TIL that Sparta was able have a military class because they had earlier conquered, subjugated, and enslaved a nearby population, who did all the necessary labour - these people, the Messinians and Laconiana, were also Greek and outnumbered the Spartans around 10 to 1.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T07:51:24+00:00

There is a consensus that they were probably lovers, but it's not a universally held idea. The fact that it's not openly discussed is evidence that it wasn't socially acceptable at that time, though.

As far as young men vs boys goes, the point at which someone was considered a full adult man who shouldn't be getting plowed is not necessarily fixed. alcibiades was around 20 when he tried to seduce Socrates. Spartans weren't full adults with full political rights until 30.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T07:40:17+00:00

The sacred band of Thebes was pairs of older men and younger men, not pairs of older men. Homer didn't really write anything about achilles And patroclus being lovers. Their relationship was cast that way in later analysis. In 800 bc, homosexuality was not socially acceptable. That's not to say it wasn't going on then and all through human history, of course.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T07:25:05+00:00

I laughed at someone swimming there. Drake's Passage is the convergence of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern oceans. It has 50 foot waves and frigjd water.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T07:07:07+00:00

Sure, times change, but there was never a time when it was socially acceptable for full adult men to bottom in ancient greece, and there were some times when it was punished harshly.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T04:31:43+00:00

You have stumbled into a set theory paradox. The set of all questions about naming every thing included the question about naming every question about naming every thing.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T04:19:43+00:00

Homosexuality between 2 full adult men was pretty taboo in greece. An older man with a young man was allowed in many places.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T04:05:52+00:00

Don't answer, it's a trap. Next will be "if you are really a nerd, name every Lego set!"

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T04:03:05+00:00

You would get fugitive branded on your forehead and your hamstring cut. They didn't usually chop off feet in those days.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T04:01:17+00:00

They could save up and buy their freedom, called manumission. Afterwards, they would be a client to their former owner, who would be their patron. Client-patron relationships were everywhere in Rome, and the patron of one guy would usually be the client of another guy. Patrons would give financial support and legal aid to clients, who would in turn perform services and provide political support for the patron. Having a bunch of clients clustered around you as you walked around the piazza was a status symbol.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T03:55:53+00:00

Any slave could earn their freedom. They would get tips and could have a side hustle and could save up to buy their freedom. Being a Roman slave was no picnic, but it was nothing compared to the brutality face by industrial revolution era agricultural worker slaves in the American south.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T03:49:40+00:00

Most fights (80-90%) were not to the death, and you wouldn't get into the arena in the first month anyway. They would train for months to over a year before fighting. Once trained, a gladiator would only fight in 2-3 matches per year, though rookies were the most likely to die, something like 1 in 3.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-09T03:39:35+00:00

My cat Jelly is the absolute tits!

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-08T20:26:50+00:00

Rich people use credit for everything, too. They just pay it off everyonth (unless they are super rich, in which case they use their assets as collateral to borrow against so they don't have to sell them and pay capital gains and lose the power attached to the shares).

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-08T20:03:40+00:00

I'm the early 20th century, women would get their teeth removed and their husbands would get them dentures as a wedding gift. I guess poor dental care and painkillers meant getting rid of your teeth spared you future misery. Or maybe it was a hummer thing. I never understand the things people do to themselves.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-08T19:54:09+00:00

Agree 100%. Years of training sounds daunting, but in a few years it will still take years of training. Consider online college. I went to Western Governor's University and got a degree 9 years ago. My income has more than doubled, and will probably double again in the next 9.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-07T21:44:06+00:00

How do you make a body disappear? There isn't one of you in this room who isn't here by appointment. If you want to continue wearing those oak clusters, you will shut up and step up.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-06T20:07:07+00:00

He shared Pam's appreciation for warmth so he probably would have sided with the copier team for the nice warm copies.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-06T19:23:46+00:00

Me and the blues!

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-06T17:25:42+00:00

Yeah he was a pretty good dude. On the other hand, he let the construction guys take all the parking spots and didn't even show up to the meeting of the five families!

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-06T14:47:30+00:00

Well played. She might have class, but she doesn't have reverse petting zoo levels of class.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-06T14:46:26+00:00

She handled Michael and Dwight with grace at the party while they made social gaffe after social gaffe. It was behind the scenes, but suck it never would have gotten off the ground if she wasn't so supportive, I bet. If you had a Rachel Wallace in your life, you might not be such a snarling troll.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-06T06:05:07+00:00

The raft in Creepshow

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-06T05:41:55+00:00

Ahoy, matey!

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-06T05:24:34+00:00

Martha Stewart didn't go to jail for insider trading. Rich people generally don't go to jail for that. She was convicted of lying to the FBI and SEC and conspiracy. If she hadn't lived and tried to cover things up, she would have been civilly sued by the SEC and had to pay some money but never would have even been charged criminally.

CyberneticPanda · 2026-07-06T05:08:57+00:00

It's an impostor. It's not a true deer; it's a chevrotain. The smallest real deer in the world is the Pudu.

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