Herodotus’ theme, as I observed in the first installment, is the conflict between Europe and Asia or, more properly, Greeks and barbarians. (In a day or two, we shall have a podcast on what barbarians are.) In a way, his work can be treated as a kind of essay in definition, that is, he is defining Greekness or Hellenism partly by describing Greek behavior and partly by the contrast, often merely suggested, with barbarians.
Trump continues to clarify our politics. The latest flap involves Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming. The Elites are upset the GOP in the House is purging her from her perch as the third-ranking House Republican.
In describing my jeweler friend from London last week I neglected to mention that he is one of four siblings. A common enough occurrence, the gentle reader may reflect, but as an only child I discover many things about large families rather late in life.
FB friend Patrick Mulvey posted a great comment on my previous scribbling:
“It may a small sample size but many of my babyboomer contemporaries and younger extended family members who suffer from ‘real’ mental illness…manic depression, bipolar disorder and worse…….all used illegal drugs regularly in their teens, 20’s and 30’s. I’m not saying this is the only cause of mental illness but one only has to look at our homeless problem and know that lack of housing is not the major reason.”
Last week’s post, its shabby ambience notwithstanding, has opened up a path – if not to the gentle reader’s heart, at least out of potential writer’s block – and so I tread it once more. This week I reveal myself as a feminist sympathizer, admittedly in a rather particular sense.
Sunday’s Internet Front Page of the Washington Post featured an article showing the dangerous delusions of our rulers. They’re upset that 100 percent of Americans don’t accept with Stalinist certainty the legitimacy of the recent plebiscite.
Some people on FB are gassing on about what a stinker Hemingway was, and concluding therefore that he couldn’t write. Treating novelists as either heroes or demons, ideologues or intellectuals, is a grave mistake that is generally made by people who do not read, much less understand literature.
Since the Persian Wars—like the Punic Wars, the Crusades, and the West’s ongoing struggle with Islam—serve to define who we are, it will be useful to reread Herodotus, particularly the books that are directly relevant to the cultural struggle between the West and its enemies. For those who are picking it up for the first time, I must warn you that reading Herodotus, the most entertaining of historians, may become a habit.
