Author: Quintus Curtius

The Meaning Of The Augury Of Safety

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

The Renaissance humanist Angelo Poliziano (1454—1494) composed a work called Miscellanies (Miscellaneorum Centuria Prima) that discussed various issues in classical literature, philology, and linguistics.  Now while this sort of work may not suitable for every taste, it is certainly congenial to mine.  What may be trifles to some, turn out to be treasure to others; and the meandering flow of critique and discussion may, like swift-moving mountain streams gurgling through sand and rock, reveal here and there some flecks of gold ore for our enrichment.

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A Sudden Punch To Shatter Glacial Rigmarole (Podcast)

Quintus Curtius Podcast , ,

When things have reached a state of paralysis or gridlock, it is often necessary to shatter the paralysis by taking decisive, muscular action.  Real leaders do not sit on their hands and wait to test the prevailing winds of opinion.  Have the moral courage to act.  Many today who call themselves “leaders” ignore or have forgotten this principle.  This podcast discusses three historical examples taken from Winston Churchill’s The World Crisis.  They show how he harnessed this concept in 1919 to break through the paralysis that had come to surround several difficult issues.

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A Dog’s Heroism During The Wreck Of HMS “Harpooner”

Quintus Curtius History , , ,

Whether our canine friends risk themselves out of a conscious sense of duty, or whether they act out of blind instinct, is a question that dog lovers and animal behaviorists will endlessly debate.  It is not an unimportant question.  For if it is true that dogs may, under some circumstances, feel the pull of obligation, then it must follow that they are capable of the noblest emotions, and the stirrings of dutiful love.  This was the question that the following sea-story raised.  Buried in a volume of forgotten nautical lore, it describes the heroics of a service dog named King during the wreck of the British transport Harpooner in Newfoundland in 1816.

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“How To Drink” (Book Review)

Quintus Curtius Current News , , ,

It is often forgotten that Latin was a primary European language of education and literature until the late eighteenth century.  University lectures were conducted in Latin; textbooks, treatises, doctoral dissertations, legal work, and government publications were composed in Latin; and scientific and religious tracts were written in Latin.  There was a thriving vernacular literature in prose and poetry in every country, of course, but this arrangement co-existed (sometimes uneasily) with the official standard.  Scholars and officials frequently debated the extent to which the vernaculars should replace Latin.  Yet anyone wanting to reach an international audience—which in those days meant the breadth of the European continent—needed to be proficient in the language.  Among the competitive and tussling European states, its neutrality and prestige meant that it was the only language accepted as an international vehicle.

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The Diamond Maker (Podcast)

Quintus Curtius Podcast ,

In this podcast, I read H.G. Wells’s short story The Diamond Maker.  The tale raises questions about the price that creative people have to pay for their efforts.  Have a listen, and see what you think.

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Some Observations On Responses To Disease Epidemics In The United States In The Eighteenth And Nineteenth Centuries

Quintus Curtius Health & Fitness, History , , ,

Disease epidemics are not new to the American scene.  In fact, of all the historic threats to national and local security, they are the type with which we probably have the most experience.  During the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries, the United States faced and dealt with outbreaks of scarlet fever, yellow fever, cholera, smallpox, tuberculosis, malaria, and influenza.  And while the innovations of medical science were often insufficient to banish these plagues, the people handled such infections with the tools available at their disposal.  National economic life did not grind to a halt; communities were not paralyzed by fear; the press did not consciously stoke the flames of hysteria; and the political system did not descend into bickering, factionalism and recrimination.  Diseases were understood to be part of the natural order of things, to be confronted with resolution and grim determination while the rhythms of life continued to strum.

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G Manifesto Tweet Reading: Lockdown Edition

Quintus Curtius Podcast , ,

You asked for it, and you got it.  This is the latest installment in the G Manifesto tweet reading podcasts, and it’s called “Lockdown Edition.”  Tune in, laugh, and catch the positive vibes.

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Even A Small Cave May Hold Calamities

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

The decrees of Fortune may be postponed, but they can never be vacated.  He who imagines that he can avoid these rulings is like the man who exerts his limited control over a raft traveling on a swiftly-moving river; he may be able to organize the furnishings on his raft, but it is the river that decides his course.  It swirls him about in its currents and eddies; it pushes him against projecting rocks and rapids; and its flux holds him firmly in its aquatic grip.  Individual effort can arrest or divert this course, but only under certain conditions.  Most men are unable to summon the required exertions of will necessary to resist such implacable torrents.  We celebrate heroism because it is so uncommon, and because it represents, in some ways, a kind of conscious rebellion against Fortune’s unfeeling mandates.

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The Six Most Important Leadership Principles (Podcast)

Quintus Curtius Podcast , ,

In this podcast, I state what I believe are the six most critical leadership traits that anyone in a position of authority needs to master.  They can be applied to nearly any circumstance or situation.

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In Trying To Avoid One Harm, You May Cause A Worse One

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

Aesop tells the following tale called “The Son and the Painted Lion.”  A fearful old man was worried about his robust son’s enthusiasm for hunting wild game.  He imagined that the son’s courage might go too far, and result in serious bodily injury or death.  So he did everything he could to shelter and sequester his son; yet his fears grew constantly, even reaching the point where he began to dream about possible disasters.

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