Thought

The Wisdom Of Ibn Zafar al-Siqilli And Abu Bakr al-Khowarizmi

Quintus Curtius Literature, Thought , , , ,

The writer and scholar Ibn Zafar al-Siqilli lived from 1104 to about 1170.  The cognomen al-Siqilli (“the Sicilian”) was given to him because he was born on the island of Sicily.  There are a number of important works credited to his name, the most famous of which is a book of ethical and political philosophy called Consolation for the Master Who Suffers From the Hatred of His Servants (the brilliant Arabic title, written in the rhyming prose typical of Arabic literature, is سلوان المطاع في عدوان الأتباع‎).  In English, this work is often referred to simply as the Sulwan al-Mutaa’.  The book was composed in 1159, during the time of the second Norman king of Sicily, William the Bad.  Sicily (Sakalliya) had been an Arab emirate from A.D. 831 to 1091.

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A Portuguese Translation Of “On The Forgetting Of Offenses And Insults”

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

My essay On the Forgetting of Offenses and Insults has graciously and capably been translated into Portuguese by Mr. Daniel Castro, proprietor of the site Nuvem de Giz.

The translation can be found here.

 

To Comprehend, You Must Have The Desire To Comprehend

Quintus Curtius Language, Thought , , ,

If you want to understand someone, you must have the desire to hear that person.  You must have the willingness to open up your mind,  to open up your heart, and be prepared to receive the communication that he or she is sending out.  If this open-mindedness is not there, you will not hear the other person, even if he happens to speak your language.  You will close your mind, and no words uttered by the other party will make any difference.

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The Symbols Of Power Are Not Substitutes For Real Power

Quintus Curtius Thought , ,

Some are tempted to confuse the symbols of power with the reality of power.  They are not the same thing.  Power is the one thing that cannot be faked.  For a time, perhaps, the bluffer can maintain an illusion of authority; he can go through his empty pantomime, imagining he is fooling everyone; but sooner or later, the truth will shine through.  And then he will discover that the only one who has been deceived is himself.  Symbolism, bombast, and slight-of-hand are no substitutes for the real thing.  Some anecdotes from the historian Ammianus Marcellinus, so often mentioned in these pages, help us to reinforce this point.

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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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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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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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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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When To Wait, And When To Strike

Quintus Curtius Thought , , , , ,

There are times in a leader’s experience when it will be prudent to watch and await developments.  Sometimes more is to be gained by figuratively taking off one’s pack, sitting down on the side of the road, and monitoring the flow of events, than by leaping into the fray.  On the other hand, there are also just as many–if not more–times when decisive and speedy action is necessary to deal with a nascent problem.  Knowing when to wait and when to act is one of those key questions that we all have to confront sooner or later.  It is ultimately a tactical decision for which no firm rules can be laid out:  every situation must be evaluated on its own merits.

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Portents And Divination: Themis, Iris, And The Goddesses Of Fate

Quintus Curtius Thought , , , , ,

The belief in portents and auguries was common before the modern era.  We moderns, comfortably ensconced in our towers of science and “rationalism,” are likely to view with extreme skepticism the notion that future events can be foretold.  Such a view would appear to some as a superstitious relic from a less enlightened era.  Or so we would like to imagine.

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