There are a lot of misconceptions about the Inquisition.

Most people today view it as a medieval witch hunt spurred on by dark age superstition — but its initial intentions weren't so misguided…🧵 We’ve all heard of “the Inquisition,” but in fact no singular organization existed with this title.

Rather, the term refers to a judicial process by the Catholic Church that sought to combat heresy via trial.

There were multiple inquisitions in response to different heresies.

World-history is a war between man and nature, says Oswald Spengler.

But it’s a war that man is destined to lose.

One day, our cities and skyscrapers will lie in ruins “just like the palaces of old Memphis and Babylon”, he claims.

And the final climax is fast approaching…🧵 Oswald Spengler is best known for his work “Decline of the West” published in two parts—the first in 1918 and the second in 1922.

The work propelled him to fame as his philosophy depicted a tired, declining Western culture that resonated with Germans after the failure of WWI.

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.

The Holy Roman Empire lasted ~1000 years, and it looked like this:

How did such a fractured political entity last so long?

It has to do with a concept called “subsidiarity”, and it holds the key to implementing responsible government today 🧵 (thread) Voltaire famously derided the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) as “neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire”, but what couldn't be denied was its longevity.

Existing from 800-1806, it was birthed before William the Conqueror invaded England and continued on after the American Revolution.

Machiavelli promoted a *realistic* approach to governance.

It didn’t always involve being nice.

His work "The Prince" is packed with hard hitting truths for rulers — but there’s one lesson that modern leaders MUST pay attention to, or risk losing everything…🧵 Niccolò Machiavelli was a 15-16th century Florentine diplomat, philosopher, and author who’s best known for his political masterpiece “The Prince”.

Often called the father of modern political philosophy, he wrote the book as a guide for potential rulers.

Did you know the American $1 bill references Virgil?

The Great Seal featured on the bill was designed by a Latin teacher, and the inscription “annuit cœptis” comes from the Aeneid.

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.

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 comfort—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.

All empires repeat the same cycle, says 20th-century historian John Glubb.

He observed that for the past 3000 years every civilization has followed the same 6 stages before decline—what are they?🧵 Sir John Bagot Glubb was a British soldier and author who served as the commanding general for Transjordan's Arab Legion from 1939 to 1956.

In his later years he wrote about geopolitics and world history, and penned a succinct description of how civilizations rise and fall…

On May 20th, 1910, nine kings gathered at Windsor for the funeral of King Edward VII.

The photograph they took is a stark reminder of how drastically European leadership has changed—the men pictured remain symbols of a bygone era of monarchy.

Who were they?🧵 King Haakon VII of Norway (top row, far left)

Ruled from November 1905 until his death in 1957. After the 1905 dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway, he became the first independent Norwegian monarch since Olaf II in 1387.

Galileo called him “superhuman”. Tesla said he was the “ideal” inventor. And da Vinci was directly inspired by him.

Simply put, Archimedes was the greatest engineer and mathematician of the ancient world.

Here’s why...🧵(thread) Born around 287 BC, Archimedes was an inventor, mathematician, astronomer, and engineer from the city of Syracuse in Sicily.

Very little is known of Archimedes’ life other than his discoveries and inventions, of which there were many.

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 West has always been fascinated by exotic cultures—but nothing exemplifies this obsession with the “other” quite like Egyptomania.

The allure of Egypt reveals a deep desire for the eternal…🧵(thread) The Western interest in Egyptian culture dates back to ancient Greece and Rome, who took inspiration from Egypt’s art, religion, and philosophy.

For example, Alexander paid homage to the hybrid deity Zeus-Ammon, styled himself Pharaoh, and desired to be buried in Egypt.

Modern man has a severe case of amnesia—he’s forgotten the immense wisdom of the past.

Luckily, it can be rediscovered through great literature.

12 old books that will make you wiser… 🧵(thread) 12. Enchiridion, Epictetus

Epictetus never wrote down anything himself, but his student Arrian collected his teachings, recording them for future generations. His lessons enlighten the reader on matters regarding ethics and achieving inner freedom.

Nearly every culture has dragons — why?

They represent what must be confronted in order to achieve anything worthwhile.

If you want to be great, you need to go where the dragons are...🧵(thread) Dragon depictions are remarkably consistent across cultures. They are usually a blend of reptilian, feline, and avian features.

In the West, they are often winged, horned, and fire-breathing beasts; in the East, four-legged, serpentine creatures.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s books have inspired countless fantasy novels since he first published The Hobbit in 1937.

But what works inspired him to write in the first place?

Here are 10 of Tolkien’s favorite books🧵 1. The Red Fairy Book, Andrew Lang

Tolkien once claimed:

“I have been a lover of fairy stories since I learned to read.”

This work contains one of the great fairy stories of all time: Fafnir the dragon from the Volsunga. It influenced Tolkien’s creation of dragons like Smaug

The Roman Empire was “fine-tuned” to spread Christianity.

Some might even say Christianity needed Rome to survive at all.

It was Rome’s absolute dominance of the ancient world that allowed Christianity to flourish…🧵 When Christ was born in Bethlehem, there was already a figure who was known as a “great peacemaker” and the “son of a god” living at the time.

Augustus Caesar, the man who ended the Roman civil war and jump-started the Pax Romana, or “Roman Peace,” was the emperor.

What was daily life like for an average Roman?

Well, one central aspect of any Roman community was its bathhouse—an all-in-one library, mall, gym, and spa that incorporated Rome's greatest engineering feats…🧵 When Romans weren’t conquering the known world, they relaxed in baths, or “thermae.” Most cities had at least one, and sometimes wealthy Romans had their own private baths at their villas.

Regardless of their location, though, Roman baths were marvels of engineering…

Alexander Hamilton argued in 1787 that the United States should resemble a monarchy.

It might sound like heresy to modern Americans, but his idea had some merit.

Here’s how it would’ve worked🧵 Hamilton gave a long and impassioned speech at the constitutional convention in favor of his position, nevertheless it was resoundingly voted down in favor of the presidential system the US has today.

But what did Hamilton advocate for exactly?

Europe lost the beauty of its monarchies after World War I.

A look at all the kings and queens of Europe during the Great War🧵 King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth - Belgium

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…

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.