[Socrates] said that he often heard it stated that of all possessions the most precious is a good and sincere friend. “And yet,” he said, “there is no transaction most men are so careless about as the acquisition of friends. For I find that they are careful about getting houses and lands and slaves and cattle and furniture, and anxious to keep what they have; but though they tell one… Read more
Note also these inscriptions here, ‘Know thyself’ and ‘Avoid extremes,’ how many philosophic inquiries have they set on foot, and what a horde of discourses has sprung up from each, as from a seed ! And no less productive of discourse than any one of them, as I think, is the present subject of inquiry. This month the Book Club readings are by Plutarch. According to the Oxford Classical Dictionary[1]… Read more
To make a light-hearted start to the new year, this month’s Book Club selection is a Roman comedy by Plautus, Rudens, “the Rope”. As usual, the conversation will start and continue in the Forum, with Google Hangouts on Tuesday, January 29, 2019, at 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. EST. You can read any translation you like. Here are a couple that are available free online: Translation by Cleveland K. Chase… Read more
The Book Club is taking a break over the holiday season, although discussion is still taking place in the forum. Meanwhile here is a foretaste of what is to come during the early part of 2019 to start a new year of varied classical reading from Roman and Greek primary texts, with works by: Plautus Plutarch Xenophon Look out for further announcements in January, February, and March with details of… Read more
Seven warriors, fierce regiment-commanders, slaughtered a bull over a black shield, and then touching the bulls gore with their hands they swore an oath by Arēs, by Enyo, and by Rout who delights in blood, that either they will level the city [polis] and sack the Kadmeians’ town [astu] by force [biā], or will in death smear this soil with their blood. This month’s Book Club selection is the Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus.… Read more