🟡 PLINY’S KILLER WHALE “A killer whale was actually seen in the harbour of Ostia in battle with the Emperor Claudius; it had come at the time when he was engaged in completing the structure of the harbour, being tempted by the wreck of a cargo of hides imported from Gaul, and in glutting itself for a number of days had furrowed a hollow in the shallow bottom and had been banked up with sand by the waves so high that it was quite unable to turn round, and while it was pursuing its food which was driven forward to the shore by the waves its back projected far above the water like a capsized boat. Caesar gave orders for a barrier of nets to be stretched between the mouths of the harbour and setting out in person with the praetorian cohorts afforded a show to the Roman public, the soldiery hurling lances from the vessels against the creatures when they leapt up alongside, and we saw one of the boats sunk from being filled with water owing to a beast's snorting.”

"Yes, I have finally arrived to this Capital of the World! I now see all the dreams of my youth coming to life... Only in Rome is it possible to understand Rome." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

🟤 LIVY ON CINCINNATUS “Now I would solicit the particular attention of those numerous people who imagine that money is everything in this world, and that rank and ability are inseparable from wealth: let them observe that Cincinnatus, the one man in whom Rome reposed all her hope of survival, was at that moment working a little three-acre farm (now known as Quinctian meadows) west of the Tiber, just opposite the spot where the shipyards are today. A mission from the city found him at work on his land - digging a ditch, maybe, or ploughing. Greetings were exchanged, and he was asked - with a prayer for God's blessing on himself and his country - to put on his toga and hear the Senate's instructions. This naturally surprised him, and, asking if all were well, he told his wife Racilia to run to their cottage and fetch his toga. The toga was brought, and wiping the grimy sweat from his hands and face he put it on; at once the envoys from the city saluted him, with congratulations, as Dictator, invited him to enter Rome, and informed him of the terrible danger of Minucius's army.” Livy, The History of Rome, Books 1-5: The Early History of Rome

"For when Hannibal was about nine years old, his father Hamilcar, having offered sacrifice, was pouring a libation, and had taken a cup in his hand, and given his son an oath, that he would never be a friend to the Roman people." Polybius

Hash flow over cash flow.

🔶 OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ARABIANS “During (1st century BC) the course of these proceedings, his natural brother, to whom his father had left the kingdom of Cyrene by will, died, appointing the Roman people his heir; for the fortune of Rome, not content with the limits of Italy, had now begun to extend itself to the kingdoms of the east. Thus that part of Africa became a province of the Roman empire; and soon afterwards Crete and Cilicia, being subdued in the war against the pirates, were likewise made provinces. In consequence, the kingdoms of Syria and Egypt, which had been accustomed to aggrandize themselves by wars with their neighbours, being now confined by the vicinity of the Romans, and deprived of all opportunity of extending their frontiers, employed their strength to the injury of one another, so that, being exhausted by continual battles, they fell into contempt with their neighbours, and became a prey to the people of Arabia, a nation previously regarded as unwarlike. Their king Erotimus, relying on his seven hundred sons, whom he had had by his concubines, and dividing his forces, infested at one time Egypt, and another Syria, and procured a great name for the Arabians, by exhausting the strength of their neighbours.” Justinus

The Hebrews were defeated by AI because one among them stole the property of Yahweh. Maybe we will be defeated by AI because we render unto ourselves whatever should be rendered unto God.

🔺 CRASSUS, AN OX THAT GORED “And when all Rome was divided into three power­ful parties, that of Pompey, that of Caesar, and that of Crassus (for Cato's reputation was greater than his power, and men admired him more than they followed him), it was the thoughtful and conservative part of the city which attached itself to Pompey, the violent and volatile part which supported the hopes of Caesar, while Crassus took a middle ground and drew from both. He made very many changes in his political views, and was neither a steadfast friend nor an implacable enemy, but readily abandoned both his favours and his resentments at the dictates of his interests, so that, frequently, within a short space of time, the same men and the same measures found in him both an advocate and an opponent. And he had great influence, both from the favours which he bestowed and the fear which he inspired, but more from the fear. At any rate, Sicinnius, who gave the greatest annoyance to the magistrates and popular leaders of his day, when asked why Crassus was the only one whom he let alone and did not worry, said that the man had hay on his horn. Now the Romans used to coil hay about the horn of an ox that gored, so that those who encountered it might be on their guard.” Plutarch

🔘 LEPIDUS “The Scipios and the other Roman generals of the olden time never dared or carried out a braver act than did Caesar (Octavian) at this juncture. For although he was unarmed and dressed in his travelling cloak, carrying nothing except his name, he entered the camp of Lepidus, and, avoiding the weapons which were hurled at him by the orders of that scoundrel, though his cloak was pierced by a lance, he had the courage to carry off the eagle of a legion. Then could one know the difference between the two commanders. Though armed, the soldiers followed Caesar who was unarmed, while Lepidus, in the tenth year after arriving at a position of power which his life had done nothing to deserve, now deserted both by his soldiers and by fortune, wrapping himself in a dark cloak and lurking in the rear of the crowd that thronged to Caesar, thus threw himself at Caesar's feet. He was granted his life and the control of his own property, but was shorn of the high position which he had shown himself unable to maintain.” Velleius Paterculus, Roman History

🔵 MOVING CAMP “The following is their manner of moving camp. At the first bugle the men all strike their tents and collect their baggage; but no soldier may strike his tent, or set it up either, till the same is done to that of the Tribuni and the Consul. At the second bugle they load the beasts of burden with their baggage: at the third the first maniples must advance and set the whole camp in motion. Generally speaking, the men appointed to make this start are the extraordinarii: next comes the right wing of the socii; and behind them their beasts of burden. These are followed by the first legion with its own baggage immediately on its rear; then comes the second legion, followed by its own beasts of burden, and the baggage of those socii who have to bring up the rear of the march, that is to say, the left wing of the socii. The cavalry sometimes ride on the rear of their respective divisions, sometimes on either side of the beasts of burden, to keep them together and secure them. If an attack is expected on the rear, the extraordinarii themselves occupy the rear instead of the van. Of the two legions and wings each takes the lead in the march on alternate days, that by this interchange of position all may have an equal share in the advantage of being first at the water and forage. The order of march, however, is different at times of unusual danger, if they have open ground enough. For in that case they advance in three parallel columns, consisting of the Hastati, Principes, and Triarii: the beasts of burden belonging to the maniples in the van are placed in front of all, those belonging to the second behind the leading maniples, and those belonging to the third behind the second maniples, thus having the baggage and the maniples in alternate lines. With this order of march, on an alarm being given, the columns face to the right or left according to the quarter on which the enemy appears, and get clear of the baggage. So that in a short space of time, and by one movement, the whole of the hoplites are in line of battle—except that sometimes it is necessary to half-wheel the Hastati also—and the baggage and the rest of the army are in their proper place for safety, namely, in the rear of the line of combatants.” Polybius, histories

🟣 SPQR SPQR, short for the Latin phrase Senātus Populusque Rōmānus, translates to "The Senate and People of Rome." It was the official emblem of the Roman Republic, and later, the Roman Empire. Think of it as the Roman equivalent of a national motto or slogan. It represented the authority and power of the Roman state, signifying the shared power between the Senate (the more elite, advisory body) and the Populus (the Roman people as a whole). It was a powerful symbol of Roman unity and sovereignty. You would have seen SPQR everywhere in ancient Rome. It was inscribed on public buildings, monuments, aqueducts, and even on coins. It was a constant reminder of the Roman state and its reach. The use of SPQR continued through the Roman Empire, although the balance of power shifted more towards the Emperor.

🟣 My goal is 1000 followers on Nostr. Anyone has any tips? Also regarding the content. Open to feedback does not mean i will act on it, but maybe. Thanks.

"The belly has no ears, nor is it to be filled with fair words." Plutarch, parallel lives

"I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better." Plutarch, parallel lives

⚪️ SINGLE COMBAT “In their journeyings and when they go into battle the Gauls use chariots drawn by two horses, which carry the charioteer and the warrior; and when they encounter cavalry in the fighting they first hurl their javelins at the enemy and then step down from their chariots and join battle with their swords. Certain of them despise death to such a degree that they enter the perils of battle without protective armour and with no more than a girdle about their loins. They bring along to war also their free men to serve them, choosing them out from among the poor, and these attendants they use in battle as charioteers and as shield-bearers. It is also their custom, when they are formed for battle, to step out in front of the line and to challenge the most valiant men from among their opponents to single combat, brandishing their weapons in front of them to terrify their adversaries. And when any man accepts the challenge to battle, they then break forth into a song in praise of the valiant deeds of their ancestors and in boast of their own high achievements, reviling all the while and belittling their opponent, and trying, in a word, by such talk to strip him of his bold spirit before the combat.” Diodorus Siculus

🟢 MEASURING TRAVEL DISTANCE BY CHARIOT “Let us now consider an invention by no means useless, and delivered to us by the antients as of ingenuity, by means of which, when on a journey by land or sea, one may ascertain the distance travelled. It is as follows. The wheels of the chariot must be four feet diameter; so that, marking a certain point thereon, whence it begins its revolution on the ground, when it has completed that revolution, it will have gone on the road over a space equal to twelve feet and a half. This being adjusted on the inner side of the nave of the wheel, let a drum-wheel be securely fixed, having one small tooth projecting beyond the face of its circumference; and in the body of the chariot let a small box be fastened, with a drum-wheel placed to revolve perpendicularly, and fastened to an axle. The latter wheel is to be equally divided, on its edge, into four hundred teeth, corresponding with the teeth of the lower drum-wheel: besides the above the upper drum-wheel has on its side one tooth projecting out before the others. Above, in another enclosure, is a third horizontal wheel toothed similarly, and so that the teeth correspond with that tooth which is fixed to the side of the second wheel. In the third wheel just described are as many holes as are equal to the number of miles in an usual day's journey. It does not, however, signify, if they be more or less. In all the holes let small balls be placed, and in the box or lining let a hole be made, having a channel, through which each ball may fall into the box of the chariot, and the brazen vessel placed under it. Thus, as the wheel proceeds, it acts on the first drum-wheel, the tooth of which, in every revolution, striking the tooth of the upper wheel, causes it to move on; so that when the lower wheel as revolved four hundred times, the upper wheel has revolved only once, and its tooth, which is on the side, will have acted on only one tooth of the horizontal wheel. Now as in four hundred revolutions of the lower wheel, the upper wheel will only have turned round once, the length of the journey will be •five thousand feet, or one thousand paces. Thus, by the dropping of the balls, and of the noise they make, we know every mile passed over; and each day one may ascertain, by the number of balls collected in the bottom, the number of miles in the day's journey.” Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, de Architectura

⚫️ TRANSLATIO OR METAPHOR “Let us begin, then, with the commonest and by far the most beautiful of tropes, namely, metaphor, the Greek term for our translatio. It is not merely so natural a turn of speech that it is often employed unconsciously or by uneducated persons, but it is in itself so attractive and elegant that however distinguished the language in which it is embedded it shines forth with a light that is all its own. For if it be correctly and appropriately applied, it is quite impossible for its effect to be commonplace, mean or unpleasing. It adds to the copiousness of language by the interchange of words and by borrowing, and finally succeeds in accomplishing the supremely difficult task of providing a name for everything. A noun or a verb is transferred from the place to which it properly belongs to another where there is either no literalterm or the transferred is better than the literal. We do this either because it is necessary or to make our meaning clearer or, as I have already said, to produce a decorative effect. When it secures none of these results, our metaphor will be out of place.” Quintilian, The Orator’s Education

🟡 ANTONY DIVORCES OCTAVIA Octavia, the sister of Roman Emperor Augustus, was married to Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) in a political alliance to solidify peace after Julius Caesar's assassination. While Antony initially seemed to value Octavia, his growing infatuation with Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, led to the demise of their marriage. Antony abandoned his Roman responsibilities and his family to pursue a life with Cleopatra, effectively dissolving their union. Octavia remained loyal to her brother and played a crucial role in maintaining peace between the two factions for a time. However, the breakdown of their marriage ultimately contributed to the conflict between Octavian and Antony that culminated in the Battle of Actium (31 BC).

🟤 COMMAGENE The Kingdom of Commagene, situated in present-day southeastern Turkey, emerged from a Seleucid satrapy to become an independent entity. Its rulers are notable for their attempts to merge Hellenistic and Persian cultures. Ptolemaeus of Commagene initiated the kingdom's independence around 163 BC. Antiochus I Theos is perhaps the most celebrated, having commissioned the elaborate monuments of Nemrut Dağ (picture). The kingdom's strategic position between empires like Rome and Parthia shaped its political trajectory. Antiochus IV, the final independent king, faced increasing Roman pressure, culminating in Commagene's annexation by the Roman Empire in 72 AD. Kings list: -Ptolemaeus of Commagene 163-130 BC. -Sames Il Theosebes Dikaios 130-109 BC. * -Mithridates | Callinicus 109-70 BC. ~ -Antiochus I of Commagene 70-38 BC. -Mithridates Il of Commagene 38-20 BC. -Mithridates III of Commagene 20-12 ВС. -Antiochus IIl of Commagene 12 BC - 17 AD. -The gap between 17 AD and 37 AD is because of the annexation of Commagene by Tiberius in 17 AD -Antiochus IV of Commagene 38-72 AD.