Oct 4– From “Demosthenes” from Plutarch’s Lives translated by Dryden and revised by Arthur Hugh Clough

Accurate reproduction of Athenian reactions to Demosthenes

Oct 4– From “Demosthenes” from Plutarch’s Lives translated by Dryden and revised by Arthur Hugh Clough

Summary: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance (also, sick burns)

Commentary: That's really the main thing here. The first half or so is all about how prepared Demosthenes would be, and how careful he was with his words.

 And he would affirm, that it was the more truly popular act to use premeditation, such preparation being a kind of respect to the people; whereas, to slight and take no care how what is said is likely to be received by the audience, shows something of an oligarchical temper, and is the course of one that intends force rather than persuasion. 

And a bunch of insults.

The second half is more standard Plutarch political/history summary. 

Oct 3– From "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer (~1400)

It sounds like this. Maybe. Who knows if this random Youtuber is reading correctly.

Oct 3– From The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (~1400)

Summary: A bunch of people are going on a pilgrimage.

Commentary: This one is kind of interesting since it's right on the verge between readable "English" and not. No one expects you to read Beowulf without translation, but we got the straight Middle English for CT when I was in high school. I haven't looked at it since, so I was a little wary today. It's really not too bad. You have to read it out loud, but it's fairly parsable, and has good flow: "Of his complexioun he was sangwyn," looks weird, but it reads easy enough aloud. Harvard has the whole thing updated here. I wonder if this is usually assigned "translated" or not in schools these days.

I'll take it over BUURRRNNNSSS for sure.

Oct 2– From "The Voyage of The Beagle" by Charles Darwin (1839)

 War never changes.

Oct 2– From The Voyage of The Beagle by Charles Darwin (1839)

Summary: Darwin talks about exterminating the Indians.

Commentary: This could've been *insert any time period here* about *insert slightly different groups of people here*.

 "I however struck him with my sabre to the ground, and then got off my horse, and cut his throat with my knife." This is a dark picture; but how much more shocking is the unquestionable fact, that all the women who appear above twenty years old are massacred in cold blood! When I exclaimed that this appeared rather inhuman, he answered, "Why, what can be done? they breed so!"

Every one here is fully convinced that this is the most just war, because it is against barbarians. Who would believe in this age that such atrocities could be committed in a Christian civilized country? The children of the Indians are saved, to be sold or given away as servants, or rather slaves for as long a time as the owners can make them believe themselves slaves; but I believe in their treatment there is little to complain of.

Different times and places might have different opinions on who it's okay to slaughter while stealing their children for reeducation, but it still happens. Darwin is refreshingly frank about it. I think a lot of people find it depressing when something like this comes up as a thing that happened a almost 200 years ago and still does today, but I'm more optimistic. There's less of it today at least. And seeing all the shit humanity survived over hundreds or thousands of years makes me feel better about us making it through the next hundred years.

Also, this is literally a thing in Afghanistan: "I imagine the summer is chosen as the time for the main attack, because the plains are then without water, and the Indians can only travel in particular directions."

Oct 1– From "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli (1532) translated by Ninian Hill Thomson

 The Prince of All Saiyans

Oct 1– From The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (1532) translated by Ninian Hill Thomson

Summary: Peace through strength. 

Commentary: Aside from a quick aside about religious leadership, this is mostly about the value of a loyal standing army to keeping yourself in power and your kingdom safe. Not really a ton to say, but I continue to appreciate Machiavelli's use of concrete historic examples to illustrate his points.