Tsaedje posted:

Also those "nephews" were mostly the various popes' bastard sons

Frogfingers posted:

I think the crescent moon and star being significant in Islam comes from the conquest as well, but I'm not 100% on that.

Munin posted:

It has to be said that the division of Europe was due to the fact that Primogeniture was not the accepted method of succession back then. Every son was entitled to his little share.

Richard A. Goldthwaite posted:

In 1417 Antonio di messer Francesco Salutati, at the time an employee of the bank of Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici in Florence, copied out a merchant manual of an earlier date in which exchange is treated extensively, and at the very end he added his own comment that “he who deals in exchanges and he who deals in merchandise is always anxious and beset by worries. I will instead give you a recipe for lasagna and macaroni.” He proceeds to do so and then concludes: “Let him who wants to draw on Bruges and remit to Paris do it. I, for my part, prefer to enjoy supper with my companions. Amen.”

Ichabod Sexbeast posted:

So what's the recipe?

Kennel posted:

charles_ii.jpg

Mans posted:

It's weird how so many people desired to be emperor or be close to the emperor when you see just how few of both reach a mature age that allows them to die of natural causes.

It's like that thing in Starship Troopers where Rico keeps getting delighted at his rapid promotions, not really getting that he's getting promoted because his superior got bugged.

Plucky Brit posted:

Was that out of choice, though? Plenty of contemporaries were capable of painting feminine physiques.

LucyWanabe posted:

I recall reading that the reason why so many of his female figures are shaped like a dude was because he always used male models.

FreudianSlippers posted:

hard counter posted:

Check out the concept art for some of the older Zelda games. You could almost see something Dark Soulsy if you squint hard enough.

http://imgur.com/a/BdGK2

MokBa posted:

A White Guy posted:

If you really want to be pedantic, every president of the US, even Barack, is descended from Charlemagne.

goose fleet posted:

What the gently caress is going on in this image

System Metternich posted:

Alberic II had an uncle, a cousin, a nephew and a son who all became popes. Dude probably wondered what he was doing wrong

e: wait no, Sergius III wasn't actually his uncle but just someone his mom banged on the side? Then John XI wasn't his cousin but his half-brother instead, even better

Suetonius, a totally trustworthy historian posted:

On retiring to Capri he devised a pleasance for his secret orgies: teams of wantons of both sexes, selected as experts in deviant intercourse and dubbed analists, copulated before him in triple unions to excite his flagging passions.

Carbon dioxide posted:

Being exiled from the Roman Empire as an aristocrat doesn't sound much fun. Where do you go? Into the wilderness? Live with some barbarian tribe?

Ensign Expendable posted:

Tell me more about these sexperts.

steinrokkan posted:

Do you think the contemporaries wouldn't have considered suicide for romance to be selfish in an obstinate teenager way?

quote:

JULIET
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.

ROMEO
I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

quote:

PRINCE
Where be these enemies? Capulet! Montague!
See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love.
And I for winking at your discords too
Have lost a brace of kinsmen: all are punish'd.

steinrokkan posted:

It would be extremely selfish in a culture that valued dynastic interests over personal pleasure, and that also firmly believe in being beholden to the legacy of your ancestors. Especially seeing that they act basically on a whim. I think this is why death and love are equated in RaJ, their naive, egotistical fling makes them dead for the world, cuts them away from the fabric of society. And to read that was transcendence is, Imo, a modern his.

Romeo and Juliet posted:

PRINCE
Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,--
Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved prince.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets,
And made Verona's ancient citizens
Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate:
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away:
You Capulet; shall go along with me:
And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in this case,
To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.

Romeus and Juliet posted:

There were two ancient stocks, which Fortune high did place
Above the rest, indued with wealth, and nobler of their race,
Loved of the common sort, loved of the prince alike,
And like unhappy were they both, when Fortune list to strike;
Whose praise, with equal blast, Fame in her trumpet blew;
The one was clepéd Capulet, and th'other Montague.
A wonted use it is, that men of likely sort,
(I wot not by what fury forced) envy each other's port.
So these, whose egall state bred envy pale of hue,
And then, of grudging envy's root, black hate and rancour grew
As, of a little spark, oft riseth mighty fire,
So of a kindled spark of grudge, in flames flash out their ire:
And then their deadly food, first hatched of trifling strife,
Did bathe in blood of smarting wounds; it reavéd breath and life,
No legend lie I tell, scarce yet their eyes be dry,
That did behold the grisly sight, with wet and weeping eye
But when the prudent prince, who there the sceptre held,
So great a new disorder in his commonweal beheld;
By gentle mean he sought, their choler to assuage;
And by persuasion to appease, their blameful furious rage.
But both his words and time, the prince hath spent in vain:
So rooted was the inward hate, he lost his busy pain.
When friendly sage advice, ne gentle words avail,
By thund'ring threats, and princely power their courage 'gan he quail
In hope that when he had the wasting flame supprest,
In time he should quite quench the sparks that burned within their breast.

quote:

BENVOLIO
At this same ancient feast of Capulet's
Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so lovest,
With all the admired beauties of Verona:
Go thither; and, with unattainted eye,
Compare her face with some that I shall show,
And I will make thee think thy swan a crow.

ROMEO
When the devout religion of mine eye
Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires;
And these, who often drown'd could never die,
Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars!
One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun
Ne'er saw her match since first the world begun.

quote:

CAPULET
But saying o'er what I have said before:
My child is yet a stranger in the world;
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years,
Let two more summers wither in their pride,
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.

PARIS
Younger than she are happy mothers made.

CAPULET
And too soon marr'd are those so early made.
The earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she,
She is the hopeful lady of my earth:
But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart,
My will to her consent is but a part;
An she agree, within her scope of choice
Lies my consent and fair according voice.

quote:

LADY CAPULET
What say you? can you love the gentleman?
This night you shall behold him at our feast;
Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face,
And find delight writ there with beauty's pen;
Examine every married lineament,
And see how one another lends content
And what obscured in this fair volume lies
Find written in the margent of his eyes.
This precious book of love, this unbound lover,
To beautify him, only lacks a cover:
The fish lives in the sea, and 'tis much pride
For fair without the fair within to hide:
That book in many's eyes doth share the glory,
That in gold clasps locks in the golden story;
So shall you share all that he doth possess,
By having him, making yourself no less.

Nurse
No less! nay, bigger; women grow by men.

LADY CAPULET
Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love?

JULIET
I'll look to like, if looking liking move:
But no more deep will I endart mine eye
Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.

quote:

CAPULET
How! will she none? doth she not give us thanks?
Is she not proud? doth she not count her blest,
Unworthy as she is, that we have wrought
So worthy a gentleman to be her bridegroom?

JULIET
Not proud, you have; but thankful, that you have:
Proud can I never be of what I hate;
But thankful even for hate, that is meant love.

CAPULET
How now, how now, chop-logic! What is this?
'Proud,' and 'I thank you,' and 'I thank you not;'
And yet 'not proud,' mistress minion, you,
Thank me no thankings, nor, proud me no prouds,
But fettle your fine joints 'gainst Thursday next,
To go with Paris to Saint Peter's Church,
Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.
Out, you green-sickness carrion! out, you baggage!
You tallow-face!

quote:

The fatal cause was now at last explor'd,
Her veil she knew, and saw his sheathless sword:
From thy own hand thy ruin thou hast found,
She said, but love first taught that hand to wound,
Ev'n I for thee as bold a hand can show,
And love, which shall as true direct the blow.
I will against the woman's weakness strive,
And never thee, lamented youth, survive.
The world may say, I caus'd, alas! thy death,
But saw thee breathless, and resign'd my breath.
Fate, tho' it conquers, shall no triumph gain,
Fate, that divides us, still divides in vain.

Now, both our cruel parents, hear my pray'r;
My pray'r to offer for us both I dare;
Oh! see our ashes in one urn confin'd,
Whom love at first, and fate at last has join'd.
The bliss, you envy'd, is not our request;
Lovers, when dead, may sure together rest.
Thou, tree, where now one lifeless lump is laid,
Ere-long o'er two shalt cast a friendly shade.
Still let our loves from thee be understood,
Still witness in thy purple fruit our blood.

Tiberius Thyben posted:

There's also the bit where Romeo is literally in love with another random Capulet when the play starts.

steinrokkan posted:

Maybe both sides are selfish in their own way, one being blinded by their feud, the other by their life. Ultimately brother Lsurence attempts to unite the contradictory egos of the families and the lovers through the traditional instrument of marriage, but it fails, exposing the foolishness of both the warring families, and the lovers acting recklessly out of an erotic impulse.

Romeo and Juliet posted:

FRIAR LAURENCE
But then a noise did scare me from the tomb;
And she, too desperate, would not go with me,
But, as it seems, did violence on herself.
All this I know; and to the marriage
Her nurse is privy: and, if aught in this
Miscarried by my fault, let my old life
Be sacrificed, some hour before his time,
Unto the rigour of severest law.

Alhazred posted:

Speaking of royals and cross dressing. In 1756 the French king needed access to empress Elizabeth of Russia. The problem was that the British controlled the border and they only allowed women and children to cross it. Luckily the king's secret service had a man called Chevalier d'Eon that could pass as a woman and he successfully infiltrated Elizabeth's court. In 1774 the secret service was abolished and d'Eon demanded to be recognized as female because d'Eon claimed to have been assigned female at birth. The government agreed but required that d'Eon dress appropriately in women's clothing. During that a betting pool was started on the London Stock Exchange about d'Éon's "true" sex. In 1810 d'Eon died in poverty and an autopsy revealed that d'Eon had "male organs in every respect perfectly formed",

hard counter posted:

This type of thinking can be found in a general strategy book, Tactica written by Leo VI the Wise, where Leo spends some time discussing the idea that Christianity as a whole should develop so called Muslim-like stances towards holy war.