The more familiar with Cicero you are beforehand, the more the Pro Caelio feels like being punched in the face. It can be so very easy to buy into one view of Cicero's character, because he's simply so good at projecting the image he wants us to see. One minute all we see is absolute outrage towards anyone vaguely associated with Catiline's conspiracy, executions without trial, righteous anger and passion. And it's so bloody effective that we buy into it wholeheartedly.

But when he has to, he sheds this skin in the blink of an eye. From bemoaning the Times and Morals, Cicero pleads that the judges be lenient with Caelius, since perfect virtue like that of the heroes of the old Republic is something you find only in books and rarely in life. The times and morals become an excuse. Being dragged into the wrong political circles is just an unfortunate consequence of youthfulness. Coming from Cicero, this is just unbelievable.

But fun uncle Cicero is as much a persona as Mister Republic '63. It's only when you see such radically different versions of Cicero that you realise just what a master of rhetoric he is, how effectively he warps even our impression of him and of the case, though we are looking back with fresh eyes 2000 years later. The real Cicero is an elusive mastermind. Hearing his voice booming his ire through the senate house would have been heart-stopping. But realising how much he's playing with you in order to have such an effect is almost... something more awe-inspiring.

“The great day has come” “Milan rises up against nazi-fascists”

While the city was being freed from the regime, the CLN (National Liberation Committee) broke into the newspaper office to print these first antifascist pages.

April 25th 1945 - Italian Liberation Day

i took elvish in school and i fucking hated it. the teacher was like 700 years old and he'd like take us on field trips to sit on the banks of babbling brooks and watch the fall of sunlight through the leaves. my friends in spanish class were like conjugating verbs and shit and meanwhile i was in an old-growth forest being overcome with awe at the sight of a majestic stag. like uhh yeah mr autumnheart when are we gonna learn like any grammar "listen to the murmur of the wind in the treetops, and you shall find the grammar you seek" like fuck dude your pedagogy leaves much to be desired

source? citation???

Shut the fuck up about dwarves challenge

✨When you are a giga-strong mountain of stone muscles crushing the heads of weak people, and your wife a diplomatic, intelligent mage who needs to be protected✨

Church of Whale Fall

Bonus internet points will be awarded to anyone who actually tries this exercise before voting.

Assume you need to get the spelling at least somewhat close, and if a character has multiple names, only one counts. Also, if a character doesn't have a canonical name, I'm sorry, but "that guy's wife" doesn't count.

For reference, if you can name the 9 members of the Fellowship, the eponymous Hobbit and his 13 dwarf buddies, 3 prominent women, and the guy who runs the Rivendell B&B, that's 27 characters right there. And you probably also know the name of a dragon.

For further reference, Tolkien Gateway has 637 (!!) pages dedicated to Third Age characters. (Don't click that link until you've voted, of course)

ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚

cicero and pompey being gay in masters of rome compilation

Unnatural Animals, Unnatural Ancestors

The way that the alien in Nope's final form looks like an old studio camera. The way the opening credits take place inside its stomach, shown as an endless darkness framed by billowing sheets - the blanket-like hood of an old camera that the photographer hides under. The way Jupe calls the alien The Viewer. The way Jupe makes stuffed animals of what he imagines the aliens inside the "ship" to look like subconsciously reference the camera magazines on the set of Gordy's Home with the body of a monkey. The way that Jupe was only saved because the table cloth kept him from looking Gordy in the eyes. The way that OJ and Em signal "I see you" before the final showdown. The violence of attention. The all-seeing eye. The panopticon. The camera obscura. The dark chamber. The spectacle.

what’s a bad miracle?

you have people convinced of anything when you dress vintage. they'll say a curse word then turn to you and apologise like they fear to offend your sensibilities. sir you needn't worry I have blasphemed at gesù la madonna and all the angels in colonna with this mouth before.

say what you will about the historical figure of Cardinal Richelieu but the ‘black breastplate over cardinal’s robes’ look is some warhammer shit

is it normal to spend months reading stuff when you write a thesis. I cannot be sure that I'm not just a perfectionist here, it could be a me thing

Russian Monk (Part 2)

Hope you enjoy :)