History

The Lizzie Borden Murders

Quintus Curtius History , ,

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Writing recently about the O.J. Simpson murders has rekindled an interest in another infamous American crime story, one that is not as well-known to modern readers.  The Lizzie Borden axe murders of 1892 were in their day somewhat comparable to the Simpson case:  both trials were highly publicized, the jury’s perceptions were skewed by preconceptions about race and gender, and–most importantly–in both cases the killers got away scot-free.  The equivalence is not absolute, however.  If the murders in the Simpson case were crimes of passion, the Borden killings were all about profit.  It is this fact, perhaps, that makes the Lizzie Borden story even more chilling and despicable than the Simpson case.

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The Lazarus Taxon: Something “Raised From The Dead”

Quintus Curtius History, Thought , ,

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There is a concept in biology called the Lazarus taxon.  The word taxon (plural taxa) means a taxonomic category, as a species or genus.  The term is used to describe animals or plants that vanish from the fossil record for long periods of time, only to “reappear” at a different point in history.  Organisms long thought to be extinct suddenly appear on the scene.  Why does this happen?  The biologists tell us it can be for many reasons:  the fossil record is sporadic, and not all species are preserved in it.  Some are; and some are not.  The reason why the word Lazarus is used is because it refers to the New Testament story of Lazarus being “raised from the dead.”

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How Benito Mussolini Took Power

Quintus Curtius History ,

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Stalin biographer Stephen Kotkin spends several pages of his book discussing the lessons to be learned from Mussolini’s seizure of power in Italy in the early 1920s.  It was something that happened gradually, in stages, when institutions that should have been able to bring him to heel did nothing, either due to their own lack of resolution or tacit support of his power grab.

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Seeking One’s Fortune, And Meeting George Washington

Quintus Curtius History, Travel & Exploration , ,

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François-René de Chateaubriand (1768-1848) was a French writer, diplomat and historian famous for his posthumous autobiography Memoirs from Beyond the Tomb.  The book is appealing for its admixture of blunt honesty and romantic reflection that capture the spirit of the times in a way that enables the reader to feel he is a participant himself.

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The Ship Of Aeneas: A Unique And Mysterious Vessel

Quintus Curtius History ,

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In life and in history, there are a great many things we do not know, and will never know.  Corporeal images recede slowly into the mist:  some to return, some to glimmer faintly without revealing tangible form, and some never to be seen again.  It is the way with things.

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The Chilling Origins Of The “Sardonic Laugh”

Quintus Curtius History , ,

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One of the great things about history, literature, and philosophy is that these subjects have the ability to take us down dark rabbit-holes every now and then.  I think H.P. Lovecraft once said something like “seekers after knowledge haunt strange and dark places.”  I can’t remember the exact quote, but it was along these lines.  I was reminded of just how dark these can be last night as I was going through Procopius’s History of the Wars (a regular companion of mine for some months now).  Anthony Kaldellis’s wonderful edition of this neglected work proves once again that the right translation of a work can make all the difference in whether a book blossoms into life or falls flat.

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You Need Redundancy And Back-Up Systems

Quintus Curtius History , , ,
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From the years 540 to 562, the Eastern Roman Empire under Justinian was engaged in a drawn out struggle against the Sassanid Persians under Chosroes (Khosrow).  This contest is usually called the “Persian War.”  Many illuminating incidents that happened during this conflict I have used in previous articles here.  Another one highlights the need for redundancy and “back-up” systems as security in times of trouble.  We are aware of this principle when it comes to computing and software, but it can be applied to many other fields of activity.  The following story demonstrates this principle.

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James Webb On The Fighting Abilities Of The Viet Cong And NVA

Quintus Curtius History , , ,

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Veterans of the Vietnam War have strong opinions of the fighting qualities of their adversaries. Some of them are open in their admiration for the enemy; other less so, even to the point of contempt.  Some veterans consider them to be masters of deception, discipline, and skill; others scorn such talk as propaganda fueled by a hostile press and an ignorant public.  The truth may be somewhere between these extremes.  The VC and NVA may not have been the supermen legend made them out to be, but it cannot be denied that they won the war.  Clearly they must have been doing something right.

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An Epitaph For Fidel Castro: The Failure Of Self-Mastery

Quintus Curtius Biography, History , ,

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He was from youth a strong-willed and charismatic man, certain of the correctness of his ideas and the importance of his mission. It is probably true that in the beginning he genuinely wanted the best for his country, and he was possessed of a burning desire to right the wrongs he saw all around him. Cuba under his predecessors was little more than a huge plantation, exploited at will by corrupt elites and foreign powers.  His certitude gave him a charisma which the credulity of the commons mistook for leadership.

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An Unexpected Consequence Of The Crusades

Quintus Curtius History , ,

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On the subject of the results of the Crusades, much has been written.  The effects were profound and stimulating, practically too numerous to be mentioned here.  At that time, Europe was behind the East in arts, knowledge, and refinement.  Edward Gibbon tells us:

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