“To be governed is to be watched over, inspected, spied on, directed, legislated, regimented, closed in, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, assessed, evaluated, censored, commanded; all by creatures that have neither the right, nor wisdom, nor virtue”
― Demanding the Impossible: A History of Anarchism
― Demanding the Impossible: A History of Anarchism
“Numa forbade the Romans to revere an image of God which had the form of man or beast. Nor was there among them in this earlier time any painted or graven likeness of Deity, 8 but while for the first hundred and seventy years they were continually building temples and establishing sacred shrines, they made no statues in bodily form for them, convinced that it was impious to liken higher things to lower, and that it was impossible to apprehend Deity except by the intellect.”
― Complete Works of Plutarch
― Complete Works of Plutarch
“It was for the most part by sacrifices, processions, and religious dances, which he himself appointed and conducted, and which mingled with their solemnity a diversion full of charm and a beneficent pleasure, that he won the people’s favour and tamed their fierce and warlike tempers. At times, also, by heralding to them vague terrors from the god, strange apparitions of divine beings and threatening voices, he would subdue and humble their minds by means of superstitious fears.”
― Complete Works of Plutarch
― Complete Works of Plutarch
“The idea of descent from twins obliged the two Spartan houses to tolerate each other’s existence. We do not know what historical accident actually produced Sparta’s unusual dual kingship.”
― Sparta At War: Strategy, Tactics and Campaigns, 550–362 BC
― Sparta At War: Strategy, Tactics and Campaigns, 550–362 BC
Austin James’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Austin James’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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