Julius Caesar is one of the most powerful, admired, and artistically depicted figures from Roman History.

Caesar and the renowned events of his life were a favorite topic for majestic works of art over the centuries.

These are the best. 🧵

Julius Caesar - Peter Paul Rubens Vercingetorix throws down his arms at the feet of Julius Caesar - Lionel Royer - 1899

The painting depicts the surrender of the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix after the Battle of Alesia (52 BC).

G.K. Chesterton said:

"Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her."

The love of the Roman Empire continued long after it fell, and it inspired breathtaking works of art portraying it's Emperors.

Here are 10 of the greatest.

/Thread🧵 "Augustus At The Tomb Of Alexander The Great" (1878) by Lionel-Noël Royer

This painting depicts a meeting between two storied figures from history, Octavian—soon to be named Augustus—visiting the grave of the long-dead Alexander the Great.

The Roman Empire's Most Horrible Emperors

The Roman Empire had more than it's fair share of dreadful Emperors.

But some of them were particularly vile and/or incompetent.

Let's examine the worst of the worst Emperors of Rome.

/Thread 🧵 Tiberius

Dynasty: Julio-Claudian

Reign: 17 September 14 – 16 March 37 (22 years, 5 months and 27 days)

Bio:

Tiberius Claudius Nero, was the second Roman Emperor. Adopted by Augustus, he was a skilled military commander and administrator. Tiberius initially maintained the stability of the empire but became increasingly reclusive, ruling from Capri in his later years. His reign is marred by the notorious
treason trials, driven by paranoia. His legacy is overshadowed by his perceived tyranny and the brutal suppression of perceived threats to his authority.

Why he's on the list:
• Didn't want to be Emperor in the first place
• Abandoned Rome and self-exiled himself to Capri
• Did unspeakable things on that island
• Extremely paranoid
• Unjustly killed several people through his "Treason Trials"

The 5 Good Emperors of Rome

Five men who ruled Rome during the magnificent height of the Pax Romana, when Rome was at the height of it's might and majesty.

Let's do a deep dive into the most scintillating period in Roman History.

/Thread 🧵 Who Were the 5 Good Emperors of Rome?

The reign of the Five Good Emperors of Rome spanned 84 years from 96 to 180 AD. Here are the emperors and their respective reigns:

• Nerva (96–98 AD) – 2 years
• Trajan (98–117 AD) – 19 years
• Hadrian (117–138 AD) – 21 years
Antoninus Pius (138–161 AD) – 23 years
• Marcus Aurelius (161–180 AD) – 19 years

These were five emperors who made up the lion's share of the Nerva-Antonine Dynasty, along with Lucius Verus (Marcus Aurelius' brother by adoption) and Commodus (Marcus Aurelius's son 🤮)

The Late Roman Republic

Pound for pound, the most fascinating period in Roman History.

No other time in human history had such a high density of captivating individuals.

Let's do a deep dive into the incredible people of the late Roman Republic.

/Thread 🧵 The People of the Late Roman Republic

For purposes of this thread, we will look at the people involved in the events starting with Caesar crossing the Rubicon in 49 BC and ending with the battle of Actium in 31 BC.

This period has the highest density of of fascinating people in the late Roman Republic.

This period is literally a "who's who" of famous people. The history books are filled with their names, countless books are written about them, and they fill our imaginations with the might and majesty of Roman History.

• Julius Caesar
• Pompey the Great
• Cicero
• Mark Antony
• Brutus
• Cato the Younger
• Cleopatra
• Octavian

"Marcus Aurelius was a terrible Roman Emperor."

/Thread 🧵 This is the inevitable response I receive when I say Marcus Aurelius is my favorite Roman Emperor.

It's mostly because of Commodus.

But I don't get angry at the people who say this. They're simply looking at the reign of Marcus Aurelius through the lens of his one mistake and not seeing all the things he did that made him an excellent emperor.

Maybe we can sway their opinion?

Let's do a deep dive into the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

Marcus Aurelius once said:

"Stop talking about what a good man is like and just be one."

10 lessons I learned from Marcus Aurelius that help me to be a good man.

/Thread 🧵 1/ A Good Man Controls His Desires

"But the man motivated by desire, who is mastered by pleasure, seems somehow more self-indulgent, less manly in his sins."

The world is filled with opportunities for wrongdoing. Sometimes we are provoked by life's circumstances into wrongdoing. Other times, we instigate the wrongdoing through our desires.

Neither is good, but the good man will limit his wrongdoing due to desire.

The proscription of Cicero was one of the most grisly and tragic events of the late Roman Republic.

Why was Cicero, a former Consul and respected member of Roman politics, selected to be proscribed?

Let's do a deep dive into the proscription of Cicero.

/Thread 🧵 Let's start by setting the table of the people and events involved in the proscription of Cicero.

The year is 43 BC. In the tumultuous series of events following the assassination of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Lepidus, and Octavian (later known as Augustus) have decided to form a alliance to advance their political agendas. Each has absolute powers in different territories of the empire.

The alliance is destined to be short-lived as each has their own designs to win the power struggle and establish themselves as the top man in Rome. Particularly Antony and Octavian.

Socrates said...

"The unexamined life is not worth living."

The best way to live an examined life is through Journaling.

But how can you get started with journaling?

This Stoic Journal Technique helps me live an examined life.

/✍️🧵 If you’ve never kept a journal before, you may be hesitant at first.

Staring at a blank page and wondering what to write can be be intimidating.

The Stoic journal Technique I recommend as a daily self-examination practice is a simple way to start journaling.

They say...

"Don't ask a barber if you need a haircut."

You also shouldn't ask a Stoic (me) if you should enroll in their Stoicism course.

But you can ask alumni of the course.

What some incredible alumni are saying about Practical Stoicism... Maggie @Dickies_Mom came out her Practical Stoicism experience with tools to live a better and calmer life.

testimonial.to/share/practica…

I had my lowest moment as a creator this week.

Here’s the story ...

🧵 So, I got a fairly random idea.

I thought I would do a free webinar on soft skills for IT professionals.

The goal?

To help IT professionals succeed in their careers.

And maybe sell a couple of my books too.

In the last 6 weeks, I have launched 4 digital products.

I have made just over $2k. Nothing crazy. I have a long way to go to reach my goal.

But it's enough to inspire me to keep going.

Here is what I have learned along the way that might help other creators.

Thread 🧵 Play The Long Game

This is the best advice I have. Creating paid products is a long game.

Don't expect to come out of the gates with a paid product.

You need to establish authority, build trust, and embed yourself in a community first.

It's a process.

There is a reason they say: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

A strong network is one of the most valuable assets you can have in your tech career.

How IT Professionals Can Become Better at Networking...

🧵 Go First

Always make the first move. Don’t wait for others to introduce themselves to you or say hi first. Be the one who goes first to create relationships.

I am a huge fan of Naval Ravikant @naval.

Over the last year, I have done a Naval deep-dive: podcasts, interviews, Tweets.

Here are my 10 favorite wisdom bombs from Naval that have helped to change the way I think.

/Thread 👇👇👇 "For something to hurt you, you have to let it. If you're letting it, that means there is a part of you that believes it." @naval

It can only hurt you if you feel it is true.

A practical Stoic exercise to reduce your stress that you can do in less than 10 minutes.

Do you have a spare 10 minutes to make yourself less stressed and happier?

Cool.

Let's get started.

Next ... 👇 • Get out a piece of paper and a pen.
• Write down everything that is causing you stress, concern, or worry.
• Don't hold back, write it all down.

Next ... 👇

I am a huge fan of Naval Ravikant @naval.

He is a modern-day philosopher. With just a few words, he can completely shift your mindset.

Here are my five favorite wisdom bombs from Naval Ravikant...

👇👇👇 “If you don't care to be liked, they can’t touch you.” - @naval

This quote is short but completely transformational. In 11 words, it challenges a lifetime of conditioning.

Building an Idea-Generating Machine

Wouldn't it be incredible if there were such a thing as an idea-generating machine?

You may not be able to buy one, but you can build one.

With suggestions from some great idea generators … and a few from myself.

👇👇👇 Long Walks

@dickiebush is a fan of long walks for idea generation.

I agree with him 100%. Long walks outdoors are idea-generating factories.

Without fail, every time I go for a long walk my idea assembly line pumps out new ideas.

https://twitter.com/dickiebush/status/1342849028040642562?s=20

I read The Psychology of Money by @morganhousel

A powerful book that will change your mindset about money.

It is modern philosophy on money and wealth generation.

Here are my 10 take-aways from this great book.

/Thread 👇 💵👇 "Plan on the plan not going according to plan." - @morganhousel

Everything goes according to plan...until it doesn't. Don't be surprised by surprises.

Naval Ravikant @naval is the mindset master.

His quick, gut-punch, paradigm-shifting insights can completely change your perceptions.

My 10 favorite mindset-changing thoughts from Naval.

/Thread 🧠📈 "If you want to see who rules over you, see who you are not allowed to criticize." - @naval

Keeping Quiet -->🧠📈--> Speaking Up

Pound for pound, Atomic Habits by @JamesClear is the most information packed book I’ve ever read.

If you measure a book’s worth by the sheer volume of highlights and notes. It’s the most valuable book I’ve read.

Here are my main take aways from this great book.

/Thread ⚛️⚛️⚛️ “You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.” @JamesClear

Where you are heading is more important than where you are.

IT Professionals

To be successful in IT, it's not enough to develop your technical skills.

You must develop yourself.

Over the next 30 days, I'll be writing a daily essay on skills that will help you realize your IT career potential.

Follow along and level up.

/Thread 💻👇 Day 1 - The Surprising Skill That Can Help IT Professionals Create Opportunities

There is a surprising skill IT Professionals can develop that will:

>Help you learn better
>Create opportunities
>Increase your influence
>Leave a legacy.

evernote.com/l/AD7bIwbbFQ5L…