30.01.02 – Wednesday
Vergil is a hack.1 Homer (being collective) had it right; I don’t care if Iuno foments mishap for that man so blatantly remarkable for pietas (face it, Aeneas is a square – that’s what having a destiny does to people). I’d rather spend time with some πολύτροπος ἄνηρ.
However. ‘Borders are two-dimensional, permeable planes intersecting the earth’s surface at negotiated or disputed points – a country is anything contained by borders.’ – Intriguing the first time around; the second time, though, it’s more than a little trite (especially when a sound disparagement of the Roman Empire and a thorough boosting of the Mongol Empire is involved – comparative history is overrated and easily abused, if you ask me).
What is it with geography and history anyway? I know it’s all just ‘a conspiracy of cartographers’ but why make a virtue of furiously stating the obvious?
Or is rage all that’s left of inquiry? What an outrage.
- 27 Nov. 2010: I’m still not fond of Vergil, but this is perhaps a slight exaggeration. [↩]