Ball, an English priest and social reformer, gained fame as a roving preacher advocating ecclesiastical poverty and social equality, which brought him into conflict with the archbishop of Canterbury. He was jailed three times and excommunicated in 1376. Four years later, he became one of the instigators of the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381—the first great popular rebellion in English history—and was later captured and hanged, drawn, and quartered. His unconventional behavior earned him what nickname? Discuss
Month: July 2023
Festival of Castor and Pollux
In Greco-Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux were twin gods who helped shipwrecked sailors and received sacrifices for favorable winds. Worshipped as the Dioscuri (from the Greek Dioskouroi, or “sons of Zeus”), their cult was a popular one in 484 BCE, when, according to legend, the twins fought on the side of the Romans in the Battle of Lake Regillus and brought word of their victory to Rome. A temple was built for them in the Forum, and it was here that the annual festival in their honor was celebrated on July 15. Discuss
Inigo Jones (1573)
Jones was one of England’s first great architects. After studying in Italy, he brought Renaissance architecture to England. His best known buildings are the Queen’s House at Greenwich, London, and the Banqueting House at Whitehall, which is often considered his greatest achievement. For his design of Covent Garden, London’s first square, Jones is credited with the introduction of town planning in England. Jones was also involved in stage design for theater and is credited with what innovations? Discuss
hard knocks
The real and practical experiences of life, especially those involving hardship or adversity. Watch the video
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian trader and explorer who, together with his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo, was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road to China and visit with Genghis Khan’s grandson, Kublai Khan. Polo helped generate extraordinary interest in the Far East among Europeans, and his book, Il Milione, was an instant hit at a time when books had to be painstakingly copied by hand. What famous explorer carried a heavily annotated copy of Polo’s book? Discuss
polliwog
First Ascent of the Matterhorn (1865)
English illustrator Edward Whymper developed an interest in mountaineering after being sent to sketch the mountain scenery of Switzerland in 1860. In 1865, after several failed attempts, he and his expedition party became the first to climb the Matterhorn—one of the last Alpine mountains to be ascended. Tragically, during the descent, four of his companions were killed in a fall. Whymper describes his experiences in Scrambles Amongst the Alps. What did he write about the accident? Discuss
Mordecai Manuel Noah (1785)
An American journalist, playwright, and diplomat, Noah was the first Jew born in the United States to reach national prominence. After finding success as a diplomat, Noah held several public offices in New York City, edited and founded many newspapers, including the New York Enquirer and The Evening Star, and wrote plays such as She Would Be a Soldier. In the 1820s, he unsuccessfully attempted to buy Grand Island in the Niagara River to use for what purpose? Discuss
hard done-by
Mistreated or abused; cheated; dejected. Often preceded by “feel.” Watch the video
Conchs
Conchs are marine gastropod mollusks with heavy, spiral shells with overlapping whorls. Unlike other gastropods, which crawl, conchs move by jumping. Most conchs are carnivorous, feeding on bivalve mollusks. Their shells are used for carving cameos in Europe and are sometimes made into crude instruments by removing the small tip of the shell to form a mouthpiece. In popular folklore, it is believed that the ocean can be heard if one holds an open conch shell to the ear. How does it work? Discuss