Author: Quintus Curtius

The Guardian Spirit And The Idea Of “Genii”

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

Most of us are familiar with the idea of the “patron saint” in Christianity.  The doctrine is even found in some branches of Islam.  It is a  comforting thing to believe that there is someone out there watching over us, and protecting us in an hour of need.  I never used to give this idea much serious thought until recent years.  But the idea predates Christianity; it was absorbed into Christianity from beliefs that came before it.  The idea of the “guardian spirit” was a commonly-accepted one in the late classical world, as this passage from the historian Ammianus Marcellinus reveals:

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Forensic Linguistics: The Footprint Of Language

Quintus Curtius Language , , , ,

There is a very good miniseries playing on Netflix right now called Manhunt:  Unabomber.  It is a drama about the pursuit and capture of Theodore Kaczynski, the so-called “Unabomber” who confounded law enforcement for decades until he was finally captured in 1996.  His case had been the longest and costliest in American law enforcement history.  The drama closely tracks real events; the producers of the series (which stars Sam Worthington) made a conscious effort to reproduce the facts of the case with fidelity.

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Reach Out And Help Someone Else During The Holiday Season

Quintus Curtius Podcast , ,

During this holiday season, try to reach out to someone who needs a hand and try to show some kindness. Too often, we all get so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget other people also need help.

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John Lewis Burckhardt’s Pioneering Explorations And Travels In Arabia

Quintus Curtius Travel & Exploration , ,

Before Sir Richard Burton, there was John Lewis Burckhardt.  Like many of the great names featured in these pages, he is little known today; but he sacrificed his life in the cause of discovery, and acquired a knowledge of the Arabic language and Islamic customs that has been surpassed by very few–if any–Westerners.  Had he lived longer, his achievements would likely have gotten the recognition that they deserved from posterity.

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The Need To Escape (Podcast)

Quintus Curtius Film, Thought, Travel & Exploration , ,

The theme of this podcast is the subject of escape, and how it is connected with travel and discovery. We explore this theme through the prism of two recent movies: “The Last Days” (2013) and “The Way Back” (2010).

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The Incredible Life And Explorations Of John Ledyard

Quintus Curtius Biography, History, Travel & Exploration , , ,

Of all the explorers and travelers I have written about, few are as fascinating and as little-known today as the American adventurer John Ledyard.  He lived from 1751 to 1789, during the seminal years of American history; and his travels across the globe (especially in Russia and Siberia) mark him out as a man who deserves far more recognition than he has received from posterity.  In fact, as I was researching his life in preparation for this article, I could hardly believe that his name had sunk into such undeserved oblivion.  Let us give him his due now.

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Separate Your Opponent From His Source Of Strength

Quintus Curtius History, Thought , , , ,

When we are dealing with an opponent of substantial power, we should try to cut him off from his source of strength.  If he can be made incapable of drawing on his strengths, he will be weakened; and so weakened, isolated; and if isolated, destroyed.  Everything has a source of strength, whether we are talking about a person, an animal, a machine, a group, a nation.  So the first step will be to identify this power source.

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The Presence Of Death (Podcast)

Quintus Curtius Film , , , ,

We explore the theme of the presence of death through two movies: “Biutiful” (2010) and “Amour” (2012). We also discuss Polydore Vergil’s comments on the burial customs of various peoples, as I outlined in my article of December 6 here at Fortress of the Mind.

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The “Voyager” Program: Mankind’s Most Distant And Awesome Explorations

Quintus Curtius History, Travel & Exploration , , ,

We have in these pages chronicled the feats of great explorers of previous eras.  Yet our own era has witnessed what is perhaps the greatest, most awe-inspiring feat of exploration in the history of the man on earth:  the Voyager program that made its way through the outer solar system.  This was to be an exploration much different in kind from the great expeditions of old.  There were no pack mules, native guides, or recalcitrant companions; but there were the same incredible risks of environment and circumstance that have accompanied exploration from the time the Phoenicians first circumnavigated Africa.  The Voyager probes were man’s first tentative steps to walk beyond the confines of his own planet.  Perhaps when the long perspective is finally taken by our remote descendants, the Voyager program will rank among the most the most significant event in the history of our species.

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On Meetings And Separations: The Wisdom Of Two Scholars Of Al-Andalus

Quintus Curtius Biography, Thought , , ,

We have paid a price for the media age.  Yes, it is true that we have access to huge volumes of information (or mindless trash, depending on your perspective); but the average person is now so deluged with tsunamis of inanity that it is a full-time responsibility just to sift out what is of value from what is not.  Some people are not able to do this–or do not want to do it–and swim in mental sewage.  Others are able to do it, and can ascend to the loftiest heights of knowledge and perception.  Every man makes his own choice as to which world he prefers to inhabit.

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