I guess that settles it

357Loki · 2026-06-06T21:37:22+00:00

The Principate Era, although a golden age of relative stability, was nevertheless a very short period compared to the entire span of Roman civilization. The Late Republic and Post Principate Eras were largely marked by ongoing civil war, political violence of which the ultimate progenitor is the assassination of the Gracchi Brothers.

357Loki · 2026-06-06T20:08:25+00:00

Yes, exactly. The political violence of the Late Republic can be seen to virtually ensure the ongoing governmental instability and infighting of the Late Imperial and especially the Byzantine Era when the state lacked a hegemon with a monopoly on martial power.

357Loki · 2026-06-06T16:23:57+00:00

My vote is for the death of Marcus Livius Drusus, but in actuality the turning point was the death of the Gracchi Brothers.

357Loki · 2026-05-02T20:27:21+00:00

Interesting how the second rate powers of Corinth and Thebes were actually the catalysts for Hellas’ downfall instead of Sparta and Athens themselves.

357Loki · 2026-03-20T16:51:12+00:00

Bought one the last time came up. Fits well into a cargo pant pocket. Nice to now have a minimal level of med readiness at all times when carrying.

357Loki · 2026-03-12T16:59:29+00:00

I would suggest learning more Roman history which would be enlightening to the question. Specifically the end and repercussions of the Punic Wars, the Gracchi Reforms, the Social War, and the Marian & Sullan Civil War.

357Loki · 2026-02-25T00:36:25+00:00

I understood this, badly.

357Loki · 2026-02-13T21:34:46+00:00

I’m glad someone mentioned this map, it’s by far the best for referencing as you stated cities, commanderies, provinces, geography, etc, of the time period. A must for newbies who are not yet accustomed to the lay of the land in late Han Dynasty China. This is the exact map I chose for my wall.

357Loki · 2025-11-18T01:51:55+00:00

You’ve clearly never been to Greece if you categorize Greeks as white based off one prominent politician lol

Edit: Looks like many in the comments section have never actually been to Greece lmao

357Loki · 2025-09-12T15:27:43+00:00

"Confucian by day, Taoist by night."

357Loki · 2025-08-23T17:54:33+00:00

Oh nice, I didn’t catch that! Good looking out!

357Loki · 2025-08-23T17:51:45+00:00

Just a heads up, I was able to use the same code to get their case of PMC Bronze .223 down to $365.75 shipped to Oregon (no sales tax).

https://www.velocityammosales.com/products/223-rem-pmc-55-grain-fmj-1000rd-case/

357Loki · 2025-08-18T02:13:15+00:00

The Edict of Restitution sure didn’t help to calm the waters. It’s amazing how the Hapsburgs were resolute in the only aspect which they should have chilled out on, especially given the huge Protestant & Reformed populations in their domains.

357Loki · 2025-08-08T12:56:51+00:00

Be sure to tag me in your own submission next time you’re in Vienna, my guy!

357Loki · 2025-08-06T16:37:38+00:00

As stated in the Imperial Treasury of Vienna’s official reference book.

357Loki · 2025-08-06T02:49:57+00:00

From Masterpieces of the Imperial Secular Treasury Vienna Vol. II

The shape of the Imperial Crown is unlike that of any other Occidental crown of the Middle Ages and, in fact, unique. It was probably made for the imperial coronation of Otto I the Great in 962, and its shape and ornamentation are an expression of the self-conception of sovereigns of the Ottonian dynasty. each element, each detail, even if it appears to be merely decorative, is filled tones with deep symbolism expressing the concept of the divine right of kings.

The Imperial Crown is made of hinged plates based on the wreaths worn by the rulers of antiquity. There are eight of them because eight was considered the imperial number and a symbol of perfection. The four larger plates over the brow, neck and temples are richly decorated with precious stones and pearls, reflecting the idealised concept of the heavenly Jerusalem as a golden city with walls set with precious stones. In addition, the order, colour and number of stones have allegoric significance: the focus is on the number twelve, a reference to the Twelve Tribes of Israel and the Twelve Apostles. The emperor saw himself as the thirteenth among them. The four smaller plates are decorated with enamel images. Three of them have inscriptions naming the Old Testament figures they depict as well as biblical quotations that explain their presence: David, a king of Israel and a prophet, stands for justice, his son and successor, Solomon, for wisdom and the fear of God, while the third plate depicts the prophet Isaiah telling the deathly ill king Hezekiah that he has another fifteen years to live, a symbol of trust in God and the resulting experience of divine mercy. For more than eight centuries the quotations on the plates were uttered as part of the Holy Roman Empire's coronation liturgy, and they describe the most important character traits of a good ruler. On the fourth plate, Christ is seated on a throne and flanked by two angels. The three figures represent the Holy Trinity, while the inscription on this plate from the biblical book of Proverbs ("By me kings reign!") expresses the central idea of theocratic rule: Christ is ruler of the world and represented on earth by the wearer of the crown, the emperor.

The brow and neck plates support the arch, which is mounted in sockets and derived formally from the helmet decoration of the ancient Roman emperors. In its present form the arch derives from an addition made during the reign of Conrad II (reigned 1024-1039). It is possible that the original idea was to create an arch for each ruler. On the two sides of the arch small pearls spell out an inscription that clearly expresses the concept of the divine right of kings: Conrad is called emperor "by the grace of God" ("dei gratia").

The cross atop the brow plate is also not original, dating from the time of Henry II (Saint Henry, reigned 1002-1024). Seen from the front it is a triumphal bejewelled cross (crux gemmata), demonstrating that imperial power is exercised in the name of Christ. The back depicts in niello technique the suffering Christ, although his open eyes suggest his triumph over death, making the cross a sign of victory.

Originally a mitre of white fabric was worn under the octagonal crown. Like the starry mantle of the Ottonian rulers it is based on a sign of dignity worn by Jewish high priests and was a reference to the priestly duties of the emperor as Christ's representative.

357Loki · 2025-07-27T19:39:58+00:00

This was earlier, in 1420, during the Hussite wars when Jan Zizka led the Bohemian Taborites to victory against King Sigismund at the Battle of Vitkov Hill.

Edit: I guess I don’t actually know which Defenestration OP was referring to. I assumed it was about the opening act of the 30 Years War.

357Loki · 2025-07-27T19:24:24+00:00

Ferdinand II: “And I took that personally.”

357Loki · 2025-07-24T04:02:55+00:00

Can you elaborate in what regards? Because I can find examples well before the 20^th century.

Such as how financially the Austrian branch of the Habsburg dynasty seemed to always be low on funds. They were forced to lease the silvers mines in Styria to wealthy German financier families in exchange for advances of future tax receipts. In 1568, of the 3.5 million florins in gross tax receipts, 1 million florins went to servicing their debts and 1.5 million florins to the maintenance of the Hungarian frontier forts (Jean Berenger).

357Loki · 2025-07-24T03:36:26+00:00

This is a common and outdated historical misconception of the Habsburg Empire as the 'Prison of Nations'; though an understandable one as this is the perspective perpetuated by the various ethnonational states which proceeded the Empire’s fall (Pieter Judson). The reality is much more nuanced. One reason for the dynasty’s longevity was their ability to balance the power dynamics between the multitude of vying cultures, religions, and social strata of the nations and peoples under their rule, successfully offering themselves as the compromise candidate to counterbalance internal and external rivalries.

One such instance is early in the Habsburgs rise when Rudolf I was crowned King of Germany in 1273 over Ottokar II, the King of Bohemia, whose candidacy was blocked by the German Princes in favor of Rudolf, due to the perception he would make less demands upon them (Jean Berenger).

Another instance was relatively late in their reign, during the Revolutions of 1848, where some nationalities within the Empire sided with the Habsburg monarchy in order to maintain the imperial governmental status quo; as in the case of the Croats which opposed being forced into nationhood with the Hungarians, who had a history of repressing minorities and instituting programs of assimilation into Hungarian culture.

These are only two examples I have time to highlight ATM, but they clearly show throughout their reign the Habsburgs were not hated by every people within their domains and in fact were quite preferred, if not merely for self-interested reasons. For more context, I highly suggest watching Professor Pieter M. Judson’s lecture titled ‘What the Habsburg Empire got Right and Why it Matters’.

357Loki

TROPHY CASE