I’ve been busy figuring out war and the nature of power these days. To Read Up On Hypatia of Alexandria and build more of the Sibylline world, I went to the Greek warriors. Here is my novel research reading for this week.
Greek Philosophers and War
Thucydides’ was exactly the kind of wisdom Hypatia would have sought out as she moved from Amyntas warrior to Sibylline leader. However, she needed real-world experience matched with the knowledge that comes from a high-born Greek education. So, I turned to him to get an education myself. I am not a warrior by nature. The nature of power, though, is fascinating to me.
Science, War, It’s All The Same, Sort of
Fun fact: Thucydides is considered the father of “scientific history” because of his strict standards of evidence-gathering and analysis of cause and effect without reference to intervention by the gods.
Hypatia had no time for men and their obsession with divinity. She relied on common sense, strategy – and the reality that she knew more about the heavens than they did.
Had she and Thucydides been contemporaries, I like to think that surely they would have seen each other as allies.
OK, But Why Read This Dude?
Well, to be honest, war and the nature of power are at the heart of the Sibylline issues. Think of it this way, the Sibylline are incredibly powerful. They can even see the future. Tell you if you will live or die based on your next choice. Men, not so much. They just want to be the victor. So, they want Sibyls to win wars. They want Sibyls to gain power. When the Sibyls say, “Nah, bro, we’re better than that.” the men wipe them out. I read these sorts of books because, well, it’s good to know your enemy.
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