“There is in fact no way of correcting wrongdoing in those who think that the height of virtue consists in the execution of their will.”
"Sovereign power is nothing if it does not care for the welfare of others, and...it is the task of a good ruler to keep his power in check, to resist the passions of unbridled desire and implacable rage."
“Perhaps every generation unconsciously perceives their own moment as the ultimate epoch, assuming that, for better or for worse, their present is how things will remain.”
so-soI absolutely adore Bettany Hughes. Her TV shows and in-person talks are fascinating and engaging.
But I have to say, I found this a bit of a slog to get through at times :-(. Lots of good info but not as engaging as the author herself.
The 2nd half of the book, is Caesar conquering more places in Europe and becoming the ruler of Rome. He then got stabbed by a group, like Brutus and Gaius. They got into power and made their own territories. Caesar's cousin, Octavius, who was revealed to be adopted by Caesar went to war with Brutus and Gaius and reclaimed Caesar's legacy. If you like books that are historical then this book is for you.
I'm a fan of Arnold Toynbee and Jared Diamond so I like these cyclical views of history that portray civilizations as organisms that follow "life cycles". The late bronze-age collapse was a period I didn't know much about. I knew about the Kingdom period in Israel, the Minoan collapse, and the Hyksos invasion but I didn't realize that these were all connected as precursors to a "dark age" in the near east. It's a fascinating idea and a fun read.
I have a question. The author of 7 wonders is writing about the temple of Artemis and says that bees were her symbol. Her priestesses were called honeybees. And for a sec that made sense, then I remembered the long history of male scientists (hilariously) thinking the queen bee was a king. Were bees her symbol cause there were lots of bees in the area, cause everyone liked honey, or did ancient people know something later naturalists forgot?
Got this today at a book sale at a local book store.
Ammianus was alive, though over 1000 miles away, during the Great Conspiracy to overrun Britannia in 367, which is the setting of the tagged book I'm reading, and I'm interested in reading his original account (but, tsundoku 😒📚).