Tag: Emperor

The castle of Hrad Krivoklat, west of Prague, was built in the 12th century, complete with a Gothic chapel. Statues of the twelve apostles gazed at worshippers from high above and at the altar stood a statue of Jesus, flanked by angels with golden wings. The chapel lasted while the castle went th...

What makes a Roman emperor either good or bad? Do we reward the emperors who had military prowess and kept the enemies of Rome subdued over emperors who chose a policy of peace? How do we rate emperors from different eras? Should we judge emperors solely on their accomplishments during their lifetim...

Ever since I read her brilliant SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome I have considered Mary Beard to be the best possible guide to ancient Rome. Her deep knowledge of the subject, combined with her dry wit and eye for surprising detail, make her a great storyteller. And she confirms that reputa...

The first and most famous accusation towards Nero is that of being a horrible person, even before being a bad emperor. The ancient historian Suetonius has no kind words in describing his personality. Nero is depicted not only as evil but also as crazy, lustful, greedy, and cruel. Not, indeed, a p...

image: Emperor (IV), The Light Seers Tarot by Chris-Anne (photo by Cassandra Rue) Greetings from snowy, frozen northern Colorado, where it has been colder than Antarctica! For those in the US, I hope celebrations of MLK Day in your communities have been as beautiful and galvanizing...

Greetings from snowy, frozen northern Colorado, where it has been colder than Antarctica! For those in the US, I hope celebrations of MLK Day in your communities have been as beautiful and galvanizing as the event I attended yesterday. The astrological forecast this week is mostly pleasant, ...

476 AD is one of the most iconic dates in history. It was in this year that the Western Roman Empire fell, and for centuries historians regarded this moment when Europe left the world of antiquity behind to enter the Dark Ages. Modern historians see things in a more nuanced way regarding the tran...

Rome, the heart of an empire that spanned continents, was no stranger to eccentric rulers. Yet, even by Roman standards, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, known to history as Caligula, was a breed apart. His ascent to power was like a chariot race against fate itself, where the prize was the ...

“Marcus Aurelius really was a Roman Emperor for about 6 decades (161–180). He was a scholar who adhered to Stoicism, and reflected his view and perspectives about life in a writing called “Meditations”. Although he was a philanthropist and introduced social reforms, he did no...

Somehow, the penultimate emperor, Julius Nepos, appointed Orestes Flavius as “magister militum,” effectively the commander-in-chief. Orestes consulted with the soldiers and decided that the emperor was unsuitable for the people, so he needed to be overthrown and replaced with a more auth...

The future Emperor Diocletian, originally named Diocles, grew up in Dalmatia in the territory of modern Montenegro and came from humble origins. It is believed that his father was a freedman, likely a scribe. Upon reaching the necessary age, Diocles joined the military as a common soldier and climbe...

The other night as I was winding down and once again surfing the tv for something to watch(this time something informative) I stumbled upon an interesting documentary called “China’s Emperor of Evil”. Since my interest were piqued, I decided to watch it and learned of the ancient e...

Praise Allah! Praise Yahweh! (reverse the order if necessary). Praise the naked Emperor Netanyahu, the last of the Patriarchs. The Emperor has disrobed/dismantled to reveal the disarray/shambles of our political discourse. Clothes-less, he closes the door on what we once referred to as “civili...