“Perhaps every generation unconsciously perceives their own moment as the ultimate epoch, assuming that, for better or for worse, their present is how things will remain.”
39 likes1 stack add
“Perhaps every generation unconsciously perceives their own moment as the ultimate epoch, assuming that, for better or for worse, their present is how things will remain.”
so-soI absolutely adore Bettany Hughes. Her TV shows and in-person talks are fascinating and engaging.
But I have to say, I found this a bit of a slog to get through at times :-(. Lots of good info but not as engaging as the author herself.
The 2nd half of the book, is Caesar conquering more places in Europe and becoming the ruler of Rome. He then got stabbed by a group, like Brutus and Gaius. They got into power and made their own territories. Caesar's cousin, Octavius, who was revealed to be adopted by Caesar went to war with Brutus and Gaius and reclaimed Caesar's legacy. If you like books that are historical then this book is for you.
I'm a fan of Arnold Toynbee and Jared Diamond so I like these cyclical views of history that portray civilizations as organisms that follow "life cycles". The late bronze-age collapse was a period I didn't know much about. I knew about the Kingdom period in Israel, the Minoan collapse, and the Hyksos invasion but I didn't realize that these were all connected as precursors to a "dark age" in the near east. It's a fascinating idea and a fun read.
I have a question. The author of 7 wonders is writing about the temple of Artemis and says that bees were her symbol. Her priestesses were called honeybees. And for a sec that made sense, then I remembered the long history of male scientists (hilariously) thinking the queen bee was a king. Were bees her symbol cause there were lots of bees in the area, cause everyone liked honey, or did ancient people know something later naturalists forgot?
Got this today at a book sale at a local book store.
pickVery interesting non-fictional book about the collapse of higher civilsations around the Mediterranean in 1177 BC. It is part of a series on turning points in ancient history. I liked it, but the topic is not new to me. For somebody else there might be too many names of people and places and the book might be to scientific. Definitely not an easy read.
