Alternative (and religiously neutral) naming of the traditional calendar era, Anno Domini
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The Homeric Question and Narrative Choices: Colleague Emily Wilson addresses the "Homeric Question," describing the transition from oral tradition to written text around the 8th century BCE, discussing how the Iliad subverts audience expectations by omitting famous events like the Trojan Horse, focusing instead on a brief period of intense conflict and internal Greek strife. 1200 AD ILLIAD
Athenian democracy, in many ways, inspired the Maccabean-style democracy established in 140 BCE. Bernie Maopolski from the Fan of History podcast joins Gil to discuss.Listen to Bernie's episodes on Athenian Democracy - Democracy in AthensThe Boule: Random Guys and the Birth of BureaucracyGreek Democracy, part 3 Join our tribe on Patreon! Check out these cool pages on the podcast's website:Home PageWho wrote the Bible: Timeline and authorsAncient maps: easy to follow maps to see which empire ruled what and whenClick here to see Exodus divided into "sources" according to the Documentary Hypothesis The podcast is written, edited and produced by Gil Kidron
You know what they say: if you remember Finstock, you've been to West Oxfordshire. Here we discover a wealth of ghosts from James's old stomping ground. There's a 1990s spectre, an 1800s preacher and a 39000s (BCE) neanderthal. Plus, a truly chilling lady ghost whose beckoning hands can only be seen by children. Pop on your body warmers... now! See Alasdair On Tour in 2026! Edited by Laurence Hisee Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod ko-fi.com/loremen Check the sweet, sweet merch here... https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631 @loremenpod youtube.com/loremenpodcast www.instagram.com/loremenpod www.facebook.com/loremenpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this episode of The Canadian Investor Podcast, Simon and Dan cover a packed slate of major Canadian market moves — from dividend shocks to CEO shakeups and a long-awaited bank sale. We break down Telus’ dividend growth pause and DRIP phase-out, why the company says the payout is safe, and what 2026 free cash flow could mean for investors. Then we look at Goeasy, where CEO Dan Rees is stepping down amid rising provisions, a short report, and widespread management turnover. Simon also explains Allied Properties’ 60% distribution cut, highlighting the three warning signs that dividend investors should always watch for. Then we dive into Laurentian Bank’s split sale to Fairstone and National, and what this means for Quebec’s banking landscape. Finally, we review Scotiabank’s strong quarter and whether the bank is starting to pull off a real turnaround. Tickers Discussed: T, BCE, GSY, AP.UN, NA, LB, BNS Our New Youtube Channel! Check out our portfolio by going to Jointci.com Our Website Canadian Investor Podcast Network Twitter: @cdn_investing Simon’s twitter: @Fiat_Iceberg Braden’s twitter: @BradoCapital Dan’s Twitter: @stocktrades_ca Want to learn more about Real Estate Investing? Check out the Canadian Real Estate Investor Podcast! Apple Podcast - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Spotify - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Web player - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Asset Allocation ETFs | BMO Global Asset Management Sign up for Fiscal.ai for free to get easy access to global stock coverage and powerful AI investing tools. Register for EQ Bank, the seamless digital banking experience with better rates and no nonsense.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, Meredith and Cassandra chat about the winter inventions that helped us survive the cold - from the classic hand muff to heaters, ice scrapers, remote starts, and shovels. It's a quick, fun look at how these cold-weather creations came to be. omehow bed bugs made their way into the conversation, too. We give a shout-out to one of our #1 fans, Shannon, and Meredith love Lauren Conrad clothes at Kohl's.Info from this episode:
Sarah Derbew's new book Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity (Cambridge UP, 2022) asks how should articulations of blackness from the fifth century BCE to the twenty-first century be properly read and interpreted? This important and timely book is the first concerted treatment of black skin color in the Greek literature and visual culture of antiquity. In charting representations in the Hellenic world of black Egyptians, Aithiopians, Indians, and Greeks, Derbew dexterously disentangles the complex and varied ways in which blackness has been co-produced by ancient authors and artists; their readers, audiences, and viewers; and contemporary scholars. Exploring the precarious hold that race has on skin coloration, the author uncovers the many silences, suppressions, and misappropriations of blackness within modern studies of Greek antiquity. Shaped by performance studies and critical race theory alike, her book maps out an authoritative archaeology of blackness that reappraises its significance. It offers a committedly anti-racist approach to depictions of black people while rejecting simplistic conflations or explanations. Get 20% off a copy of Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity using promo code UBGA2022 at Cambridge University Press (valid until February 2023). Keep up with Sarah's work on Twitter @BlackAntiquity and on her website. @amandajoycehall is a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in the Department of African American Studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history
Sargon II of Assyria faces a crisis of legitimacy after a humiliating defeat, but transforms potential disaster into triumph through military genius and calculated brutality. This episode chronicles his desperate 720 BCE campaign from Mesopotamia to the Levant, where he perfects combined arms warfare and decimates Samaria so thoroughly that ten tribes of Israel vanish from history.Following his controversial rise to power, Sargon must prove divine favor through victory or lose everything. Watch as he masters siege warfare with unprecedented tactical sophistication, deploying battering rams under coordinated covering fire to crack fortress walls that stymied his predecessors. His lightning campaign against Yahu-Bihdi's coalition demonstrates the Assyrian war machine at peak efficiency—mass deportations, public flayings, and systematic urban destruction become instruments of imperial control.The episode explores Sargon's subsequent campaigns along Assyria's contested frontiers, from the fragmenting Mannean kingdom in the Zagros Mountains to rebellious Tabal under Phrygian influence. Detailed correspondence reveals the mechanics of ancient border warfare, including an elaborate ruse involving fake fortress construction to ambush Urartian raiders. We examine how Sargon manipulates succession crises, deploys intelligence networks, and uses overwhelming force—sometimes fielding armies larger than entire city populations—to maintain imperial dominance against Urartu, Phrygia, and internal dissent.The narrative culminates with the mysterious fall of Carchemish, the last Neo-Hittite vassal, whose wealth funds Sargon's most ambitious project yet: a new capital city that will bear both his glory and an ominous curse.I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhSDonate here: https://oldeststories.net/or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckleyor on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/joinYoutube and Patreon members get access to bonus content about Egyptian culture and myths.
Federico Fubini racconta il rifiuto, da parte della Banca centrale europea, di garantire il prestito da 140 miliardi per Kiev, utilizzando le risorse russe bloccate in Belgio. Francesca Basso parla dell'inchiesta su una presunta frode in appalti pubblici che vede coinvolti la ex Alta rappresentante Ue e il diplomatico Stefano Sannino. Velia Alvich spiega perché l'«esca della rabbia» è la parola del 2025 secondo l'Oxford English Dictionary.I link di corriere.it:Perché la Bce rifiuta di garantire il prestito da 140 miliardi per Kiev con le riserve russe bloccate in Belgio, e cosa può succedereFederica Mogherini fermata a Bruxelles: «Frode in appalti pubblici e corruzione sui programmi di formazione per giovani diplomatici». Fermati anche Stefano Sannino e un manager«Rage bait» è la parola del 2025 per l'Oxford English Dictionary: l'indignazione come motore trainante del web
Il tasso di occupazione sale al 62,7% in ottobre, massimo storico dal 2004: 24,2 milioni gli occupati, +75mila sul mese, con disoccupazione al 6% e inattivi stabili. Su base annua si contano 224mila occupati in più, grazie agli over 50, mentre peggiora il quadro giovanile: tra 15-24 anni il tasso scende di 1,9 punti e cresce l'inattività; tra 25-34 anni il calo è di 0,7 punti. Dati solidi che però non spingono la crescita: secondo l'Ocse, l'economia globale rallenterà al 2,9% nel 2026 e l'Italia proseguirà su ritmi modesti, dallo 0,5% del 2025 fino allo 0,7% nel 2027, frenata da export deboli e consumi fiacchi. Gli investimenti pubblici sosterranno la crescita solo fino al 2026, poi rallenteranno; resta centrale il rigore fiscale con deficit previsto al 2,6% nel 2027, avanzo primario all'1,3% e debito al 137% dopo il conteggio dei crediti del Superbonus.Ne abbiamo parlato con Andrea Garnero, economista del Dipartimento Lavoro e Affari Sociali dell'Ocse.Inviata comunicazione su oro Bankitalia alla BceIl governo ha inviato alla Bce la comunicazione sull'emendamento Malan che propone di qualificare le riserve auree della Banca d'Italia come proprietà diretta dello Stato. Un gesto simbolico ma in contrasto con trattati Ue e regole del SEBC, che tutelano l'indipendenza delle banche centrali e vietano trasferimenti assimilabili a finanziamenti. Parte dell'oro è inoltre custodita alla Federal Reserve di New York: un eventuale rimpatrio - circa mille tonnellate - sarebbe complesso e politicamente delicato. Secondo la lettura geopolitica, il nodo non sarebbe la Bce ma la Fed: con un accordo fra Meloni e Trump, la strada potrebbe aprirsi, come già tentano Germania, Olanda ed Est Europa. Dagli Stati Uniti, negli ultimi mesi, sono state restituite 30 tonnellate ad altri Paesi.Interviene Alessandro Plateroti, direttore editoriale di UCapital.com.La Perla, tutti i dipendenti riassuntiLa vertenza La Perla si chiude con il rientro di tutte le lavoratrici e i lavoratori nella nuova società La Perla Atelier, controllata da Luxury Holding del magnate Peter Kern. Previsti 30 milioni di investimenti entro il 2027 e un rilancio del retail tra Parigi, Milano ed e-commerce. Il ritorno in fabbrica a Bologna chiude oltre due anni di crisi diventati simbolo della difesa del lavoro artigiano italiano. L'azienda, fondata nel 1954 e un tempo oltre 1.500 dipendenti, non era più tornata in utile dopo le gestioni dei fondi internazionali; nel 2024 era stata dichiarata insolvente. Le maestranze hanno reagito con il progetto "Le Perline", producendo capi durante la CIG per mantenere attiva la loro professionalità. Ora si apre una fase nuova per la storica maison della lingerie. Intanto Prada completa l'acquisizione di Versace e LVMH affida la guida a Pietro Beccari, con ricavi oltre 58 miliardi nei primi mesi del 2025. Ne abbiamo parlato con Giulia Crivelli del Sole 24 Ore.
In this study we will take a look at the miracles that Yahweh performed on the Egyptians, when Israel was held in bondage, during this period in Exodus. We will see that those miracles were against the Egyptian deities or gods that they worshippedThe story of Moses is not just the story of the freedom of a group of slaves from Egypt in the second millennium BCE. It is the blueprint of the Plan of Salvation of the world as seen from the structure laid down in the Bible Moses was the prototype of the Christ or Messiah. More importantly, the nation of Israel saw Moses as a prototype and the Bible record illustrates that point. Moses said: ‘And Yahweh said unto me, they have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.' (Deut. 18:17-18)In this study I continue in chapter 9 verse 27 and finish up this chapter Verses 13-35 Seventh Plague HailOnce again, I emphasize that these plagues were against the Egyptians deities!!!27 The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked = The original is very emphatic: Yahweh is The Righteous One, (הצדיק hatstaddik [tsad-deek']), and I and my people are The Sinners, (הרשעים hareshaim [ha- raw-shaw']); i.e., He is alone righteous, and we alone are transgressors. Who could have imagined that after such an acknowledgment and confession, Pharaoh should have again hardened his heart?28 It is enough = There is no need of any farther plague; I submit to the authority of Elohim and will rebel no moreMighty thunderings = כלת אלהים koloth Elohim, voices of Elohim; - that is, exceptionally loud thunder29 I will spread abroad = ‘pâraś' ‘paw-ras'' ‘Aleph-Tav'Pey = (mouth) blow, scatter, edgeresh = (head of a Man) front, head, chief, first, top, beginningShin = (two front teeth) sharp, press, eat, twoAleph = (ox) strength, strong, power, leaderTav = (cross) sign, covenant seal, mark and crossTo spread apart in the sense of splitting! Keep in mind by adding the ‘Aleph-Tav' this is NOT Moses that is causing this split, but Yahweh/Yahshua Messiah. Another slap into the face of the Egyptians godsChapter 10Verses 1-20 The Eighth Plague LocustsSerapia – Egyptian deity protector from Locusts1 harden his heart = kâbad kâbêd' ‘kaw-bad, kaw-bade'' ‘kaph-bet-dalet' ‘aleph-Tav'Kaph = (open palm) bend, open, allow, tameBet = (tent floor plan) family, house, indalet – (tent door) move, hang, entranceAleph = (ox) strength, strong, power, leaderTav = (cross) sign, covenant seal, mark and crossSomeone or something that is heavy in weight, wealth, abundance, importance or respect. The key point here is that Yahweh/Yahshua Messiah may have sent a spirit to make the Pharaoh's heart heavyThe phrase most often translated ‘hardening of the heart' occurs 19 times (Denotes the Perfection of Divine Order connected with Judgment.); 10 times it is said that Pharaoh hardened his heart; and 9 times the hardening of Pharaoh's heart is ascribed to Yahweh. So we see that there are 2 sides to this hardening2 I have wrought = the Hebrew verb is uncommon. It implies an action, which brings shame and disgrace upon its object, making them, so to speak, playthings of Elohims Divine power4 to let = ‘eth' ‘Aleph-Tav' Yahweh/Yahshua Messiah's ElectHave any questions? Feel free to email me keitner2024@outlook.com
BBVA AM y Afi prevén que el próximo movimiento del BCE, ya en 2027, sea al alza; mientras anticipan más recortes de tipos por parte de la Fed en 2026.
El euro se estabiliza esta tarde tras datos que han mostrado que la inflación de la zona euro fue ligeramente superior a la esperada. Dice el responsable de política económica del BCE, Joachim Nagel, que la inflación está prácticamente en el objetivo del 2% y que fluctuará en torno a él a pesar de la subida de precios inducida por los aranceles en Estados Unidos. La inflación en los 20 países que comparten el euro se aceleró hasta el 2,2% el mes pasado desde el 2,1% de octubre, un leve repunte que probablemente no será motivo de preocupación para un BCE que ya estaba dispuesto a mantener los tipos de interés este mes. Es una de las claves que repasamos en el repaso a Europa. En Bolsa española, y dentro del Ibex35, vienen liderando las subidas Solaria, Bankinter y ACS. Al frente de las caídas se ponen Amadeus, Cellnex e IAG. En la Tertulia nos acompañan Antonio Álvarez-Ossorio y José Ramón Pin Arboledas.
TEMPRANO: “Trump tiene un problema con el ala más dura de MAGA, no quieren incursiones extranjeras”En esta entrevista con el experto en geopolítica Miguel Ángel Temprano, quien evalúa el posible alto el fuego entre Rusia y Ucrania y el papel decisivo que pueden jugar tanto Moscú como Washington. Temprano detalla por qué considera que Rusia no está mostrando voluntad real de paz mientras Putin mantenga su estrategia de presión militar y control interno, y explica la complejidad del plan de 28 puntos exigido por el Kremlin.El análisis también aborda la visita del enviado estadounidense Steve Witkoff a Moscú, el enfrentamiento entre negociaciones diplomáticas y negociaciones de estilo “inmobiliario”, y el rol que podrían jugar actores como Marco Rubio y el personal diplomático ruso. Además, Temprano profundiza en el dilema de los activos rusos congelados, el temor europeo a represalias del Kremlin y el creciente debate dentro del BCE y la Unión Europea.Finalmente, se examina la escalada entre Estados Unidos y Venezuela tras el ultimátum de Trump a Maduro, la posible declaración del régimen venezolano como organización terrorista y el riesgo de una intervención limitada sin aprobación del Congreso. Temprano describe el enorme problema del narcotráfico, la presión del ala dura del Partido Republicano y cómo este escenario abre un complejo debate legal, militar y geopolítico en plena reconfiguración del tablero internacional.trump #maga #venezuela #maduro #eeuu #politica #geopolitica #ucrania #guerraucrania #entrevista #negociostvSi quieres entrar en la Academia de Negocios TV, este es el enlace: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwd8Byi93KbnsYmCcKLExvQ/join Síguenos en directo ➡️ https://bit.ly/2Ts9V3pSuscríbete a nuestro canal: https://bit.ly/3jsMzp2Suscríbete a nuestro segundo canal, másnegocios: https://n9.cl/4dca4Visita Negocios TV https://bit.ly/2Ts9V3pMás vídeos de Negocios TV: https://youtube.com/@NegociosTVSíguenos en Telegram: https://t.me/negociostvSíguenos en Instagram: https://bit.ly/3oytWndTwitter: https://bit.ly/3jz6LptFacebook: https://bit.ly/3e3kIuy
A inflação na zona euro voltou a subir em novembro para os 2,2% reforçando a expectativa de que o Banco Central Europeu (BCE) irá manter as taxas de juro inalteradas na próxima reunião, que decorre daqui a duas semanas. Significa que a sua prestação ao banco, também pode não sofrer grandes oscilações nos próximos tempos, caso o seu contrato seja com taxa variável. Oiça o novo episódio do Economia dia a dia, podcast diário do ExpressoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sarah Derbew's new book Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity (Cambridge UP, 2022) asks how should articulations of blackness from the fifth century BCE to the twenty-first century be properly read and interpreted? This important and timely book is the first concerted treatment of black skin color in the Greek literature and visual culture of antiquity. In charting representations in the Hellenic world of black Egyptians, Aithiopians, Indians, and Greeks, Derbew dexterously disentangles the complex and varied ways in which blackness has been co-produced by ancient authors and artists; their readers, audiences, and viewers; and contemporary scholars. Exploring the precarious hold that race has on skin coloration, the author uncovers the many silences, suppressions, and misappropriations of blackness within modern studies of Greek antiquity. Shaped by performance studies and critical race theory alike, her book maps out an authoritative archaeology of blackness that reappraises its significance. It offers a committedly anti-racist approach to depictions of black people while rejecting simplistic conflations or explanations. Get 20% off a copy of Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity using promo code UBGA2022 at Cambridge University Press (valid until February 2023). Keep up with Sarah's work on Twitter @BlackAntiquity and on her website. @amandajoycehall is a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in the Department of African American Studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
One of the most profoundly influential periods in history is the 5th century BCE, when when a collection of great minds in Ancient Greece formed the foundations of Western philosophy, medicine and history itself. How did ancient doctors heal the sick? How did historians share their research with a society that didn't read? What influence did female intellectuals have on the Fathers of Philosophy?Matt Lewis presents the expertise of Prof Michael Griffin, Prof Helen King and Justin Marozzi about Socrates, Hippocrates and Herodotus - all of whom are brought to life in Assassin's Creed Odyssey for players to get a taste of what it might have been like to walk alongside these remarkable people in their daily lives. Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Robin McConnellProduced by: Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Manager: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Athens, Birthplace of Democracy by The Flight, Mike GeorgiadesSokrates by The Flight, Mike GeorgiadesConversations by The Flight, Mike GeorgiadesAtlantis by The FlightIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. Take part in our listener survey here.Tell us your favourite Assassin's Creed game or podcast episode at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode we look at many of the natural events and talk about those observing and writing things down, and why they may have wanted to do so. For more, check out our podcast blogpage: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-139 Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan. My name is Joshua and this is episode 139: Observing the "Natural" World. Members of the Onmyou-ryou, dressed in the official robes of their office, sat around in their observation tower, measuring the location of the stars. They kept their light to a minimum, just enough so that they could write down their observations, but not so much that it would destroy their vision. As they looked up, suddenly they saw a strange movement: a streak through the sky. They waited, and observed, and then there was another, and another after that. It was as if the stars themselves were falling from the heavens. They watched as it seemed that the constellations themselves were melting and falling apart. Quickly they scribbled down notes. Tomorrow, with the light of day, they would consult various sources to see just what it could mean. For now, their role was simply to observe and record. Welcome back, everyone. It is the height of holiday season in the US as I record this, and in our narrative we are in the middle of the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, who came to power in 672 and who has been shoring up the Ritsuryo state instigated by his late brother, Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou. We have talked in recent episodes about how Ohoama put a lot of the state under the control of members of the royal family, or at least those with claims to royal blood, and how he had also begun work on the Chronicles—the very works that we have been using to try and understand the history of this and earlier periods. It seems clear that Ohoama and his cohorts were doing their best to solidify their control and, in the process, create what they felt was a modern state, leveraging the continental model, but not without their own local flavor. After all, they were also investing in the kami based rituals of state and specifically in Ise shrine, which they claimed as an ancestral shrine for their lineage. This episode, let's dig into another thing that was getting reported around this time. And that is… science! Or at least observations of the world and indications of how people were interacting with it. Before going into the subject, I want to acknowledge that "science", or "Kagaku" in modern Japanese, may not look like what we think of as "science" today. The word "Kagaku" itself appears to come about in the late Edo period, and became associated with the western idea of "Science" in the Meiji period. Today we think of it as observations, yes, but also testing via the scientific method. I think it might be more appropriate to categorize a lot of earlier science under a term like "learning" or "study", and it seems to have encompassed a wide range of topics of study, some of which we would include as "science" and some which we might refer to more as "arts". There is also a very fine line with religion and philosophy as well. From a modern perspective, I think one could fairly argue that "science"—particularly the so-called "hard" sciences—refers to something that can be empirically tested via the scientific method. So you can see something, form a hypothesis, create a test, and then that test should produce the same results no matter who conducts it, assuming you account for the variables. And please don't @ me about this… I know I am simplifying things. This isn't a podcast about science unless we are talking about the social sciences of history and archaeology. In contrast to our modern concept of science, much of what we see in the Asuka era is built around using our reasoning to arrive at the truth of something. In cases where we are dealing with clearly physical phenomena that have observable causes and effects, this can lead to remarkably reliable results. One example of this is calendrical science—it isn't that hard to observe the passing of days and seasons. Even the rotation of the earth and the movements of stars and even something with as large a period as comets could be observed and tracked, especially if you had centuries of data to comb through. In fact, they often would predict things that it turns out they couldn't, themselves, see. They could predict that an eclipse would occur, for example, even when that eclipse was only visible somewhere else. And they didn't have to calculate gravitational pull, mass, or distances between different heavenly bodies for that to occur. Similarly, in the agricultural sphere: you had so many people who observed the seasons and would figure out new ways of doing things. It doesn't take an understanding of chlorophyl to know that plants generally do better when exposed to sunlight. I believe the leap happens when you get to things that go beyond purely observable means. Sickness, for example—how do you explain viruses or germs without equipment like microscopes to see what our eyes alone cannot? And if such "invisible" things could cause so much damage, then why could there not be other "invisible" elements, such as kami and boddhisatvas? And as humans we are driven to make connections. It is one of the things that has driven our technological innovation and rise, but it is also something that can easily go awry. Like when you are sitting in a dark house, alone, and you hear a noise. Rationally, you might know that houses settle and creak, but that doesn't necessarily stop your brain from connecting it with thoughts that someone must be in the house making that noise. Or even how we make judgments based on nothing more than how someone talks or what they look like, because our brains have made connections with those things, for good or ill. A large part of the rationalization that was accomplished in Asian thought had to do with concepts of Yin and Yang, the negative and the positive, the dark and the light. This was thought of as a kind of energy—qi or ki—that was embedded in things. We discussed this somewhat back in episode 127, because yin yang theory, along with the five element theory, known as Wuxing or Gogyou in Japanese, became embedded in the idea of the calendar. Why was summer hot, except that it was connected with an excess of fire energy? And the cold, dark days of winter would be associated with an excess of water, naturally. I should note that while this is one of the more comprehensive philosophical systems in use, it was not the only means by which various phenomena and effects were rationalized. After all, it had to be imposed on a framework of how the world otherwise worked, and descriptions of the world came from a variety of places. There was, for example, the Classic of Mountains and Seas, or Sanhaijing, which detailed the world as envisioned in the period before the Qin dynasty, although there were occasional updates. The Sanhaijing described regular plants and animals in the same breath as gods and monsters. There were also various buddhist sutras, which brought their own cosmological view of the universe that had to be squared with other visions, including those passed down locally describing the archipelago as the "Reed Plain" and giving particular importance to eight of the islands—though which eight depends on which variant of the creation myth you are referencing. To categorize the study of the natural—and what we would consider the supernatural—world around them, the Ritsuryou set up specific bureaus. One of these was the Onmyou-ryou, the Bureau of Yin-yang, also known as the Onyo no Tsukasa. This Bureau oversaw divination, astronomy, time, and calendars. At its head was the Onmyou-no-kami. Below them were the various scholars studying the core subjects, as well as technical practitioners to carry out the rites and divination. On the continent, priority was generally given to astronomical and calendrical studies, and many of the more magical practices or rituals would fade away, likely because there were local Taoist institutions who could take up much of that work. In Japan, however, it seems that the calendrical studies tended to ossify, instead, while onmyoji came to fill a role not just for the state but also among the population for divination and other such practices. Even into the Edo period one could find private onmyoji, and the Bureau itself lasted until the very beginning of the Meiji period. Another important institution of the Ritsuryo government for learning was the Daigakuryou, the Bureau of Great Learning. Students of Japanese may recognize the term "Daigaku" referring, today, to universities. The original concept for the Daigaku-ryou, or Daigaku no Tsukasa, was focused on the study of those things that were considered perhaps a bit more practical and necessary to anyone who might want a political career. Since this was founded on concepts of Confucian government, it is little wonder that it was originally designed to focus on Confucian studies, among other things. This fits into the idea of a supposed meritocracy, where one's education was part of the examination. You may recall from Episode 115 we talked about the National University in Chang'an, which is likely something that the Daigaku Ryou could only ever dream of becoming. Early arts taught at the Daigaku Ryou included the Confucian classics, mathematics, writing, and Chinese pronunciation. These were all things that you would need to know to become a part of the bureaucracy The idea of a school may have been born along with the early institution of the government, with mention as early as 671, in the last year of Naka no Oe's reign, but we don't have it clearly established in the code until later. Full operations may have been somewhat delayed due to the tumultuous events of Ohoama's accession to power in 672, but we do see it explicitly mentioned in the year 675. On the first day of the year we are told that Students from the Daigaku Ryou, along with students from the Onmyou-Ryou and from the Gaiyaku Ryou, the Bureau of External Medicine; along with the Woman of S'ravasti, the Woman of Tara, Prince Syeonkwang of Baekje, and Silla labourers offered presents of drugs and various rarities. We talked about the first two, the Daigaku-ryou and the Onmyou-ryou, but the Gaiyaku Ryou doesn't seem to have a lot of information out there beyond this mention. Later there would a "Ten'yaku Ryou", or Bureau of Medicine, established in the code. Since we don't have any extant codes from this period beyond what was written down in the Nihon Shoki, we don't know for certain what the Gaiyaku-ryou was , and it is possible that the Gaiyaku-Ryou was a precursor to the Ten'yaku Ryou. "GAI" means "outside" or "external", leading me to wonder if this referred to external medicine in contrast to internal medicine, or if it meant medicine or drugs from outside teh archipeloago. I would point out that these students are found with the Woman of S'ravasti, or Shae; the Woman of Tara; a Baekje prince and Silla labourers. In other words, they were all people from outside of the archipelago. This is not entirely surprising as it was from outside that much of the learning was coming into the country. "Yaku" or "Kusuri", which can be translated as either "Drugs" or "medicine", could refer to a number of things. How effective they were is somewhat questionable. Almost certainly some of them had confirmed medicinal efficacy, but others may have been thought to have been effective due to things like their connection to the five elements, or wuxing, theory. For example, something red might be assumed to have a warming effect because of the presumed presence of the fire element. And the power of the placebo effect no doubt made them seem at least partially effective. Consider, for example, how many people will swear by certain remedies for the common cold when all it really does is distract you, or perhaps make you a bit more comfortable, until the symptoms pass on their own. A more certain science was probably that of Astronomy, which we've mentioned a few times. The passage of the stars through the sky was something that could be easily observed. There is a theory that some of the first lines in the Yijing, or book of changes, may actually be a description of the changing of seasons as different aspects of a given constellation rise over the horizon, and the placement of certain stars would help in the adjustment of the lunar calendar, since the moon's orbit does not match up exactly with the solar year, and year the solar year was quite important to things like agriculture and even sailing to the mainland. This all makes 675 a seemingly banner year for science, as four days after the presentation of medicine to the throne, the government erected a platform by which to observe the stars. This wouldn't need to be much—it could have been an earthen mound, or just a tower, from which one could get above the ground, presumably see over any buildings, to the horizon. Granted, Asuka might not be the best place for such observations, with the nearby mountains meaning that the true horizon is often obstructed. Nonetheless, it may have been enough to make calculations. Astronomy platforms, or Tenmondai, would continue to be used up until at least the Meiji period. Without a telescope, observations were somewhat limited—though they also didn't have the same level of light pollution that we have today. Remember, many woke just before dawn and went to sleep not too long after the sun went down, which only makes sense when you are living in a place where creating light, while doable, also ran the risk of burning your entire house to the ground. It is worth noting that the sky for the ancient Japanese was likely quite different than what most of us see when we look up, unless you are fortunate enough to live in a place with very little light pollution. For many of those living today in the cities and suburban landscape, go outside at night and you might see the moon and some of the brightest stars, but for most of the ancient Japanese, they would look up and see the heavenly river, the Amakawa, or Milky Way. They would have looked up at a sky glittering with myriad dots of light, as well as planets and more. It was both familiar and strange—something one saw regularly and yet something that was also extremely inaccessible. Astronomical observations would have been important for several reasons, as I've mentioned. They would have been used to keep the calendar in check, but they would also have likely been used to help calibrate the water clock, which helped to tell time. Of course, going back to the five elements and yin yang theory, it is also believed that the energy, the qi or ki, changed with the seasons and the movements of the stars and planets—planets were not known as such, of course, but their seemingly erratic movements compared to bright lights in the sky meant they were noticed and assigned values within the elemental system. One of the things that came with the changing seasons, the heavenly movements, and the flow of ki was a concept of "kata-imi", literally directional taboos. There were times when certain directions might be considered favorable or unfavorable for various actions. This could be something as simple as traveling in a given direction. In the centuries to come this would spawn an entire practice of kata-tagae, or changing direction. Is the north blocked, but you need to travel there, anyway? Well just go northwest to say hello to a friend or visit your local sake brewery, and then travel due east. Ta-da! You avoided going directly north! There were also mantra-like incantations that one might say if they had to travel in an inauspicious direction to counteract the concept of bad influences. This also influenced various other things, and even today you will often see dates where a year and month might be followed by simply the character for "auspicious day" rather than an actual day of the month. So observing the heavens was important, and it was also important that they tostudy the works of those on the continent, whose records could help predict various astronomical phenomena. Except that there was one tiny problem: I don't know if you've noticed, but Japan and China are in two different locations. Not all astronomical phenomena can be observed from all points of the globe. The Northern Lights, for example, are rarely seen in more southerly latitudes, and while eclipses are not too rare, a total eclipse only impacts certain areas of the earth, along relatively narrow paths. I mention this because it isn't always clear if the records we get in the Nihon Shoki are about phenomena they directly observed or if they are taking reports from elsewhere and incorporating them into the narrative. One such event is the comet of 676. The entry in the Nihon Shoki tells us that in the 7th lunar month of the 5th year of Temmu Tennou, aka 676 CE, a star appeared in the east that was 7 or 8 shaku in length. It disappeared two months later. We've mentioned some of this before, but the sky was divided up into "shaku", or "feet", though how exactly it was measured I'm not entirely sure. It appears to be that one foot was roughly 1.5 degrees of the sky, give or take about a quarter of a degree, with 180 degrees from horizon to horizon. So it would have been about 10 to 12 degrees in the sky. Another way to picture it is if you hold out your arm towards the object, and spread your index and little finger, it would probably fit between those two points. This comet hung around for some time, and a great part about a comet like this is that it was viewable from multiple locations. After all, as the earth turned, different areas were exposed to the comet as it passed through our part of the solar system. Thus we have records of it from not just the Nihon Shoki: We also find it in the Anglo-Saxon chronicles, where it was thought to have foretold the end of Bishop Wilfred's control of Northumbria. We also see it in Tang, Silla, and Syrian sources. These sources aren't always in complete agreement. For one thing, they noted when they first saw it, which might have been impacted by local conditions. And then conversion between lunar and solar calendars can also sometimes get in the way. Roughtly speaking, we have the Nihon Shoki providing dates of somewhere from about August or September of 676, on the Western calendar, to October or November. Tang sources put it from 4 September to 1 November. Silla Chronicles claim that it first appeared in the 7th lunar month, so between August and September. A Syrian Chronicle notes a comet from about 28 August to 26 October in the following year, 677, but this is thought to have been a mistake. European sources generally seem to claim it was seen in August and lasted for three months. All of these sightings put it at roughly the same time. Working with that and with known comets, we think we actually know which comet this is: The Comet de Cheseaux also known as the Comet Klinkenberg-Cheseaux. And I should mention this is all thanks to a research paper by M. Meyer and G. W. Kronk. In that paper they propose that this is the comet with the designation of C/1743 X1, or the common names I just mentioned. If so, based on its trajectory, this comet would have been visible in 336, 676, 1032, 1402, 1744, and is next predicted to show up in 2097. And no, those aren't all exactly the same amount of time. It is roughly every 350 years or so, but with the movements of the solar system, the planets, and various gravitational forces that likely slow or speed up its movement, it doesn't show up on exactly regular intervals. Still, it is pretty incredible to think that we have a record of a comet that was seen the world over at this time, by people looking up from some very different places. Comets were something interesting for early astronomers. They may have originally been seen as particularly ominous—after all, in the early eras, they were hardly predictable, and it would take years to get enough data to see that they were actually a somewhat regular occurrence. In fact, it is likely that early astronomers were able to figure out eclipse schedules before comets. Still, they seem to have come to the realization that comets were in fact another type of natural and reoccurring phenomenon. That isn't to say that they didn't have any oracular meaning, but it did mean they were less of an obvious disturbance of the heavenly order. We have another comet mentioned in the 10th lunar month of 681, but that one seems to have had less attention focused on it, and we don't have the same details. Then in the 8th lunar month of 682 we have an entry about a Great Star passing from East to West—which was probably a shooting star, rather than a comet. Comets, for all that they appear to be streaking across the sky thanks to their long tails, are often relatively stable from an earthbound perspective, taking months to appear and then disappear again. Then, on the 23rd day of the 7th month of 684 we get another comet in the northwest. This one was more than 10 shaku in length—about 15 degrees, total, give or take. Given the date, we can be fairly confident about this one, as well: it was the famous Halley's comet. Halley's comet is fascinating for several reasons. For one, it has a relatively short period of about 72 to 80 years, though mostly closer to 75 to 77 years in between sightings. The last time it visited the earth was in 1986, and it is expected back in 2061. Halley's comet has been recorded since the 3rd century BCE, and, likely because of its short period, it was the first periodic comet to be recognized as such. There are other periodic comets with short periods, but many of them are not visible with the naked eye. Halley's comet is perhaps the most studied comet, given its regular and relatively short periodicity. It is also connected to the famous writer, humorist, and essayist, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain. He was born only a few days after the comet reached perihelion in 1835 and died a day after it reached the same point again in 1910, and while he may not have visited Japan in his lifetime, it was a period of great change both in his home country of America and in Japan. America, of course, would undergo a Civil War over the issue of slavery in the early 1860s, and shortly after that Japan would have its own civil war in the form of the Meiji Revolution. And while he never visited—and translation could only do so much to capture the art of his prose—Mark Twain's works were apparently quite influential in Japan in the early 20th century. Of course, comets were just one of the celestial phenomena to be observed. The astronomers were interested in just about anything happening in the sky. We have accounts of both solar and lunar eclipses, and not necessarily full eclipses either. We even have notice of the movement of some planets, such as in 681, when they noted that the planet mars "entered" the moon. Obviously the astronomers weren't recording every raincloud that came through—at least not in the main chronicles—but they did capture a fair number of events. They did record particularly memorable storms. For instances, in the 8th lunar month of 675 there was a storm that is said to have caused sand to fly and which then damaged houses. This sounds like a wind storm without rain—after all, if there was rain, you would expect that the sand would have been wet and tamped down. It is possible to have hurricane level winds without the rain. While typhoons typically bring rain, especially as they usually build up their strength at sea, it is possible to have the winds alone, as I've experienced, myself, in Tokyo. This most likely happens in an isolated area—there is water and rain somewhere, but the typhoon can be large, so parts of it may only get the wind and little or no rain. I wonder if something like that happened in this instance. It is also possible that this record refers to actual sand being brought across from the continent. In some instances, sand can be lifted up from as far away as Mongolia and carried all the way to Japan, though it is pretty rare. And it wasn't just wind and sand. We get accounts of hail coming down as large as peaches, torrential rainstorms, and even ash, likely from a volcanic eruption that was otherwise unrecorded. There are also accounts of snow, though typically recorded in times where you wouldn't expect to see it, such as the third lunar month, which would mean snow in late April or early May. Mostly these storms are mentioned in terms of how they affected the immediate fortunes of the living, but sometimes storms did even more damage. In 682, for example, a hoar-frost was reported in both Shinano and Kibi in the 7th lunar month. On its own, this probably wouldn't have been worth mentioning, but the chroniclers add that because of storms the "five grains had not formed". So storms had diminished the crops and the hoar-frost was apparently the killing blow. The harvest that year would be lean, and it would not be a happy time for many that winter. And then, just as important as what was happening was what was not. There are several mentions of droughts, particularly towards the end of Spring, early Summer. This is traditionally a drier period, and if it is too dry it could harm the harvest. And so the government was expected to find a way to bring the rain—a tall order, the general resolution to which seems to be prayers and rituals designed to bring rain. In a place like Japan, I suspect that it was usually just a matter of time before the prayers were "successful", thus reinforcing their presumed efficacy. Some of the things that they recorded were a bit more mysterious. For example, in the second lunar month of 680 we are told that a sound like drums was heard from the East. There are many things this could theoretically be, from rumbles of thunder to some other phenomenon, though the following year we have a note about thunder in the West, so theoretically they knew the difference between thunder and drums. Later that same year, 680, we are told that there was a "brightness" in the East from the hour of the dog to the hour of the rat—about 8pm to midnight. Was this some kind of aurora? But wouldn't that have been in the north, rather than the east? Could it have been some kind of lightning? But that is a long time for a lightning storm to hang around. And there are other strange things, some of which seem impossible and we have to doubt. For example, in 684 they said that, at dusk, the seven stars of the Big Dipper drifted together to the northeast and sank. Unless they are just recording the natural setting of the stars of the big dipper. Certainly, over time the constellation appears to rotate around the north star, and it dips down to or below the horizon in the autumn months. So were they just talking about the natural, yearly setting of the stars, or something else? There may be some clues in that the 11th lunar month, when that was recorded, we see several other heavenly phenomena recorded. Two days after the Big Dipper set, at sunset, a star fell in the eastern quarter of the sky that we are told was as large as a jar. Later, the constellations were wholly disordered and stars fell like rain. That same month, a star shot up in the zenith and proceeded along with the Pleiades until the end of the month. While this sounds like shooting stars and a possible meteor shower, a later commenter suggested that this was all a heavenly omen for the state of the court, showing the "disordered" state of the nobility at this time. Of course, this was also a year and change before the sovereign's eventual passing, so there is also the possibility that the Chroniclers were looking at events later and ascribing meaning and importance after the fact. In another account of something seemingly wonderous: in 682 we are told that something shaped like a Buddhist flag, colored like flame, was seen by all of the provinces and then sank into the Japan sea north of Koshi. A white mist is also said to have risen up from the Eastern mountains. There are various things that could be going on here. It strikes me that the white mist could be a cloud, but could also be something volcanic. And the flame colored prayer flag makes me think about how a high cloud can catch the light of the rising or setting sun. That could look like a flag, and can seem extremely odd depending on the other conditions in the sky. Or maybe it was aliens. Okay, it is unlikely that it was aliens, but I think that these do give an idea of the kinds of records that were being made about the observed phenomena. Obviously the Nihon Shoki is recording those things that were considered particularly significant for whatever reason. This could just be because it was something odd and unexplained, or perhaps it was more well known but rare. It may have even had religious connotations based on some aspect, like evoking the image of Buddhist flags. And it is possible that it was thought to have had significant impact on events—perhaps even an impact that isn't clear to us today, many centuries removed from the events. Some things were clear, however. Lightning strikes are often mentioned specifically when they strike something of note. In 678, we are told that a pillar of the Western Hall of the New Palace was struck by lightning, though apparently the building itself survived. Then, in 686, Lighting appeared in the southern sky with a large roar of thunder. A fire broke out and caught the tax cloth storehouse of the Ministry of Popular affairs, which immediately exploded in flames. After all, a thatched roofed, wooden building filled with kindling in the form of cloth—and likely a fair amount of paper and writing supplies to keep track of it all—sounds like a bonfire waiting to happen. There were reports that the fire had actually started in Prince Osakabe's palace and then spread to the Ministry of Popular Affairs from there. It is also worth noting that recording of such events was still somewhat new to the archipelago as a whole. They were learning from the continent, but also defining their own traditions. Observations of natural phenomena weren't just relegated to celestial occurrences or weather. After all, there was something else that one could observe in the sky: birds. Now this wasn't your average bird-watching—though I'm not saying that there weren't casual birders in ancient Japan, and if we ever find someone's birding diary from that era I think that would be so cool. But there were some things that were significant enough to be mentioned. For example, in 678 we get a report of "atori", or bramblings. Bramblings are small songbirds which are found across Eurasia. Notably they are migratory, and are known to migrate in huge flocks especially in the winter time, and sure enough on the 27th day of the 12th month we are told that the bramblings flew from the southwest to the northeast, covering the entire sky. This makes me think about some of the other mass migrations that used to occur that have largely been reduced significantly due to habitat loss, disruption to traditional migratory routes, and other population pressures on various bird species. Still, having so many birds that it blocked out the sky certainly seems a significant event to report on. We later see a similar account in 680, with the flock moving from southeast to northwest. Given the location of Asuka it sounds like they were flocking in the mountains and heading out over the Nara Basin, perhaps seeking food in another mountainous area. In 682, the birders were at it again. This time, around midday on the 11th day of the 9th lunar month, several hundreds of cranes appeared around the Palace and soared up into the sky. They were there for about two hours before they dispersed. Once again, cranes are migratory and known to flock. Cranes are also known as a symbol of long life and joy—and I can understand it. Have you ever seen a flock of cranes? They are not small birds, and they can be really an incredible sight. Flocks of cranes themselves were probably not that rare, and it was no doubt more about so many gathering around the palace which made it particularly special. It wasn't just birds in the sky that were considered important symbols, though. Birds often are noted as auspicious omens. Usually strange birds, plants, or other such things are found in various provinces and presented to the throne. So in 675, Yamato presented auspicious "barn-door fowl", likely meaning a fancy chicken. Meanwhile, the Eastern provinces presented a white falcon and the province of Afumi presented a white kite. Chickens are associated with the sun and thus with the sun goddess, Amaterasu, and albino versions of animals were always considered auspicious, often being mentioned in Buddhist sources. Later, in 680, we see a small songbird, a "Shitodo", also described as white, and probably albino, sent to the court from nearby Settsu. Then, in 681 there is mention of a red sparrow. Red coloration is not quite the same as albinism, though it is something that does occur at times, when the brownish coloration comes out more red than brown, and I suspect this is what we are talking about. This is most likely just a recessed gene or genetic mutation, similar to causes for albinism, but just in a different place in the DNA. As for why it was important: I'd first and foremost note that anything out of the ordinary (and even some ordinary things) could be considered a sign. Red was also seen as an auspicious color, so that may have had something to do with it as well. And then there is the concept of Suzaku, the red bird of the south. Suzaku is usually depicted as an exotic bird species of some kind, like how we might depict a phoenix. But it was also just a "red bird", so there is that, and perhaps that was enough. Not that this red sparrow was "Suzaku", but evoked the idea of the southern guardian animal. A year prior, in 680, a red bird—we aren't told what kind—had perched on a southern gate, which even more clearly screams of the Suzaku aesthetic. It is probably worth noting here that in 686, towards the end of the reign, not that anyone knew it at the time, Ohoama decided to institute a new nengo, or regnal period. It was called Shuuchou—red or vermillion bird—and it likely referred to Suzaku. This nengo was cut short, however, with Ohoama's death that same year. Nengo were often chosen with auspicious names as a kind of hope for the nation, so clearly "red bird" was considered a good thing. A month after the red sparrow, Ise sent a white owl, and then a month after that, the province of Suwou sent a red turtle, which they let loose in the pond at the Shima palace. Again, these were probably just examples of animals seen as auspicious, though they would have likely been recorded by the Onmyou-ryou, who would have likely combed through various sources and precedents to determine what kind of meaning might be attached to them. Color wasn't the only thing that was important. In 682, the Viceroy of Tsukushi reported that they had found a sparrow with three legs. There are numerous reasons why this could be, but there is particular significance in Japan and Asia more generally. A three legged bird is often associated with the sun Andusually depicted as a black outline of a three legged bird inside of a red sun. In Japan this was often conflated with the Yata-garasu, the Great Crow, which is said to have led the first mythical sovereign, Iware Biko, to victory in his conquest of Yamato. Thus we often see a three legged crow depicted in the sun, which was an object of particular veneration for the Wa people from centuries before. And I suspect that the little three-legged sparrow from Tsukushi I suspect that this had particular significance because of that image. Animals were not the only auspicious things presented to the throne. In 678, Oshinomi no Miyatsuko no Yoshimaro presented the sovereign with five auspicious stalks of rice. Each stalk, itself, had other branches. Rice, of course, was extremely important in Japan, both from a ritual and economic sense, so presenting rice seems appropriate. Five stalks recalls things like the five elemental theory—and in general five was consider a good number. Three and five are both good, prime numbers, while four, pronounced "Shi", sounds like death and is considered inauspicious. Three, or "San" is sometimes associated with life, and five is associated with the five elements, but also just the fact that it is half of ten, and we have five fingers on one hand and in so many other ways, five is regarded as a good number in much of Asia. That the stalks had multiple branches likely referred to them bearing more than the usual amount of rice on them, which seems particularly hopeful. Certainly the court thought so. In light of the auspicious gift, all sentences of penal servitude and lower were remitted. In 680, Officials of the Department of Law gave tribute of auspicious stalks of grain, themselves. I'm not sure, in this case, that it was all that they hoped, however, as that began three days straight of rain and flooding. A year earlier, in 679, we are told that the district of Ito, in Kii, immediately south of Yamato, sent as tribute the "herb of long life". We are told that it "resembled" a mushroom—probably meaning it was a mushroom, or maybe something formed into a mushroom shape. But the stem was about a foot long and the crown was two spans, about 6 feet in diameter. This is pretty incredible, and I have to wonder if there is a bit of exaggeration going on here. Another tribute was a horn found on Mt. Katsuraki. It branched into two at the base, was united at the end, and had some flesh and hair still attached, about an inch in length. They claimed it must be horn or a Lin, or Kirin, sometimes referred to as an Asian unicorn—a mythical creature considered to be quite auspicious and benevolent. This was on the 26th day in the 2nd lunar month of the year 680, probably around March or April. I highly suspect that what they found was an oddly shaped bit of antler from a buck whose antlers had begun to come in and which might have been taken out by wolves or bears or something else altogether. The fact that the ends were said to be fused together could just be referring to some kind of malformation of the antlers. The fur and flesh could mean that the antlers were still growing—antlers would probably just be coming in around early spring time. Still, there is no telling how long it was there, so it could have been from the previous year as well. Attributing it to a kirin seems a bit of a stretch, but it was clearly something unusual. Animals and plants were recorded in tribute, but also when something odd happened. Fruiting out of season was one such occurrence, which we've seen elsewhere in the chronicles as well. There was even a record when the famous Tsuki tree outside of Asukadera had a branch fall down. Presumably it was a large and noticeable branch, and by now this appears to have been a tree with a bit of age to it that had seen a lot, so it makes sense it got a mention. Finally, we go from the heavens to the earth. Perhaps the most numerous observations in the Chronicles were the earthquakes. We've noted in the past that Japan is extremely active, volcanically speaking, so it makes sense that there are multiple accounts of earthquakes each year, especially if they were compiling reports from around the country. Most of these are little more than just a note that there was an earthquake, but a few stand out. The first is the 12th lunar month of 678. We are told that there was a large earthquake in Tsukushi—modern Kyushu. The ground split open to the width of about 20 feet for more than 30,000 feet. Many of the commoners' houses in the area were torn down. In one place there was a house atop a hill, and though the hill crumbled down the house somehow remained intact. The inhabitants had apparently been home and must have been oblivious, as they didn't realize anything had happened until they woke up the next morning. Again, probably a bit of hyperbole in here, but if we think back to things like the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, where large areas of land shifted noticeably along the fault lines, it is likely that this was a similar or even more catastrophic event. And here I'll give a quick plug for Kumamoto, which is still working to rebuild from the earthquake, and if you ever get a chance, I recommend a visit to the Kumamoto Earthquake Memorial Museum or Kioku, where you can see for yourself just how powerful mother nature can be. Another powerful earthquake was mentioned in the 10th lunar month of 684. If the earthquake in Tsukushi had hit mostly agricultural areas, based on the description, this seems to have hit more populated regions. We are told that it started in the dark of night, the hour of the boar, so about 10pm, give or take an hour. The shaking was so bad that throughout the country men and women cried out and were disoriented—they could not tell east from west, a condition no doubt further hindered by the dark night sky. There were mountain slides and rivers changed course, breaking their banks and flooding nearby areas. Official buildings of the provinces and districts, the barns and houses of the common people, and the temples, pagodas, and shrines were all destroyed in huge numbers. Many people and domestic animals were killed or injured. The hot springs of Iyo were dried up and ceased to flow. In the province of Tosa, more than 500,000 shiro of cultivated land sank below sea level. Old men said that they had never seen such an earthquake. On that night there was a rumbling noise like that of drums heard in the east—possibly similar to what we had mentioned earlier. Some say that the island of Idzu, aka Vries Island, the volcanic island at the entrance of Edo Bay, increased on the north side by more than 3,000 feet and that a new island had been formed. The noise of the drums was attributed to the gods creating that island. So here we have a catastrophic quake that impacted from Iyo, on the western end of Shikoku, all the way to the head of Edo Bay, modern Tokyo. This appears to be what seismologists have labelled a "Nankai Trough Megathrust Earthquake". Similar quakes have occurred and are predicted to occur in the future., along a region of Japan from the east coast of Kyushu, through the Seto Inland Sea, including Shikoku, through the Kii peninsula and all the way to Mt. Fuji. The Nankai Trough, or Southern Sea Trough, is the area where the continental shelf drops down, and where the Philippine tectonic plate slips underneath the Eurasian—or more specifically the Amuric—plate. As these plates move it can cause multiple events all along the trough at the same time. Since being regularly recorded, these quakes have been noted every 100 to 150 years, with the last one being the Showa Nankai quakes of 1944 and 1946. For all of the destruction that it brought, however, apparently it didn't stop the court. Two days after this devastating quake we are told that Presents were made to the Princes and Ministers. Either they weren't so affected in the capital, or perhaps the date given for one of the two records is not quite reliable. Personally, I find it hard to believe that there would be presents given out two days later unless they were some form of financial aid. But what do I know? It is possible that the court itself was not as affected as other areas, and they may not have fully even grasped the epic scale of the destruction that would later be described in the Chronicles, given the length of time it took to communicate messages across the country. Which brings us back to the "science" of the time, or at least the observation, hoping to learn from precedence or piece out what messages the world might have for the sovereign and those who could read the signs. While many of the court's and Chronicler's conclusions may give us pause, today, we should nonetheless be thankful that they at least decided to keep notes and jot down their observations. That record keeping means that we don't have to only rely on modern records to see patterns that could take centuries to reveal themselves. Sure, at this time, those records were still a bit spotty, but it was the start of something that would be remarkably important, and even though these Chronicles may have been focused on propaganda, the fact that they include so many other references are an incalculable boon to us, today, if we can just see to make the connections. And with that, I think I've rambled enough for this episode. We still have a couple more to fully cover this period. Until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts. If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website, SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page. You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com. Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now. Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.
Sarah Derbew's new book Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity (Cambridge UP, 2022) asks how should articulations of blackness from the fifth century BCE to the twenty-first century be properly read and interpreted? This important and timely book is the first concerted treatment of black skin color in the Greek literature and visual culture of antiquity. In charting representations in the Hellenic world of black Egyptians, Aithiopians, Indians, and Greeks, Derbew dexterously disentangles the complex and varied ways in which blackness has been co-produced by ancient authors and artists; their readers, audiences, and viewers; and contemporary scholars. Exploring the precarious hold that race has on skin coloration, the author uncovers the many silences, suppressions, and misappropriations of blackness within modern studies of Greek antiquity. Shaped by performance studies and critical race theory alike, her book maps out an authoritative archaeology of blackness that reappraises its significance. It offers a committedly anti-racist approach to depictions of black people while rejecting simplistic conflations or explanations. Get 20% off a copy of Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity using promo code UBGA2022 at Cambridge University Press (valid until February 2023). Keep up with Sarah's work on Twitter @BlackAntiquity and on her website. @amandajoycehall is a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in the Department of African American Studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies
Sarah Derbew's new book Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity (Cambridge UP, 2022) asks how should articulations of blackness from the fifth century BCE to the twenty-first century be properly read and interpreted? This important and timely book is the first concerted treatment of black skin color in the Greek literature and visual culture of antiquity. In charting representations in the Hellenic world of black Egyptians, Aithiopians, Indians, and Greeks, Derbew dexterously disentangles the complex and varied ways in which blackness has been co-produced by ancient authors and artists; their readers, audiences, and viewers; and contemporary scholars. Exploring the precarious hold that race has on skin coloration, the author uncovers the many silences, suppressions, and misappropriations of blackness within modern studies of Greek antiquity. Shaped by performance studies and critical race theory alike, her book maps out an authoritative archaeology of blackness that reappraises its significance. It offers a committedly anti-racist approach to depictions of black people while rejecting simplistic conflations or explanations. Get 20% off a copy of Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity using promo code UBGA2022 at Cambridge University Press (valid until February 2023). Keep up with Sarah's work on Twitter @BlackAntiquity and on her website. @amandajoycehall is a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in the Department of African American Studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies
Sarah Derbew's new book Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity (Cambridge UP, 2022) asks how should articulations of blackness from the fifth century BCE to the twenty-first century be properly read and interpreted? This important and timely book is the first concerted treatment of black skin color in the Greek literature and visual culture of antiquity. In charting representations in the Hellenic world of black Egyptians, Aithiopians, Indians, and Greeks, Derbew dexterously disentangles the complex and varied ways in which blackness has been co-produced by ancient authors and artists; their readers, audiences, and viewers; and contemporary scholars. Exploring the precarious hold that race has on skin coloration, the author uncovers the many silences, suppressions, and misappropriations of blackness within modern studies of Greek antiquity. Shaped by performance studies and critical race theory alike, her book maps out an authoritative archaeology of blackness that reappraises its significance. It offers a committedly anti-racist approach to depictions of black people while rejecting simplistic conflations or explanations. Get 20% off a copy of Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity using promo code UBGA2022 at Cambridge University Press (valid until February 2023). Keep up with Sarah's work on Twitter @BlackAntiquity and on her website. @amandajoycehall is a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in the Department of African American Studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/performing-arts
Sarah Derbew's new book Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity (Cambridge UP, 2022) asks how should articulations of blackness from the fifth century BCE to the twenty-first century be properly read and interpreted? This important and timely book is the first concerted treatment of black skin color in the Greek literature and visual culture of antiquity. In charting representations in the Hellenic world of black Egyptians, Aithiopians, Indians, and Greeks, Derbew dexterously disentangles the complex and varied ways in which blackness has been co-produced by ancient authors and artists; their readers, audiences, and viewers; and contemporary scholars. Exploring the precarious hold that race has on skin coloration, the author uncovers the many silences, suppressions, and misappropriations of blackness within modern studies of Greek antiquity. Shaped by performance studies and critical race theory alike, her book maps out an authoritative archaeology of blackness that reappraises its significance. It offers a committedly anti-racist approach to depictions of black people while rejecting simplistic conflations or explanations. Get 20% off a copy of Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity using promo code UBGA2022 at Cambridge University Press (valid until February 2023). Keep up with Sarah's work on Twitter @BlackAntiquity and on her website. @amandajoycehall is a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in the Department of African American Studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sarah Derbew's new book Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity (Cambridge UP, 2022) asks how should articulations of blackness from the fifth century BCE to the twenty-first century be properly read and interpreted? This important and timely book is the first concerted treatment of black skin color in the Greek literature and visual culture of antiquity. In charting representations in the Hellenic world of black Egyptians, Aithiopians, Indians, and Greeks, Derbew dexterously disentangles the complex and varied ways in which blackness has been co-produced by ancient authors and artists; their readers, audiences, and viewers; and contemporary scholars. Exploring the precarious hold that race has on skin coloration, the author uncovers the many silences, suppressions, and misappropriations of blackness within modern studies of Greek antiquity. Shaped by performance studies and critical race theory alike, her book maps out an authoritative archaeology of blackness that reappraises its significance. It offers a committedly anti-racist approach to depictions of black people while rejecting simplistic conflations or explanations. Get 20% off a copy of Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity using promo code UBGA2022 at Cambridge University Press (valid until February 2023). Keep up with Sarah's work on Twitter @BlackAntiquity and on her website. @amandajoycehall is a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in the Department of African American Studies.
El vicepresidente del BCE, Luis de Guindos, asegura que no piensa regresar a la vida política una vez que el próximo 31 de mayo concluya su periplo en el BCE, ya que considera que “ese capítulo está cerrado”. De Pablo Hernández de Cos y de sus posibilidades para entrar en el directorio del banco, Guindos ha destacado su "excelente" trabajo como gobernador del Banco de España entre 2018 y 2024. Por otra parte, Reino Unido y EEUU están a punto de acordar la aplicación de aranceles cero a los productos farmacéuticos; se espera un anuncio esta misma tarde en la Casa Blanca. En cuanto a datos macro, el sector manufacturero de la eurozona se debilita en noviembre, con el índice PMI mostrando el declive más pronunciado desde junio. Entrevistaremos a Ana Alonso, CEO de Spain is Excellence, para hablar de liderazgo, innovación y gestión empresarial en España. Los temas de la actualidad, a debate en la Tertulia de Cierre de Mercados con José Ignacio Gutiérrez, de la Confederación de Cuadros y Profesionales, y Francisco Canós, inversor y partner en Cyber-C.
A estrategista-chefe de investimentos do BB Private, Julia Baulé, CFP®, analisa os principais fatos da última semana e reflete sobre as expectativas para a semana atual no Brasil e no mundo para te ajudar a tomar as melhores decisões de investimento: "Nos EUA, dirigentes do Fed reforçaram a necessidade de cortes de juros diante do enfraquecimento do mercado de trabalho, enquanto indicadores como confiança do consumidor e PMI vieram abaixo das expectativas. Na Europa, o BCE manteve postura cautelosa, e no Brasil, o IPCA-15 subiu 0,20% em novembro, acumulando 4,50% em 12 meses, enquanto o BC sinaliza que não há espaço para novas altas da Selic."Confira agora o BB Private Highlights. Conheça também outros conteúdos produzidos por nossos premiados especialistas no hub BB Private Lounge: bb.com.br/lounge
La BCE tire la sonnette d'alarme : la dette fédérale abyssale, le dollar fragilisé et l'euphorie autour de l'IA pourraient transformer l'économie américaine en véritable risque systémique pour l'Europe. Entre surendettement public, instabilité monétaire et bulle technologique, faut-il craindre un accident financier majeur qui frapperait de plein fouet le Vieux Continent ? Les explications de Charles Sannat, fondateur du site insolentiae. Ecorama du 1er décembre 2025, présenté par David Jacquot sur Boursorama.com Hébergé par Audion. Visitez https://www.audion.fm/fr/privacy-policy pour plus d'informations.
Jainism, along with Buddhism and Hinduism, is one of India's great dharmic traditions – though far less well known than its siblings. Emerging around the second century BCE, it is best-known for valuing ahimsa in pursuit of liberation – a devout practice of non-violence. Yet there is far more to Jain philosophy than liberation and ahimsa. Jainism offers a rich way of understanding the self, the cosmos, and the divine. It's a philosophy with a vision of reality that continues to challenge Western preconceptions on, well, just about everything: from the nature of souls and knowledge to the meaning of life and the origin of the universe. Today, we'll be exploring Jainism with Dr Marie-Hélène Gorisse. Dr Gorisse is currently Dharmanath Assistant Professor in Jain Studies at the University of Birmingham, where she's co-project lead of the Global Philosophy of Religion Project 2. Marie-Hélène's work explores South Asian philosophy of religion and, most specifically, she is a world-leading expert on Jaina philosophy. In this episode, we'll trace how Jainism arose, how its sages taught that the self can escape the cycle of rebirth, and the purpose of the universe. And perhaps more importantly, we'll explore how Jainism can help us all live better lives for the sake of ourselves, and the world around us. This episode is produced in partnership with The Global Philosophy of Religion Project at University of Birmingham, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Links Marie-Hélène Gorisse, University of Birmingham The Global Philosophy of Religion Project 2, Website
In 190 BCE, Antiochus III faces off against the Scipio brothers near the settlement of Magnesia-by-Sipylus. The resulting battle will be a disaster for the Seleucids- and see the king go running back to Syria with his tail between his legs...Sources for this episode:TBA
Journey across 12,000 years of history, myth, and fresh discoveries to assemble the mystifying ancient puzzle that is Atlantis! Go beyond the hit documentary and dive far deeper into the history, science, and philosophy of the lost continent.Past mistranslations and bizarre fringe theories have long relegated Atlantis to the realm of fantasy. But the latest research in linguistics, climate science, and ancient Greek philology suggests that the myth's setting was real African geography during a prehistoric period called the Green Sahara.Explore the amazing truth behind the most misunderstood mystery of all time and find out exactly how the story of 9600 BCE matches up with modern archaeology.In the early twenty-first century, Greek researcher George Sarantitis re-examined everything about Atlantis written in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias. In detective-story style, learn how painstaking re-translations and physical tests in West Africa seem to confirm something astounding: the lost continent described in the myth was a real place, and no, it never sank! But were the events in the tale “real,” or a complex interweaving of myth, history, and profound philosophy? You'll find the answer here in The Atlantis Puzzle!Jack Kelley (1980- ) studied ancient history, philosophy, literature, language, and architecture at Yale, completing the Directed Studies program there. He is the writer and producer of Solver (2018) and the creator of the award-winning documentary The Atlantis Puzzle (2024).https://www.empirebuilderproductions.com/the-atlantis-puzzleBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.
In a rapidly changing world filled with uncertainties, many of us seek clarity and resilience. Enter Stoic philosophy—an ancient Greek philosophy founded in the early 3rd century BCE that offers profound insights and transformative lessons for modern living. By exploring the Stoic principles of acceptance, self-control, and perspective, we can shift our outlook and face life's challenges with newfound strength. In this episode, we'll delve into five essential lessons from Stoicism that can empower you to unlock a new perspective.
The Aeneid stands as a towering work of Classical Roman literature and a gripping dramatization of the best and worst of human nature. In the process of creating this epic poem, Vergil (70–19 BCE) became a living legend. But the real Vergil is a shadowy figure; we know that he was born into a modest rural family, that he led a private and solitary life, and that, in spite of poor health and unusual emotional vulnerabilities, he worked tirelessly to achieve exquisite new effects in verse. Vergil's most famous work, the Aeneid, was commissioned by the emperor Augustus, who published the epic despite Vergil's dying wish that it be destroyed. In Vergil: The Poet's Life (Yale UP, 2023), Sarah Ruden, widely praised for her translation of the Aeneid, uses evidence from Roman life and history alongside Vergil's own writings in an endeavor to reconstruct his life and personality. Through her intimate knowledge of Vergil's work, she evokes the image of a poet who was committed to creating something astonishingly new and memorable, even at great personal cost. Benjamin Phillips is an MA student in History at Ohio University. His primary field is Late Antique Cultural and Intellectual History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
The Aeneid stands as a towering work of Classical Roman literature and a gripping dramatization of the best and worst of human nature. In the process of creating this epic poem, Vergil (70–19 BCE) became a living legend. But the real Vergil is a shadowy figure; we know that he was born into a modest rural family, that he led a private and solitary life, and that, in spite of poor health and unusual emotional vulnerabilities, he worked tirelessly to achieve exquisite new effects in verse. Vergil's most famous work, the Aeneid, was commissioned by the emperor Augustus, who published the epic despite Vergil's dying wish that it be destroyed. In Vergil: The Poet's Life (Yale UP, 2023), Sarah Ruden, widely praised for her translation of the Aeneid, uses evidence from Roman life and history alongside Vergil's own writings in an endeavor to reconstruct his life and personality. Through her intimate knowledge of Vergil's work, she evokes the image of a poet who was committed to creating something astonishingly new and memorable, even at great personal cost. Benjamin Phillips is an MA student in History at Ohio University. His primary field is Late Antique Cultural and Intellectual History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies
The Aeneid stands as a towering work of Classical Roman literature and a gripping dramatization of the best and worst of human nature. In the process of creating this epic poem, Vergil (70–19 BCE) became a living legend. But the real Vergil is a shadowy figure; we know that he was born into a modest rural family, that he led a private and solitary life, and that, in spite of poor health and unusual emotional vulnerabilities, he worked tirelessly to achieve exquisite new effects in verse. Vergil's most famous work, the Aeneid, was commissioned by the emperor Augustus, who published the epic despite Vergil's dying wish that it be destroyed. In Vergil: The Poet's Life (Yale UP, 2023), Sarah Ruden, widely praised for her translation of the Aeneid, uses evidence from Roman life and history alongside Vergil's own writings in an endeavor to reconstruct his life and personality. Through her intimate knowledge of Vergil's work, she evokes the image of a poet who was committed to creating something astonishingly new and memorable, even at great personal cost. Benjamin Phillips is an MA student in History at Ohio University. His primary field is Late Antique Cultural and Intellectual History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography
The Aeneid stands as a towering work of Classical Roman literature and a gripping dramatization of the best and worst of human nature. In the process of creating this epic poem, Vergil (70–19 BCE) became a living legend. But the real Vergil is a shadowy figure; we know that he was born into a modest rural family, that he led a private and solitary life, and that, in spite of poor health and unusual emotional vulnerabilities, he worked tirelessly to achieve exquisite new effects in verse. Vergil's most famous work, the Aeneid, was commissioned by the emperor Augustus, who published the epic despite Vergil's dying wish that it be destroyed. In Vergil: The Poet's Life (Yale UP, 2023), Sarah Ruden, widely praised for her translation of the Aeneid, uses evidence from Roman life and history alongside Vergil's own writings in an endeavor to reconstruct his life and personality. Through her intimate knowledge of Vergil's work, she evokes the image of a poet who was committed to creating something astonishingly new and memorable, even at great personal cost. Benjamin Phillips is an MA student in History at Ohio University. His primary field is Late Antique Cultural and Intellectual History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history
Vendredi 28 novembre, l'éventualité d'un choc de la BCE pour la Zone euro, a été abordée par Patrice Gautry, chef économiste de l'Union Bancaire Privée, Emmanuel Lechypre, éditorialiste BFM Business, Pierre Schang, responsable des pôles France et Environnement chez La Financière de l'Echiquier, et Andrzej Kawalec, directeur général de Moneta AM, reçus par Marc Fiorentino dans l'émission C'est Votre Argent sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission le vendredi et réécoutez-la en podcast.
The Aeneid stands as a towering work of Classical Roman literature and a gripping dramatization of the best and worst of human nature. In the process of creating this epic poem, Vergil (70–19 BCE) became a living legend. But the real Vergil is a shadowy figure; we know that he was born into a modest rural family, that he led a private and solitary life, and that, in spite of poor health and unusual emotional vulnerabilities, he worked tirelessly to achieve exquisite new effects in verse. Vergil's most famous work, the Aeneid, was commissioned by the emperor Augustus, who published the epic despite Vergil's dying wish that it be destroyed. In Vergil: The Poet's Life (Yale UP, 2023), Sarah Ruden, widely praised for her translation of the Aeneid, uses evidence from Roman life and history alongside Vergil's own writings in an endeavor to reconstruct his life and personality. Through her intimate knowledge of Vergil's work, she evokes the image of a poet who was committed to creating something astonishingly new and memorable, even at great personal cost. Benjamin Phillips is an MA student in History at Ohio University. His primary field is Late Antique Cultural and Intellectual History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/italian-studies
Episode 167 - The Gallic Sack of Rome - Part 2We rejoin the Romans and the Gauls in 390 BCE at the place where the Tiber river intersects with the Alia river. Turns out that when a bunch of Fabians upset the Gauls, those Gauls decide to march south towards Rome… How many Gauls and how many Romans met at the rivers' edge? Well, the numbers are probably unreliable but the Romans are pretty sure they are outnumbered.The Battle at the AliaThere seems to be a few issues at this moment including the Roman failure to build a proper camp and - even worse - failure to take the auspices. Is this some foreshadowing from our friend Livy?Stay tuned for a discussion of the slim layout of the Roman forces. Brennus, the putative leader of the Gauls, seems to be uncertain that there may be some secret tactic or force that he hasn't been able to account for. There's also the problem of which bank of the river the battle takes place on which may influence where Roman forces end up. Will the Romans take the day or will they flail in the face of the Gallic strength? Are there some tactics involved that scholars can discern from the literary accounts that aren't immediately obvious?The Roman Retreat When the day goes against Rome, the retreat seems to be chaotic. Some of the Romans retreat to Rome, which makes sense, and some retreat to Veii. This creates a host of uncertainty for the Romans who survive particularly those who head back to Rome and don't find their comrades there. The assumption of Roman losses is significant.The Gauls meanwhile continue to suspect that there is a surprise attack from the Romans coming, but after some time they decide it's worth marching on Rome just to see what they can see. Things to listen out for:Gauls getting ‘organised' after AliaThe priestesses of Vesta get involvedGeneral Akbar and the Gauls coming togetherThe role of the citadel on the Capitoline HillThe Gauls confused about Rome - the city?How does the levy of the Roman army work in this moment?The security of the sacred objects of RomeThe Vestal Virgins on the move!What happens to the eldest noble Romans now the Gauls are at the gatesLucius Albinus - 'the noble Plebeian'?For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Narrator: Thomas Jones
Confindustria pubblica un nuovo rapporto sulla manifattura dopo una lunga fase segnata da crisi economiche, pandemiche e geopolitiche, evidenziando una produzione industriale in recupero nel 2025 rispetto ai forti cali del 2023 e 2024 ma ancora sotto i livelli del 2019. Dal 2022 il rallentamento è generalizzato ma più marcato in Germania e Italia rispetto a Francia e Spagna. La manifattura resta pilastro dell'economia, seconda in Europa e ottava al mondo, contribuisce al 15% del Pil che raddoppia con l'indotto ed è responsabile di una quota significativa degli investimenti complessivi e della metà di quelli in ricerca e sviluppo. Tuttavia permangono criticità legate alla produttività stagnante e ai costi energetici, con l'Italia risultata il Paese più colpito dall'escalation dei prezzi per un'incidenza già superiore alla pandemia. Il settore garantisce però salari mediamente più alti rispetto a servizi, costruzioni, pubblico impiego e media economia, sostenendo domanda interna e coesione sociale. Facciamo il punto con Alessandro Fontana, direttore del Centro studi di Confindustria.Manovra: 105 emendamenti inammissibili, passa oro BankitaliaSono 105 gli emendamenti alla manovra dichiarati inammissibili dalla commissione Bilancio del Senato, 18 per materia e sostituibili e 87 per mancanza di coperture. Supera invece il vaglio l'emendamento sull'oro di Bankitalia, che attribuisce allo Stato la titolarità delle riserve, con la Bce che precisa di non essere stata consultata. Restano in corsa tre emendamenti sulla sanatoria edilizia mentre viene bloccato quello che imponeva ai Comuni il rilascio dei titoli entro il 2026. Non passa per coperture nemmeno la proposta della Lega sul Mes che prevedeva la cessione delle quote di partecipazione. A Palazzo Chigi si discute delle modifiche alla legge di Bilancio e dell'ipotesi di aumento di 0,5 punti dell'Irap per le grandi banche, misura che potrebbe valere circa 200 milioni e richiederebbe una franchigia per esentare i piccoli istituti. Accordo invece sulla cancellazione dell'aumento dell'aliquota al 26% per chi affitta una casa con ipotesi di classificare come attività d'impresa dal terzo appartamento, mentre le valutazioni sulle coperture restano al Tesoro. Ne parliamo con Dino Pesole, editorialista del Sole 24 Ore.Famiglie, redditi reali in discesa del 4% Peggio soltanto la GreciaIn vent'anni i redditi reali delle famiglie italiane sono diminuiti del 4%, dato peggiore in Europa dopo la Grecia, mentre la media Ue registra un incremento del 22% con crescite molto elevate nei Paesi dell'Est e più contenute in Belgio, Austria e Spagna. Il percorso europeo mostra una fase positiva fino al 2008, stasi fino al 2011, calo nel 2012-2013, nuova crescita fino al 2020 e poi rallentamento, con primi segnali di accelerazione nel 2024. L'apparente contrasto con il rapporto di Bankitalia sulla crescita della ricchezza dipende dal fatto che reddito e patrimonio misurano aspetti diversi, evidenziando l'ampliarsi del divario tra chi vive di reddito e chi beneficia dei rendimenti finanziari. Secondo Bankitalia il reddito continua a crescere trainato da occupazione e retribuzioni e la quota di famiglie in difficoltà resta limitata. Istat segnala però che nel 2023 l'occupazione è cresciuta più rapidamente nelle famiglie a reddito più basso, dove, pur con tassi di occupazione inferiori e disoccupazione più alta, il calo della disoccupazione è stato più marcato rispetto ai nuclei più abbienti. Il commento è di Massimo Baldini, docente di Scienza delle Finanze presso l'Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia.
Synopsis When is Hanukkah this year? When is Lupercalia, or Easter, or Midsummer’s Eve? When is your birthday? Figuring out when big events happen is incredibly important, and humans have been doing it for a long time. But while we can see some similarities in the process of calendar evolution, many civilizations had very different ways of conceptualizing and measuring time. Join Em and Dr. Jesse for a discussion of non-Roman calendars! Notes 0/ Check out the Nerd and Tie podcast network! Official announcement here. 1/ A lot of Mayans live in Yucatán in Mexico. Between 1847–1933, the Mayan fought a long and bloody war against the government of Mexico, and for a while controlled an independent state. Eventually they won the right to break up some of the haciendas, making it a fairly successful indigenous land movement. Now in Yucatán, a lot of the land is collectively owned/managed by the Maya. 2/ St Patrick will be coming up in the future! His episode has been recorded. 3/ Sir Capricorn’s name turns out to be Sesame. He is amazing! 4/ Gobekli Tepe (settled roughly 9500 BCE) 5/ Wurdi Youang (Australia) 6/ Warren Field (Scotland) 7/ Hawaii 8/ Yoruba calendar 9/ Babylonian calendar (from the 2nd millennium BCE). See Lis Brack-Bernsen’s “The 360-Day Year in Mesopotamia” The early astronomical text known as MUL.APIN (from 1000 BCE). 10/ Ancient Egyptian calendar! And some fun artifacts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 11/ Mayan calendar! Very intriguing. Here is the film 2012 which posits many incorrect things, not just about the Mayan calendar.
Analizamos la situación de los mercados de renta fija: ¿qué pasará en el corto, medio y largo plazo con este tipo de activos? Los mercados están nerviosos. "Cuándo no lo están", dirá alguno. Y eso es cierto. No hay nunca un momento de calma. Pero el último mes ha sido especialmente movido en la renta variable, especialmente en EEUU. Hay quien sigue pensando que existe recorrido alcista, pero desde otro sector se apuesta por el fin de un rally que dura desde hace quince años (con algún período de caída, es cierto, pero del que se han recuperado rápidamente). En este contexto, cada vez hay más clientes que miran a la renta fija o los productos mixtos. Y para hablar de todo esto, esta semana nos acompañan en Tu Dinero Nunca Duerme, dos expertos en este enorme mercado, un producto relativamente desconocido (pero que es clave) para el inversor medio. Los bancos centrales En primer lugar, nos visita Luis Merino, responsable de renta fija en SantaLucía AM: "Existe divergencia entre las políticas monetarias de los bancos centrales. Por ejemplo, Suiza está al 0%; en EEUU y Reino Unido siguen en el 4%. Y en Japón están subiendo, cuando los demás están bajando los tipos. Los bancos centrales fijan los tipos a corto y suelen estar muy ligados al entorno macro, crecimiento e inflación". ¿Y en Europa, qué podemos esperar?: "Para el BCE hay cierta estabilidad [en las previsiones]. En esto hay cierto consenso. Nuestra estimación es que se van a mantener estables en el 2%. Y creemos que si nos equivocamos, hay más posibilidades de que sea a la baja. Esa estabilidad es un buen punto de partida para plantearte la inversión en renta fija". Merino es optimista para su sector para los próximos meses: "De fondo hay un contexto positivo para la renta fija. La inflación está controlada. Lo importante no es tanto lo que ofrece el producto, sino el tipo real que te queda. Para el año que viene, tenemos un panorama positivo. Otra cosa es que tenemos unos diferenciales estrechos: eso significa que nosotros estamos recomendando cierta cautela, un comportamiento defensivo. ¿Eso qué implica? Mejorar el rating y la calidad de los bonos en los que estamos". ¿Y qué puede pensar el pequeño ahorrador en este contexto?: "Ahora mismo, puedes invertir a tipos reales positivos con riesgos muy bajos. Para los que quieran ser más agresivos, puedes mirar renta fija a largo plazo, un mercado con más volatilidad y en el que influyen muchas más variables. Pero, para empezar, para alguien que tiene su dinero en la cuenta corriente, mi recomendación sería que lo pusiera a trabajar. ¿Cómo empezar? Renta fija a corto plazo". Productos mixtos En la segunda parte del programa, nos acompaña Fernando Romero, portfolio manager de Abaco Capital. Nos contará cómo le va a su fondo de Renta Fija Mixta Global, que hace unos días superaba los 100 millones de patrimonio bajo gestión. "El objetivo de nuestra estrategia es batir en un par de puntos la inflación, con un riesgo menor al que puede encontrar un inversor minorista. Mediante la especialización en crédito empresarial, creemos que podemos tener una rentabilidad más que aceptable. Hemos tenido una rentabilidad muy interesante con un entorno de tipos de interés muy bajos. Con tipos más elevados, que creemos que veremos en los próximos años, la renta fija corporativa puede tener rentabilidades muy interesantes. Los últimos diez años de tipos negativos no habían pasado nunca en la historia: lo más probable es que volvamos a un entorno más normalizado. Si a esto le sumamos el endeudamiento de los países… la única solución es que haya inflaciones más elevadas (represión financiera)". ¿Cómo debe enfocar todo esto el pequeño ahorrador? La opinión de Romero es que para muchos de ellos es un producto muy interesante: "El inversor tiene que mantener un balance. Hasta hace unos años, parece que lo único que se recomendaba era la cartera 60-40 (renta fija – renta variable). Al final, con las empresas, puedes ser propietario o prestamista. Cada uno tiene que encontrar su mix. Una de las partes buenas de la renta fija es que ayuda al inversor en los momentos de volatilidad. Y dentro de la renta fija sí creemos que es importante ir de la mano de buenos gestores. Parece que la renta fija es invertir en renta de gobiernos, pero nosotros creemos que donde más peligro hay ahora mismo es en la renta fija de gobiernos a largo plazo. Para encontrar rentabilidad te tienes que ir al crédito a las empresas. Nosotros estamos enfocados en el crédito a corto-medio plazo, de 3 a 5 años".
Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Well-known for a huge collection of megaliths, Menorca has seen human activity since the prehistoric era. This period was the Talayotic period, which lasted until 123 BCE. The island fell under Roman occupation, Vandal conquest, the Byzantine Empire, and, centuries later, British occupation. It is now part of Spain, and its official languages are Catalan and Spanish. But an island that has seen so much human activity for so long is bound to have a legend or two. Menorca's tales involve religious icons, enchanted cities, giants, and even the Cyclops. Let's explore them in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore… Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/menorca-legends/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/
November 21, 164 BCE. Judas Maccabeus recaptures Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt and rededicates the Second Temple, since commemorated in the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. This episode originally aired in 2022.Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more.History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Listen all the way to the end for a special musical feature about Sargon II. This episode explores one of the most pivotal and least understood turning points in Neo-Assyrian history, examining the rise of a king whose origins, motives, and very name remain contested even after a century of scholarship. These are the Oldest Stories, available at OldestStories.net.In 722 BCE, Sargon II seized the Assyrian throne and entered an eighteen-year reign that forms the best-documented era of ancient Mesopotamian history. Yet for all his inscriptions and annals, Sargon himself remains an enigma. His parentage, early career, accession, and the meaning of his throne name are questions that continue to challenge scholars of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. This episode delves deeply into the theories surrounding his origins, including newly translated inscriptions from Assur, shifting interpretations of his name from Sharru-Kenu to Sharru-Ukin, and the implications of his apparent disinterest in his own ancestry. From the ideological weight of throne names to the complexities of logosyllabic Akkadian spelling, we explore how philology, archaeology, and political history intersect to shape our understanding of this king.We also follow Sargon into the disastrous opening months of his reign: the unclear succession, the purge of thousands of internal opponents, the immediate loss of Babylon to Marduk-Apla-Iddina, the Levantine revolts, and the devastating defeat near Der at the hands of the Elamites. These events set the stage for a king on the brink of failure, navigating accusations of ill-omen, political chaos, and the danger of being overthrown before his first year had even ended. Yet they also reveal the moment in which Sargon's extraordinary administrative and logistical genius emerges, allowing him to rescue his reign and initiate the Sargonid Golden Age.Along the way, the episode examines the broader historical context of Chaldean and Elamite politics, Babylonian ritual ideology, the transformation of Assyrian year-dating from limmu officials to palu counts, and the evolving religious presentation of Assur's kingship. It traces the subtle theological and political shifts that distinguish Sargon from his predecessors, as well as the early strategic failures and last-minute decisions that determine the fate of the empire. The result is a comprehensive look at one of the most complex figures of the ancient Near East and the precarious moment at which Assyria's future hung in the balance.If you enjoy the episode, consider supporting the show on Patreon, becoming a YouTube member, or donating directly at OldestStories.net. Your support truly helps this project grow. Stay tuned through the end for the Sargon II musical piece, and subscribe to follow Sargon's campaigns as the imperial war machine finally roars to life in the next installment.I am also doing daily history facts again, at least until I run out of time again. You can find Oldest Stories daily on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.If you like the show, consider sharing with your friends, leaving a like, subscribing, or even supporting financially:Buy the Oldest Stories books: https://a.co/d/7Wn4jhSDonate here: https://oldeststories.net/or on patreon: https://patreon.com/JamesBleckleyor on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG2tPxnHNNvMd0VrInekaA/joinYoutube and Patreon members get access to bonus content about Egyptian culture and myths.
Londinium 91 AD: The Debate Over Venezuela. Gaius and Germanicus of the Friends Mystery Debating Society discuss at a cold wine bar by the choppy Thames the potential decision by emperor Trump to invade Venezuela, noting the presence of a sizable, powerful military force gathered deliberately off its shores. Germanicus argues that American engagement in the Caribbean is a deep-rooted tradition dating back to the Monroe Doctrine, with the current military buildup serving as a symbolic initiative signaling to powers like China and Russia that the U.S. is reasserting influence in its accepted sphere. However, he cautions there are huge risks because the U.S. military's connection to strategic realities has declined massively, with capabilities depleted partly due to the war in Ukraine. U.S. history of warfare since Korea is marked by poor net assessment, where planners privilege desires over reality. Maduro has reportedly offered tribute of 300 million barrels of oil, suggesting the conflict is currently an aggressively conducted negotiation dependent heavily on Venezuelan armed forces loyalty. The emperor faces pressure to achieve a consolation prize if he chooses not to invade to avoid looking weak, leaving the outcome undecided. 80 BCE. SULLA
Jainism, along with Buddhism and Hinduism, is one of India's great dharmic traditions – though far less well known than its siblings. Emerging around the second century BCE, it is best-known for valuing ahimsa in pursuit of liberation – a devout practice of non-violence. Yet there is far more to Jain philosophy than liberation and ahimsa. Jainism offers a rich way of understanding the self, the cosmos, and the divine. It's a philosophy with a vision of reality that continues to challenge Western preconceptions on, well, just about everything: from the nature of souls and knowledge to the meaning of life and the origin of the universe. Today, we'll be exploring Jainism with Dr Marie-Hélène Gorisse. Dr Gorisse is currently Dharmanath Assistant Professor in Jain Studies at the University of Birmingham, where she's co-project lead of the Global Philosophy of Religion Project 2. Marie-Hélène's work explores South Asian philosophy of religion and, most specifically, she is a world-leading expert on Jaina philosophy. In this episode, we'll trace how Jainism arose, how its sages taught that the self can escape the cycle of rebirth, and the purpose of the universe. And perhaps more importantly, we'll explore how Jainism can help us all live better lives for the sake of ourselves, and the world around us. This episode is produced in partnership with The Global Philosophy of Religion Project at University of Birmingham, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Links Marie-Hélène Gorisse, University of Birmingham The Global Philosophy of Religion Project 2, Website
The Egyptian-Hittite Treaty. In regnal year 21 (c.1272 BCE), Ramesses II announced a treaty with Hattusili III. The two kings united in "peace and brotherhood, forever," and agreed to a raft of provisions regarding their territories, vassals, rules-of-succession, and more. As the first (surviving) treaty between the two Great Powers, the year 21 agreement is a landmark in the history of diplomacy. We explore the text and its impact... Music: Luke Chaos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this week's episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete Enns and Anna Sieges Beal sit down with Shayna Sheinfeld to talk about the Second Temple period, spanning from 586 BCE to 70 CE. Shayna presents texts from that time that illuminate events glossed over by most Bibles, and explores the often-overlooked roles played by women wielding power in those communities. Show Notes → https://thebiblefornormalpeople.com/episode-314-shayna-sheinfeld-the-complicated-world-of-second-temple-judaism/ Watch this episode on YouTube → https://youtu.be/92i5Pc9CRI4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Decline of Democracy: Autocracy and Oligarchy on the Rise. Gaius and Germanicus discuss Michael McFaul's hypothesis that democracy is in recession and autocracy is ascendant. Germanicus concurs, blaming "Blue" (Democrats) for pursuing steps that strip the nation of its Republican character, including efforts to control media and censor, which he terms "creeping authoritarianism." He cites examples like a two-tier justice system and the pursuit of "thought crimes" (e.g., silent praying outside an abortion clinic) in the US and UK. Germanicus believes the US is heading toward a "brutal oligarchy" controlled by a ruling class, rather than a classic autocracy. Gaius asks if autocratic models, such as Chinese capitalism, are appealing to allies. Germanicus confirms that certain nations (like the expanding BRICS) view China and Russia as providing a better model for societal progress, especially given the US's poor global reputation since 2001. Furthermore, neoliberalism benefits only the very wealthy, creating devastating wealth inequality akin to the ancien régime before the French Revolution. Projecting 100 years ahead, Germanicus believes the US will likely be an "oligarchic autocracy" and an empire competing as a trans-Pacific/transatlantic block against a Eurasian block. They agree that modern technology, capable of tracking thoughts and speech, is an "enormously powerful instrument" supporting this autocratic trend. Germanicus notes that moralizing about dictators and "saving democracy" will persist, but merely as a means to keep the population passive and quiet, labeling modern censorship as highly Orwellian. They conclude they are living through a transformation from kingship to democracy, now moving toward autocracy. 80 BCE. SULLA
GREG BRENNECKA: IMPACT—HOW ROCKS FROM SPACE LED TO LIFE, CULTURE, AND DONKEY KONG Impact: How Rocks from Space Led to Life, Culture, and Donkey Kong Cosmochemist Greg Brennecka discusses the history of meteoritics, beginning with the documentation of a meteor shower in Normandy, France, in 1803 by Jean Baptiste Biot, which validated the celestial origin of falling rocks and proved they fell according to mechanics. In ancient times—such as 4,000 BCE in Iran—iron meteorites were highly valued because humanity could not manufacture native iron at that point, and Mesopotamians interpreted meteorites as significant historical augurs. Despite this early recognition, influential Greek thinkers like Aristotle denied their heavenly origin for 2,000 years, believing the heavens were perfect, a denial that persisted until the thorough documentation of falls in the early 19th century.
داستان مصر، رود نیل، درگیری امروز یازده کشور و چند هزار سال تاریخ. نیل فقط آب نیست؛ نظم، مالیات، مشروعیت و بقاست.حکمرانی بر مصر یعنی حکمرانی بر نیل.فرعون سوم میگفت: مصر بخشی از نیل است. بی نیل، نه زندگی است، نه پادشاهی، نه خدایان.متن: بهجت بندری، علی بندری، با راهنمایی آرش رئیسینژاد | ویدیو و صدا: حمیدرضا فرخسرشتبرای دیدن ویدیوی این اپیزود اگر ایران هستید ویپیان بزنید و روی لینک زیر کلیک کنیدیوتیوب بیپلاسکانال تلگرام بیپلاسمنابع و لینکهایی برای کنجکاوی بیشتر · The Nile: History's Greatest River by Terje Tvedt· The Nile: Its Role in the Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Fatimid Dynasty During its Rule of Egypt· Water Supply and Sanitation in Early Islamic Cities, Springer 2023· The Religious Nile: Water, Ritual and Society since Ancient Egypt, Terje Oestigaard· The Sources of the Nile and Paradoxes of Religious Waters· Henry P. Colburn, Archaeology of Empire in Achaemenid Egypt (Edinburgh University Press, 2019) Pierre Briant, From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire (Eisenbrauns, 2002)· ایران در جنگ، کاوه فرخ· The Persian Occupation of Egypt, in The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 2, Chapter 9 (Cambridge University Press, 1985· Kenneth W. Harl, “Agricultural Frontiers and Economic Integration in the Roman Empire: The Case of Egypt,” Journal of Roman Studies 101 (2011): 38–56· “Roman and Byzantine Egypt (30 BCE–642 CE)” Encyclopædia Britannica· "The River of History", Ep.1 of "The Nile Quest" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.