For what is there, O Catiline, that you can still expect, if night is not able to veil your nefarious meetings in darkness, and if private houses can not conceal the voice of your conspiracy within their walls—if everything is seen and displayed?
This almost could've been an opportunity for Cicero to give Catiline another chance to become a changed person.
If, O Catiline, I should now order you to be arrested, to be put to death, I should, I suppose, have to fear lest all good men should say that I had acted tardily, rather than that any one should affirm that I acted cruelly.
I mean, of course the people that are being killed aren't going to think he's acting tardily instead of cruelly. Keeping them alive and at least imprisoned would likely seem more appealing, but possibly still cruel.
For we are in possession of a similar decree of the senate, but we keep it locked up in its parchment—buried, I may say, in the sheath; and according to this decree you ought, O Catiline, to be put to death this instant. You live,—and you live, not to lay aside, but to persist in your audacity.
I don't know what I would've done if I were Catiline, but if I were told I needed to die by Cicero, I would've probably agreed right then and there since he's a bit intimidating!
Do you not see that your conspiracy is already arrested and rendered powerless by the knowledge which every one here possesses of it?
Catiline should've felt stupid by what Cicero was saying to him, but this question here would've done me over since he included everyone and not just himself.
"Now the man of distinction is solid and straightforward, and loves righteousness. He examines people's words, and looks at their countenances. He is anxious to humble himself to others. Such a man will be distinguished in the country; he will be distinguished in his clan. "As to the man of notoriety, he assumes the appearance of virtue, but his actions are opposed to it, and he rests in this character without any doubts about himself. Such a man will be heard of in the country; he will be heard of in the clan."
It reminds of politics for some reason, about the people who have, will, and are leading the world. Appearances aren't always valid with what's inside, but we see through it and understand their value.
Death and life have their determined appointment; riches and honors depend upon Heaven.
I love this saying as it doesn't take much to understand what it means. A lot of them are like that which I hate since I love things that make me think or are inspiring.
"The superior man has neither anxiety nor fear."
I suppose I'm not a superior person then xD
"It is, when you go abroad, to behave to every one as if you were receiving a great guest; to employ the people as if you were assisting at a great sacrifice; not to do to others as you would not wish done to yourself;
Very nice advice that everyone on the entire planet should take. But no, that will never happen!
There is little doubt that Asoka's edicts were written in his own words rather than in the stylistic language in which royal edicts or proclamations in the ancient world were usually written in.
If he did everything else by himself in his time, why not his edicts?
The loss of life caused by battle, reprisals, deportations and the turmoil that always exists in the aftermath of war so horrified Asoka that it brought about a complete change in his personality.
I don't know who wouldn't change even a bit after all those disturbing events. Perhaps he maybe experienced PTSD?
a king calling himself "Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi."
There was no better and shorter name he could've picked?
They told of an exceptionally cruel and ruthless prince who had many of his brothers killed in order to seize the throne
I understand wanting to have the throne, but killing siblings for it is something I'd never do. Actually, I'd love to see my brothers go through the hell of being a leader since I know they aren't capable :D
Whoever mounted the fragments knew so little about Assyrian art that they did not realize that a lozenge pattern in the background, which represents mountains, is always oriented vertically.
I don't think someone needs to be familiar with Assyrian art to know that mountains need to be mounted vertically, only someone with common sense. And it's apparent that the person didn't have it.
Since Iraqi law prohibits the export of antiquities from Iraq without an official permit, and since these sculptures have no such permits, Iraq would have clear legal grounds to reclaim them from any purchaser.
Has these laws changed? If not, then I find this very amusing since the thieves got away with practically nothing.
I was shown a fragment of an Assyrian relief now for sale on the antiquities market [IMAGE, 92K]. There is no doubt that this fragment came from this same slab, which was intact in the Nineveh site museum in 1990 [IMAGE, 130K], but which has since evidently been broken up by looters.
It'd seem that archaeologists wouldn't want to give up any kind of history like this. How can they know it won't be needed or useful in the future? I understand pictures are good to have, but what if something is still missing?
Considering that the palace had been destroyed by an intense conflagration during the sack of Nineveh in 612 B.C., the massive walls and many of the relief sculptures of Sennacherib's throne-room suite were surprisingly well preserved.
This can only be seen as a win for historians and visitors as the fire could've ruined the room more than it did!
The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold.
I'm not sure if it was around the same time in history. but it reminds me of something the people in The Road to El Dorado would wear. Especially the gold.
econdly, the tablets and letters describe enemy ships approaching, destruction of the fields, drought, and famine. This is written, textual evidence of a multitude of calamities, not just inference from archaeological remains!
To have all those catastrophes happen concurrently, or quick succession, is such a horrible thing to think about for those peoples. Even one of those sad events is bad enough!
Secondly, the tablets and letters describe enemy ships approaching, destruction of the fields, drought, and famine. This is written, textual evidence of a multitude of calamities, not just inference from archaeological remains!
You'd think this would be enough for other archaeologists to stop blaming the Sea Peoples and admit that there were other causes for the fall. But why they aren't listening is a mystery?
It was scheduled to bring back olive oil, grain, and beer to Ugarit. We are told specifically that it would be exempt from import taxes when it got back — I think it might be the first recorded case of a corporate tax break that we know of!
This transaction must've been nice seeing that it was tax-exempt and included beer!
Perhaps a better way to phrase it, as I say a sentence or two later in the book, is that “the world in 1200 BC was quite different from that of 1100 BC and completely different from that of 1000 BC,” but that’s not as snappy a title.
Yes, I would have to agree with Cline that the last title wouldn't be a snappy one :)
The urge to find a single explanation as the cause for such calamitous events seems to come from a modern human need for an easy explanation as often as possible.
His comment here on finding explanations of life events is very true, sometimes we do this as we want to hurry, but hurrying isn't always the best thing.