Sallust's description of Rome in 80 B.C. ...

[Viva_La_Revolution]

-- a government controlled by wealth, a ruling-class numb to the repetitions of political scandal, a public diverted by chariot races and gladiatorial shows--stands as a fair summary of some of our own circumstances...


Ten points to the one who can name the author and work... Google'ing is against the rules.


:popcorn:

[Pierogi_Pincher]

1. Josephus? and I forget the name of the book. n/t

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. No sir! Please try again.

1 point for the attempt.

[Bigmack]

3. Gibbon nt

nt

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. nope... keep trying...

.

[rwenos]

4. Gibbon or Suetonius

It's either from Suetonius' "The Twelve Caesars," or from Edward Gibbons "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire."

[Viva_La_Revolution]

7. nope and nope... a clue...

less recent, and more recent, respectively.

[rwenos]

8. Less and More Recent

So . . . less recent than Gibbon, and more recent than Suetonius.

Shot in the dark: William Shakespeare, in either Antony and Cleopatra or Julius Caesar.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

14. scratch that... more recent than both

I shouldn't have had that second drink... :blush:

[blogslut]

6. From what I've read

and heard and I can't cite a damned source: The fall of Rome was complicated and long. Yes, they were vain and spendy and arrogant. However, Rome was a big, pushy fish and the littler fish just kept gnawing at it until it finally collapsed under the massive weight of its bloated society.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

As Joseph Tainter points out in "The Collapse of Complex Societies",

"Civilizations are anomalies. The whole statist configuration of hierarchy, specialization, and bureaucracy emerged fairly recently-about six thousand years ago-and has to be constantly reinforced and legitimized. It also requires an expanding material base and a constant mobilization of resources, the trend is always toward higher levels of complexity. There is the processing of of greater quantities of information and energy, the formation of larger settlements, increasing class differentiation and stratification, and the development of more complex technology. Collapse, which involves a progressive weakening of the political and administrative center, is the reversal of all this, and a recurrent feature of human societies."

[rwenos]

11. Thanks! Good Choice, Strong Quote nt

[Swamp Rat]

9. Cato the Younger? Titus Lucretius Carus? Marcus Tullius Cicero?

I have their books, and "on the Nature of the Universe" by Lucretuis is right in front of me. :D

[rwenos]

10. Second Vote for Cicero

If my Shakespeare guess proves off the beam.

[Swamp Rat]

13. Cicero was pretty young when Sulla became dictator.

Lucretius was even younger, maybe a teen.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

17. think modern...

see #16 for clues

[Cleita]

12. In 80 B.C. Rome was still a Republic.

Augustus made it into an Empire. Don't know who wrote that though.

[Swamp Rat]

15. Sulla was dictator (82-80 BC) but resigned in 80 BC

I just looked it up. :D

[gulfcoastliberal]

34. Bzzzt! Caesar founded the Empire when he crossed the Rubicon and fought

the Republican loyalists led by Pompei.

[Cleita]

68. True, but didn't he just call himself dictator for life?

Wasn't it Octavius/Octavian who changed his name to Augustus and called himself emperor? I know what you are saying that everything was put in place during Caesar's time that made empire possible, but weren't the use of the terms empire and emperor done in Augustus's time? Wasn't Julius Caesar assassinated by those Senators who were trying to save the Republic?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

16. More CLUES....

Sallust's quote is the first part, "stands as a fair summary of some of our own circumstances" is the author.

think 20th century

[Swamp Rat]

18. That's too modern for me!

Mussolini? :D

Are we restricted to Italy??? The 80 BC bit threw me off... is this a modern philosopher/historian like John Lukacs?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

"a moralist in the tradition of Gore Vidal." nt

[Swamp Rat]

27. OK, I couldn't stand it any longer - I cheated.

Now I'll never know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop! ;(

[Viva_La_Revolution]

38. One.... twwooo.... theeerreeee...!!

:D

Have you read it?

[Swamp Rat]

No, but I saw the author speak about it

on CSPAN. ;) :D

[Viva_La_Revolution]

57. Book TV, perhaps?

:evilgrin:

:D

[Kurovski]

30. You mean he's gay?

A muckraker?

A gay muckraker?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

33. dunno...

I didn't bother to ask.

:rofl:

[Kurovski]

19. Jacqueline Susan? Valley of the Dolls?

:evilgrin:

[Viva_La_Revolution]

20. Troublemaker!!

:spank:



:hug: hello hon!

[Kurovski]

22. I'm doin' the best with what I got...

:hug:

[alfredo]

21. I gogled it and know the name of the author and work and it is

....

I'm tired and it is time for bed. I'll let someone who didn't cheat give the answer.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

25. a true gentleman!

5 points for you!


sleep tight. :)

[alfredo]

29. I did it for selfish reasons. I wanted to be able to find this

thread in the morning to see if anyone answers.

I also wanted to know who wrote it.

Goodnight

QRX
tomorrow

[sofa king]

23. Teddy Roosevelt.

I don't know why I'm saying that, just a memory of a thought of a hunch.

[Kurovski]

24. Is the author British?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

31. as American as Apple Pie. nt

[Kurovski]

26. Upton Sinclair? Edith Hamilton?

[rwenos]

28. Michael Harrington

In "The Other America."

[Viva_La_Revolution]

32. Much, much closer... but nope. nt

[Kurovski]

35. Marshall McLuhan?

Oops, he's Canadian.

[theHandpuppet]

36. Gore Vidal?

Vidal's "American Empire", maybe? Or did I just make myself look really, really stupid?

[rwenos]

37. Kevin Phillips

"American Dynasty"

Hey, this is kinda fun.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

39. I'm having a blast too.... and nope! But here's a clue...

First name and last both start with L

[rwenos]

41. Leon Litwack

Big American History prof at Berkeley when I was there in the 70's. Still teaching, I believe. Can't identify the work.

[Kurovski]

42. Little Lulu!

Has the author been on C-SPAN'S Book TV recently?

[theHandpuppet]

43. Lucy Lawless... Lindsay Lohan... Lorna Luft... Leapin' Lizards...

Well darn! :argh:

[Viva_La_Revolution]

55. ...

:rofl:


4 points for originality. :)

[theHandpuppet]

70. Say, thanks!

:D

I feel all better now.

[Pierogi_Pincher]

46. I thot of Lyndon Larouche?

as per the clues.
(I'll have one of what you're havin'!):9

P_P :dem:

[Shakespeare]

47. oh god, not Lyndon LaRouche... n/t

[Pierogi_Pincher]

52. I know, my answer was off the wall (yuck!)--

just wanted to have a little peppermint schnapps w/ the O.P.!:9

P_P

[Viva_La_Revolution]

56. Southern Comfort, actually...

100 proof.

:evilgrin:

[Pierogi_Pincher]

61. Mmm. Reminds me of drinkin' days. Husband & friend finished off

bottle of Wild Turkey in one sitting. They were two complete turkeys for the next few days. I could handle 'Comfort & Coke' back then. (Whatta wuss!) In my old age, can't handle anything stronger than glass of vino or a diminutive aperitif.

Do I get into hot water for posting off topic? Uh-oh.

P_P

[Kurovski]

48. Lewis Lapham ?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

49. WINNER!!!!! Here's your prize...

....... <----- 7 points :evilgrin:

What's the book?




Kurovski RULES!!

[Kurovski]

50. Good night...

But I couldn't have named the book, so I will accept only 5 points.

Happy full moon to all!

EDIT: I already saw the name of the book...You edited it out!!

Someone else will have to take a shot, so you're up for the duration!

Second edit; title clue: Conan was one.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

51. I hope you were the only one

or not, cause I really do need to crash soon.

:hug:

[Viva_La_Revolution]

54. good clue!

:*

[Kurovski]

62. Speaking of "LL"...did y'all hear that Lieberman Lost?

Yeah, that thing he was doing...in New England...the whatchamacallit. Oh, you know, the thingy he wanted...Gone.

Lousy Loser, too. Likely Livid about it. With Lieberman Licked, He's gone Loopy Lately.

[Pierogi_Pincher]

63. Whiny Losin' LIEberman

all my buds in CT better send another message to him in NOV.

CT born & raised, but unfortunately not residing there presently. I miss you, CT! :loveya:

Where do y'all think I perfected my pierogi pinchin' skill?!



P_P :dem:

[Kurovski]

64. Ya kin learn dose in Chigaagoo, too!

Yum.

[Pierogi_Pincher]

66. To the gracious original post poster,

my last mention of pierogis and then I'll shut-ee.

The communities of 'babas' who assembly-lined these out every few months had an unspoken kinda duelin' pierogi thing goin' on. The communities would report how many thousands were made & sold at each production. Thousands, hundreds of thousands! Potato, cheese, cabbage, and difficult to make, prune butter (lecqvar), swimming in just the right amount of butter. A plus for the circulatory system. (I swear tho' that the stresses of today will do ya in more quicker!) People came from far & wide. The sales were orderly--never any wedding gown bargain basement brawls. The good times. It may sound feeble, but I have to keep in my heart memories of a kinder, gentler time.

Now I shut up and go away.

:hi:

P_P

[alfredo]

69. Potato Pierogis smothered in butter and sauted onions,

salt and a lot of black pepper.

[Jara sang]

40. Marcus Aurelius

[Jara sang]

44. Lucretius Titus Lucretius Carus

[Viva_La_Revolution]

53. think 1997

and Kurovski got the author... Lewis Lapham. Title is still up for grabs....

[Kurovski]

58. Your "P" turned into a "T".

Are you too "comfortably southern-ised", or what? ;-)

[Viva_La_Revolution]

59. fixed

They're so close on the keyboard, ya know? :rofl:

[Kurovski]

60. You got one tiny keyboard, girl.

:rofl:

[Mikimouse]

45. Tacitus?...n/t

[Blue_Tires]

65. ttt n/t

[Viva_La_Revolution]

67. Still looking for the title! Kick! nt