Did you know the American $1 bill references Virgil?

The Great Seal featured on the bill was designed by a Latin teacher, and he left a reference to the Aeneid on the design.

But there’s more — America’s entire ethos has Roman underpinnings…🧵 To understand how America adopted a Roman mentality, we first need to explore the idea of “Roman exceptionalism.”

It was essentially a type of self-confidence — a belief that Rome’s culture was better than all others.

The French Revolution was one of the great tragedies of history.

It ushered in an era of:

-violence
-class warfare
-authoritarianism

But France’s faith suffered the most—thousands of priests were executed or exiled as a new atheistic religion was thrust onto the people…🧵 Before the revolution, France and Catholicism were inseparable.

France was called the “eldest daughter of the Church” since Frankish king Clovis I accepted the Catholic faith in the early 6th century.

Alexander the Great’s tomb has been missing for centuries. Over 140 official attempts have been made to locate it. All have failed.

But one rogue historian thinks he’s finally found it.

He claims everyone's been looking in the wrong place…🧵 Alexander’s body wasn’t always missing. We know that figures like Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Augustus visited his tomb in Alexandria during the 1st century BC.

But somewhere along the way it disappears from the record…

A democracy can only last 200 years.

At least, that’s according to 18th-century historian Alexander Tytler.

He claimed democracies always follow a predictable pattern and are doomed to end in servitude…🧵
Tytler was a Scottish judge, writer, and Professor of Universal History as well as Greek and Roman Antiquities at the University of Edinburgh.

After studying dozens of civilizations, he noticed some intriguing patterns…

The Black Death wiped out half of Europe — as many as 50 million people perished as a result of the plague.

But it was also a new beginning.

The world might look very different today had the plague not set the West on a new course…🧵 Supposedly first introduced to Europe during the siege of Caffa in 1347, the disease was likely carried by fleas that hitched rides on Genoese ships sailing around the Mediterranean.

At the time, no one could have guessed the damage these little fleas would cause…

You’re a medieval peasant farmer.

You’re at the bottom rung of society — bound to the land with limited social mobility…

But life isn’t all bad. Here’s what it looks like🧵 Even compared to the glorified Roman Empire, the average “Dark Age” peasant likely saw lower taxes, more freedom, and a weaker ruling class under the Manorial system—a type of Feudalism where peasants worked the land under a lord.

Charles "the Hammer."

Perhaps no figure deserves the title “defender of Western civilization” as much as him.

A warrior-statesman, he not only crushed foreign invasions but also laid the foundation for medieval Europe🧵 Born an illegitimate son to Pepin of Herstal, ruler of a few Frankish territories, Charles (c. 688–741 AD) enjoyed the youth of an aristocratic warrior, but was never expected to inherit his father’s rule.

The greatest men in history didn’t sit back and watch their men fight from afar — they led from the front.

A thread on courageous leaders who fought alongside their troops🧵 1. Leonidas

The Spartan king showed his willingness to sacrifice for his people when he, along with a cohort of vastly outnumbered Greeks, fought to the death at Thermopylae in 480 BC.

Despite his death, he’s become immortal in the legend that surrounds his epic last stand.

The Ancient Greeks basically invented Western philosophy. 2500 years on and we’re still studying their ideas.

Here are 10 Greek philosophers you need to know🧵 1. Thales, 7th cent. BC

Thales was part of a new generation of thinkers trying to uncover how the cosmos were constructed without relying on the gods as an explanation. An early Monist, he considered a single element to be the main building block of the cosmos.

Every civilization eventually dies — it’s inevitable.

But what can be done about it? What will you do when civilization crumbles around you?

According to historian Arnold Toynbee, there are precisely 3 options — and only one leads to survival…🧵 Toynbee was an English historian who published the 12 volume work “A Study of History,” which traced the life cycle of about two dozen world civilizations.

He attributed the growth and flourishing of civilizations to the creative energies of their leaders.

Early Christians had a complete Bible by the 4th century — but that’s not the only thing they were reading to deepen their faith.

Here’s what books the early Church read besides the Bible🧵 1. The Didache, Anonymous, 1st cent.

The Didache is a brief discourse that contains moral and ritualistic teachings—a handbook for a Christian life.

It’s speculated the apostles wrote it, and contains the formulas for baptism and eucharist that are still used today.

What do Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, and Otto von Bismarck all have in common?

They knew that in order to rule effectively, one must shun ideology.

Instead, they embraced realpolitik: rule based on facts, not lofty ideals…🧵 So what is realpolitik?

Realpolitik, as it is understood today, is the approach of making political or diplomatic decisions based on the given circumstances of a matter, not on moral or ethical considerations.

It’s political pragmatism to the nth degree.

If you like Greek or Roman classics, you can thank a monk.

Just as much as on any battlefield, Western civilization was safeguarded within the quiet confines of a monastery...🧵 In the 6th century, the fate of western Europe was uncertain.

Barbarians had deposed the Roman emperor; age-old institutions were left decaying; the flame of civilization almost gone…

But at a monastery in Calabria, a monk named Cassiodorus toiled to keep this flame alight.

Who were the 5 good emperors?

Despite wielding absolute power, they used their authority to maintain peace and stability throughout the Roman empire and ushered in an age of unparalleled cultural heights🧵 In order, they were:

Nerva (reign 96–98 AD)
Trajan (98–117)
Hadrian (117–138)
Antoninus Pius (138–161)
Marcus Aurelius (161–180)

Notably, they were not a bloodline. All were either adopted, or in Nerva’s case, raised to power by assassins of Domitian (the previous emperor).

Rome was the preeminent engineering civilization. Its roads, bridges, and aqueducts ensured an unmatched quality of life for its citizens.

Yet its greatest engineering feat wasn’t about providing a comfortable life—the Colosseum was built for a dramatic death🧵 The Colosseum became famous for its gladiatorial contests, executions, reenactments of famous battles, and even mock sea fights.

It was a theater designed with two things in mind: death and spectacle.

In 1831, French aristocrat Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to the US to study democracy.

He saw some positives, but also noted a few flaws such as:

-tyranny of the majority
-isolated individuals
-materialism

He claimed religion was essential to prevent these dangers...🧵 Alexis de Tocqueville was a diplomat sent by the French government to learn about the prison system in America.

While abroad, he used the opportunity to investigate American society as a whole, penning his most famous work ”Democracy in America.”

We’ve all seen gargoyles before — ghoulish carvings set outside old churches.

But why pair such ugly images with sacred buildings?

Well, to protect something priceless, you need something *monstrous*.

They teach us a lesson about defending what we love…🧵 First off, what is a gargoyle?

The word gargoyle comes from the French gargouille meaning “gullet” or “throat.”

A gargoyle, then, is a decorated water spout. They were used for a utilitarian purpose: to prevent water from flowing down the sides of buildings, causing erosion.

When General von Steuben first set foot at Valley Forge in 1778, a soldier described him as “the ancient fabled God of War”.

He turned a ragtag group of militiamen into a disciplined force who took down the mighty British army.

Here’s how🧵 Born into a military family, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was always destined to make warfare a career.

At a mere 14 he observed the 1744 Siege of Prague, and at 17 he enlisted in the Prussian army—the most disciplined fighting force in Europe.

Art Deco is the incarnation of civilizational energy — the spirit of Achilles and Tesla in architectural form.

The ultimate style for high civilization... Kenneth Clarke said:

“Vigour, energy, vitality: all the civilizations—or civilizing epochs—have had a weight of energy behind them.”

Art Deco embodies this vitality.

You need to be stacking *physical* books.

Here’s why: 1. They can’t be changed

Whoever controls the internet controls mankind’s knowledge and history.

With physical books, you don’t have to worry about censorship or malicious editing of humanity’s acquired wisdom.

Is corruption inevitable?

The ancient Greeks observed that governments often devolve into distorted versions of themselves.

The problem is the ruling party's tendency to abuse power...🧵 Precluding the explicit idea of social cycles is the concept of “dark ages” — dominated by poor leadership, war, famine, and tech/artistic stagnation — and “golden ages” — periods of peace, plenty, and social progress — across social scales, from city-states to civilizations.