There is a passage in Cicero’s On the Nature of the Gods that is worthy of reflection and discussion. It is found in III.28 of the treatise, and reads as follows:
Continue readingThe Gift Does Not Reveal The Intentions Of The Giver
Thought
The Qualities Of The Good Attorney
The practicing attorney must play a variety of roles. The personalities and needs of his clients, and the circumstances of each case, will compel him to hone a specific set of human relations skills. I imagine this holds true for many professions. I want to describe briefly some of the more recurring roles that I have had to play in my twenty-three years of representing clients in the areas of bankruptcy and criminal defense.
Continue readingSynesius’s Wise Advice On Kingship
By 400 A.D. the Roman state was struggling with severe problems both internal and external. In 395, the Goths, a foreign nation Rome had unwisely permitted to settle within the empire’s borders, initiated an armed revolt, and laid waste to the provinces south of the Danube. “[They] boldly avowed the hostile designs,” says Gibbon, “which they had long cherished in their ferocious minds.” (Ch. XXX).
Continue readingVegetius Discusses The Importance Of The Martial Virtues
We know almost nothing of the life and career of the Roman military writer Vegetius. Historical references in his books suggest that he flourished in the late fourth century A.D. His work on Roman military affairs, De Re Militari (On Military Science) is a revealing window on the state of the empire’s military preparedness in its author’s era.
Continue readingThe Leadership Principles Of Iphicrates
History distinguishes the Athenian general Iphicrates for the superlative quality of his leadership, the extent of his martial innovations, and his understanding of the psychological dimension of war. He lived from about 418 B.C. to 353 B.C. We will discuss some of the leadership principles that may be distilled from the writings of two ancient historians, Cornelius Nepos and Polyaenus.
Continue readingAlexander And Porus Speak On Fortune And Glory
Alexander the Great’s incursions into the Indian subcontinent brought him into conflict with local rulers unwilling to submit to Macedonian rule. One of these rulers is known to history by the name Porus. The sources are vague and contradictory, but he apparently controlled the Punjabi region bordered by the Jhelum and Chenab rivers.
Continue readingThe Bad Acts Of Others Do Not Excuse Our Own
The adventures of the Armenian king Papa, who lived from A.D. 353 to about 375, are described by the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (XXX.1). Gibbon gives the king’s name as Para; other sources variously spell his name as Pap or Papa. We nod at all these spelling variations, and suggest the reader choose the one he favors most.
Continue readingThe Most Odious Of All Treacheries
There is an instructive historical anecdote that appears in the writings of both Frontinus (Stratagems IV.4) and Valerius Maximus (VI.5). It describes an incident that took place in 394 B.C. during the consulship of Camillus.
Continue readingThe Irrepressible Adaptation Of The Mind
Several days ago I read one of Edgar Allan Poe’s lesser-known stories, “The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether.” It was first published in 1845. Readers may not be familiar with the story; but as it seems to offer a useful commentary on contemporary affairs, I wanted to share my thoughts about it.
Continue readingOn Why A Slovenly Appearance Is A Form Of Muted Hostility
The Roman writer Aulus Gellius, in his Attic Nights (XIII.22), records the following anecdote. Gellius was once conversing with his teacher, one Titus Castricius, whom he describes in glowing terms as “a man of the greatest prestige and dignity.”
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Quintus Curtius 
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