cursing in ancient and modern competition
Cursing competitors was a dimension of interpersonal competition in the ancient world. Cursing today tends to be merely expressive. … Read the post cursing in ancient and modern competition
antiquity
John Lydus on a revolution in formal authority
Systematic decision-making requires supporting information technology. In sixth-century Byzantium, the judicial bureaucrat John Lydus complained that the new, leading financial bureaucrat: did not give the business that was being transacted to the proper overseers of the regions, called tractatores, namely, “regional governors,” or to accountants, to be filled in conformably to the established custom in … Continue reading John Lydus on a revolution in formal authority
Joannes Lydus on media costs in late antiquity
Joannes Lyddus, a sixth-century Byzantine bureaucrat, grumpled about the declining quality of writing material available to bureaucrats in Byzantium. … Read the post Joannes Lydus on media costs in late antiquity
ancient Roman pantomime: Bathyllus, Pylades, and other celebrities
Among ancient Roman mass media, pantomime had an attention share probably only slightly smaller than chariot racing and gladiator fights. Ancient Roman pantomimes presented emotionally fraught mythic episodes through the bodily movement of a mute, solo dancer. Pantomime rapidly gained attention beginning about 23 BGC under the reign of Augustus. Two pantomime dancers — Bathyllus … Continue reading ancient Roman pantomime: Bathyllus, Pylades, and other celebrities
eternal bureaucratese: the long history bureaucratic writing
Bureaucratic documents commonly use abstract, vague, repetitive, prolix, passive language that also assuring and obsequious. That’s bureaucratese. … Read the post eternal bureaucratese: the long history bureaucratic writing