MT VOID, 10/11/24 -- Vol. 43, No. 15, Whole Number 2349

THE MT VOID
10/11/24 -- Vol. 43, No. 15, Whole Number 2349
Co-Editor: Mark Leeper, mleeper@optonline.net
Co-Editor: Evelyn Leeper, eleeper@optonline.net
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Topics:
         The Great Courses: "A Historian Goes to the Movies:
                 Ancient Rome" (Part 3: Interregnum) (I, CLAUDIUS;
                 MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN) (comments
                 by Evelyn C. Leeper)
         AGE OF REVOLUTIONS: PROGRESS AND BACKLASH FROM 1600 TO
                 THE PRESENT by Fareed Zakaria (book review
                 by Gregory Frederick)
         CLEOPATRA (letter of comment by Sam Long)
         This Week's Reading (Second Time Books) (book comments
                 by Evelyn C. Leeper)
===================================================================
TOPIC: The Great Courses: "A Historian Goes to the Movies: Ancient
Rome" (Part 3: Interregnum) (comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
I, CLAUDIUS (1976):
This came after a long gap in the "ancient epic", but was more an
"anti-epic": it had a very low budget and had no spectacles or
even large scenes.  The Senate was represented by a few actors,
rather than dozens (or more).  The battles took place
off-screen--possibly you might hear battle sounds, but that was
it.  Nevertheless, it achieved a popularity that, e.g., THE FALL
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE never did.
MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN (1979):
Professor Aldrete goes through the movie, noting how the film
parodies every cliche of previous Roman epics: the birth of Jesus,
the outdoor oration, the gladiators in the arena, the exotic Roman
food, ...  But here the birth is undercut by showing a reverential
scene with the Three Wise Men, only to have them suddenly realize
they are in the wrong manger.  The crowd at the Sermon of the
Mount is not awed; they are baffled, because they cannot hear the
speech,  And so on.  Even the film poster uses enormous stone
block letters in the same style as that of BEN-HUR, but here the
stones are cracking and crumbling.
There is the classic scene where someone painting "Romans, go
home!" on a wall is not arrested by a centurion, but instead
instructed in tedious detail of all the grammatical errors he has
made.
As a summary of Roman accomplishments, one could do worse than the
question one character asks: "All right, but apart from the
sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order,
irrigation, roads, the fresh-water system, and public health, what
have the Romans ever done for us?"
And one timeless trope is the rival religious/political groups:
the Judean People's Front, the People's Front of Judea, and the
Judean Popular People's Front.  (One is reminded of the old joke
that if you ask two Jews, you get three opinions.)  Just last
summer, David Horovitz wrote an article in the Times of Israel
comparing the various groups then protesting actions by the
government and how they end up fighting (either verbally or
physically) with each other.
[-ecl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: AGE OF REVOLUTIONS: PROGRESS AND BACKLASH FROM 1600 TO THE
PRESENT by Fareed Zakaria (book review by Gregory Frederick)
Fareed Zakaria's Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from
1600 to the Present offers a sweeping analysis of major political,
social, and technological revolutions that have shaped modern
society.  Zakaria traces the rise of liberal democracy over the
last four centuries, emphasizing that progress has been marked by
continuous cycles of action and reaction.  He highlights the Dutch
and British revolutions, as well as the Industrial Revolution, as
key transformative moments, each restructuring political, social,
and economic foundations.
The book is divided into two parts: the first explores historical
revolutions, while the second examines contemporary upheavals
driven by globalization, technology, and cultural change.  Zakaria
argues that the current era, defined by rapid transformation, is
sparking a strong backlash, particularly against migration,
multiculturalism, and what some perceive as a loss of identity and
tradition. He points to the rise of populism as a reaction to
these changes.
Zakaria's central message is that successful revolutions occur
gradually, rooted in societal engagement rather than imposed
top-down.  His recommendations for strengthening democracy include
fostering family and community bonds through policies like paid
parental leave and national service, as well as maintaining a
balance between freedom and order.
While some reviewers appreciate Zakaria's nuanced perspective and
accessible writing, others criticize his approach as too cautious
and Western-centric, particularly in downplaying the role of more
radical revolutions, like those in Russia and China, which led to
significant, if tumultuous, changes.  Nonetheless, his contextual
analysis remains a hallmark of his work, making Age of Revolutions
an insightful read for those interested in understanding the long
arc of modern history and its implications for today's political
climate.  [-gf]
===================================================================
TOPIC: CLEOPATRA (letter of comment by Sam Long)
In response to Evelyn's comments on CLEOPATRA in the 09/20/24
issue of the MT VOID, Sam Long writes:
I remember seeing that film when it first came out.  An epic, to
be sure, but, as the article pointed out, with lots of
inconsistencies and the like.  I couldn't help but be reminded of
a short poem titled "The Lay of Ancient Rome" by one Thomas
Russell Ybarra <https://allpoetry.com/Thomas-Russell-Ybarra> that
was published in the Harvard Lampoon back in the '20s or so:
"Oh! the Roman was a rogue,
He erat, was, you bettum;
He ran his automobilis
And smoked his cigarettum;
He wore a diamond studibus,
An elegant cravatum,
A maxima cum laude shirt,
And such a stylish hattum!
He loved the lucious hic-haec hock,
And bet on games and equi;
At times he won; at others, though,
He got it in the nequi;
He winked (quo usque tandem?)
At puellas in the Forum,
And sometimes even made
Those goo-goo oculorum.
He frequently was seen
At combats gladitorial,
And ate enough to feed
Ten boarders at Memorial;
He often went on sprees,
And said on starting homus,
"Hic labor-opus est,
Oh, where's my hic! hic! domus?"
Although he lived in Rome
Of all the arts the middle
He was (excuse the phrase)
A horrid individl');
Ah! what a diff'rent thing
Was the homo (Latin, hominy)
Of far away B. C.
 From us of Anno Domini."
[-sl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: This Week's Reading (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
I mentioned a few weeks ago I had ordered some books as a run-up
to our annual trip to Second Time Books in Mt. Laurel.  (I wish it
could be semi-annual, but there you have it.)  Well, we went to
Second Time books, and I got nine books.  It doesn't sound like
much but the stack is ten inches tall.
Continuing my dive into ancient Roman history, I got Richard C.
Beacham's "Spectacle Entertainments of Early Imperial Rome", G. W.
Bowersock's "From Gibbon to Auden: Essays on the Classical
Tradition", Denis Feeney's "Caesar's Calendar", and Peter
Heather's "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (600 pages).
I also noticed a plethora of Michael Grant books on ancient Rome.
I asked whether he had sold the store his backlog of author's
copies, but they said it was just coincidence from a few different
people who brought books in.
The two really thick books I got were "The Everyman Chesterton"
(at 900 pages) and George Orwell's "Essays" (also Everyman
publishing, at 1370 pages).  They would be even thicker if the
paper weren't so thin.
Rounding my purchases out were three of thinner books: Peter
Manseau's "The Jefferson Bible" and John Steinbeck's "Zapata", and
a math book for Mark.  "The Jefferson Bible" and the math book
were from their new "Annex", which contain vintage and antique
books, and dollar books.  This seems like an odd combination, but
the books are "antique", not "antiquarian", in the sense that they
are old but not rare and valuable.  (One of the dollar books they
had was a Greek interlinear New Testament; I can remember paying
$23 for one decades ago when $23 was real money.)
Once again, I cannot recommend this store highly enough.  It
specializes in science fiction and history, and has huge
selections of both, at very reasonable prices.  (For example, the
Orwell was my most expensive book, in pristine condition, for
$15.)  They have a web site, <secondtimebooksonline.com>, if you
really are too far away to visit their store (which is set in a
quite charming little "cultural and arts village").  If you visit,
mention that the "Bucket Lady" sent you--I bring my books to sell
in old Costco/Kirkland detergent pails.  [-ecl]
===================================================================
                      Mark Leeper
                      mleeper@optonline.net
           All philosophies, if you ride them home, are nonsense,
           but some are greater nonsense than others.
            --Samuel Butler