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palusbuteoI was this old when I realized Virgil was onto something
I did not take any Classical Studies in HS or College, and I only knew bits and pieces of Classical writers like Virgil, and with the Big Three Ancient Cultures (Greece, Rome, Egypt) since Middle School with Mythologies, some Drama/Theatre and Writings.
Since 1998 I had been trying to study and pay more attention to Greek Philosophy and Roman writers from some classes in College.
Since 2002 I had been sort of sidelined with a heavier focus on Military Studies with Higgins Armory and Roman and Greek arms & armor, for obvious reasons. And would cite military specific quotes from Virgil and others
Since 2020 I've been (trying) to research and identify the Klein Collection of Prints at the Museum of Printing, which has shown to include several leafs from Virgil's Aeneid and Georgics, printed editions from the 16th century, as well as some Jewish Histories/Josephus.
I admit I didn't pay much attention to Georgics, as I passed it off as an "Agricultural Manual" and didn't think much about it in the context of the Klein collection. Despite finding a host of other works on Morals, Fables, and Emblem/Religious, and figured the "animals" in Virgil were corresponding to the "Animal Morph" and Anthropomorphic and Fable works present in the collection. (ie there's a huge number of "Lives of the Animals" from 1860s by a French artist, with anthropomorphized animals illustrating French idioms and sayings.)
Earlier today I was looking through my Podcasts listings and came across BBC's "In Our Time" podcast that I hadn't really listened much to, and only found it by searching for 15th-17th century Printers like William Caxton.
This episode was All About Virgil's Georgicus
And...I was Not Prepared for my mind to be blown.
I didn't even Consider that this work could also be seen/read as and Analogy and Moral Compass for what was going on during the Civil Wars under Caesar and then Octavian/Augustus.
About how to deal with the Natural World, the Natural Order of Things, Relationship and One's Place in Nature and the Animal World, and the Cycle of Life, the Times of War (vs) Peace, Feast (vs) Famine, and everything in between. And that whole Cincinatus' urge to "return to his plow", etc
Totally Blown Away. And It Makes So Much More Sense Now and Completely re-routed my thinking about Virgil and his writings.
It has less to do with Actual Agricultural and Husbandry Practices and more to do with being an Analogy to the Shit Storm that inevitably comes with Civil War and Civil Unrest, and that whole Moral Compass and How to Exist in the World when everything goes to Shit. Never a question of IF but of WHEN it happens.
For years (as mentioned above) I'd often quote "Remember, Roman, Your special talent in life is in the ruling over others" and TBH I have NO idea where that comes from in his work. I don't use it very often nowadays. But in my Copious Amount of Space Time (HAHAHHAA) I'll need to be doing some deeper digging and get more context about his writings.
Meanwhile, back at the Museum of Printing, where I haven't been able to go and work on that collection in weeks which is making me itchy. I got an idea in my head to design and curate an exhibition looking at all of these Morals, Fables, Trostspiegel, and Theology. Now I feel like I have to Start All Over Again and try to include the Georgics, as it's now making me totally re-think the collection and what Dr. Klein was doing.
And it's not like distressing, it's more like, Holy Shit, this collection makes More Sense Now
But it is now at the same time, driving my anxiety up a bit because I have so many irons in the fire right now. But maybe it's good I haven't been trying to actually work on this exhibition, as I'd have missed a whole lot of important stuff by skipping over Georgics.
There is so much to unpack about this collection, it is often overwhelming and I feel like I'm never going to "finish" the work.
I'm also supposed to be working on a new Slide lecture presentation on the Collection for HistoryCamp in August. So, that will perhaps be the first step in revisions.
I did not take any Classical Studies in HS or College, and I only knew bits and pieces of Classical writers like Virgil, and with the Big Three Ancient Cultures (Greece, Rome, Egypt) since Middle School with Mythologies, some Drama/Theatre and Writings.
Since 1998 I had been trying to study and pay more attention to Greek Philosophy and Roman writers from some classes in College.
Since 2002 I had been sort of sidelined with a heavier focus on Military Studies with Higgins Armory and Roman and Greek arms & armor, for obvious reasons. And would cite military specific quotes from Virgil and others
Since 2020 I've been (trying) to research and identify the Klein Collection of Prints at the Museum of Printing, which has shown to include several leafs from Virgil's Aeneid and Georgics, printed editions from the 16th century, as well as some Jewish Histories/Josephus.
I admit I didn't pay much attention to Georgics, as I passed it off as an "Agricultural Manual" and didn't think much about it in the context of the Klein collection. Despite finding a host of other works on Morals, Fables, and Emblem/Religious, and figured the "animals" in Virgil were corresponding to the "Animal Morph" and Anthropomorphic and Fable works present in the collection. (ie there's a huge number of "Lives of the Animals" from 1860s by a French artist, with anthropomorphized animals illustrating French idioms and sayings.)
Earlier today I was looking through my Podcasts listings and came across BBC's "In Our Time" podcast that I hadn't really listened much to, and only found it by searching for 15th-17th century Printers like William Caxton.
This episode was All About Virgil's Georgicus
And...I was Not Prepared for my mind to be blown.
I didn't even Consider that this work could also be seen/read as and Analogy and Moral Compass for what was going on during the Civil Wars under Caesar and then Octavian/Augustus.
About how to deal with the Natural World, the Natural Order of Things, Relationship and One's Place in Nature and the Animal World, and the Cycle of Life, the Times of War (vs) Peace, Feast (vs) Famine, and everything in between. And that whole Cincinatus' urge to "return to his plow", etc
Totally Blown Away. And It Makes So Much More Sense Now and Completely re-routed my thinking about Virgil and his writings.
It has less to do with Actual Agricultural and Husbandry Practices and more to do with being an Analogy to the Shit Storm that inevitably comes with Civil War and Civil Unrest, and that whole Moral Compass and How to Exist in the World when everything goes to Shit. Never a question of IF but of WHEN it happens.
For years (as mentioned above) I'd often quote "Remember, Roman, Your special talent in life is in the ruling over others" and TBH I have NO idea where that comes from in his work. I don't use it very often nowadays. But in my Copious Amount of Space Time (HAHAHHAA) I'll need to be doing some deeper digging and get more context about his writings.
Meanwhile, back at the Museum of Printing, where I haven't been able to go and work on that collection in weeks which is making me itchy. I got an idea in my head to design and curate an exhibition looking at all of these Morals, Fables, Trostspiegel, and Theology. Now I feel like I have to Start All Over Again and try to include the Georgics, as it's now making me totally re-think the collection and what Dr. Klein was doing.
And it's not like distressing, it's more like, Holy Shit, this collection makes More Sense Now
But it is now at the same time, driving my anxiety up a bit because I have so many irons in the fire right now. But maybe it's good I haven't been trying to actually work on this exhibition, as I'd have missed a whole lot of important stuff by skipping over Georgics.
There is so much to unpack about this collection, it is often overwhelming and I feel like I'm never going to "finish" the work.
I'm also supposed to be working on a new Slide lecture presentation on the Collection for HistoryCamp in August. So, that will perhaps be the first step in revisions.
