Man, I’m just not feeling Herodotus. I’d like to, Lord knows, and maybe I will again at some point, but it’s not turning out like a fun project which is worthwhile, and so I’m going to do something else. Something … Continue reading →
Herodotus’s source for all this Nile lore was some cool guys in Cyrene, a Hellenic colony on the African coast just to the west of Egypt proper. He met them in a bar (probably) and they spun him a tale … Continue reading →
In which we talk about Kush, finally As hinted yesterday, today we examine a fun new topic here in Herodotus Explains African Geography: the source of the Nile! Nobody knows from whence the Nile flows, except the clerk at the … Continue reading →
In which we consider the Nile This brings us around to the topic of the mysterious Nile. Herodotus has several agenda items here. First, why does the Nile flood every year at midsummer? Regular as clockwork, supposedly, the Nile rises … Continue reading →
In which Herodotus explains farming Maybe the Egyptians will be able to figure out some way to combat climate change, though: they’re really sharp guys. In particular Herodotus wants to call out the humble Egyptian subsistence farmer as a secret … Continue reading →
In which Herodotus has a serious axe to grind regarding Egyptian geography Egypt is long but narrow, with mountains on the east side and mountainous desert on the west. It would take a long time to walk across. Herodotus goes … Continue reading →
In which babies are abandoned, for science! So a quick recap of CLIO would go like this. First there was a guy named Croesus the Lydian, who spent a fabulous fortune, invaded Persia, and was captured by the lord of Persia, … Continue reading →
Q: So the Valar killed Morgoth and then they (and the Calaquendi elves led by Finarfin) just went back to Valinor? A: No, not exactly. Morgoth is unkillable. The Valar cast him into the outer darkness (where Ungoliant came from). … Continue reading →
There were, by this point, only three of the seven sons of Fëanor still alive. Three brothers, Celegorm, Curufin, and Caranthir died in the Second Kinslaying, when they tried to wrest the Nauglamir and silmaril from Dior. And one, Amrod, … Continue reading →
Okay, so, you’re probably expecting to hear that Maedhros and the other sons of Fëanor heard about Thingol’s silmaril, and then they went to Menegroth to murder him. That’s not actually what happened, though! Not because of any lack of … Continue reading →
