Comments on: Age Cannot Wither Her Nor Custom Stale http://aaeblog.com/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/ "Austro" as in Rothbard and Wittgenstein, "Athenian" as in Aristotle and smashing-the-plutocracy. Fri, 25 May 2012 03:04:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: TV Review: Rome- "Deus Impeditio Esuritori Nullus" (No God Can Stop A Hungry Man) « The History Corner http://aaeblog.com/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/comment-page-1/#comment-4283 TV Review: Rome- "Deus Impeditio Esuritori Nullus" (No God Can Stop A Hungry Man) « The History Corner Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:54:08 +0000 http://praxeology.net/blog/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/#comment-4283 [...] 4) And speaking of Egyptians, let’s mention Cleopatra. She, of course, was not an Egyptian, but, she actually bothered to learn the language of the people she governed- a first in the 300-plus years of her family governing Egypt. The series, of course, turns her into a bimbo, using sex to keep Antony in line. The reality was far different. Some time ago, Roderick T. Long of the blog Austro-Athenian Empire has posted Plutarch’s description of her (and thus saved me the effort of going through my books, and typing it up). You can find it here [H]er actual beauty … was not in itself so remarkable that none could be compared with her, or that no one could see her without being struck by it, but the contact of her presence, if you lived with her, was irresistible; the attraction of her person, joining with the charm of her conversation, and the character that attended all she said or did, was something bewitching. It was a pleasure merely to hear the sound of her voice, with which, like an instrument of many strings, she could pass from one language to another; so that there were few of the barbarian nations that she answered by an interpreter; to most of them she spoke herself, as to the Ethiopians, Troglodytes, Hebrews, Arabians, Syrians, Medes, Parthians, and many others, whose language she had learnt; which was all the more surprising because most of the kings, her predecessors [= the Ptolemies, i.e.Greek-speaking Macedonian conquerors], scarcely gave themselves the trouble to acquire the Egyptian tongue …. [...] [...] 4) And speaking of Egyptians, let’s mention Cleopatra. She, of course, was not an Egyptian, but, she actually bothered to learn the language of the people she governed- a first in the 300-plus years of her family governing Egypt. The series, of course, turns her into a bimbo, using sex to keep Antony in line. The reality was far different. Some time ago, Roderick T. Long of the blog Austro-Athenian Empire has posted Plutarch’s description of her (and thus saved me the effort of going through my books, and typing it up). You can find it here [H]er actual beauty … was not in itself so remarkable that none could be compared with her, or that no one could see her without being struck by it, but the contact of her presence, if you lived with her, was irresistible; the attraction of her person, joining with the charm of her conversation, and the character that attended all she said or did, was something bewitching. It was a pleasure merely to hear the sound of her voice, with which, like an instrument of many strings, she could pass from one language to another; so that there were few of the barbarian nations that she answered by an interpreter; to most of them she spoke herself, as to the Ethiopians, Troglodytes, Hebrews, Arabians, Syrians, Medes, Parthians, and many others, whose language she had learnt; which was all the more surprising because most of the kings, her predecessors [= the Ptolemies, i.e.Greek-speaking Macedonian conquerors], scarcely gave themselves the trouble to acquire the Egyptian tongue …. [...]

]]> By: Administrator http://aaeblog.com/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/comment-page-1/#comment-468 Administrator Sun, 10 Dec 2006 18:35:56 +0000 http://praxeology.net/blog/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/#comment-468 <i>sister cleo spoke troglodyte?</i> <img src="http://praxeology.net/cavemen-ad.PNG" align="center" /> Excuse me, you have a problem with that? sister cleo spoke troglodyte?

Excuse me, you have a problem with that?

]]> By: gangsta genius http://aaeblog.com/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/comment-page-1/#comment-467 gangsta genius Sun, 10 Dec 2006 16:17:41 +0000 http://praxeology.net/blog/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/#comment-467 sister cleo spoke troglodyte? sister cleo spoke troglodyte?

]]> By: Joel Schlosberg http://aaeblog.com/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/comment-page-1/#comment-459 Joel Schlosberg Fri, 08 Dec 2006 21:42:44 +0000 http://praxeology.net/blog/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/#comment-459 Well, one version of Cleopatra that I'm fond of is June Allyson's in "Till the Clouds Roll By". In that case, the complete lack of historical accuracy is actually sort of appropriate, since it occurs in a biopic that's notorious for having almost nothing to do with the actual life of its subject (it was one of the old biopics that took a songwriter or composer, in this case Jerome Kern, and was concerned more with putting their songs in the soundtrack than telling a compelling life story). Well, one version of Cleopatra that I’m fond of is June Allyson’s in “Till the Clouds Roll By”. In that case, the complete lack of historical accuracy is actually sort of appropriate, since it occurs in a biopic that’s notorious for having almost nothing to do with the actual life of its subject (it was one of the old biopics that took a songwriter or composer, in this case Jerome Kern, and was concerned more with putting their songs in the soundtrack than telling a compelling life story).

]]> By: labyrus http://aaeblog.com/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/comment-page-1/#comment-446 labyrus Wed, 06 Dec 2006 20:45:15 +0000 http://praxeology.net/blog/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/#comment-446 Aeon J. Skoble, have you ever read "Orientalism" by Edward Said? Because I'm pretty sure that it was in that sense of the word that he was talking about, not referring to the geographic region that is "the Orient". Aeon J. Skoble, have you ever read “Orientalism” by Edward Said? Because I’m pretty sure that it was in that sense of the word that he was talking about, not referring to the geographic region that is “the Orient”.

]]> By: Aeon J. Skoble http://aaeblog.com/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/comment-page-1/#comment-433 Aeon J. Skoble Mon, 04 Dec 2006 15:23:04 +0000 http://praxeology.net/blog/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/#comment-433 How could she be stereotyped in an "Orientalist" way when she was Macedonian? I'm not even convinced that she's stereotyped in a (especially) sexist way: the Taylor-Burton film is a creature of its time, but even there she's portrayed as more than a seductress but as a politcally-savvy player. And anyone who reads Plutarch knows that there's a lot more to her than seduction. But even conceding some sexism in the popular conception of her, I don't see any evidence of "Orientalist" stereotyping. Have you been reading Burnal again? ;-) How could she be stereotyped in an “Orientalist” way when she was Macedonian? I’m not even convinced that she’s stereotyped in a (especially) sexist way: the Taylor-Burton film is a creature of its time, but even there she’s portrayed as more than a seductress but as a politcally-savvy player. And anyone who reads Plutarch knows that there’s a lot more to her than seduction. But even conceding some sexism in the popular conception of her, I don’t see any evidence of “Orientalist” stereotyping. Have you been reading Burnal again? ;-)

]]> By: Lady Aster http://aaeblog.com/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/comment-page-1/#comment-427 Lady Aster Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:37:36 +0000 http://praxeology.net/blog/2006/12/01/age-cannot-wither-her-nor-custom-stale/#comment-427 Fascinating. Fascinating.

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