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Continue reading →: Rome’s Western Contributions and America’s Dying Liberty
Few nations throughout history invoke so many varying emotions as Rome. Its influence on Western civilization is arguably unmatched. The nation contributed militarily, literately, architecturally, and philosophically, but its greatest contribution may have been its tale of liberty. Roman literature and poetry are remembered today. In many ways, they…
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Continue reading →: Saint Augustine’s Impact on the Christian Church
Few theologians live up to the legendary status of St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD). His theological treatises are vast and extensive. In fact, St. Isidore of Seville said if anyone claimed to have read all of St. Augustine’s writings, they were lying because he wrote so much. However, some…
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Continue reading →: Horace and Ethical Causation
Horace was a renowned Roman poet who lived under Emperor Augustus’ reign. As a close associate to Maecenas, Emperor Augustus’ right-hand man, Horace was a well-informed witness of Rome’s transition into imperialism. The man was politically connected. However, he lived in an age of stringent regulations against pro-republic literature and…
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Continue reading →: Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’: A Tale of Gross Misconduct
Ovid’s Metamorphoses was about the fascinating fictional tale of Rome’s founding. The book went through the world’s birth from chaos, the creation of humans, battles between gods and men, Romulus and Remis, and the death of Julius Caesar. It was a gripping tale of deplorable dissension and cunning bravery. The…
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Continue reading →: The Visigoth Invasion and Rome’s Destruction
After Rome’s Imperial Crisis during the 3rd century, when emperors were repeatedly assassinated and deposed, the empire was weak by the 4th century. Diocletian implemented reforms in 284 AD to stabilize the Roman Empire, such as forming the tetrarchy, with two augusti (emperors) in the East and West and…
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Continue reading →: Ethical Dissensions Between Christianity and Ancient Rome
A prior essay addressed the similarities between Christianity and Roman/Greek philosophy. This essay will focus on the differences and how Christianity represented an alienation from Roman ideals—stoicism, in particular. Where the Stoics and Christians agreed that fate/Godly providence would have its course on destiny (i.e., that a…
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Continue reading →: The Church and Pagan Classics
The church expanded after the reign of Emperor Constantine. It was an age when Greek literature was popular. But with the Canon of the Bible finished and pagan literature flourishing, an honorable question arose: What was the church’s view on pagan literature? Were Plato, Socrates, Livy, and all the other…
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Continue reading →: The Monks and Their European Contributions
Unbeknownst to most people, the monks did more than pray and read scripture in seclusion. Beneath the world’s eyes, the monasteries secretly held the world together after Rome collapsed. Through the Classical Period and into the Middle Ages, the monks’ contributions permeated Europe. This essay is about those contributions.…
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Continue reading →: Livy and Ovid on Roman Optimism and Mass Bloodshed
Livy and Ovid were Roman historians who lived under the reign of Octavian Augustus. I use the word “historian” loosely, as Livy’s sections on how Rome was founded are dubious at best. Ovid is on another matter entirely. Regardless, they are still Roman classics, recommended under Dr. Gary North’s literature…
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Continue reading →: God’s Providence in Rome’s Emperors
The Christian condition worsened as Roman emperors escalated their persecutions. History remembered Nero and Domitian unfavorably as bloodthirsty tyrants, but their persecutions were dwarfed by Diocletian. For the first time in Roman history, he launched an empire-wide, proactive campaign to smite every Christian and run the religion into the ground.…
Hello,
I’m Asher
I’m a student at Thomas Edison State, finishing up my B.A. in philosophy. I’m also a law school hopeful. You can read my random and infrequent blog posts here, getting a glimpse of the nonsense in my brain.
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