we had such men as Cassius, though of an ill temper, but critical, we would have made quite some strides against all superstition. In an address to Brutus, he had this to tell him
It is the opinion of our sect[ Epicurian philosophy] that not all that we feel or see is real and true;but that sense is a most slippery and deceitful thing, and the mind yet more quick and subtle to put the sense in motion and affect it with every kind of change upon no real occasion of fact; just as an impression is made upon wax; and the soul of man, which has itself both what imprints and what is imprinted on, may most easily, by its own operations, produce and assume every variety of shape and figure.
[..] It is its nature to to be ever in motion and its motion is fantasy or conception.
[…]But that there should be any such things as supernatural beings, or if there were, that they should have human shape or voice or power that can reach us, there is no reason for believing, though I confess I could wish that there were such beings, that we might not rely upon our arms only and our horses and our navy, all which are numerous and powerful, but might be confident of the assistance of gods also, in this our most sacred and honourable attempt.
Cassius to Brutus in Plutarch Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans
Random thoughts 
“Young Cassius has a lean and hungry look. He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous.” Caesar of Cassius in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”.
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Caesar it is reported said that to his friends about Cassius and Brutus.
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Yes. It’s a great scene in the play too. It is one I’m sure you’d enjoy. There’s a very good film version of it with Marlon Brando as Mark Anthony. You’d like it, I’m sure.
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Now I do feel motivated to seek out the films and literature related to Julius Caesar. Is there a simple e-book through which I can make my maiden attempt at understanding his world?
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Read Shakespeare’s play. It is written in prose and perhaps his “easiest” play to read for the uninitiated. A great book I recommend is “Julius Caesar” by Philip Freeman. It’s a terrific, easy to read bio of Caesar. The prose in it is not dumbed down at all and yet it reads quickly and easily. It’s my favorite book on Caesar. Cassius, Brutus, Anthony, and Cicero are discussed quite thoroughly in it as well.
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Mate, if you browse through this thread, you will find several refences
http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2014/08/19/sic-transit-gloria-mundi/
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Sometimes you make my head hurt. Most of my knowledge comes from the Gladiator movie..smiles 🙂
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That takes place well past Caesar’s time. Stream or rent the HBO series Rome if you liked Gladiator. It covers Caesar and the rise of his nephew who becomes Rome’s first emperor Augustus Caesar. It has PLENTY of blood shed and nudity too. One of my favorite shows on ancient Rome.
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I liked that one too. It is one of the very few – too few – historical series where an attempt to make ancient world actually look like, as far as we know, it did and not just repeat some “ancient” Charlton Heston fantasy. I even liked the stuff implanted to make some issues clear to the modern viewer, like the legionaries “wife beaters” with the legion eagle print.
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Indeed, it’s a great series. too bad it was canceled.
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The fall of an empire is interesting too. Looks at Rome from the time of the Antonines to Constantine?
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Right. And the movie “Fall of The Rome” with Alec Guinness is a great film as well. It illustrates the fall quite well.
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Yes my comment was a joke ! I do own the entire boxed set of the Romans. My children gave it to me for Christmas one year…what do you think of that? 🙂 I like both the blood and the nakedness !
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You’re OK in my book then!!!
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Thank you inspired by the divine..seems an unusual name to appear on Maks blog 🙂
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That’s because you lack Faith, my friend. Real, true Faith. Mine. Hee Haw!!!!!!
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HHAHAHAAAA!!!!! Yes I do ,
signed , just another atheist.
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Hahahaha!
Kathryn that is the way to go.
I should change my signature 😀
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No! I like you just the way you are!
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I agree. Don’t change your name. You are my young Padawan, Mak Y Wan Kenobie. You are my first convert to the way of the Divine1. Please, keep your name, my young learner.
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I think he will………just a feeling…..
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Hahaha. You are so funny
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Remember this my pupil: All Faith is good to have as long as it is the same Faith as mine. If it isn’t the same as mine, you’re evil, wrong, and will burn in hell because, well, because we can’t both be right on something as dogmatically perfect as Faith. This line of arguing, often used by Christian apologists, is know as “Spot The Bullshit As We Talk In Circles” arguing. It’s gotten Christians into the White House and gotten them tax exempt status on ALL of their property. Nice, eh?
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I generally slash the circle and cut out the BS. I do not need to follow unless I consent 🙂
Perhaps I need to work on the tax exempt status however….
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Consent? Naw. Follow or lose yer noodle! It worked for Charlemagne and it could work for me. Of course, there are a few laws I’d have to break to get converts that way, but, I’d be doing it in the name of an invisible guy! That always seems to make evil acts OK.
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Evil is very subjective no? Smiles.
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Very true.
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That is not a bad source of history 😀
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It’s ridiculous and I said it very tongue in check! Laughs!
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😀
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A least he called deities exactly what they are: figments of the imagination of humans. Great job, my Nairobi brother! 🙂
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Oh yes, that is the part I liked the most in his address
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Good post! How marvellous of you to notice that point about Cassius.
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Good to see you here mate.
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That’s much how I felt for a long time. That the notion of gods was a silly fantasy, but I held on to the hope that it would be nice if there was something out there that gave a damn. I finally let go of that semi deistic philosophy and accepted the cold hard reality.
A cold hard reality for which evidence abounds.
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It never occurred to me that man was a cosmic orphan so to speak, but they I thought about it and came to my senses, my only regret has been why didn’t I know this earlier.
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If only yes … I just don’t have the patience. 😆 Cassius and I would have been good mates. 😀
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Cassius would be in good company today. We would buy him beer
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Yeah, no bloody mary’s for him! LOL!
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