The Brutal Siege Of Amida

Quintus Curtius History , ,

The Persian king Shapur II (A.D. 309–379) decided early in his reign to recover by force several of the Roman Empire’s eastern provinces, especially the rich lands of Mesopotamia and Armenia.  In the year 359 he focused his attention on capturing the city of Amida; the city was located in the spot currently occupied by Diyarbakir in Turkey.  Its extended siege and dramatic fall are recounted in detail by Ammianus Marcellinus, whose account (Res Gestae XVIII.9) forms the primary source for the present article.  The historian was personally present during the siege and took part in its defense, and his account of the battle forms one of the most dramatic episodes of his book.

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Trust In Fate, Rely On Your Abilities, And Keep Moving

Quintus Curtius History , ,

There are times in life when we need to have blind faith in forward momentum.  We need cease the deliberations, the doubts, the equivocations, and the rationalizations.  We should, instead, resolve to maintain a steady forward pace, trusting to our own abilities and the favorable intercession of Fortune.  We may not have contingency plans for every eventuality, but we must press on with blind faith nonetheless.  Momentum creates its own dynamic, and its own outcomes.  It was precisely this principle that the great Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés brought to bear in the early stages of the conquest of Mexico in 1519.

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The Man Of Action Should Not Expect Gratitude From Others

Quintus Curtius Thought , , , ,

We have recently discussed ways of handling a lack of appreciation.  A certain independence of spirit–a soaring greatness of soul–is one of the main ways we can limit our expectations of appreciation from others.  Consider again, if you need to, the verses of Ibn Munir on this subject, which capture perfectly this spiritual independence.  As I see it, no more powerful statement of this ethic has ever been put into poetic form.

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How To Deal With Feeling Underappreciated (Podcast)

Quintus Curtius Podcast , ,

A reader who is doing volunteer work says he’s feeling underappreciated and taken advantage of in his work. He wants to know to maintain his focus and positivity, and at the same protect himself from being used. We discuss some strategies and insights.

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At What Point Can A Man Be Called Happy?

Quintus Curtius Thought , , , ,

The historian Herodotus (I.30) relates an anecdote involving a conversation between the Lydian king Croesus and the Athenian statesman Solon.  Solon once found himself as a guest at Croesus’s court.  The king knew that Solon was renowned for his wise judgment and careful consideration of life’s important questions.  So he could not resist asking the Athenian a question that was troubling him.  The question he asked him was this:  “Who, Solon, was the happiest man you have ever seen?”  It was expected for royal visitors to tell the king what he wanted to hear, of course.  Croesus was expecting some words of flattery from Solon to reassure himself that he was living a meaningful life.

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John Ireland: Captured By Cannibals In The South Seas

Quintus Curtius History, Travel & Exploration , , ,

We have here related incredible tales of suffering, adventure, and endurance.  The little-known account of the adventures of John Ireland ranks high on the list of harrowing stories of nineteenth century explorations.  The world was a larger place then, vastly less explored than now, and some places in the remoter regions of the globe were as isolated as they had been for thousands of years.  Just how isolated and remote, the reader here will soon discover.

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Dealing With Treachery And Treason

Quintus Curtius History , , ,

Betrayal, treachery, and treason are among the most hated of crimes.  From antiquity until our own time, commanders have devised numerous ways to prevent or limit them.  Some examples are presented here.  The reader will discover that all of them involve either incentives or punishments; sometimes a mixture of the two is employed.  The Roman commander Frontinus, in his Stratagems (III.16), provides us with several examples.

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Why You Should See “Blade Runner 2049” (Podcast)

Quintus Curtius Film , ,

In this podcast we talk about Denis Villenueve’s new film, the visually dazzling Blade Runner 2049.  In conception and execution, this film accomplishes the rare feat of being a sequel that is entirely worthy of its predecessor.  We’ll give a few reasons why this movie is worth a careful viewing, and why I think it is a triumph of cinematic art.

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Sometimes One Must Speak In An Indirect Way

Quintus Curtius Language, Literature , ,

There are times when one’s communications must be protected from the unwelcome attentions of third parties.  The richness of a language’s vocabulary, and its embedded metaphors and cultural allusions, are powerful assistants to this end.  I was recently reminded of this when reading an anecdote related by that most colorful of biographers, Ibn Khallikan.  We have related many of his stories and wise sayings here in past articles.  The story I am about to relate here is linguistically oriented; it can tell us much about the power of speech in the hands of those who can deliver it with nuanced subtlety.  It will be of interest to any enthusiast of language, philology, and culture.

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