Free Republic

...By the age of 17, Pompey was an active participant in his father's campaigns, and was busily building a foundation for his own military career.Pompey rose to prominence serving Sulla in the first major Roman civil war, defeating the forces of Marius in Africa. For this he earned, or was mocked with, the title Magnus (the Great)....he coerced a command in Spain against the rebel Sertorius, simply through the fear of his legions... Pompey returned to Rome in triumph.Upon returning from Spain, Pompey helped mop up the war with the gladiator general Spartacus, claiming much of the credit in the...

The writings of the historian Plutarch form a significant portion of our information concerning the rise of the Roman Republic, and its eventual end. In one of those texts, Plutarch's "Lives", he recounts something rather strange--the appearance in the sky of a bright flash of light and, apparently, a cylindrical object whose color is "like molten silver". What exactly was he describing? Was it a UFO, as some people (apparently including at least professional scholars) believe? Or something else?Did Ancient Romans See a UFO? I A strange account from Plutarch | 5:57The Historian's Craft | 74.2K subscribers | 31K views...

Thomas Jefferson famously adapted key passages of John Locke’s Second Treatise in his draft Declaration of Independence. An 18th century gentleman could hardly regard himself as learned without the ability to quote a few Lockean passages from memory. Yet, what of the average colonial? Books were expensive imports. How were the yeomanry educated well enough in Lockean concepts to readily understand and accept this radical document, the Declaration of Independence? Through newspapers. Like modern Americans, our colonial forebears were also political junkies. Freewheeling editorials, letters to the editor that criticized parliamentary and colonial governments were standing features of public life....