Hesiod’s Works and Days addresses the feuds between the gods, the creation of men, and proper ethics for prosperity. Zeus’ sovereignty over humans is one of the central themes. The deathless gods made the five races of men. Hesiod believed Zeus was sovereign because the gods created the five races of men, and Zeus was … More ‘Works and Days’ and Submission to Zeus
Alexander the Great unified all of Greece under his rule, fulfilled his father Philip the 2nd’s visions for an all-Greek war on Persia, and conquered Asia Minor, Egyp, Athens, Troy, Tyre, and many other nations in the process. His campaign solidified Greece as the world’s superpower. The Hellenistic period started after Alexander’s death. Many … More Epicurus and Epicureanism
The classical liberal Benjamin Constant noticed a worrisome confusion over ancient and modern liberty during his life. With a clear understanding of the difference, he used his knowledge to write the infamous essay, The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with That of the Moderns. In its most basic form, everyone agrees that liberty is good, … More Clashing Liberties: The Rule of Law or of Men?
Genesis and Theogony are two stories about the origins of creation. It’s the great Hebrew/Christian origin story clashing with Ancient Greece. An important side note is that the Hebrews were monotheistic and only believed in one God. The Greeks were polytheistic and believed in many gods. Nobody can believe both accounts since they are contrary … More “Genesis” and “Theogony”
Euripides’ play, Medea, is one the most fascinating and bizarre stories I’ve ever read. Much of Greek plays followed the “tragedy” format, where everything ends horribly. To its definition, the play ends in tragedy. There is no happy ending or justice, and all the protagonists suffer misfortune. In this essay, I’ll summarize and analyze the … More Medea and Sweet Revenge
Today, I completed the Biblical section on Western literature. We covered a lot of material, and I wrote five essays on Biblical literature. They covered the Garden of Eden, Noah, the flood, the tower of Babel, the sanctions in Psalms, and all Proverbs. Those pieces of literature provide a sturdy foundation for insight into … More The Biblical Rule of Law and Standard of Justice
After Greece defeated the Persian army at Salamis, it wasn’t kumbaya. A house divided cannot stand, but Greece divided anyway. Time passed, and the two dominant city-states—Sparta and Athens—developed independent leagues. They were coalitions between allies. Sparta and its allies made the Peloponnesian League, while Athens and its allies had the Delian League. The … More Peloponnesian War
If history has taught us anything, “Too big to fail” doesn’t exist. Every empire seems to crumble. Does it matter how powerful they are? No. Persia dominated the world once. Like all the empires before and after them, their influence faded into darkness, and another empire took their place. The closing of the … More Prelude to War—An Essay on the Persian Wars
Proverbs is the most well-known of the three pieces of wisdom literature—Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Over time, Proverbs became synonymous with wisdom. The book contrasts wisdom and foolishness. Solomon addresses the positive attributes that wise people have and the negative attributes of their foolish counterparts. Overall, he makes the case for seeking wisdom. The first … More The Female Feud Over Your Soul—Proverbs Essay
Aristotle was Plato’s young prodigy and became a philosopher in his own right. His most infamous pupil was Alexander the Great, but his impact superseded Alexander. We credit Aristotle for multiple advances in science, meteorology, philosophy, and political/government theory. This essay will dissect that last topic—Aristotle’s three types of government, their perversions, and how to … More The Middle Class and Common Sense; How to Avoid Governmental Plunder
Asher Sisneros 