, who were either ignored or deliberately disenfranchised. Political leaders functioned as the hand-puppets of powerful families–the medieval equivalent of the…
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Now Available: The Audio Book Of “Stoic Paradoxes”
The audio book of my translation of Cicero’s Stoic Paradoxes is now available on Amazon, iTunes, and Audible. You can find it by clicking on the image above. The audio book is complete and unabridged; it contains the complete texts of Stoic Paradoxes, as well as the Dream of Scipio, along with summaries and commentary.
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Rejecting Cynicism And Nihilism, And Embracing An Ennobling Vision
It is the responsibility of every man to keep himself out of the abyss. Yet he cannot do this job alone; a set of guiding principles must light the way along the dark and confusing pathways of the forest. In some cases, he must be hectored, badgered, cajoled, and—in the end—forced to keep along the…
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Two Relationship Questions From Readers (Podcast)
This podcast deals with two different questions I recently received: 1. A guy in his early 20s feels like his girlfriend is holding him back and smothering him, but he’s not sure how to handle the situation. 2. A girl in her 20s is feeling frustrated that she can’t find the kind of long-term relationship…
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Even Trivial Incidents Can Spark Disaster When Wise Leadership Is Absent
The astute observer of affairs will keep his finger on the pulse of unfolding events. He will make his observations, draw his own conclusions, and adjust his behavior accordingly. It is of no use to pretend that something is not what it clearly is; to live in denial is to live with a suspended sentence…
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The Life And Travels Of Leo Africanus
The diplomat and traveler now known as Leo Africanus was born Hasan Ibn Muhammad al-Wazan al-Fasi (حسن ابن محمد الوزان الفاسي) in the early 1490s in Spanish Grenada; of the exact date we are not certain. This period was not a favorable one to be an Andalusian Arab in Spain, as the last vestiges of…
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Military Adventurism Brings Disaster To The Reckless
In the year 1260, Tuscany was engulfed in war. The cities of Florence and Siena were engaged in mutual hostilities. About twenty-five miles from Siena was located the small town of Montalcino, which happened to be a friend and ally of Florence. The Sienese hoped that by staging an attack on Montalcino they might be able to compel…
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A Great Interview
This past weekend I had a great interview with the guys from GorillaRadio.tv. You can see it here:
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The Porfirio Insight: Knowing Where You Came From, And Where You’re Going
This is the third podcast I’ve done on Michael Porfirio, aka The G Manifesto. They’ve proven to be extremely popular. In this latest episode, we talk about the “Porfirio Insight”: the ability to step outside yourself, take stock in your life, and see where you are headed. It’s all about the journey, and whether the…
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The Fall Of Singapore: The Price Of Inept Leadership
It is a pleasant thing to recall our victories. Far less pleasant is to be reminded of our defeats. And yet there is something sublime in the recounting of a disaster; provided, of course, one does not have to be on the spot at the time of its unfolding. Catastrophes provide more fertile material for…
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Be Scrupulous About What You Write: The Lesson Of Rhazes
Abū Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyyā al-Rāzī (known in the West by his Latinized name Rhazes) is considered one of the most original and accomplished of the medieval Muslim physicians. An impressive list of achievements is linked to his name: he pioneered the study of pediatrics, ophthalmology, synthesized laboratory acids, composed treatises on smallpox and measles,…
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A Few Travel Tips I Learned Last Week (Podcast)
You can always learn something new on the road. Here are a few travel lessons I learned last week that might be useful for your own trips.
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Coming In December 2018: A New Annotated And Illustrated Translation Of Cicero’s “On Moral Ends”
In December, Fortress of the Mind Publications will be releasing my new annotated and illustrated translation of Cicero’s work On Moral Ends (De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum). This announcement will provide some details about the book and what it contains.
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Case Studies In Conflict: Richard Overy’s “War: A History In 100 Battles”
We hear a lot of talk about “new generations” of warfare. Everything is supposed to be new, different, and immutably changed from previous eras of conflict. Some people have even taken to numbering what they see as historical phases of warfare. First generation, second generation, third generation, etc. While there is some merit to this…
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The Ghosts Of Cumae
The ancient town of Cumae was the oldest Greek colony in the west. It was founded in the last quarter of the 8th century B.C. From the town’s acropolis one can see the island of Procida and its smaller islet of Vivara; farther away is the island of Ischia. Mycenaean artifacts have been found on…
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Driving On The Amalfi Coast
This was one of the best drives of my life. If you ever have the chance to see the Amalfi Coast, see it. This is not some ride through the same sea-side villages you’ve seen in other places: it is something very different. It’s a community that is literally built into the cliffs and rocks…
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The Road To Tusculum
Today I visited the site of the old Roman town of Tusculum. It is located in the Alban Hills outside Rome, near the modern town of Frascati. It is close to Barco Borghese, Monte Porzio Catone, and Montecompatri. In Cicero’s day, Tusculum was known as a fashionable spot for the elite to have summer villas. …
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On The Banquets Of Montezuma
There must be many times when the participants in great historical events can scarcely believe their good fortune in being present to witness the momentous events in question. Chance has its role in history; and whether Fortune or virtue plays the deciding role in human events is a question that we must leave to the…
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Sometimes You Have To Be Wrong (Podcast)
Our society places too much emphasis on the individualistic need to win every argument, to be right in all things, and to impose our will on others. Sometimes, you need to swallow your pride and let things go for the sake of preserving harmony. Stop trying to be “right” all the time. You will find…
Original copy of Cicero’s De Officiis (On Duties) published in Holland in 1642. From the collection of Fortress of the Mind.
Quintus Curtius 
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