Month: July 2024

Julius Caesar (100 BCE)

Caesar, a Roman general and statesman, formed the First Triumvirate with Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus. He later precipitated the Roman Civil War, defeating Pompey and becoming dictator for life. His dictatorial powers, however, inspired great resentment. He was in the midst of launching a series of political and social reforms when he was assassinated on the Ides of March by conspirators led by Cassius and Brutus. His commentaries on what wars are considered classic military documents? Discuss

Balbals

Occasionally erected as monuments to enemies killed in battle, balbals are a type of kurgan obelisk—an anthropomorphic stone image made in Central Asia and Eastern Europe from the Copper Age through the Middle Ages. Though they vary in design, balbals commonly depict a person holding a bowl in his upraised right hand or show a warrior holding weapons, usually in the left hand. In 1998, how many anthropomorphic stelae were discovered and excavated in Turkey? Discuss

French National Assembly Adopts Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790)

The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was an act passed during the French Revolution that subordinated the Roman Catholic Church to the state. Under the act, citizens would elect clergymen and the state would pay their wages. When the National Assembly ordered the clergy to take an oath supporting the Civil Constitution, many refused. The resulting schism within the French church caused many Catholics to turn against the Revolution. What effect did the constitution have on monastic orders? Discuss

Milton Berle (1908)

Berle was an American comedian and the first major US television star. He began acting in vaudeville at age 10 and went on to perform in more than 50 silent films, on radio, and as a nightclub comedian. His great success, however, was as the host of NBC’s Texaco Star Theater, which earned him the nickname “Mr. Television.” He contributed significantly to the medium’s growing popularity, and many are said to have bought TV sets just to watch “Uncle Miltie.” How did he get that nickname? Discuss

The Los Alfaques Disaster (1978)

The Los Alfaques disaster was an explosion that took place near a campsite in Tarragona, Spain, when a leaking tanker truck loaded with 23 tons of highly flammable liquid propylene ignited. This resulted in a massive explosion and fireball that reached over 1000° F (538° C) and destroyed everything within a 1000-ft (300-m) radius. It killed 217 people, including the truck’s driver, and severely burned more than 200. What regulations were later instituted to prevent future disasters of this sort? Discuss

Luis de Góngora y Argote (1561)

Góngora was a poet of the Spanish Golden Age who successfully wove Renaissance and popular poetry into an original and elegant form. Very influential in his era, he developed the difficult, complex poetic style that became known as Gongorism. It provoked enmity from many of his contemporaries and was so exaggerated by less gifted imitators that his reputation suffered until the 20th century. He has since been called Spain’s greatest poet. What is his most famous work? Discuss

Happiness

Buddha believed that those who speak and act with a pure mind are sure to experience happiness. Aristotle reasoned that happiness results from man’s unique ability to contemplate reality. But the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi argued that it is this very ability to reason that prevents us from achieving true happiness. While happiness is a psychological state, there are those who believe that it can be objectively measured and quantified. What neural systems may be directly related to happiness? Discuss