NO ONE GOES ANYWHERE UNTIL THE GODS GET AN ANSWER

Comments

• tomiant@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  I fukn love these + explanations

  original

  • PugJesus@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    I post to entertain! 🙏

    original

    • tomiant@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      Never stop

      original
• PugJesus@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  Explanation: During the darkest days of the Second Punic War, fought between the Roman Republic and Carthage, the great Carthaginian ("Punic") general Hannibal had invaded Italy and utterly destroyed several Roman armies in rapid succession. While the Roman Republic as a whole doubled-down on fighting the war to the bitter end, the sense of despair was palpable in some circles.

  A group of young Roman aristocrats gathered together at this time, plotting to escape their mandatory military service rather than share the fate of the Filthy Poors(tm), but were interrupted by fellow aristocrat Publius Cornelius Scipio (later known as Scipio Africanus), who was around their age, but already had combat experience in the war. Having heard about their plan (loose lips sink ships), he extracted from them, at swordpoint, an oath to Jupiter that they would stay and fight for the Republic, and not shirk their duty while better men died on the field in their place!

  original

  • tomiant@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    Reminds me of the Siege of Malta, in which a bunch of aristocrat youth refused to fight on any longer because it was hopeless, and were shamed into staying by allowing them to leave. Under shameful verbiage of course. They didn’t.

    Shame is a powerful force, but I guess this is a recurring theme with young nobility throughout history. They want the glory without the blood.

    original

    • PugJesus@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      Romans also took oaths very seriously - while there was no formal/community punishment for violating oaths, it was believed that the gods would take their own revenge (not to mention the damage to one’s reputation). Scipio made them swear that if they broke the oath to Jupiter, that ruin would come to themselves and their entire family.

      Even if you don’t believe in the wrath of the gods, becoming known as someone who’d throw his own family under the bus was nothing less than social suicide in the extremely family-oriented society of Rome!

      original
  • tomiant@piefed.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    “Punic” bc they thought Carthaginians were Phoenicians! (which is not bad dinkum)

    See, I know things! That’s right, I listen to podcasts, mama don’t raise no dumskis!

    original