In this podcast, I offer a short selection of Latin readings from Cornelius Nepos, Cicero, and Sallust, at the request of a follower on Twitter (@DingoStar64).
Continue readingA Selection Of Latin Readings (Podcast)
The White Towel
The Soviet defector and writer Victor Suvorov published a book in 1987 called Spetsnaz: The Inside Story of the Soviet Special Forces. Suvorov, whose real name is Vladimir Bogdanovich Rezun, was himself a Spetsnaz veteran and a Soviet intelligence officer. I enjoyed his book Inside the Soviet Army as well; and he has written other volumes which I have not yet had the opportunity to examine.
Continue readingThe Audiobook Of The New Translation Of Cicero’s “On The Nature Of The Gods” Is Now Available
We’re pleased to announce that the audiobook of the new translation of Cicero’s On the Nature of the Gods is now available on Amazon’s Audible. To take a look at it, and hear a audio sample, you can click here. Audiobooks add a whole new dimension to the learning experience. The translation is available in four different formats: Kindle, paperback, hardcover, and now audiobook.
If you have questions, please email me at qcurtius@gmail.com.
The Nightmare Wreck Of The “Nottingham Galley”
Would a captain deliberately wreck his own ship, or turn it over to privateers, in order to collect insurance money? This is one of the central questions surrounding the strange and controversial story of the British merchant ship Nottingham Galley, which was wrecked off the coast of Maine in December of 1710. It is a dark and compelling incident, one which will invite readers to draw their own conclusions as to what actually happened.
Continue readingInto A Dark Forest
In very ancient times there was a dense, feared, and trackless forest that separated the territory of Rome from that of Etruria. It was called the Ciminian Forest (Silva Ciminia), and it was a region that the Romans avoided.
Continue readingAnecdotes Related To Ya’qub Ibn Al-Laith Al-Saffar, Founder Of The Saffarid Dynasty
Ya’qub Ibn Al-Laith Al-Saffar was the founder of the Saffarid Dynasty of Sistan. He lived from A.D. 840 to 879, and rose from humble origins in Afghanistan to conquer an immense area comprising parts of Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Continue readingThe Bixby Letter
Those who have seen the movie Saving Private Ryan (1998) will recall a scene where the actor playing General George Marshall reads to his staff an eloquent and moving letter of condolence written by President Abraham Lincoln to a Mrs. Lydia A. Bixby during the Civil War. This justly famous epistle, now known as the Bixby Letter, is reproduced below. Who will protest at our quoting it in full here?
Continue readingGratitude Links To Attitude (Podcast)
Gratitude is what determines our attitude and outlook on life. When we are imbued with a sense of thankfulness, when we look at the world from this perspective, doors open up for us. But if we see everything from a negative, grievance perspective, then we are unable to make progress–and in fact go backwards. We discuss an example.
Continue readingThe Leadership Of Captain Thrupp
Tales of superlative leadership abound in naval history. Through the study of historical examples, we are instructed in the qualities and characteristics of proper command. In early 1871 the British Admiralty sent a detachment of soldiers and marines to Australia aboard the iron screw frigate Megaera. The ship carried 42 officers, 44 marines, 180 seamen, and 67 boys, for a total of 333. After stopping briefly at the Cape of Good Hope, the Megaera embarked on the long journey across the Indian Ocean to Sydney. It was anticipated that the vessel would reach its destination by July 5.
Continue readingThe Object Of Unceasing Pursuit
One of Poe’s lesser-known stories, The Domain of Arnheim, seems to offer his theory of aesthetics. I say “seems to,” because the dream-like quality of the story leaves the reader with more than a residue of ambiguity.
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Quintus Curtius 
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