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purple motes

Artifacts to help you imagine more.

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Highlights

  • Abelard castrated
  • Byzantine wife saves husband
  • Amphitryon & Geta duped
  • Chastelaine de Vergi tragedy
  • Aristotle’s advice to Alexander
  • Empress Theodora: woman leader
  • Tristan & Isuet
  • Xanthippe & Socrates
  • New Modern Sexism Scale

secretum secretorum

Galen and Isidore to the defense of astrology

A 13th-century Secret of Secrets’ recension by Jofroi of Waterford and James Yonge rhetorically strengthened the defense of astrology. … Read the post Galen and Isidore to the defense of astrology

Libro de Buen Amor inverted Secret of Secrets mirror for princes

In contrast to Secret of Secrets, Libro de Buen Amor was a carnivalesque mirror to popularize the personal love of the Christian prince. … Read the post Libro de Buen Amor inverted Secret of Secrets mirror for princes

royal suspicion of medical knowledge in the early Islamic world

Sirr al-Asrar (the book of Secret of Secrets) acknowledges rulers’ suspicion of medical knowledge and displays medical knowledge to gain authority. … Read the post royal suspicion of medical knowledge in the early Islamic world

ancient advice to kings on property rights and taxation

A mid-8th-century Arabic text urged kings to respect property rights and to lower taxes. This Book of Secret of Secrets became popular in medieval Europe. … Read the post ancient advice to kings on property rights and taxation

Aristotle’s advice to Alexander the Great on Persian elites

Secret of Secrets conveys Aristotle’s advice to Alexander to treat conquered Persian elites kindly. Persian elites under Islam thus addressed Arab leaders. … Read the post Aristotle’s advice to Alexander the Great on Persian elites