Author: Quintus Curtius

The Leadership Of Captain Thrupp

Quintus Curtius History , , , ,

Tales of superlative leadership abound in naval history. Through the study of historical examples, we are instructed in the qualities and characteristics of proper command. In early 1871 the British Admiralty sent a detachment of soldiers and marines to Australia aboard the iron screw frigate Megaera.  The ship carried 42 officers, 44 marines, 180 seamen, and 67 boys, for a total of 333.  After stopping briefly at the Cape of Good Hope, the Megaera embarked on the long journey across the Indian Ocean to Sydney.  It was anticipated that the vessel would reach its destination by July 5. 

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The Object Of Unceasing Pursuit

Quintus Curtius Literature, Thought , , , ,

One of Poe’s lesser-known stories, The Domain of Arnheim, seems to offer his theory of aesthetics.  I say “seems to,” because the dream-like quality of the story leaves the reader with more than a residue of ambiguity.

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The Delusion Of Indispensability

Quintus Curtius Thought , , , ,

More futility than nobility is found in the wars of the emperor Justinian.  His capable general Belisarius reconquered Africa and Italy, humbling the strutting pride of the Vandals and Goths; but these fugacious victories only hastened the West’s final ruin.

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Your Own Lying Eyes

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Sphinx is not one that readers may be immediately familiar with.  Despite having been composed in 1850, its lesson resonates powerfully in the age of social media and unrelenting news cycles.

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The Necessity Of Unity And Cohesion

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

In 1870 an obscure French army officer and military theorist named Charles Jean Jacques Joseph Ardant du Picq died from wounds he received during an engagement of the Franco-Prussian War.

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The New Translation Of Cicero’s “On The Nature Of The Gods” Is Now Available (Podcast)

Quintus Curtius Podcast , , ,

Last week the new translation of Cicero’s On The Nature Of The Gods was published. It is available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle. An audiobook version will come out next month. This podcast explains what the book is about, why it is important, and the special features my translation has. I also read the translation’s Foreword.

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Ancient Contacts Between The Roman Empire And China

Quintus Curtius History, Travel & Exploration , ,

The curious mind may be puzzled by the apparent paucity of commercial and cultural contacts between the Roman and Chinese empires.  That these two mighty states seem to have had such meager intercourse with each other, for so many centuries, is one of the oddities of antique history. 

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The New Translation Of Cicero’s “On The Nature Of The Gods” Is Now Available

Quintus Curtius Current News , , ,

The new, annotated translation of Cicero’s classic On the Nature of the Gods (De Natura Deorum) is now available in paperback, hardcover (with classic dust-jacket), and Kindle editions. An audiobook edition will follow in October.

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Benjamin Franklin’s Levee: A Warning Against Concentrations Of Power

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

Readers may not be aware that one of the meanings of the word levee is an assemblage of visitors before a sovereign.  It was in this sense of the word that Benjamin Franklin composed a short but pointed commentary on an Old Testament parable from the Book of Job, which he entitled “The Levee.” 

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The “Excessive Questions Warrior”

Quintus Curtius Podcast , ,

There is a certain personality type that anyone offering a service is aware of. I call him the Excessive Questions Warrior. This is someone who peppers you will extended, excessive questions about their issue, with an inordinate focus on your capabilities. The purpose is to exert control or dominance over the interaction. Such people are never going to hire you. Either someone trusts you and and is willing to take guidance from you, or they do not. We discuss how to spot these types, and how to handle them.

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