The 'sword of Damocles' is a modern expression, which to us means a sense of impending doom, the feeling that there is some catastrophic threat looming over you. That's not exactly its original meaning, however.
In an attempt to be more popular with the ladies, I decided to do a let's play. It may not actually make me more popular with the ladies, but I've always found M&B to be just the right mix of sandbox and direction makes it one of the better games for roleplay, so I thought sharing the experience with people might make things more fun! There is already a Mount & Blade let's play on these boards, but lucky for me M&B has a heavily active modding community! (Although the other LP was first, so maybe it's better than this one automatically?)
The expression comes to us from the writings of the Roman politician, orator, and philosopher Cicero (106-43 BC). Cicero's point was that death looms over each of us, and we ought to try to be happy in spite of that. Others have interpreted his meaning to be similar to 'don't judge people until you've walked in their shoes'. Others, such as Verbaal (2006) argue that the story was part of a subtle suggestion to Julius Caesar that he needed to avoid the pitfalls of tyranny: the denial of spiritual life and the lack of friends.
The Story of Damocles
The way Cicero tells it, Damocles was the name of a sycophant (adsentator in Latin), one of the several yes-men in the court of Dionysius, a 4th century BC tyrant. Dionysius ruled Syracuse, a city in Magna Graecia, the Greek area of southern Italy. To his subjects, Dionysius appeared to be very rich and comfortable, with all the luxuries money could buy, tasteful clothing and jewelry, and access to delectable food in lavish feasts.
Damocles was prone to compliment the king on his army, his resources, the majesty of his rule, the abundance of his storehouses, and the greatness of his royal palace: surely, said Damocles to the king, there had never been a happier man. Dionysius turned to him and asked Damocles if he would like to try living Dionysius's life. Damocles readily agreed.
A Tasty Repast: Not So Much
Dionysius had Damocles seated on a golden couch, in a room decorated with beautiful woven tapestries embroidered with magnificent designs and furnished with sideboards chased in gold and silver. He arranged for a feast for him, to be served by waiters hand-picked for their beauty. There were all kinds of exquisite food and ointments, and even incense was burned.
Then Dionysius had a glittering sword hung from the ceiling by a single horsehair, directly over Damocles' head. Damocles lost his appetite for the rich life and begged Dionysius to let him go back to his poor life, for, he said, he no longer wanted to be happy.
Dionysius Who?
According to Cicero, for 38 years Dionysius was the ruler of the city of Syracuse, about 300 years before Cicero told the tale. Dionysius' name is reminiscent of Dionysus, the Greek God of wine and drunken revelry, and he (or perhaps his son Dionysius the Younger) lived up to the name. There are several stories in the Greek historian Plutarch's writings about the two tyrants of Syracuse, father, and son, but Cicero didn't differentiate. Together the Dionysius family were the best historical example Cicero knew of cruel despotism: a combination of cruelty and refined education.
McKinlay (1939) argued that Cicero could have meant either one: the elder who used the Damocles story as a lesson in virtue directed (in part) to his son, or the younger who staged a party for Damocles as a joke.
A Bit of Context: The Tusuclan Disputations
The sword of Damocles is from Book V of Cicero's Tusuclan Disputations, a set of rhetorical exercises on philosophical topics and one of the several works of moral philosophy that Cicero wrote in the years 44-45 BC after he had been forced out of the Senate.
The five volumes of the Tusuclan Disputations are each devoted to the things that Cicero argued were essential to a happy life: indifference to death, enduring pain, alleviating sorrow, resisting other spiritual disturbances, and choosing virtue. The books were part of a vibrant period of Cicero's intellectual life, written six months after the death of his daughter Tullia, and, say, modern philosophers, they were how he found his own path to happiness: the blissful life of a sage.
Book V: A Virtuous Life
The Sword of Damocles story appears in the fifth book, which argues that virtue is sufficient for living a happy life, and in Book V Cicero describes in detail what an utterly miserable man Dionysius was. He was said to have been 'temperate in his mode of living, alert, and diligent in business, but naturally malicious and unjust' to his subjects and family. Born of good parents and with a wonderful education and huge family, he trusted none of them, certain that they would blame him for his unrighteous lust for power.
Ultimately, Cicero compares Dionysius to Plato and Archimedes, who spent happy lives in the pursuit of intellectual inquiry. In Book V, Cicero says he found the long lost tomb of Archimedes, and it inspired him. Fear of death and retribution is what made Dionysius wretched, says Cicero: Archimedes was happy because he led a good life and was unworried about death which (after all) looms over all of us.
Sources:
Cicero MT, and Younge CD (translator). 46 BC (1877). Cicero's Tusculan Disputations. Project Gutenberg
Jaeger M. 2002. Cicero and Archimedes' Tomb. The Journal of Roman Studies 92:49-61.
Can't run fallout 3 on windows 8. Jan 14, 2013 - As many other people, I had problems getting my Fallout 3 GOTY to work on my windows 8 computer (I probably spent 2 or more weeks surfing.
Mader G. 2002. Thyestes' Slipping Garland (Seneca, 'Thy.' 947). Acta Classica 45:129-132.
McKinlay AP. 1939. The 'Indulgent' Dionysius.Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association 70:51-61.
Verbaal W. 2006. Cicero and Dionysios the Elder, or the End of Liberty.The Classical World 99(2):145-156.
More fusion of so ... CheersEverything from the context of Alexander, an Italian blogger who lives in Sweden. The theme is: the tastes of the north .. Mr. Salmon. ![]() :-) But I like the salmon, the contest is can participate with more preparations, one in each category. Right now I have some hours available for .. :-) Play in the kitchen, so I went to Eastern Market to catch a salmon. I did not want to copy verbatim a recipe, so I have 'messed up' on my own. Accurate now, I have not invented anything, I just put the ingredients together geographically far apart, so, just to try and sympathy .. . Alexander moved to Sweden and Italy rather than bringing about a contest full of carbonara. .. Saudade, talks about salmon. I have until January 15, so expect a flurry of recipes: appetizer, first and second. For starters here is a 'salad with gravlax, the classic salmon. In the original recipe with sugar, salt, dill, I added the Moroccan preserved lemons, pink grapefruit comes from Israel, potato Montoggio :-), smoked black salt from the United States. In short So, I had announced. .. More fusion than that! I dedicate this post to a wonderful family 'fusion.' From Sweden, Irene, as beautiful as the sun comes in and meets in Italy, Luciano, a true Tuscan Doc. Lisa was born in Italy. In Guatemala, where Irene and Luciano in the meantime have moved, there's Manuel and Stephen, two twins, the first, with colors identical to the mother, the second with the curls of blacks dad. Italian, in Swedish, English and English words are combined. Back in Europe, and Monaco, born Victoria. Apart from French, we can add the greatest happiness of Mom and Dad Lisa Regis .. .. and of course the overwhelming joy grandparents and uncles! salad fusion 200 g salmon 50 g salt 50 g caster sugar 1 pinch of dill 1 lemon confit 4 washers 50 g fresh ginger soncino 1 / 2 pink grapefruit 3 quail eggs 1 potato smoked black salt extra virgin olive oil Place the salmon skin side down on the 4 washers lemon confit. Cover with pieces of ginger, and the mixture of sugar, salt and dill. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight. (The time depends on the weight of the salmon) Rinse quickly with cold water and thinly sliced u200bu200bthinly. Boil the quail eggs for 4 '. Peel and cut in half. Cook a vapore la patata tagliata a rondelle . Pulire a vivo il pompelmo e ricavare gli spicchi . Tagliare qualche pezzetto di limone confit . Nella prima foto , tutti gli ingredienti si sono messi in posa , nelle ultime , si sono amalgamati perfettamente per formare un unico piatto ma ogni ingrediente aveva il suo ..carattere e personalità .
Sword of Damocles is a mod for Mount & Blade,created by vonMistont.
Description:
Sword of Damocles is most complex and advanced kingdom management mod. It does not simply add player's kingdom and lords under his command but it also tries to simulate kingdom management by adding population to fiefs, health, ability to create laws, reworking economy and adding new buildings. It also allows you to choose your faith which heavily influence your kingdom, allow you to build religious structures and eventually if you spread your faith ardently enough to upgrade your elite troops to unmatched holy warriors. You will also have to develop two new kingdom management skills, Administration and Intrigues to efficiently rule your kingdom.
To install:
1.Download the archive.
Mount And Blade Sword Of Damocles
2.Extract the archive to „Modules”
3. In configuration menu change „Native” to desired mod.
Report problems with download to [email protected]
Sword of Damocles adds six new factions to the Mount and Blade world. Each faction is unique from the six factions from the original standalone game. All together, with Sword of Damocles, there are a total of twelve factions. They are:
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |