O leave the dead behind us, for they cannot come away

[sovay]

The obligatory 2¢: it is an unaccustomed and not entirely unpleasant feeling to read about politics and not be depressed out of my mind. For once, I think that perhaps my vote may have counted. Now I hope the Democrats will do something productive with their majority in office, rather than simply be less unpleasant than the people they have replaced.

. . . οὕτως οὐδ' ἡμεῖς θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲν πεποιήκαμεν οὐδ' ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου τρόπου, εἰ ἀρχήν τε διδομένην ἐδεξάμεθα καὶ ταύτην μὴ ἀνεῖμεν ὑπὸ τριῶν τῶν μεγίστων νικηθέντες, τιμῆς καὶ δέους καὶ ὠφελίας, οὐδ' αὖ πρῶτοι τοῦ τοιούτου ὑπάρξαντες, ἀλλ' αἰεὶ καθεστῶτος τὸν ἥσσω ὑπὸ τοῦ δυνατωτέρου κατείργεσθαι . . .

Comments

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Seconded.

Translation?

Nine

[sovay]

So we have done nothing amazing nor out of the ordinary for people, if we took an empire when it was given to us and did not let it go even when compelled by the three strongest things, honor and fear and self-interest, nor we were the first to do so, for it has always been an established fact that the weaker should be controlled by the stronger . . .

I figure if you want political cynicism, it doesn't get any more of either than Thucydides.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Not much changes...

Nine

[sovay]

I contemplated trying to find some passage about Sejanus' body thrown down the Gemonian Stairs, in honor of Rumsfeld, but I decided that would be giving him too much credit.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

listen to me there have
been some doings here since last
i wrote there has been a battle
behind that rusty typewriter cover
in the corner
you remember freddy the rat well
freddy is no more...
we dropped freddy
off the fire escape into the alley with
military honors

Nine

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Nice segue!

[sovay]

we dropped freddy
off the fire escape into the alley with
military honors

I'll take that.

[watermelonpoet.livejournal.com]

True.

We will always have bloody, shitty hands, and yet, we all come to the table with an appetite.