A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry
A look at history and popular culture
Fireside this week! I have just finished up a draft of a chapter (to be in one of those multi-multi-author companion volumes) on how video games (particularly more abstract simulation games) depict the ancient world. Writing that chapter led me to reengage with ancient city builders, particularly Caesar IV, Children of the Nile, Pharaoh: A New Era … Continue reading Fireside Friday, February 2, 2024 (On City Building Games)
Fireside this week! The semester has started up in earnest and I am pushing hard to try to finish a draft of something I have promised by the end of the month (so this may not be the only Fireside this month). That said, it seemed like a good time to discuss trade, the sea and great … Continue reading Fireside Friday, January 12, 2024
Apologies for running a fireside so quickly after the gap week, but with the end of the semester coming as the job market gets busier, I haven't had time to finish the next post on shield walls just yet. That will come out next week for sure though, as it is close to done. I … Continue reading Fireside Friday, December 8, 2023
Hey folks! Fireside this week! I was hoping to have a post on Roman infantry tactics this week, in particular the oddity of the Romans not using spear-and-shield infantry (much), but it isn't ready yet and other things have me quite busy, so fireside it is. Fortunately, we have Ridley Scott to complain about. I … Continue reading Fireside Friday, November 17, 2023
Fireside this week! Next week we'll finally close out the addenda to the How to Roman Republic 101 series with a look at provincial governance, but I don't think that will be done in time for this week, so I'm throwing a fireside in here in the meantime. That said, I thought it might provide … Continue reading Fireside Friday, October 27, 2023 (On Politics in Strategy)
Fireside this week! I know we're all anxious to get to the last part of our look at the Roman Republic - a discussion of Roman courts and the legal system - but academic job season is upon us and I needed to take a week to focus on getting some of those applications out. … Continue reading Fireside Friday, September 29, 2023 (On Academic Hiring)
Fireside this week! Depending on the order that things get written, we may have a few weeks of 'break' from our How to Roman Republic series, but do not fret: we will finish it. The one thing I am looking to 'slot in' as it were is a look at the armor of Baldur's Gate … Continue reading Fireside Friday, September 1, 2023
Hey all, Fireside this week, as I look to take a bit of time to focus on getting some writing done and some syllabi written before the semester begins in earnest later this week. Also before we dive in I want to note that it appears that Patreon has been having some trouble processing some … Continue reading Fireside Friday, August 4, 2023
Fireside this week! Next week we're going to launch into our next big series on the structure of the Roman Republic, a companion to How to Polis, 101, but because of what is going on with the book project (a topic on which Patrons get monthly updates!) I wanted a lighter week before we dived … Continue reading Fireside Friday, July 14, 2023
Fireside this week! Ollie (left) and Percy (right) both resting after a hard day of being cats. For this week's musing, I want to consider the role the historian has in making judgements about the past, particularly - but not exclusively - about historical figures and their legacies. In particular, I very often encounter the … Continue reading Fireside Friday, June 23, 2023 (On Historical Judgement)