#Basil II

[illustratus]

Imperial Byzantine Kataphraktoi crushing Fatimids, 995.

by Giuseppe Rava

[blueiskewl]

A Very Rare 1,000-Year-Old Byzantine Gold Coin Found in Norway

Approximately 1,000 years ago in Constantinople — the bustling capital of the Byzantine Empire — a small gold coin was minted.

Now, about a millennia later, the tiny treasure has been unearthed more than 1,600 miles away from its origin, according to a Nov. 30 news release from the Inlandet County Municipality.

Officials said a metal detectorist stumbled upon the artifact among the mountains in Vestre Slidre, Norway. It’s a rare discovery for Norway, and the seemingly out-of-place artifact appears to be in great condition, especially given its age.

Photos of the coin show each side’s intricate carvings. One side depicts Jesus Christ holding a Bible, while the other shows Byzantine emperors Basil II and Constantine VII, brothers who ruled together, officials said.

Each side also has an inscription. The side showing Jesus has a Latin inscription, which translates to “Jesus Christ, King of those who reign,” according to experts. The side depicting the emperors has a Greek inscription, which translates to “Basil and Constantine, emperors of the Romans.”

Experts said the coin was minted during Basil and Constantine’s reign, likely sometime between 977 and 1025. The dotted circles bordering the coin indicate its age.

HOW DID THE COIN MAKE IT FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO NORWAY?

Experts have tried to determine how the coin ended up in Norway.

One hypothesis is that the artifact belonged to Harald the Ruthless — the king of Norway from 1045 until 1066, according to Britannica.

Before he was king, Harald the Ruthless, also known as Harald Hardråde, served as part of the Byzantine emperor’s guard, experts said. It was customary for guards to loot the palace after an emperor’s death, and three emperors died during Hardråde’s time as a guard.

Once the coin made it back to Norway, it could have been lost along a trade or transportation route, according to experts.

Archaeologists have not had a chance to fully examine the site where the coin was found, but they are planning a broader excavation in 2024, officials said.

By Moira Ritter.

[zahhaxx]

basil II

he came out really good. better than expected

@simverses @igorstory @obscurus-sims @simandy @lamatisse @breezytrait @pyxiidis @okruee @sims4nexus @cosimetics-cc @nesurii @soloriya @miikocc

[pauldelancey]

Basil Glycerin Soap

BASIL GLYCERIN SOAP ­ INGREDIENTS ­ 6 tablespoons fresh basil 1 teaspoon pale green mica powder 2 tablespoons isopropyl alcohol 2 pounds glycerin soap base 1 teaspoon basil essential oil isopropyl alcohol ­ SPECIAL UTENSILS ­ soap mold spray bottle soap slicer (optional) ­ Makes 10½ bars, 1″ wide. Takes 3 hours. ­ PREPARATION ­ Add basil to spice grinder. Grind until the basil bits are small as…

[farawaytown]

Lightbrush Stimboard for Basil!!! <3

🖌️💡🖌️ // 🖌️💡🖌️// 🖌️💡🖌️

[lvndri]

we can start a new photo album!

[thebarroomortheboy]

NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940) | dir. Carol Reed

[ghostsessioned]

take a mental picture catch you in the perfect light.

[youngandwild99-blog1]

The Batman Part II: My Theories

Please take this with a block of salt because as of right now all we have are rumors. Maybe take that block of salt home to your cows :)

Theory #1: Clayface

So, word is that Clayface may appear as the main villain in Part II. I've noticed some people in various comment sections being doubtful, because a giant shapeshifting monster made out of clay is a sharp left turn from the "grounded realism" of the first movie. They make a good point, which is why I predict that, if Clayface is actually going to appear, he'll be based on the Golden Age version. This was Basil Karlo, a failed actor who took on the alter ego of Clayface, a villain he used to play, to kill various actors and was thwarted by Batman and Robin.

Now, having two serial killer villains in a row would be repetitive, so I theorize that this Clayface will take a different approach. Imagine Basil Karlo using his skills in impressions and makeup (maybe a cutting-edge prosthetic face mask called a "clay face") to impersonate celebrities in Gotham, only to purposefully get caught in scandals. The real celebrity insists it wasn't them, but it's too late, and they're effectively "killed" in the courtroom of public opinion. And Clayface didn't even need to lay a finger on them.

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne is finally trying to develop his public image after ~20 years, only to discover a villain with the ability to singlehandedly undo all his progress in the eyes of Gotham. In the comics, this would be the part where Batman and Robin are on the case, which leads me to...

Theory #2: Robin

We haven't had a well-received Boy Wonder on the big screen since Burt Ward played him in 1966. If you're anything like me, that's pretty damn frustrating (Dick Grayson appeared in the comics before the Joker AND before Alfred!). So hearing this rumor of Dick Grayson appearing in Part II is both exciting and nerve-wracking, because writing a believable child sidekick in a "grounded, realistic" superhero movie is a challenge. Just logistically, it works in stories like Logan or The Last of Us, because X-23 is immortal and can shrug off most injuries, while Joel eventually taught Ellie how to shoot. But with Batman and Robin, you have a very-much-mortal kid wearing a colorful costume going up against the kinds of people who quite literally emptied their magazines into Batman's chest last movie. How do you make that character fit believably into the world you've made?

Obviously the only ones who can answer that question are Matt Reeves and Mattson Tomlin, the writers for Part II. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice some ways that Dick Grayson might've been set up in The Batman. First off: the mayor's son. Bats interacts with him three times throughout the movie. He saves the kid's life twice, once as Bruce and once as Batman. Furthermore, the mayor's son is the first civilian to trust Batman after the flood: he walks towards Bats first, and everyone else follows. In the wise words of Red from OSP, if you can't imagine your Batman comforting a scared child, then you haven't written Batman, you've written the Punisher in a funny hat.

Second: HBO's Penguin series. The fact that they're introducing other gangsters from the comics (Sofia and Alberto Falcone, Salvatore Maroni) gives me hope that they might take the opportunity to introduce Tony Zucco, the gangster who killed Dick Grayson's parents. There are quite a few actors cast in undisclosed roles, maybe one of them plays Zucco...? Either way, setting up Zucco's extortion of Haly's Circus in The Penguin and following it up in Part II with the Flying Graysons' murders would be a good way to tie those stories together.

Third: Bruce Wayne's reappearance. Part I was all about Batman discovering that he has to be more than vengeance, and Reeves has said we'll be seeing more of Bruce Wayne in Part II. Perhaps Bruce's first major public appearance is attending a performance by Haly's Circus, and he just so happens to witness the deaths of the Flying Graysons. And we know what happens next. What better way to force Bruce to take his image seriously (aside from Clayface's shenanigans) than for him to suddenly have an angry, traumatized, highly impressionable kid in his life?

Fourth: This is the weakest reason, but at the end of the movie Selina mentions she's moving to Blüdhaven, which also happens to be where Dick Grayson goes after growing up and becoming Nightwing.

That turned out longer than I thought it would be. Again, these are all just rumors, but I wanted to put my thoughts and theories down in writing in an organized way, and to see what anyone else thinks. Thank you for reading.

[peggy-elise]

Joan Fontaine and Basil Rathbone in Frenchman’s Creek 1944 🐚

[7-crows-in-a-trench-coat]

i want that twink (dorian gray) obliterated

[dekulakization]

[just-an-enby-lemon]

[I have a silly idea of Batman recruiting Crane when he was still a professor because Crane was the best on his field and he needed psychiatric knowledge to help with a particular rought case. Scarecrow is already a criminal but no one knows who he is]

Jonathan: Can't I at least go back to my office and check if it's locked? I let my computer logged at all times and a student may use it to change their grade.

*Bruce sends him a look*

Jonathan: What? It happens. I was on lockup so Jeremiah could change his grade on former professor Strange's old computer multiple times. Now I always told him "why take a class on criminal psychology if you have such a weak stomach for Hugo work tales, Miah" and he would go "well my family has this Asylum" and our grades came and his was down and he was soo scared of disapointing his family. It's one of my favorite memories really. So lil old Alyce god bless her soul saw Miah crying and me failing to confort him and she always had a soft spot for Miah so she said "you know I heard that Strange never locks his door and his computer is always logged on" and at first Miah wouldn't do it, he was afraid of getting caught, fear is a very strong motivator, but you already know that, don't you, Batman? Stricking fear on the hearth of the criminals. Anyway, the best way to fight fear it appeared was with more fear as being remembered of the fear of disapoiting his old man was all it took to overcome his fear of Strange's ire. Long story short Miah decided to go. I of course offered to help and he was "you will? But your grades are good?"" and I simply reminded him that his weren't and he was "Thank you, Jon" and we did. We keept doing it the whole semester. I have no idea how Hugo never noticed... What was my point again? Oh yeah, this things happe, Dark Knight, and I pride myself of being a fair teacher. I may have being permissive of cheating as a student but never as a professor, I love Miah but we all known he would be better off teaching or working at the hospital, maybe opening a pratice not in Arkham and he wouldn't be if I didn't help him cheat. I don't want a repetition of that.

Batman: That's certainly a nobble cause, Dr. Crane but I'm afraid-

Jonathan: Afraid! We are all afraid. Now tell me, Crussader what are you afraid off?

Batman: *suspicious* Excuse me?

Jonathan: uh... *internally: dammit Crane that was too obvious* uh... bonding exercise *internally: nice save*

Batman:... Bonding exercise?

Jonathan: Yes, to help inspire trust and calm the body during a stressfull situation. I suppose I started to harshly what about you favorite color?

Batman: I understand that situation might be scary for you but I would preffer if you refrain from bonding activities.

Jonathan: *whispering* social interations make him nervous interesting

Batman: I didn't hear you?

Jonathan: Sorry, I'm a little out of it, I suppose, you are right is merely a bit of fear, it is a rather unusual stiuation. It almost fells like visiting Gotham for the first time all over again.

Batman: I imagine you liked the experience the first time though?

Jonathan: And why is that?

Batman: Because you stayed.

Jonathan: To be honest I find Gotham absolutly terrifying. It's creepy atmosphere, the gothic architeture, the almost permanent fog in the sky, the constant bad weather *raising an eyebrow at Batman* the crime. Gotham is a place where all urban legends are true! There really is poison in the water mains and we truly have crocodiles in the sewers and clowns wanting to kill you.

Batman: Than why stay?

Jonathan: Maybe I just didn't had anywhere to come back to or maybe I just like the fear or maybe and there is the real answer here maybe I just find the people of Gotham truly fascinating. How brave they are in the mist of everything.

Batman: I suppose.

Jonathan: Suppose? *he laughs* Only in Gotham you would find an old lady who would stand up in front of a deranged serial killer like Victor Zsaas and order him to finish his target already cause he was stopping the traffic. Or a kid who face to face with local terrorist Edward Nygma dared him to solve his puzzle. Only in Gotham a man would dress up like a bat to fight crime. We don't have it anywhere else. Certainly not in Georgia! It's inspiring. It makes me wonder what are the gothamites afraid of.

[fortuneaspiration]

[eemoo1o-animoo]

Claude often talks about transformation, and Alois has this near-corrupt, bubbly air about him. Of course, Claude should be talking about transforming Alois, at least in terms of their contract, and Alois is always so malleable in his more tender moments, allowing Claude to romanticise or poeticise corruption when the time feels just, and Alois then romanticises Claude — one of the causes of his own corruption — and poeticises his own emotions and judgement unto others, particularly the inanimate. And as such–

Oh, my goodness, Kuroshitsuji II is just The Picture of Dorian Gray.

[caesarsaladinn]

you know your government's in crisis when the only decent tactician you can find is a blinded twice-failed rebel, brother of an emperor you murderedand father to a more recent failed rebel, who you pardoned and put in charge of your armies to put down your current rebellion. this is the equivalent of asking an elderly Hannibal Lecter for advice on hunting serial killers. it is the year 982 and everything is just peachy in Constantinople