Ancient stoicism is a fascinating philosophy to me. It began in Greece, but was a little too limiting and practical for the majority of Greeks, better suiting the far more practical action-based Romans. Primarily, its tenets require internal stability and virtue allowing one to live their best life, despite the inherent chaos of the world … Continue reading Stoicism: An oddly modern yet extinct religion
A common modern perception of Napoleon Bonaparte is of a short, egotistical man dominating Europe through military force. Though partially true (except he was not actually short for the time), Napoleon was truly remarkable at something most other generals of the time were not. He took great care to relate to his men, not just … Continue reading Napoleon: The Soldier’s General
It used to be a common argument that the American Civil War wasn’t really about slavery and there were other more pressing issues at hand that led the South to secede. I believe there is ample evidence of the contrary, and we are far enough removed from the war that most modern historians can view … Continue reading Slavery and Southern Secession
Catherine the Great is still regarded as one of the great and powerful female figures in all of history. Beyond power, she was certainly a product of the Enlightenment and had interesting approaches to tackling different social issues of the time. Perhaps one of her most impactful realms of rule was in healthcare. Her healthcare … Continue reading Catherine the Great’s Public Health Revolution
Imagining battle is nearly impossible for those who have not experienced it. Recently, I read some fascinating recollections from the American Civil War that ran contrary or differently from how I would’ve imagined battle to be. Below are some of the stories I found most interesting or surprising. Artillery Sedative During the Battle of Gettysburg … Continue reading Sensations of Battle
The Korean War is nicknamed The Forgotten War in America. This is an odd considering it outranks the far more discussed American Revolutionin terms of total causalities, claiming about 5 times as many lives in battle. Perhaps the war is forgotten because it was a war of folly, a government “police action.” It’s time to … Continue reading The Korean War: Trendsetting Yet Forgotten
Last post dove into Ulysses S. Grant’s experiences in the Mexican-American War, particularly in regard to his relationships with generals Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor. Here we will plunge further into Grant’s mindset, this time exploring his seemingly unflappable behavior, especially in times of crisis. How did he become that way. It was early on … Continue reading The Unflappable Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the most celebrated general in the wake of the Civil War (though revered in the south, the north didn’t have much time for Robert E. Lee). It resulted in Grant eventually becoming President of the United States, where his unassuming persona became world famous. However, his unassuming character was nothing new … Continue reading Forming General Grant
It can be challenging for the modern mind to wrap itself around ancient Roman art. It all starts to blend together into a homogeneous blur of white marble. The marble, including the statues, would have actually been painted, making Rome look very different from the version we see both in ruins and fictional media today. … Continue reading Unraveling Ancient Roman Art
When most people think of a monarchy, it is probably of a hereditary or primogeniture monarchy; that is to say a monarchy where the successor was chosen based on the first born male to the standing monarch. The Roman Empire, while for all intents and purposes monarchical, selected successors in a different manner. For the … Continue reading
Seven Hills History 