#ancient order of romulus

[northlt03]

Rick is known to mirror myths a lot (Silena-Clarisse and Patroclus-Achilles, Polyphemus' cave, Hercules' labors, etc) He could and SHOULD have mirrored the Trojan war in HOO.

Let me set the scene. Gaea doesn't pop up until the last couple books. It's easy to be scared of something that is mentioned but not seen, which in my opinion, is why Gaea in the HOO books just wasn't scary enough.

So the antagonists in the first few books are the Giants working under Gaea's orders. Percy is kidnapped by them and given to the Romans in the hope that the Greeks and the Romans will go batshit crazy in a fight and forget all about the prophecy of the seven and destroying Gaea or whatever.

Camp Halfblood is fully ready for war. As soon as they find out (through an oracle or smth idk) that the Romans exist and they have Percy, not even Chiron can stop them. Percy is the hero of the Battle of Manhattan, of course, and the hero mentioned in the last great prophecy. He's like their modern Aristos Achaion.

Meanwhile, the Romans have no clue what's going on. There's this guy he's funny, he has no memories, he just shows up at their wolf goddess and trains and gets sent to them. Cool.

Juno can't stand to see New Rome be attacked. Whether or not they would win is a whole different story. So she plucks Jason from CJ and brings them to the Greeks just for some sort of a balance.

This mirrors the Trojan war in the sense that Troy was a fortified city, so is New Rome with tons of forts and walls. Aeneas' lineage went on to be Remus and Romulus, the founders of Rome. And Helen of Troy was stolen from the Greeks.

Anyway so there's that conflict, but at the same time Camp Halfblood is getting ready to attack, Jason, Piper and Leo get sent on a quest to rescue Hera who has been captured by Porphyrion and Enceladus.

On the way, Jason starts to regain his memory a little bit, though he doesn't know everything yet. He's still super conflicted with everything. A pretty girl thinks they were dating, Leo says they were best friends, Annabeth says the Romans are enemies. But whom should he really believe?

Piper's whole arc through the first book could be about how she's the daughter of the goddess of beauty, she wrongly assumes her fake crush on Jason was her mom's fault. And she's learned so much bad stuff about her mom from myths, she outright rejects feminity and anything remotely girly at first but then slowly she gets to know Aphrodite isn't as bad as some myths make her out to be. Bonding and shit bc why should Poseidon be the only present godly parent?

Leo, meanwhile, has no idea he can essentially fire bend in the first book. His arc could be about discovering his mother's death was his fault, slightly and coming to terms with it with the help of his friends.

Reyna on the Roman's side is freaking out bc Octavian wants to go to war with the Greeks who are close to attacking them, there's a strange dude who keeps trying to pick fights with gods, a horse girl and not to mention monsters won't fucking DIE.

SON trio go on their quest to Alaska to kill Alcyoneus/ release Thanatos and things are getting clearer to them as well. Just when the Greeks are about to attack on CJ, Polybotes and the monsters attack as well. Somehow, both sides end up fighting the monsters together.

They're not friends, but they're not enemies either, bc Percy is reunited with his gf and Jason is returned to his home.

The Roman senate and the Greeks somehow come to the same conclusions- that a quest needs to go to their ancient lands. Over the next few months the work of the Argo II commences.

Things seem smooth for a while. But Gaea grows restless. She poisons Octavian and manipulates him through dreams and stuff like Kronos did to Luke. As is the nature of most Roman emperors, Octavian overthrows Reyna and declares himself the leader of New Rome like his namesake Octavius Caesar. (HAHA! HISTORY PARALLEL BITCHES)

This puts the actual quest on hold bc the seven now need to find the Athena Parthenos to bring together the Greeks and the Romans and to stop Octavian's plan of trying to fuck as much shit up as possible.

Reyna, Nico and say idk, Grover, are the ones to deviate from the quest and bring the statue to USA again. But the Seven are still very much in Europe after rescuing Nico.

Percy and Annabeth fall into Tartarus which helps close the Doors of Death, except this time since Nico isn't there, Hazel has to take on control over ghosts and the dead in the House of Hades and leading up to it. The powers of mist, in my opinion, should have gone to Piper since charmspeaking is a lot like bending the mist verbally.

Piper's arc through the third and fourth book is starting to discover herself and with the help of her mother, figuring out she doesn't like Jason romantically like she thought she did.

Hazel's arc is gaining control over what she once was (dead). She's jealous her dad was there more for Nico than her, but she pushes past it and never lets her anger and grudges get the better of her which is like breaking boundaries for children of Hades/Pluto.

Frank's arc in HOH was really cool, I like that. So no change to that.

Jason, poor guy is still very much confused about everything really. He's used to being the leader, he feels lost in the large group. He has his moments to shine ofc (please take away his excess amounts of head injuries), but he starts to feel inferior, which is where Leo helps him bc the guy knows what that's like.

Anyway, in the absence of Percy and Annabeth, Jason has to take charge. He discovers he doesn't really like it. That's not what he was meant for even though he had greatness thrust upon him at a very young age.

His BOO arc is earlier this time and takes place throughout HOH and BOO. He's content with himself, even if he isn't with anyone. HE'S THE ONE THAT GETS SENT TO OGYGIA!!!

And Calypso eventually does fall for him bc he's smart, nice, and just an overall swell guy. But he helps her to realize that she can be content in herself as well. And he promises her that he'll help her.

Show me Leo, Jason and Percy trying to think of ways of helping the goddess.

In any case. BOO could have been like Iliad pt 2 also known as the Odyssey. It takes them the whole book just to get to Athens. Meanwhile, they've understood that Gaea is the main main villain. She's even raised some of the other primordials against them.

Percy and Annabeth already saw Tartarus, and then there's Oceanus who makes their travel much harder than necessary. Something something about how they get tossed all over the place and somehow manage to gather all the correct ingredients for the potion (i forgot the name lol) on their small adventures in the different places. In the end they finally make it to Athens. Except this time, there's only a few giants there bc they killed the rest before.

Annabeth and Percy are taken hostage, like it happens in the books, but PERCY WILLINGLY GIVES UP HIS BLOOD TO RAISE GAEA RATHER THAN LETTING ANNABETH GET HURT BC OF HIS FATAL FLAW LIKE ATHENA TOLD HIM WOULD HAPPEN EVENTUALLY!!

The Gods DON'T SHOW UP PLEASE!! That was so lameee. Why even do the whole quest if their mommies and daddies were going to show up to help them????

So while Percy and Annabeth are battling the remaining few Giants, Leo, Piper, Hazel and Frank go up against Gaia herself. In the old myths four titans held Ouranos down while Kronos chopped his essence up. In the same way, they battle Gaia away from her turf in the air, keeping her distracted enough. All these demigods are needed because she's a primordial dammit!

Jason, my guy, comes in a clutch, chops her to pieces and sends her essence to Tartarus!!

The world is saved, the end!

[blueiscoool]

Ancient Roman Silver Brooch of Romulus and Remus Found in Spain

The Department of Culture of the Generalitat Valenciana has recently announced the discovery of a rare silver brooch, depicting the iconic scene of Romulus and Remus being suckled by a she-wolf.

This remarkable artifact was discovered during excavations at Vilanova d’Alcolea, a site in Spain believed to have served as an ancient postal building during the Roman era. Archaeologists, led by Josep Carbó, made the discovery, describing it as an exceptional piece both for its rarity and quality.

Romulus and Remus, pivotal figures in Roman mythology, were twin brothers whose legendary tale forms the foundation myth of Rome and the Roman Kingdom. Born in Alba Longa to Rhea Silvia, the twins were the grandsons of the deposed King Numitor. Threatened by their potential claim to power, King Amulius, Numitor’s brother, ordered the infants to be abandoned on the banks of the Tiber River.

Legend has it that the twins were saved by a she-wolf who nursed them in a cave known as Lupercal, situated at the southwestern foot of the Palatine Hill in Rome. Upon discovering their true heritage, Romulus and Remus avenged their family and reinstated their grandfather, Numitor, as the rightful king. However, their story took a tragic turn when a dispute arose between the brothers, leading to Romulus committing fratricide against Remus. Romulus then went on to establish the city of Rome, solidifying his position as its first ruler.

The silver brooch, measuring 4 centimeters in size and dating back to the 2nd century CE, portrays the iconic scene of the she-wolf nurturing the twins in their infancy. This depiction has become synonymous with the founding of Rome since the 3rd century BCE.

The archaeological site where the brooch was discovered holds additional significance. Situated near the Via Augusta, the longest Roman road in Roman Hispania, the site is believed to have been an official post of the Roman Empire, catering to officials and travelers alike. The proximity to this historic route enhances the importance of the find.

Archaeologist, Josep Carbó, emphasized the significance of the discovery, stating, “It is an exceptional piece due to its rarity and quality since there are very few pieces of this type that have been studied.”

By Dario Radley.

[whencyclopedia]

Romulus and Remus

In Roman mythology, Romulus and his twin brother Remus were the founders of the city of Rome. They were the children of Rhea Silvia and Mars (or in some variations the demi-god hero Hercules) and their story is recorded by many authors including Virgil who claims their birth and adventures were fated in order for Rome to be founded.

The Birth & Parentage of Romulus & Remus

Romulus and Remus were the direct descendants of Aeneas, whose fate-driven adventures to discover Italy are described by Virgil in The Aeneid. Romulus and Remus were related to Aeneas through their mother's father, Numitor. Numitor was a king of Alba Longa, an ancient city of Latium in central Italy, and father to Rhea Silvia. Before Romulus' and Remus' conception, Numitor's reign was usurped by Numitor's younger brother, Amulius. Amulius inherited control over Alba Longa's treasury with which he was able to dethrone Numitor and become king. Amulius, wishing to avoid any conflict of power, killed Numitor's male heirs and forced Rhea Silvia to become a Vestal Virgin. Vestal Virgins were priestesses of Vesta, patron goddess of the hearth; they were charged with keeping a sacred fire that was never to be extinguished and to take vows of chastity.

There is much debate and variation as to who was the father of Romulus and Remus. Some myths claim that Mars appeared and lay with Rhea Silvia; other myths attest that the demi-god hero Hercules was her partner. However, the author Livy claims that Rhea Silvia was in fact raped by an unknown man, but blamed her pregnancy on divine conception. In either case, Rhea Silvia was discovered to be pregnant and gave birth to her sons. It was custom that any Vestal Virgin betraying her vows of celibacy was condemned to death; the most common death sentence was to be buried alive. However, King Amulius, fearing the wrath of the paternal god (Mars or Hercules) did not wish to directly stain his hands with the mother's and children's blood. So, King Amulius imprisoned Rhea Silvia and ordered the twins' death by means of live burial, exposure, or being thrown into the Tiber River. He reasoned that if the twins were to die not by the sword but by the elements, he and his city would be saved from punishment by the gods. He ordered a servant to carry out the death sentence, but in every scenario of this myth, the servant takes pity on the twins and spares their lives. The servant, then, places the twins into a basket and onto the River Tiber; the river carries the boys to safety.

Continue reading...

[brokehorrorfan]

Evil Dead (2013) will be released on Steelbook 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on August 20 via Scream Factory. The remake of the 1981 horror classic is produced by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and Bruce Campbell.

Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe, Alien: Romulus) makes his feature directorial debut from a script he co-wrote with Rodo Sayagues (Don’t Breathe). Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, and Elizabeth Blackmore star.

The unrated cut is presented in 4K with Dolby Vision while the theatrical cut is presented in HDR 10 compatible 4K. Special features are listed below, where you can also see the full Steelbook layout.

Special features:

Unrated cut (97 minutes)

Theatrical cut (91 minutes)

Audio commentary by director/co-writer Fede Alvarez, co-writer Rodo Sayagues, and actors Jane Levy, Lou Taylor Pucci, and Jessica Lucas (theatrical cut)

Directing the Dead featurette

Evil Dead: The Reboot featurette

Making Life Difficult featurette

Unleashing the Evil Forces featurette

Being Mia featurette

Trailers

TV spots

A secluded cabin. An ancient curse. An unrelenting evil. The original producers of The Evil Dead reunite to present a genuinely terrifying re-imagining of their horror masterpiece. Five young friends have found the mysterious and fiercely powerful Book of the Dead. Unable to resist its temptation, they release a violent demon on a bloodthirsty quest to possess them all. Who will be left to fight for their survival and defeat this unearthly force of murderous carnage?

Pre-order Evil Dead.

[transmutationisms]

i’m sorry bc i’m sure you’ve been asked this before haha but how do you think the romulus/remus story has influenced succession and do you see it having any role in the last two episodes now that the two brothers are equalized power-wise

no i've never talked about this and honestly i've never been sure what to make of it. when logan says it in 'which side are you on' i initially thought he was using it as a command to roman---like, i'm calling you the name of the fratricidal twin because i'm ordering you to knife your brother right now. but logan's use of the nickname doesn't really have a consistent thematic meaning like that. it's ironic because roman isn't cutthroat and logan knows that, so it comes off as almost a taunt at times to give him the name of a killer and a great ruler. also, roman and kendall didn't found anything and are only positioned to rule waystar by inheritance. honestly, i think it's mostly another example of how logan relies on ancient and historical invocations of masculinity and power without bothering to actually engage with those things on their own terms---like his collection of military medals, or those warrior helmets in his office. the signifiers don't really parse on any deeper level because he's only after them for the most superficial meaning.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Wednesday, March 27, 2024

march 14_march27

VENERABLE BENEDICT OF NURSIA, ABBOT (543)

Saint Benedict was born in Norcia around 480 AD. That historical time frame was quite difficult, as it was a mere four years before the Western Roman Empire formally fell by the deposition of the last Emperor, Romulus Augustulus. The only authentic life of Saint Benedict is contained in the second book of Pope Saint Gregory’s Dialogues, probably written between 593 and 594 AD. 

After attending primary schools in Norcia, Benedict went to Rome to broaden his knowledge of literature and law. However, since he was probably disgusted by the dissolute lifestyle of his peers and by Rome’s difficult political situation, he retired to Affile with a group of priests, taking his old nurse with him as a servant. 

At Affile, Saint Benedict worked his first miracle, restoring to perfect condition an earthenware wheat sifter that his man-servant had accidentally broken. This miracle's notoriety drove Benedict to withdraw further from social life. He took shelter in a cave in the ruins of Nero’s village, near Subiaco, where he began to live as a hermit. Immersed in loneliness, his only contact with the outside world was with a monk called Romanus, whose monastery was nearby. He gave Saint Benedict a monk’s habit and provided for his spiritual and material needs. Three solitary years followed. Some shepherds befriended Benedict. They began to follow his teachings and the pastoral and apostolic principles of the Benedictine Order took root. 

After resisting a strong temptation against chastity, Benedict prepared to live through a new experience, following the example of the ancient Fathers of Christian Monasticism. At first, the community of Vicovaro wanted him as its Abbot, but the failed attempt of a monk to poison him forced Benedict to return to his solitude. Afterwards, he founded twelve monasteries and assigned twelve monks to each of them. In addition, he founded a thirteenth monastery for novices and those needing education. Benedict’s fame spread so rapidly, even in Rome, that two illustrious men, Equizius and the nobleman Tertullus, entrusted him with their two sons, Maurus and Placidus. They were to become the first two gems of the Benedictine family. 

During his life, Saint Benedict performed many miracles. He found water on a desolate mountaintop to quench the thirst of his monks. He retrieved a bill hook’s iron from the bottom of a lake and rejoined its handle. He prevented a monk from leading a dissolute life through intervention. In addition, he made Maurus walk on water to save the young Placidus from drowning. 

Unfortunately, a priest called Florentius was envious of Benedict’s popularity and his envy forced the Saint to depart in spite of insistence from his disciples. After leaving Subiaco, Benedict went towards Cassino. In the period between 525 and 529 AD he founded the Abbey of Montecassino. It would become the most famous abbey in continental Europe. Under Benedict’s direction, the old acropolis-sanctuary towering above the declined Roman municipium of Casinum was turned into a monastery that was much bigger than those built at Subiaco. On the remains of the altar of Apollo he built a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, while the temple of Apollo itself was turned into an oratory for the monks which was dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. 

  At Montecassino, Saint Benedict displayed prodigious activity. He supervised the monastery's building, established a monastic order, and performed many miracles. He brought back from death a youngster, miraculously supplied the monastery with flour and oil in its time of need, and displayed the gift of prophecy. In the autumn of 542 AD, while the Goth King Totila was passing through Cassino en route to Naples to attack it, he decided to test Saint Benedict because he had already heard of his gifts and charisms. Consequently, Totila sent his squire dressed as a king to greet the monk, but Saint Benedict soon unmasked him. When he finally met Totila, he warned him with a dire prediction: “You have hurt many, and you continue to do it; now stop behaving badly! You will enter Rome, you will cross the vast sea, you will reign for nine years; however in the tenth year, you will die.” And that is exactly what happened. Saint Benedict showed the same virtue as he cried bitterly when confronted with the vision of the first destruction of his monastery. Notwithstanding, he received from God the grace to save all the monks. 

Saint Benedict devoted himself to evangelizing the local population who practiced pagan worship. Shortly before he died, Saint Benedict saw the soul of his sister Saint Scholastica rising to heaven in the form of a dove. This vision happened a few days after their last talk together at the foot of Montecassino. In a vision, Benedict saw the soul of Bishop Germanus of Capua taken by angels in a fire globe. These visions, for Pope Saint Gregory the Great, showed a close union between Benedict and God, a union so intense that the Saint was given the share of an even more magnificent vision, the whole of creation as gathered in a sunbeam. 

In the end, a life so noble was justifiably followed by a much-glorified death. According to tradition, Saint Benedict died on March 21, 547 AD. He foresaw his coming death, informing his close and faraway disciples that the end was near. Six days before dying, he had the grave, which he was to share with his deceased sister, Saint Scholastica, opened. Then, completely exhausted, he asked to be taken into his oratory where, after taking his last Holy Communion, he died supported by his monks.

Source: St Benedict Church

SAINT ROSTISLAV-MICHAEL, GREAT PRINCE OF KIEV (1167)

Saint Rostislav-Michael, Great Prince of Kiev, was the son of the Kievan Great Prince Saint Mstislav the Great (June 14), and the brother of holy Prince Vsevolod-Gabriel (February 11, April 22, and November 27). He was one of the mid-twelfth century's great civil and churchly figures.

His name is connected with the fortification and rise of Smolensk, and both the Smolensk principality and the Smolensk diocese.

Up until the twelfth century the Smolensk land was part of the Kievan realm. The beginning of its political separation took place in the year 1125, when holy Prince Mstislav the Great, gave Smolensk to his son Rostislav (in Baptism Michael) as an inheritance from his father, the Kievan Great Prince Vladimir Monomakh. Thanks to the work and efforts of Saint Rostislav, the Smolensk principality, which he ruled for more than forty years, expanded and was built up with cities and villages, adorned with churches and monasteries, and became influential in Russian affairs.

Saint Rostislav founded the cities of Rostislavl, Mstislavl, Krichev, Propoisk, and Vasiliev among others. He was the forefather of the Smolensk princely dynasty.

In 1136 Saint Rostislav succeeded in establishing a separate Smolensk diocese. Its first bishop was Manuel, installed between March-May of 1136 by Metropolitan Michael of Kiev. Prince Rostislav issued an edict in the city of Smolensk assuring Bishop Manuel that he would provide him with whatever he needed. On September 30, 1150 Saint Rostislav also ceded Cathedral Hill at Smolensk to the Smolensk diocese, where the Dormition cathedral and other diocesan buildings stood.

Contemporaries thought highly of the church construction of Prince Rostislav. Even the sources that are inclined to report nothing more about it note that “this prince built the church of the Theotokos at Smolensk.” The Dormition cathedral, originally built by his grandfather, Vladimir Monomakh, in the year 1101 was rebuilt and expanded under Prince Rostislav. The rebuilt cathedral was consecrated by Bishop Manuel on the Feast of the Dormition, August 15, 1150. Prince Rostislav was a “builder of the Church” in a far wider sense: he endowed the Smolensk Dormition church of the Mother of God, and transformed it from a city cathedral into the ecclesiastical center of the vast Smolensk diocese.

Holy Prince Rostislav was the builder of the Smolensk Kremlin, and of the Savior cathedral at the Smyadynsk Boris and Gleb monastery, founded on the place of the murder of holy Prince Gleb (September 5). Later his son David, possibly fulfilling the wishes of his father, transferred the old wooden coffins of Saints Boris and Gleb from Kievan Vyshgorod to Smyadyn.

In the decade of the fifties of the twelfth century, Saint Rostislav was drawn into a prolonged struggle for Kiev, which involved representatives of the two strongest princely lines: the Olgovichi and the Monomakhovichi.

On the Monomakhovichi side the major contender to be Great Prince was Rostislav’s uncle, Yurii Dolgoruky. Rostislav, as Prince of Smolensk, was one of the most powerful rulers of the Russian land and had a decisive voice in military and diplomatic negotiations.

For everyone involved in the dispute, Rostislav was both a dangerous opponent and a desired ally, and he was at the center of events. This had a providential significance, since Saint Rostislav distinguished himself by his wisdom regarding the civil realm, by his strict sense of justice and unconditional obedience to elders, and by his deep respect for the Church and its hierarchy. For several generations he was the bearer of the “Russkaya Pravda” (“Russian Truth”) and of Russian propriety.

After the death of his brother Izyaslav (November 13, 1154), Saint Rostislav became Great Prince of Kiev, but he ruled Kiev at the same time with his uncle Vyacheslav Vladimirovich. After the latter’s death, Rostislav returned to Smolensk, ceding the Kiev princedom to his other uncle, Yurii Dolgoruky, and he removed himself from the bloodshed of the princely disputes. He occupied Kiev a second time on April 12, 1159 and he then remained Great Prince until his death (+ 1167). More than once, he had to defend his paternal inheritance with sword in hand.

The years of Saint Rostislav’s rule occurred during one of the most complicated periods in the history of the Russian Church. The elder brother of Rostislav, Izyaslav Mstislavich, a proponent of the autocephaly of the Russian Church, favored the erudite Russian monk Clement Smolyatich for Metropolitan, and wanted him to be made Metropolitan by a council of Russian bishops, without seeking the usual approval from the Patriarch of Constantinople. This occurred in the year 1147.

The Russian hierarchy basically supported Metropolitan Clement and Prince Izyaslav in their struggle for ecclesiastical independence from Constantinople, but several bishops headed by Saint Niphon of Novgorod (April 8), did not recognize the autocephaly of the Russian metropolitanate and shunned communion with it, having transformed their dioceses into independent ecclesial districts, pending the resolution of this question. Bishop Manuel of Smolensk also followed this course. Saint Rostislav understood the danger which lay hidden beneath the idea of Russian autocephaly for these times, which threatened the break-up of Rus. The constant fighting over Kiev among the princes might also lead to a similar fight over the Kievan See among numerous contenders, put forth by one princely group or another.

The premonitions of Saint Rostislav were fully justified. Yurii Dolgoruky, who remained loyal to Constantinople, occupied Kiev in the year 1154. He immediately banished Metropolitan Clement and petitioned Constantinople for a new Metropolitan. This was to be Saint Constantine (June 5), but he arrived in Rus only in the year 1156, six months before the death of Yurii Dolgoruky (+ May 15, 1157). Six months later, when Saint Rostislav’s nephew Mstislav Izyaslavich entered the city on December 22, 1157, Saint Constanine was obliged to flee Kiev, while the deposed Clement Smolyatich returned as Metropolitan. Then a time of disorder began in Russia, for there were two Metropolitans.

All the hierarchy and the clergy came under interdict: the Greek Metropolitan suspended the Russian supporters of Clement, and Clement suspended all the supporters of Constantine. To halt the scandal, Saint Rostislav and Mstislav decided to remove both Metropolitans and petition the Patriarch of Constantinople to appoint a new archpastor for the Russian metropolitan See.

But this compromise did not end the matter. Arriving in Kiev in the autumn of 1161, Metropolitan Theodore died in spring of the following year. Following the example of Saint Andrew Bogoliubsky (July 4), who supported his own fellow ascetic Bishop Theodore to be Metropolitan, Saint Rostislav put forth his own candidate, who turned out to be the much-suffering Clement Smolyatich.

The fact that the Great Prince had changed his attitude toward Metropolitan Clement, shows the influence of the Kiev Caves monastery, and in particular of Archimandrite Polycarp. Archimandrite Polycarp, who followed the traditions of the Caves (in 1165 he became head of the monastery), was personally very close to Saint Rostislav.

Saint Rostislav had the pious custom of inviting the igumen and twelve monks to his own table on the Saturdays and Sundays of Great Lent, and he served them himself. The prince more than once expressed the wish to be tonsured a monk at the monastery of Saints Anthony and Theodosius, and he even gave orders to build a cell for him.

The monks of the Caves, a tremendous spiritual influence in ancient Rus, encouraged the prince to think about the independence of the Russian Church. Moreover, during those years in Rus, there was suspicion regarding the Orthodoxy of the bishops which came from among the Greeks, because of the notorious “Dispute about the Fasts” (the “Leontian Heresy”). Saint Rostislav’s pious intent to obtain the blessing of the Patriarch of Constantinople for Metropolitan Clement came to naught. The Greeks believed that appointing a Metropolitan to the Kiev cathedra was one of their most important prerogatives. This served not only the ecclesiastical, but also the political interests of the Byzantine Empire.

In 1165 a new Greek Metropolitan arrived at Kiev, John IV, and Saint Rostislav accepted him out of humility and churchly obedience. The new Metropolitan, like his predecessor, governed the Russian Church for less than a year (+ 1166). The See of Kiev was again left vacant, and the Great Prince was deprived of the fatherly counsel and spiritual wisdom of a Metropolitan. His sole spiritual solace was the igumen Polycarp and the holy Elders of the Kiev Caves monastery and the Theodorov monastery at Kiev, which had been founded under his father.

Returning from a campaign against Novgorod in the spring of 1167, Saint Rostislav fell ill. When he reached Smolensk, where his son Roman was prince, relatives urged him to remain at Smolensk. But the Great Prince gave orders to take him to Kiev. “If I die along the way,” he declared, “put me in my father’s monastery of Saint Theodore. If God should heal me, through the prayers of His All-Pure Mother and Saint Theodosius, I shall take vows at the monastery of the Caves.”

God did not fulfill Saint Rostislav’s last wish to end his life as a monk of the holy monastery. The holy prince died on the way to Kyiv on March 14, 1167. (In other historical sources, the year is given as 1168). His body, in accord with his last wishes, was brought to the Kyiv Theodosiev monastery.

Source: Orthodox Church in America_OCA

ISAIAH 5:16-25

16 But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness. 17 Then the lambs shall feed in their pasture, And in the waste places of the fat ones strangers shall eat. 18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope; 19 That say, “Let Him make speed and hasten His work, That we may see it; And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, That we may know it.” 20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! 22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, 23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man! 24 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 Therefore the anger of the Lord is aroused against His people; He has stretched out His hand against them And stricken them, And the hills trembled. Their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.

GENESIS 4:16-26

16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech. 19 Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. 20 And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. 22 And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah. 23 Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, Even a young man for hurting me. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.” 25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.

[casskeeps]

BACKGROUND OF THE LATE REPUBLIC: ROMAN SOCIAL HIERARCHY

patricians and plebeians

patricians

these families claimed to descend from the first 100 senators of rome - livy tells us these senators were handpicked by romulus (the mythical founder of rome) patrician families were the elite members of society, and had the highest amount of social and political power - cassius' accounts of ancient rome show us the advantages that patricians had - patricians were much more likely to have the backing needed to succeed in elections, and so had more political control than plebeians patrician families: julii caesares, claudii, sestii

plebeians

this term is used to describe non-patrician families. plebeians were originally a 'lower order', but the 'conflict of the orders' from the 5th to 3rd centuries bce enabled them to gain wealth and nobility this class was not specifically disadvantaged - they were able to run for political offices, but their lesser generational wealth meant they were unlikely to have the popular support needed to be elected there was one office that could only be held by a plebeian: the tribune of the plebs. however, clodius was able to hold this position by being adopted into a plebeian family, and used it to introduce the leges clodiae - a set of bills used to cement his popularity amongst the general populus and to effectively exile cicero plebeian families: fonteii (the family that adopted clodius), porcii (CATO THE YOUNGER YAYY)

nobiles, equites, novi homines

nobiles

the term nobiles (singular: nobilis) just means "known" - in the late republic, they are just families with prestigious reputations via the inclusion of a consul in their ancestry. this reputation allowed them greater success in elections, and badian notes that the nobiles were "remarkably untouched by the most violent political crises" - in the late republic, nobiles held over 90% of consulships nobiles: cato the younger

equites

equestrians - the equites were the wealthy business class of rome, whose influence increased with trade and commerce. they were identified by a gold finger ring and a narrow purple stripe on their toga equites: atticus (cicero's ,,, close correspondant)

novi homines (sing. novus homo)

literally "new man". novi homines were men who were able to become consul with no history of consulship (sometimes even senatorial rank) in his familial lineage novi homines: cicero

[warborniphigenia]

who? @ofromulan where? holiday market, near lupercal when? Dec 18th, after dark notes: doing my starters for Iphigenia in chronological order so this takes place after ariston's starter

Rome has changed far too much since the last time she had deigned to visit the ancient city, and yet somehow managed to stay the same. The crossings were familiar, but plenty of the little shops dotting the streets had changed. One thing led to another, and she missed a turn for the Holiday Market and ended coming out of an alleyway closer to the new Lycan city than she had expected. Another thing Iphigenia had not expected? To see Romulus' former loyal follower coming from the direction of said city. The surprise is enough to stop her in her tracks, and she blinks rapidly as she tries to recall if she had heard of Xerxes having any previous connection with a lycan.

She hadn't.

How curious.

"Well, well, if it isn't Xerxes," Iphigenia says as she approaches, heels echoing as they hit the pavement. "It's been far too long," she comments and glances down to his finger, smile turning into a smirk. "I see you have lost your leash. Good for you."

[faintvibes]

Bakery AU: Electric Boogaloo

drops this

Explanation under the cut!

Every now and then, as is the circle of life, I inevitably come back and redesign/generally remake my bakery au, so I humbly offer its latest reincarnation.

The general premise is that a bunch of dead nations (incl Prussia, because he doesn't live through the cold war this time round) try a risky experiment that's meant to bring them back to life- and it does! But they get reincarnated as humans, with no memory of their lives as nations. The remaining Nation Energy they have joins them together in their new lives through a telepathic link.

The story mostly centers around Beilschmidt Bakery- a business in Magdeburg that Almaric's (Germania's) parents decided to purchase above other candidates because of the coincidental (or so they thought) name match-up. In reality, this is a business Prussia established in the 1880s that he largely left up to locals to run, but would take Germany to as a young boy as an escape from politics. (Germany has not visited it since Prussia's death- but once he does, he's in for a surprise!)

Almaric and Gilbert work at the bakery full-time, with the plan being that Gilbert will one day inherit it. Kallisto, Navid, and Ixchel (Ancient Greece, Ancient Persia, and Thule- an Inuit culture originating in Alaska that spread across Canada for 600 years). Jules and Hazael (Knights Templar and Hospitaller) are Gil's friends from high school, who work part-time at the bakery to help pay for their education to become a music therapist and paramedic respectfully.

**I'm aware, by the way, that Ixchel isn't an Inuit name, but rather a Mayan one! There is a reason for this, both in her nation life and human one!! It's difficult to explain without going into my whole perspective on Indigenous Nations in the Americas- so I'll just say that in her human life, she's named after someone her parents were friends with but lost contact, and this is similar but not the same as the story about her name in her prior life. Hopefully that makes sense :)

Of those not working at the bakery: Romulus (Ancient Rome) is a Roman archaeologist and as a result travels a lot, Lotte (Ancient Gaul) is the Director of the Royal Archives in the Netherlands, and so lives in the Hague, Ephraim (Ancient Judea) works as a history conservator at the Jewish Museum Berlin, and Nermin (Ancient Egypt) travels the globe searching for answers on why they're Like That.

As for why Prussia dies: I'm running with the theory that Prussia becomes East Germany in canon- and that he does not in this au, but everyone assumes he does since he doesn't die/fade/whatever immediately upon becoming dissolved. In reality, his survival is due to being used to changing nature (another headcanon of mine, but I'm of the perspective- first of all, that Prussia was originally the Baltic Prussians- that the representative of the Baltic Prussians, rep of the Teutonic Knights, rep of the [independent] Prussia, and rep of the Prussia that's part of Germany all required reps of entirely different natures. Baltic Prussia/Old Prussia was a collection of tribes operating under one culture but never one organisation, meaning the representative would be more like the ancients typically were, residing over a culture but not one specific nation/tribe/organisation of people. Holy orders like the Teutonic Knights organised in small pockets within countries and territories, so being the representative of that is, again, different. And then, of course, being an independent, fully-fledged nation is another form of representative. And being a representative of territory within a nation is different again. So Prussia (the person) is clearly an adaptable little gremlin and hard to kill, even when he probably should have been- long aside over!) which means that even though he no longer represents a territory, people, or culture, he exists anyway because fuck you. Rather, he adapts to being your average everyday human, losing his immortality and boosted healing factor- but this isn't something immediately noticeable. It IS noticeable, however, when he dies and doesn't eventually get back up again. And starts decaying away.

Russia buried the body and never told a soul what happened. The rest of the world continued thinking Gilbert, as East Germany, was just trapped behind the iron curtain. This fell apart with the Berlin Wall, when Russia just would not cough him up. It became quite clear Russia did something- but no one knew what. Even the other Soviet states hadn't a clue, just that he'd disappeared years ago and no one ever saw him again. Most of them thought he probably escaped, though Russia didn't react as though he'd escaped, because it seemed like the most reasonable explanation. Now, it was clear that Russia had done something- and, they believed, still doing something, because it's not like nations die permanently when they still represent something. The reunification of Germany was partly out of the hope that it would put him out of his misery- though the thought that he might be alone and suffering, somehow managing to survive, continues to haunt Germany.

As a funky little bonus, here's the last time I made a reference for this au:

Left most of the lads as heads this time because I knew that I don't have the energy to do all of them rn.

*Ixchel has the funky little aura thing going on because in this version they all had individual powers, and hers just happened to project outwardly. Mithridates (to memory) is Navid- except the name felt a bit too on the nose, and I didn't realise Ancient Persia had a rep until I came back to the project this time around, so a lot of changes on that front. (Same with Ancient Egypt!)

[senatushq]

“Our mistakes make us who we are.”

- An excerpt from the journal of Erik Alstroemeria

By dawn the blood frenzy had ended. Those vampires who were not cured by the efforts taking place across the city, dessicated and were gradually rounded up for treatment. The dust settled and Rome had been forever changed. As the founder of Rome and the senate of supernatural creatures, Romulus, under Lilith’s influence, felt that it was his responsibility to recreate a sense of order within the city. Blamed for the attack, it seemed clear that the fey could not be trusted, their place on the senate was dismissed as their presence on Rome’s outskirts would come to be addressed later. No vampire could approach the lycan territory without being threatened and it became clear that the newly formed Lupo pack would not be returning to the forum to take their place on the senate. No druid senators survived and they were left with a choice, find a representative to join the senate once more, rebel along with the others, or remain neutral in the days to come. Romulus gathered what senators remained in the ancient forum’s meeting chambers: The Oracle, The Sacrifice, The Immortal, The Hand, The Sellout, and The Praetor. Less than half of what the senate had started out as. Additionally, Romulus called in every marshal that still remained and compelled them all to do as he instructed:

The senate would be reformed. A new institution would be created, the triumvirate and the senators who acted as their council. The three triumvirs would dictate the policies and actions of the city by their official vote of three and it would fall on the rest of the senate to help them carry out these orders. This institution would continue until the Asphodel had been put down, and Rome was secured from any threats outside or within. 

Romulus named the following senators as members of the triumvirate: The Hand, The Immortal, and The Speaker. Simultaneously creating a fifth seat for the vampires, Romulus’ personal emissary would take up the role of triumvir. 

A demon, The Heretic, revealed the reason that the vampires had been driven into a frenzy was because The Tinkerer had poisoned the water supply as a means of creating chaos in their final moments. They provided evidence from the eladrin’s workshop here in Rome and invited anyone to authenticate the documents. The shop itself was all but abandoned and the demon’s claims were true, the details of the farm, the toxin that could potentially be used, as well as the plans for the explosions were all authentic. Given temporary status on the senate, The Heretic would speak for the demons and the spirits of Rome, while secretly acting on behalf of The Eye. 

Humiliating The Cardinal, The Leech was revealed to have been a member of the Mars bloodline: a fact that The Cardinal would have known. The Sellout’s secret progeny was the first to spill blood at the wedding, his fangs - and The Sellout by extension - triggered the frenzy that would be a blight on Rome’s history forever. During the course of the wedding, The Sellout had been made mortal once more, a strigoi, for this embarrassment. Romulus compelled The Sellout to never become a fully fledged vampire again: their punishment was to remain a strigoi so long as the magister wished it. 

The triumvirate were tasked with finding any corruption within the senator and rooting it out, additionally efforts within the city would dictate a need for a definitive list of all who were lost in the attack. With the death of the majority of the Amaranthus Coven, ownership of the estate was officially transferred to their sole surviving member: The Tower.  Tasked with rounding up the rest of the prisoners, The Cardinal and the Mars bloodline were placed in charge of the prison, while The Cold would stay on long as they chose, but they now answered to the vampires. Half fey, Romulus looked to The Praetor and told them to infiltrate the fey forest, if the rebels planned to attack the city then the senate would answer with violence. As it was made clear that the fey had powerful magic that the senate had previously known nothing about, the witches were compelled to find more ways to counteract the eladrins’ powers and to prevent something like this from ever happening again. 

Within the faerie forest, a tentative alliance bloomed between the lycans and the eladrins, both were exiles now, one side by choice and the other by circumstances. Enemies of the senate, the refugees from the faerie court had gathered within the sanctuary of the forest. Among their ranks they looked for leadership, for guidance, and it was The Shadow that emerged as a leader. Something had changed in Titania’s absence, the hopeful senator had fallen away and in their place a king stepped forward. The Shadow had escaped the Otherworld and lived to tell of the many horrors that now permeated their home, The Grieving once more stood by their side. The Mystery’s voice rang out above the crowd, the first to shout with an almost exuberant glee: Long live the king! The Truth remained imprisoned within the fairy court, but Melpomene and Mneme had devised a plan to save them along with the other prisoners. 

Within the Fairy King’s Forest a new council was made by The Shadow, comprised of the chancellorship of old, The Truth’s seat remained empty and waited for their return, but joining the fey at the table was the Alpha of the Lupo pack The Harbinger, joined with a seat at the table was The Rancor, The Heart, The Elder, and The Cold. The Eye would be their main focus, The Puppeteer revealed that The Heretic was planted in the senate while The Harbinger spoke of Lycaon’s power to control lycans and the army that the old wolf was amassing. There was little they could do against the aspect at present, but the chancellors and the lycans would start a hunting party for Eldritch Changelings through the Otherworld to distract the drow from the plan put forth by Melpomene and The Grieving to infiltrate the court and rescue The Truth along with the power Titania kept buried under the court.

ooc info:

Romulus has added demons and terrors to the senate, additionally he made The Hand, The Immortal, and The Speaker the leaders of the senate. 

The senate is under Romulus’ compulsion, they’re unable to communicate this to anyone and will not remember that they are being influenced. 

The Dahlia Coven and Narcissus Coven cast a spell over the city to augment the memories of the humans who’d witnessed supernatural events, however with the Amaranthus’ absence it was not effective as it was in the past. How much or what people remember is UTP.

The Lupo Pack and the fey have a tentative alliance, Lupo territory now includes the Tiber stomping grounds, surrounding countryside, and The Fairy King’s Forest. Only members of the pack are allowed within, outsiders are met with violence.

The Fairy Court chose The Shadow to be their next king. 

The frenzy ended due to the combined efforts of the fey, the fallen, the witches, and the aspects who aided them. Those vampires who were not healed dessicated and were treated after, some have still not been found.

Druids, Fey, and Lycans are no longer on the senate and the Witches have once again lost another seat. 

You’re welcome to continue to post starters for the event but please nothing beyond the 28th of this month.

Caught up in the explosion, the following skeletons have been closed indefinitely:

The Eagle (Druid Senator)

The Loyalist (Juno Marshal)

The Legacy (Amaranthus Marshal)

The Sloth

The Bear

The Snake (Druid Marshal)

The Tinkerer

The Hermit

The Hanged

The Voice

The Crown (Amaranthus Senator)

The Jackboot

The following skeletons have been updated:

The Alchemist

The King

The Remains

The Dark

[classicschronicles]

Hi lovelies,

So my mock exams start in two weeks and, hey, what’s the point of having a classics blog if you cant exploit it for revision. So today I’m going to tell the legendary story behind the founding of Rome as some free revision!! Also, quick TW this myth mentions r4p3 at the start of the third paragraph, just skip to the sentence after if you need to :)

As almost everyone knows, the ancient city of Rome was supposedly founded by the legendary Romulus and Remus. Legend has it that Ascanius (son of Aeneas) founded the city of Alba Longa along the banks of the Tiber River. The descendants of Aeneas went on to rule that strip of land for generations. When a descendant called Nimitor became king, his brother Amulius seized power and usurped him. Amulius then killed all the male descendants of Nimitor and forced his niece (Rhea) to become a Vestal Virgin so that she would be unable to provide male heirs to the throne. For those of you who want to learn more about the Vestal Virgins, I have a post about it here.

However, Rhea gave birth to two twin boys after being r3p4d by Mars, the god of War. Amulius imprisoned Rhea for breaking her duty as a Vestal and also for providing male heirs that could threaten his seat on the throne. He then ordered that the two baby boys be drowned in the River Tiber. However, they were safely carried off to the area of the Seven Hills (an area which became hugely significant to later Romans).

The twins were found by a she-wolf named Lupa who nursed and fed them in her lair in the Palatine Hill. I think its worth mentioning that at this point the Romans marketed it so that it seemed that the Seven Hills (and therefore the Palatine) were just open greenery, there wouldn’t have been any civilisation there. However, it is likely that the first settlement in Rome was about 1000 b.c on the Palatine hill, and then later on it spread to surrounding hills. After some time, the boys were discovered by a shepherd who took them home with him and raised the two brothers as shepherds alongside him.

As Romulus and Remus grew to adulthood it became obvious that they had a natural proclivity towards skilled warrior-ship and leadership. They became aware of what their uncle had done to their grandfather and mother and returned to Alba Longa. Upon their return they killed Amulius and reinstated Nimitor, before leaving again to establish their own dynasty. Romulus decided that to honour the she-wolf Lupa he would build walls around the Palatine Hill and make that the location for his city.

Initially, when they were looking for the ideal location for their new city the twins wandered across the Seven Hills. Remus decided that the two should build their city on the Aventine Hill, whilst Romulus preferred the Palatine. To decide who was right, the two brother consulted an augury. Romulus claimed to have seen twelve birds, and Remus six. Even though Romulus had seen more birds, Remus argued that as saw them first the city should be built on the Aventine. Whilst seemingly agreeable to this at first, Romulus changed his mind and began to build his own wall on the Palatine. Remus (understandably angered by this) decided to jump his brothers wall. Angered (again also understandably) by his brothers actions, Romulus killed his brother (slightly less reasonable I’ll be honest).

According to legend, this all took place in 754 bc. There is another myth that works as a sequel and tells the story of how Romulus populated Rome, that is known as the R4p3 of The Sabine Women, an interesting (though terribly grim) story. Please keep in mind that this is all entirely fictional, and also almost all historians agree that neither Romulus nor Remus, nor Aeneas and Ascanius ever really existed. However, this myth became so popularised in ancient Rome and was told to school children daily that they just accepted it as truth.

All that being said, I hope you all enjoyed reading about Romulus and Remus and the legendary founding of Rome. Hope you all have a lovely lovely rest of your weekend and a great week xx

~Z

[deluluspqr]

Mars ⚔️

1. Basic Information

Name: Mars

Epithets/Titles: Ultor (avenger) Pater (father) Silvanus (of the wild/as the farmers guardian) Gradivus (marching god)

Domain(s): War, civil order, military

Symbols: Crossed spears, wolf, helm, sword, masculine symbol

Sacred Animal(s): Wolf, woodpecker

Patron of: Soldiers, Rome, armies

2. Appearance

General Description: Tall, strong talic man in is his early forties. Flame eyes covered by infrared glasses, sometimes let's them be brown

Common Attire: Soldier uniform, of the country he is in (unless he rejects their cause, then it is the legion's uniform) or ancient legionaire uniform

Iconography: He is depicted either fully armored and armed or armed and naked

3. Personality and Traits

Primary Traits: Honorable, patriotic, bellicose, disciplined, brave, protective

Notable Strengths: He is willing to fight for New Rome and values honor and virtue in battle, he is much more rational and strategic than his greek counterpart

Notable Weaknesses: His warrior nature can lead to impulsive or violent behaviour. The commitment to warrior honor can lead to defeat

Behavior Towards Mortals: Close, mostly sympathetic. Actively guides and guards the roman demigods

4. Relationships

Spouse/Consort: Venus

Children: Cupid, Metus, Pavor, Amores, Concordia, Isabella Accardi, Julius Rossi, Frank Zhang,James Brown, George Dayne

Allies: gods and demigods

Rivals/Enemies: titants and giants

Relationship with Worshippers: He listens.

5. Worship and Cult

Primary Locations of Worship: temples of Mars Ultor and of the archaic triad, his altar on the Campus Martius

Major Festivals:

February 27: Equirria, involving chariot or horse races;

March 1: Mars's dies natalis ("birthday"), a feria also sacred to his mother Juno(Matronalia)

March 14: a second Equirria, again with chariot races;

March 14 or 15: Mamuralia, a new year festival when a figure called Mamurius Veturius (perhaps the "old Mars" of the old year) is driven out;

March 17: an Agonalia or Agonium Martiale, an obscure type of observance held at other times for various deities;

March 23: Tubilustrium, a purification of the deploying army March 23;

October 15: the ritual of the October Horse, with a chariot race and Rome's only known horse sacrifice; (ending of miliatry and agricultural seasons)

October 19: Armilustrium ("purification of arms").

Typical Offerings: Oxen, bull, ram, pig, horse (on October 15)

6. Mythology and Legends

Key Myths:

He fathered the city's founders, Romulus and Remus, through his affair with Rhea Silvia, the fallen princess of Alba Longa.

Ovid goes on to report that after old Anna had become a goddess, she impersonated Minerva to gain admission to the god Mars' bedchamber, which is why coarse jokes and coarse songs are used at Anna Perenna's festivities, and remarks that since the festival of Anna Perenna is in the month dedicated to Mars, it is reasonable that Mars and Anna Perenna should be associated as cult partners.

He was born to Juno alone, through a magic flower given to her by Flora, after the queen got angry at Jupiter for birthing Minerva on his own.

He had an affair with Venus while she was still his brother's wife, they were caught in the act by Vulcan and exposed to all the gods. Today, it is thought that Vulcan and Venus have no bond at all anymore and it is as though her Mars and were married.

He gave the kings of Rome a shield, saying that the city would stay uncoquered and undamaged as long as it stayed intact and a spear, that would vibrate when there was war to come.

 Romulus is said to have disappeared in a whirlwind during a sudden and violent storm, as he was reviewing his troops on the Campus Martius.  He was raised to heaven by Mars and deified as Quirinus.

Famous Deeds: He was given the name Ultor by Augustus, for being judged to have granted vengeance for Caesar's murder due to the victory of his forces at the Battle of Atticum

Historical Influence: He likely favored Rome in all it's battles, promoting the expansion of the empire

In the Dii Consentes he is paired with Venus, he is a part of the Archaic Triad, with Jupiter and Quirinus.

7. Powers and Abilities

Primary Powers: He is likely one of the strogenst and most battle skilled of the Dii Consentes. Unlike ares, he has tactical thinking. He has some control over fire. The overall extent of his abilities is unknown.

Limitations: He will back down if it means preserving the stability of the Dii Consentes and of NR

Artifacts/Weapons: Shield, spear, spatha, gladius (all turned into modern weapons when he appears in modern military attire)

8. Miscellaneous

Associated Tarot Card: Knight of Swords

Associated Colors: Red and black

Emojis: ⚔️♂️🐺

[blueiscoool]

The 5 craziest ways emperors gained the throne in ancient Rome

One gained it through money and another was found hiding behind a curtain.

For centuries, becoming emperor of the Roman Empire was an enticing prospect, and numerous people schemed, battled and murdered each other for this ultimate prize. But being the ruler of ancient Rome was a risky business, despite the immense wealth it brought and the almost unlimited authority over powerful armies and a vast territory. In 2019, a study in the journal Nature (opens in new tab) revealed that 62% — almost two-thirds — of Roman emperors died violently, which means their chances of surviving the early years of their reign and reaching a peaceful old age were worse than those of a Roman gladiator surviving a fight.

And merely gaining the imperial throne could be difficult, too. There was no established procedure for transferring power when a Roman emperor died, regardless of his cause of death, in spite of various attempts to establish the rules of succession. In total, there were about 77 emperors who led the Western Roman Empire, from Augustus in the first century B.C. to Romulus Augustus in the fifth century A.D. The Eastern Roman (or Byzantine) Empire had about 94 emperors between Constantine the Great in the fourth century and Constantine XI Palaeologus, who lost Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. And almost every time an emperor died, the entire empire was thrown into chaos by the issue of who would assume power. Here's a list of some of the ways Roman emperors secured the coveted throne for themselves.

1. INHERITANCE

Inheriting a throne may seem straightforward in the modern world, where established royal families traditionally (and usually peacefully) pass on their titles to the next generation, but it wasn't so easy in the Roman Empire. "One of the weaknesses of the Roman imperial political system was that there were never any clear rules or principles for succession," Richard Saller, a professor of classics and history at Stanford University in California, said in an email. "That weakness goes back to the claim of the first emperor Augustus that he was restoring the [Roman] Republic in which public offices could not be inherited."

Probably the most famous emperor to inherit the throne was the fifth Roman emperor, Nero, who was born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus in A.D. 37. His mother, Julia Agrippina, a great-granddaughter of Augustus, became the fourth wife of the emperor Claudius in A.D. 49 and persuaded her new husband to adopt the boy later that year. Nero then inherited the imperial throne at age 17 after Claudius died in A.D. 54; several Roman historians alleged that Claudius had been poisoned by Agrippina in order to advance her son. But Nero showed no family loyalty, and after pretending to share power with his mother for several years he ordered Agrippina's murder in A.D. 59. According to the fist-century Roman historian Tacitus, Nero first tried poison, which didn't work; he then caused her boat to sink, which she swam away from; and finally, he ordered a straightforward assassination.

While Nero inherited the throne relatively peacefully, his reign ended in chaos: Beset by problems, Nero was declared a public enemy by the senate and abandoned by the army, and he committed suicide in A.D. 68. He had no living children to succeed him, and the empire plunged into violence as multiple claimants fought to secure the throne.

2. THE PRAETORIAN GUARD

Claudius, the fourth Roman emperor, ascended the throne during an outbreak of violence that would echo for centuries. The Praetorian Guard originated during the Roman Republic as a corps of bodyguards for army generals, but the Praetorians were then appointed by Augustus, the first Roman emperor, in 27 B.C. to be the emperor's personal bodyguard. After that, they grew in prestige, and by the reign of the third emperor Caligula (real name Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) they had become so powerful they could even topple an emperor.

Caligula, a great-grandson of Augustus who reigned from A.D. 37, was initially popular, but stories of his predilections for sadism and sexual perversion have led him to be portrayed as a brutal and lascivious tyrant. Eventually he alienated both the Roman nobility and the army, and Caligula was assassinated by officers of the Praetorian Guard in A.D. 41.

The Praetorian soldiers then rampaged through the imperial palace. According to the first-century Jewish and Roman historian Josephus, they found Claudius — Augustus' great nephew and Caligula's uncle — hiding behind a curtain. The Praetorians proclaimed Claudius emperor, and he ruled with their support until his death in A.D. 54. This was the first time the Praetorian Guard had selected a Roman emperor, but it would not be the last.

3. BUYING IT

After the emperor Commodus' assassination in A.D. 192 (instigated by the leader of the Praetorian Guard), the Roman Empire entered a period known as the "Year of the Five Emperors." Pertinax, who was a senior senator of Rome, was installed first; but the Praetorian Guard quickly became disappointed in him because he refused to pay them for their continued support. The Praetorians soon killed Pertinax, just three months after they proclaimed him emperor.

Didius Julianus was next on the throne. He'd served as governor of several provinces and was immensely wealthy. According to the second-century Roman historian Cassius Dio, the Praetorians announced after killing Pertinax that they would sell the throne to the man who paid the highest price, and Julianus won the subsequent bidding war by offering 25,000 sesterces to every Praetorian soldier — the equivalent of several years' pay. After accepting his offer, the Praetorians threatened the Roman senate until they proclaimed Julianus emperor.

But he didn't enjoy the throne for very long. The Roman people, who knew that he had purchased the emperorship, openly opposed the new emperor, and on one occasion pelted him with stones. Eventually, three different generals in the Roman provinces each declared themselves emperor, and they began advancing on Rome with their armies to enforce their claims. Julianus and the Praetorian Guard fought off one of the generals, Septimius Severus, and tried to negotiate a power-sharing deal with him; but eventually the Praetorians and the senate abandoned Julianus; they proclaimed Severus emperor and ordered Julianus to be executed, just 66 days after he'd ascended the throne.

4. WORKING UP THROUGH THE RANKS

Several Roman emperors were born into very humble beginnings but worked their way up through the ranks of the Roman army to become officers and then commanders. Pertinax, for example, was the son of a freed slave, although he only lasted for a few months as emperor. Perhaps the most famous examples are Diocletian, who was born into a low-status family in Dalmatia before rising to become emperor in A.D. 284; and his co-emperor Maximian, the son of a Pannonian shopkeeper, who ruled until A.D. 305. Diocletian and Maximian had met during their ascents through the Roman army and were a powerful combination; the British classicist Timothy Barnes suggested in his 1982 book, "The new empire of Diocletian and Constantine," that Diocletian had the political brains while Maximian had the military brawn. Maximian first supported Diocletian to the imperial throne and then was appointed co-ruler a few years later. According to Britannica, Diocletian also introduced the office of "Caesar"— a junior emperor for each of the two senior emperors, who were titled "Augustus"— and the Roman Empire was ruled for a time by a "tetrarchy," or four rulers. Diocletian was emperor for around 20 years after assuming the throne, and then retired to his palace at Aspalathos (modern Split) in Dalmatia, dying in about 316. Maximian abdicated the throne at the same time that Diocletian retired, in 305; but according to Britannica he claimed the title of Augustus again in 307 to help his son Maxentius to become emperor. After abdicating again in 308 Maximian lived at the court of the emperor Constantine; but he killed himself in 310 after a revolt he’d led against Constantine failed.

Historian William Broadhead at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge noted in an email that the Roman Empire was a military autocracy. "The emperor's legitimacy was based on his command of the very powerful Praetorian Guard at Rome and of the majority of the legions stationed in the provinces," he said. "Those two military institutions learned soon enough that they could play the role of kingmaker." Rising through the army's ranks to be in command of legions was a key way for prospective emperors to gain the army's loyalty.

5. MARRIAGE OR MOTHERHOOD

Tradition decreed that the Roman emperor had to be a man, but several women wielded power behind the imperial throne even if they did not rule directly. "According to Tacitus's account, it was Livia, wife of Augustus and mother of Tiberius, who was thought by many to have determined the first transition of imperial power, by removing [murdering] all potential heirs who were close of Augustus, thereby paving the way for her own son," Broadhead said. Tiberius was Livia's son from her previous marriage, so he was not the obvious heir to the throne. But he became Rome's second emperor upon Augustus' death in A.D. 14, thanks to Livia's actions and marriage to Augustus.

Nero's mother, Julia Agrippina, seems to have manipulated the emperor Claudius into adopting her son, who became emperor after Claudius' death in A.D. 54; and for a while she was hailed as the empire's co-ruler, although eventually Nero had her killed. Many of the stories associated with imperial women may have been embellished or invented, Broadhead said, but "even discounting the more scandalous features of the stories, we can appreciate the importance of [their] position within the imperial household as a determining factor in who gained the throne."

The power of imperial women was most prominent during the later stages of the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire, which was based in Constantinople, modern-day Istanbul, after A.D. 330. One of the most powerful was the empress Irene, who came from a politically prominent Greek family and became the wife of the Byzantine emperor Leo IV. But after his death in A.D. 780, she ruled until A.D. 790 as sole regent in the name of her son, the future Constantine VI. When he was old enough, Constantine tried ruling by himself. But the British historian John Bagnell Bury relates that he was so bad at it that Irene had him deposed and then blinded, to ensure he could never be emperor again. Irene then ruled in her own right as empress from A.D. 797 until she was deposed in A.D. 802 by her finance minister, who became the emperor Nikephoros I. Irene died in exile on the island of Lesbos the following year.

By Tom Metcalfe.

[efh2207630]

Art skills

For my second and final art skills assignment of the year, I was tasked with creating an art book for a game based on myths, fairy tales and urban legends. I knew going into this that the wide theme would allow me to incorporate my interests, and I immediately wanted to do something based on Ancient Rome, as I had previously studied classics and it is still a strong passion of mine. I specifically enjoyed the Aeneid when I studied it, and so wanted to base my game off of that, but struggled for a while on where to start and how best to make my idea meet the brief.

I had recently completed the game Pentiment, and was incredibly inspired by the historical RPG style of it, and the broad effects of small decisions you make as you play. I wanted a game that played similarly to this, also inspired by Fallout: New Vegas (and older fallouts) as it is my favourite game and again has this same style and design. I wanted to base the game around book 6 of the Aeneid, which shows Aeneas' journey into the underworld and is the most overt section of political propaganda, as it is my favourite chapter of the story and also has the most opportunity to make an interesting game, due to the wide historical scale and the multitude of interesting historical and mythical figures that appear. My idea was that the player would control an ancient Roman on their journey into the underworld and would be guided by Anchises (Aeneas' father) to meet various characters, from random soldiers up to figures such as Augustus and Romulus, and influence the fate and future of Rome through their conversations. Fate and destiny are incredibly strong themes throughout the Aeneid, so I thought this concept was a good translation of the story into a game context.

While coming up with my idea, I did struggle a lot as I wasn't sure of the historical and ethical implications of my idea, perhaps thinking a bit too much into it as this sort of deep narrative planning wasn't actually what was required for the task. As the Roman Empire had such a wide reach and intense impact on world history, I knew that any significant changes to its history would have almost unimaginable ripple effects to the rest of the world, and I wasn't sure if that was something I would be able to predict or come up with. I also had an ethical dilemma surrounding my placement of the game in the historical timeline. I originally wanted the game to take place during or before the Aeneid, with the player able to consult Aeneas and Turnus and influence the outcome of the war. However, this idea really worried me, as the story of the Aeneid and the founding of Rome really is one of settler colonialism, with the Trojans as the colonising force. In order to bring about the future of Rome, this has to take place, so in placing my game before the conclusion of this war and allowing the player to influence Aeneas, really the most favourable outcome is that the Latin player character is deciding how best their country should be colonised. This made me deeply uncomfortable and I really wasn't sure how to address it, and eventually led me to set the story after the Aeneid, with the character probably being of mixed Latin and Trojan heritage after the blending of the two cultures. This didn't take away all my worries with the idea, but it was the best solution I could come up with. I also realise that this is a problem inherent to a game and concept surrounding the Roman Empire and that I may have been overthinking, but it really did make me so uncomfortable that I spent a long time thinking about it and felt I had to remedy it the best I could. I decided that if this were to ever become a real game, I would want it to have a more humourous, sarcastic edge so as not to come across as a fetishistic view of the Roman Empire and conquest, as that does not at all align with my views. I have always been interested in ancient Rome and the empire, and I find the propagandist nature of the Aeneid fascinating to look back on knowing the eventual fall of the empire. The writing and undertones of the Aeneid are also actually quite anti-imperial and anti-Augustan, which is something that fascinates me and that I didn't want to lose in my concept.

After talking to my teacher, I realised that I was focusing too much on the wider story and not enough on the character. I started brainstorming ideas for the character, who I had always imagined as an everyman but never in much detail. I had the idea of a cynical, sour kind of character who never cared much for life but is amused by the power he has in death. I wanted to make him a farmer rather than a soldier, and based his appearance off Andreas from Pentiment. In his backstory, I had him being revived from the dead as a nod to New Vegas.

Overall, I'm the most pleased with my art assignment this year, as I think I created a really unique and interesting idea, and I'm super pleased with the art that went with it. While the character design and drawing process was definitely still in my comfort zone, the environment definitely was not and I did have to push myself with it.

I think that, while probably not necessary for this particular task, the ethical dilemmas I faced while planning for this were actually really interesting and important to deal with. I think it was a small preparation for working in the industry, as artists and designers really have to think carefully about every element of a game and its impact. I think in this case, I probably did the best that I could but I'm really not sure. Tackling ideas of imperialism and war are really difficult, especially for someone who only has a very minor education with those ideas, and it's definitely something I need to continue thinking about.

I'm grateful and pleased with this assignment, as an opportunity to improve not only my art skills and to branch out, but also as a chance to engage deeply with the ethical issues associated with games art and to try and find the best solution.

[thedojoofintellect]

Western History

Ancient Greece was divided into city-states. Two notable city-states were Athens and Sparta. Athens was a society of intellectuals and philosophers while Sparta was a warrior culture.

Notable Greeks of ancient times include the military leader Themistocles, the mathematician Euclid, the scientist Archimedes, the legendary storyteller Aesop, the philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and King Leonidas, who commanded his army of three hundred Spartans to fight ten thousand of King Xerxes' Persian warriors.

The religion of ancient Greece was polytheistic.

Several key deities were named Zeus, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Dionysus, Ares, Athena, Hestia, Hephaestus, Apollo, and Hermes. Zeus was king of the gods and lord of the sky. Hera was Zeus' wife. Hades was the lord of the underworld.

Poseidon was the god of the sea. Dionysus was the god of wine and ritual madness. Ares was the god of war. Athena was the goddess of wisdom. Hestia was the goddess of the hearth. Hephaestus was the god of fire. Apollo was the god of light.

Hermes was the messenger deity. The Roman counterparts of the aforementioned deities are Jupiter, Juno, Pluto, Neptune, Bacchus, Mars, Minerva, Vesta, Vulcan, Apollo, and Mercury, respectively.

Hannibal, a military leader from Carthage (in Northern Africa) led his army, who were mounted on war elephants, across the strait of Gibraltar to the Iberian peninsula and then to Italy, where he attacked the Romans. This marked the beginning of the Punic Wars. During the Third Punic War, the Romans enslaved fifty-five thousand Carthaginians.

Rome was first a kingdom, then a republic, and then an empire. Romulus was the first king of Rome. During the Roman Republic, society was classified as the patricians and the plebeians (the commoners and the elites).

Julius Caesar is known as the destroyer of the Roman Republic. He was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC (the Ides of March) by Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger, who was accompanied by a mob.

Caesar Augustus, also known as Octavian, was Julius Caesar's grand nephew.

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, also known as Caligula, was an emperor of Rome and a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was a decent ruler during the first six months of his reign, but after a near death experience, he started forcing his people to commit suicide. Caligula believed he was a living god.

Nero, also known as Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, killed his mother, Agrippina the Younger. He also killed his pregnant wife by kicking her to death. Nero also burned Rome to the ground and blamed it on the Christians, who were a new religious cult at the time. When the Praetorian Guard was after him, Nero committed suicide by slitting his throat.

Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer and mathematician. He refined the invention of the telescope. He was put under house arrest by the Catholic Church for teaching the heliocentric theory (which asserts that the sun is at the center of our solar system). The church believed in the geocentric theory which postulated that the earth was at the center of the solar system. Galileo is considered to be the father of modern science. He died in the early 1640s.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914 by Gavrilo Princip who was a member of the Serbian terrorist organization the Black Hand.

At the onset of World War I, Germany backed Austria and Russia backed Serbia.

Adolf Hitler, born April 20, 1889, was a decorated veteran of the First World War. Kaiser Wilhelm II was the leader of Germany during WWI.

After WWI, in 1919 (the war ended in 1918), the Versailles peace conference took place. US President Woodrow Wilson, Lloyd George of Great Britain, Clemenceau of France, and Orlando of Italy were in attendance. The decisions made at this conference humiliated the Germans and may have led to the subsequent rise of Nazism.

Germany was ordered to pay billions of dollars in reparations and their military was limited to one hundred thousand. Also, part of their land (the Rhineland) was given away.

The axis powers of World War II were Italy, Germany, and Japan (Rome, Berlin, and Tokyo). They were the enemies of the allies, which included England, France, the United States, and many other countries. Benito Mussolini was the leader of Italy, Adolf Hitler was the leader of Germany, and Emperor Hirohito was the leader of Japan, whose prime minister was Hideki Tojo. Joseph Stalin, also known as Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, was the leader of Russia.

Germany's most significant WWII atrocity was the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of twelve million people, including five or six million Jews. Other groups targeted include homosexuals, Polish people, and the physically and mentally disabled.

During the Second World War, the Japanese buried Chinese soldiers alive, cannibalized, and performed vivisection (dissection without anesthetics or analgesics).

Benito Mussolini was hung upside down on a meat hook and a mob tore him to pieces. He was known as an evil Robin Hood. He took from the rich and gave to the poor.

Adolf Hitler committed suicide in fuhrerbunker on April 30, 1945. His wife, Eva Braun, committed suicide with him.

The allied victory in Europe is celebrated on V-E day and the allied victory in Japan is celebrated on V-J day. General Douglas MacArthur was the supreme commander of the allied forces in the pacific while General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the supreme commander of the allied forces in Europe.

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed around two hundred thousand people and resulted in deformities and diseases such as leukemia. The bomb dropped on Hiroshima, a uranium fission bomb, was called Little Boy and the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, a plutonium fission bomb was called Fat Man.

[starzpsychics]

The wolf power totem animal

You may have heard people refer to power animals as tutelary spirits, which means deity or guardian spirit, patron or protector of a specific culture, place, person, lineage, or nation.

Over your lifetime you will probably have more than one power totem animal with you, in Shamanism it is the belief that we all have tutelary spirits or power animals that empower, protect, and teach us.

Out of all the power totem animals the Wolf has one of the strongest symbolisms. Native Americans have long regarded the wolf as a teacher and pathfinder, the wolf is also thought of to find and connect to the deepest levels of self and inner knowing. Having a wolf power totem animal implies a strong connection with instincts and is thought to be an aid in understanding and perceiving the world around you.

Probably one of the best known stories surrounding the history of the wolf comes from Rome, legend has it that Romulus and Remus the two founding brothers of Rome, were raised and suckled by a she-wolf.

In astrology, the Wolf is characterized by the Dog, Sirius, believed by many Aboriginal tribes to be the home of the Ancients. They also believed that animals and humans shared the same spiritual essence between each other and that animals are attracted to us or present themselves to us during specific moments in our lives to reveal messages.

In Asia, the wolf is the guardian of the entrance to heavenly, celestial realms. It is also said that the Wolf is among the ancestry of Genghis Khan.

Wolves are very much misunderstood despite their friendly, intelligent, and social traits people still believe the wolf to be a cold bloodied killer. The Wolf has emerged noticeably right through history, with negative qualities for example as the darkness that mythical Werewolves represent.

The wolf is a symbol of the night, a time which for many can be quite scary, it is a time where we dream, during our dream time we revitalize, and re-energize, it is also a time to discover through your dream’s things about yourself.

The wolf power totem animal typically symbolizes:

Intelligence, deep connection, and expression of instincts

Appetite for freedom

Leadership and loyalty

Feelings of being threatened

Having a lack of trust in yourself and someone else

Social and Family Values

Symbol of Wildness

Communication

If you have the wolf as your totem power animal the likelihood is that he is with you to teach you about your inner strength and self-discovery. To do this you must face your deepest fears. The wolf provides extraordinary powers and endurance to help with our quest of discovery he helps you to listen to the inner voice within you. The wolf totem power animal guide whether appearing id dream or meditation may imply you are using your instincts and intuition to grasp a situation well. The fact that the wolf totem power animal guide appeared could be a call to use this capacity to deal with a recent challenge you have experienced in your life.

The wolf as your power totem animal is probably a signal that you are a great teacher or thinker. But if this is not so this wolf appears to ask you to consider if there is something perhaps you need to expand your views about. The wolf totem power animal guide therefore is asking that you be open to new concepts or ideas.

When you are open and receptive to innovative ideas you gain wisdom! Wisdom is also gained through experience as well as knowledge.

Let us look at the social order of the wolf pack; typically, this pack will have a highly ordered and structured base. The wolf will mate for life and be loyal to their mate the other adults in the pack will all help with raising the young. Even though ordered wolves remain free spirited and will go out of their way to avoid a fight a shift in posture, a growl, or a glance gets the point across without violence.

The message therefore that the wolf power totem brings you is to attempt to avoid trouble or confrontation and instead try and reason things out, be diplomatic! It also denotes the ability to make quick yet firm attachments. The wolf also wants you to trust your own instincts and reminds you that he will be there to guide you. You must regain control of your own life and restore harmony and discipline.

Although free spirited wolves are typically very social animals and are good at communicating with each other and having this power totem animal can imply the need for freedom within you, as well as the need to lead life by following your instincts. It may also imply the need to have more freedom, ask yourself if you are being to restricted or limited.

Wolf is a social animal, enjoying the company of others. Therefore, the message of the wolf power totem is that there does not need to be a hard separation between the solitary and social paths.

Therefore, when you spot a lone wolf in the wilderness it symbolizes freedom. When seen in a pack it symbolizes community. If the wolf has come into your life and appears on its own or in a pack this is a symbol to you to do the same - either take alone time or gather people around you!

This can also be implying that you may need to go it alone right now to achieve your desires and goals.

When you have the wolf power totem animal beside you it can also be a sign that there is loyalty and trust issues in your life. Quite often a wolf totem is a message that you have become too apprehensive of bonding with another or that you have trust issues.

Power totem animals the wolf may also appear as a warning to you and be speaking about your preconceived idea that someone or something is acting in a threatening manner and wants you to take time to consider why you feel this way.

If the wolf is your power totem animal, it may be implying that you feel threatened by something or someone.

For example, the wolf could represent something which feels predatory and has made you feel vulnerable – therefore the message of the wolf power totem is to look at what it is that makes you feel this way!

Wolves are not domesticated and having this power totem animal can imply a need to consider this area of your life, and what needs to be altered, it also tells you to trust your natural responses. It teaches the need to stay loyal to the pack, whilst not losing your own identity. Look also at where you are being too reliant and where you may be too self-contained.

A wolf has a high intelligence in addition to powerful instincts which is observed in their hunting tactics, habitation habits and their migration behaviours.

The Wolf is believed to be an independent explorer returning to his pack to impart what he has learned. Your message here of the power animal guide wolf is to explore the hidden paths, you may uncover new truths to share with the rest of your pack.

The message to be taken also by the power animal guide wolf is that of faithfulness, inner strength, and intuition. This power animal the wolf might be asking you to consider the role of instincts, and how you trust or mistrust your instincts and intuitive guidance.

This power animal the wolf is a path finder and is with you to give you the message to trust your instincts to lead you back onto the right path.

Consider whether this power animal the wolf is asking to look at personal boundaries, is it that you are too exposed within a situation and need to withdraw for protection? Perhaps your message is to not be so trusting of a person around you at this point.

Or consider whether this power animal the wolfis telling you that you are too closed and need to be more open, have you shut yourself off too much? It can be asking that you look at your own trust issues and wants you to look at whether you are being loyal to your own beliefs and principles. It can also be asking you to trust your own gut feelings.

Or are the people around you acting like a pack of wolves, maybe the competition is stiff?

When it comes to hunting though wolves hunt in packs, depending on perseverance and determination to to run down weak and older animals, it has been noted that wolves can run sometimes up to thirty-five miles a day in pursuit. The message of the wolf power totem therefore is of endurance and strength, teaching you to know who you are, and to develop strength and belief in what you do.

The wolf will use its howl to find pack members or to let other wolves that are not in their specific pack know their territory boundaries. If you hear a wolf howl, this may be telling you to stand your ground and defend your boundaries.

If you have the wolf as your totem power animal the likelihood is that you are intelligent and have strong instincts, if your wolf appears through meditation or the dream state your message could be either you are using your intelligence wisely at this time or you are not using it at all!

To learn more about power animal spirits’ visit: https://starzpsychics.com