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… 🧵 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.

The design of a cathedral is theologically based and instructive in the faith. Though beautiful, its construction is not arbitrary — it wasn’t arranged simply to look pretty.

The layout, artwork, statues, and stained glass windows all serve an edifying purpose🧵 The plan of a cathedral is cruciform in shape and is usually oriented eastward—ad orientum. Worshippers face the rising sun, a daily reminder of Christ’s resurrection.

The north and south transepts or “arms” represent Christ’s right and left hands on the cross.

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.

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.

Historian Will Durant was not a religious man, but he believed faith was "indispensable" to a culture.

He delivered a dire warning to societies who traded faith for comfort…🧵 (thread) Will Durant was a 20th-century American historian and philosopher most known for his 11-volume “Story of Civilization,” telling the history of both eastern and western civilizations.

His work led him to conclude that all cultures follow a predictable pattern…

Kenneth Clark lamented that civilization was a fragile thing.

He observed three “enemies” that could topple even the mightiest cultures.

What are they, and how can we prevent them?🧵 The first enemy is fear:

“fear of war, fear of invasion, fear of plague and famine, that make it simply not worthwhile constructing things, or planting trees or even planning next year’s crops. And fear of the supernatural, which means that you daren’t question anything.”

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.

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…

The East India Company was the most powerful corporation of all time.

It had an army larger than Great Britain's, and its influence shaped the borders of nations.

So how did a company become stronger than most countries?🧵 The East India Company's origins started with famed explorer Francis Drake.

His voyage in 1577 opened the world to the East Indies, and when he returned to England in 1580, he brought exotic spices from the Spice Islands that investors believed could be a lucrative venture.

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.