I enjoyed Fred Reed’s April 24 essay “Ignorance, Its Uses and Nurture,” which refers to universal suffrage in anything larger than a small town as a “crackpot” idea. In a mere thousand words, Reed painted the American public as entirely incapable and unqualified to understand United States foreign policy, let alone vote on it. Therefore, he concludes, the entire democratic system is a sham. Yes, the statistics he presents bolster his point admirably. But maybe not as much as epic burns such as this one: (more…)
Tag: Tiberius
-
2,594 words
Part 2 of 2 (Part 1 here)
The Damnatio Memoriae of Lucius Aelius Sejanus and the Jews of the Roman Empire
During Jesus’ ministry, the Emperor of Rome was Tiberius Caesar, but the government of Rome was administered by Lucius Aelius Sejanus. Pontius Pilate, a client of Sejanus and the husband of Ceasar Augustus’ granddaughter, was Governor of Judea. Herod Antipas was the tetrarch of Galilee. (more…)
-
Part 1 of 2 (Part 2 here)
Alexander Bätz
Nero: Wahnsinn und Wirklichkeit
Hamburg: Rowohlt Buchverlag, 2023Among those able to name any Roman emperors, Nero is likely to be on their list. Although he was Roman Emperor for only 14 years, from 54 to 68 AD, he is widely viewed as one of the most famous or infamous of all of them, strongly associated with the persecution of the Christians and the murder of both his mother and wife, and he is widely seen as the embodiment of tyranny. (more…)