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Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 4, by Edward Gibbon, [1788], at sacred-texts.com
In rewarding his allies, and recalling his wife, Justinian displayed some sense of honor and gratitude; *_0073 and Terbelis retired, after sweeping away a heap of gold coin, which he measured with his Scythian whip. But never was vow more religiously performed than the sacred oath of revenge which he had sworn amidst the storms of the Euxine. The two usurpers (for I must reserve the name of tyrant for the conqueror) were dragged into the hippodrome, the one from his prison, the other from his palace. Before their execution, Leontius and Apsimar were cast prostrate in chains beneath the throne of the emperor; and Justinian, planting a foot on each of their necks, contemplated above an hour the chariot-race, while the inconstant people shouted, in the words of the Psalmist, "Thou shalt trample on the asp and basilisk, and on the lion and dragon shalt thou set thy foot!" The universal defection which he had once experienced might provoke him to repeat the wish of Caligula, that the Roman people had but one head. Yet I shall presume to observe, that such a wish is unworthy of an ingenious tyrant, since his revenge and cruelty would have been extinguished by a single blow, instead of the slow variety of tortures which Justinian inflicted on the victims of his anger. His pleasures were inexhaustible: neither private virtue nor public service could expiate the guilt of active, or even passive, obedience to an established government; and, during the six years of his new reign, he considered the axe, the cord, and the rack, as the only instruments of royalty. But his most implacable hatred was pointed against the Chersonites, who had insulted his exile and violated the laws of hospitality. Their remote situation afforded some means of defence, or at least of escape; and a grievous tax was imposed on Constantinople, to supply the preparations of a fleet and army. "All are guilty, and all must perish," was the mandate of Justinian; and the bloody execution was intrusted to his favorite Stephen, who was recommended by the epithet of the savage. Yet even the savage Stephen imperfectly accomplished the intentions of his sovereign. The slowness of his attack allowed the greater part of the inhabitants to withdraw into the country; and the minister of vengeance contented himself with reducing the youth of both sexes to a state of servitude, with roasting alive seven of the principal citizens, with drowning twenty in the sea, and with reserving forty-two in chains to receive their doom from the mouth of the emperor. In their return, the fleet was driven on the rocky shores of Anatolia; and Justinian applauded the obedience of the Euxine, which had involved so many thousands of his subjects and enemies in a common shipwreck: but the tyrant was still insatiate of blood; and a second expedition was commanded to extirpate the remains of the proscribed colony. In the short interval, the Chersonites had returned to their city, and were prepared to die in arms; the khan of the Chozars had renounced the cause of his odious brother; the exiles of every province were assembled in Tauris; and Bardanes, under the name of Philippicus, was invested with the purple. The Imperial troops, unwilling and unable to perpetrate the revenge of Justinian, escaped his displeasure by abjuring his allegiance: the fleet, under their new sovereign, steered back a more auspicious course to the harbors of Sinope and Constantinople; and every tongue was prompt to pronounce, every hand to execute, the death of the tyrant. Destitute of friends, he was deserted by his Barbarian guards; and the stroke of the assassin was praised as an act of patriotism and Roman virtue. His son Tiberius had taken refuge in a church; his aged grandmother guarded the door; and the innocent youth, suspending round his neck the most formidable relics, embraced with one hand the altar, with the other the wood of the true cross. But the popular fury that dares to trample on superstition, is deaf to the cries of humanity; and the race of Heraclius was extinguished after a reign of one hundred years
Between the fall of the Heraclian and the rise of the Isaurian dynasty, a short interval of six years is divided into three reigns. Bardanes, or Philippicus, was hailed at Constantinople as a hero who had delivered his country from a tyrant; and he might taste some moments of happiness in the first transports of sincere and universal joy. Justinian had left behind him an ample treasure, the fruit of cruelty and rapine: but this useful fund was soon and idly dissipated by his successor. On the festival of his birthday, Philippicus entertained the multitude with the games of the hippodrome; from thence he paraded through the streets with a thousand banners and a thousand trumpets; refreshed himself in the baths of Zeuxippus, and returning to the palace, entertained his nobles with a sumptuous banquet. At the meridian hour he withdrew to his chamber, intoxicated with flattery and wine, and forgetful that his example had made every subject ambitious, and that every ambitious subject was his secret enemy. Some bold conspirators introduced themselves in the disorder of the feast; and the slumbering monarch was surprised, bound, blinded, and deposed, before he was sensible of his danger. Yet the traitors were deprived of their reward; and the free voice of the senate and people promoted Artemius from the office of secretary to that of emperor: he assumed the title of Anastasius the Second, and displayed in a short and troubled reign the virtues both of peace and war. But after the extinction of the Imperial line, the rule of obedience was violated, and every change diffused the seeds of new revolutions. In a mutiny of the fleet, an obscure and reluctant officer of the revenue was forcibly invested with the purple: after some months of a naval war, Anastasius resigned the sceptre; and the conqueror, Theodosius the Third, submitted in his turn to the superior ascendant of Leo, the general and emperor of the Oriental troops. His two predecessors were permitted to embrace the ecclesiastical profession: the restless impatience of Anastasius tempted him to risk and to lose his life in a treasonable enterprise; but the last days of Theodosius were honorable and secure. The single sublime word, "Health," which he inscribed on his tomb, expresses the confidence of philosophy or religion; and the fame of his miracles was long preserved among the people of Ephesus. This convenient shelter of the church might sometimes impose a lesson of clemency; but it may be questioned whether it is for the public interest to diminish the perils of unsuccessful ambition.
I have dwelt on the fall of a tyrant; I shall briefly represent the founder of a new dynasty, who is known to posterity by the invectives of his enemies, and whose public and private life is involved in the ecclesiastical story of the Iconoclasts. Yet in spite of the clamors of superstition, a favorable prejudice for the character of Leo the Isaurian may be reasonably drawn from the obscurity of his birth, and the duration of his reign. - I. In an age of manly spirit, the prospect of an Imperial reward would have kindled every energy of the mind, and produced a crowd of competitors as deserving as they were desirous to reign. Even in the corruption and debility of the modern Greeks, the elevation of a plebeian from the last to the first rank of society, supposes some qualifications above the level of the multitude. He would probably be ignorant and disdainful of speculative science; and, in the pursuit of fortune, he might absolve himself from the obligations of benevolence and justice; but to his character we may ascribe the useful virtues of prudence and fortitude, the knowledge of mankind, and the important art of gaining their confidence and directing their passions. It is agreed that Leo was a native of Isauria, and that Conon was his primitive name. The writers, whose awkward satire is praise, describe him as an itinerant pedler, who drove an ass with some paltry merchandise to the country fairs; and foolishly relate that he met on the road some Jewish fortune-tellers, who promised him the Roman empire, on condition that he should abolish the worship of idols. A more probable account relates the migration of his father from Asia Minor to Thrace, where he exercised the lucrative trade of a grazier; and he must have acquired considerable wealth, since the first introduction of his son was procured by a supply of five hundred sheep to the Imperial camp. His first service was in the guards of Justinian, where he soon attracted the notice, and by degrees the jealousy, of the tyrant. His valor and dexterity were conspicuous in the Colchian war: from Anastasius he received the command of the Anatolian legions, and by the suffrage of the soldiers he was raised to the empire with the general applause of the Roman world. - II. In this dangerous elevation, Leo the Third supported himself against the envy of his equals, the discontent of a powerful faction, and the assaults of his foreign and domestic enemies. The Catholics, who accuse his religious innovations, are obliged to confess that they were undertaken with temper and conducted with firmness. Their silence respects the wisdom of his administration and the purity of his manners. After a reign of twenty-four years, he peaceably expired in the palace of Constantinople; and the purple which he had acquired was transmitted by the right of inheritance to the third generation. *_0074
In a long reign of thirty-four years, the son and successor of Leo, Constantine the Fifth, surnamed Copronymus, attacked with less temperate zeal the images or idols of the church. Their votaries have exhausted the bitterness of religious gall, in their portrait of this spotted panther, this antichrist, this flying dragon of the serpent's seed, who surpassed the vices of Elagabalus and Nero. His reign was a long butchery of whatever was most noble, or holy, or innocent, in his empire. In person, the emperor assisted at the execution of his victims, surveyed their agonies, listened to their groans, and indulged, without satiating, his appetite for blood: a plate of noses was accepted as a grateful offering, and his domestics were often scourged or mutilated by the royal hand. His surname was derived from his pollution of his baptismal font. The infant might be excused; but the manly pleasures of Copronymus degraded him below the level of a brute; his lust confounded the eternal distinctions of sex and species, and he seemed to extract some unnatural delight from the objects most offensive to human sense. In his religion the Iconoclast was a Heretic, a Jew, a Mahometan, a Pagan, and an Atheist; and his belief of an invisible power could be discovered only in his magic rites, human victims, and nocturnal sacrifices to Venus and the daemons of antiquity. His life was stained with the most opposite vices, and the ulcers which covered his body, anticipated before his death the sentiment of hell-tortures. Of these accusations, which I have so patiently copied, a part is refuted by its own absurdity; and in the private anecdotes of the life of the princes, the lie is more easy as the detection is more difficult. Without adopting the pernicious maxim, that where much is alleged, something must be true, I can however discern, that Constantine the Fifth was dissolute and cruel. Calumny is more prone to exaggerate than to invent; and her licentious tongue is checked in some measure by the experience of the age and country to which she appeals. Of the bishops and monks, the generals and magistrates, who are said to have suffered under his reign, the numbers are recorded, the names were conspicuous, the execution was public, the mutilation visible and permanent. *_0075 The Catholics hated the person and government of Copronymus; but even their hatred is a proof of their oppression. They dissembled the provocations which might excuse or justify his rigor, but even these provocations must gradually inflame his resentment and harden his temper in the use or the abuse of despotism. Yet the character of the fifth Constantine was not devoid of merit, nor did his government always deserve the curses or the contempt of the Greeks. From the confession of his enemies, I am informed of the restoration of an ancient aqueduct, of the redemption of two thousand five hundred captives, of the uncommon plenty of the times, and of the new colonies with which he repeopled Constantinople and the Thracian cities. They reluctantly praise his activity and courage; he was on horseback in the field at the head of his legions; and, although the fortune of his arms was various, he triumphed by sea and land, on the Euphrates and the Danube, in civil and Barbarian war. Heretical praise must be cast into the scale to counterbalance the weight of orthodox invective. The Iconoclasts revered the virtues of the prince: forty years after his death they still prayed before the tomb of the saint. A miraculous vision was propagated by fanaticism or fraud: and the Christian hero appeared on a milk-white steed, brandishing his lance against the Pagans of Bulgaria: "An absurd fable," says the Catholic historian, "since Copronymus is chained with the daemons in the abyss of hell."
Leo the Fourth, the son of the fifth and the father of the sixth Constantine, was of a feeble constitution both of mind *_0076 and body, and the principal care of his reign was the settlement of the succession. The association of the young Constantine was urged by the officious zeal of his subjects; and the emperor, conscious of his decay, complied, after a prudent hesitation, with their unanimous wishes. The royal infant, at the age of five years, was crowned with his mother Irene; and the national consent was ratified by every circumstance of pomp and solemnity, that could dazzle the eyes or bind the conscience of the Greeks. An oath of fidelity was administered in the palace, the church, and the hippodrome, to the several orders of the state, who adjured the holy names of the Son, and mother of God. "Be witness, O Christ! that we will watch over the safety of Constantine the son of Leo, expose our lives in his service, and bear true allegiance to his person and posterity." They pledged their faith on the wood of the true cross, and the act of their engagement was deposited on the altar of St. Sophia. The first to swear, and the first to violate their oath, were the five sons of Copronymus by a second marriage; and the story of these princes is singular and tragic. The right of primogeniture excluded them from the throne; the injustice of their elder brother defrauded them of a legacy of about two millions sterling; some vain titles were not deemed a sufficient compensation for wealth and power; and they repeatedly conspired against their nephew, before and after the death of his father. Their first attempt was pardoned; for the second offence !_0076 they were condemned to the ecclesiastical state; and for the third treason, Nicephorus, the eldest and most guilty, was deprived of his eyes, and his four brothers, Christopher, Nicetas, Anthemeus, and Eudoxas, were punished, as a milder sentence, by the amputation of their tongues. After five years' confinement, they escaped to the church of St. Sophia, and displayed a pathetic spectacle to the people. "Countrymen and Christians," cried Nicephorus for himself and his mute brethren, "behold the sons of your emperor, if you can still recognize our features in this miserable state. A life, an imperfect life, is all that the malice of our enemies has spared. It is now threatened, and we now throw ourselves on your compassion." The rising murmur might have produced a revolution, had it not been checked by the presence of a minister, who soothed the unhappy princes with flattery and hope, and gently drew them from the sanctuary to the palace. They were speedily embarked for Greece, and Athens was allotted for the place of their exile. In this calm retreat, and in their helpless condition, Nicephorus and his brothers were tormented by the thirst of power, and tempted by a Sclavonian chief, who offered to break their prison, and to lead them in arms, and in the purple, to the gates of Constantinople. But the Athenian people, ever zealous in the cause of Irene, prevented her justice or cruelty; and the five sons of Copronymus were plunged in eternal darkness and oblivion.
For himself, that emperor had chosen a Barbarian wife, the daughter of the khan of the Chozars; but in the marriage of his heir, he preferred an Athenian virgin, an orphan, seventeen years old, whose sole fortune must have consisted in her personal accomplishments. The nuptials of Leo and Irene were celebrated with royal pomp; she soon acquired the love and confidence of a feeble husband, and in his testament he declared the empress guardian of the Roman world, and of their son Constantine the Sixth, who was no more than ten years of age. During his childhood, Irene most ably and assiduously discharged, in her public administration, the duties of a faithful mother; and her zeal in the restoration of images has deserved the name and honors of a saint, which she still occupies in the Greek calendar. But the emperor attained the maturity of youth; the maternal yoke became more grievous; and he listened to the favorites of his own age, who shared his pleasures, and were ambitious of sharing his power. Their reasons convinced him of his right, their praises of his ability, to reign; and he consented to reward the services of Irene by a perpetual banishment to the Isle of Sicily. But her vigilance and penetration easily disconcerted their rash projects: a similar, or more severe, punishment was retaliated on themselves and their advisers; and Irene inflicted on the ungrateful prince the chastisement of a boy. After this contest, the mother and the son were at the head of two domestic factions; and instead of mild influence and voluntary obedience, she held in chains a captive and an enemy. The empress was overthrown by the abuse of victory; the oath of fidelity, which she exacted to herself alone, was pronounced with reluctant murmurs; and the bold refusal of the Armenian guards encouraged a free and general declaration, that Constantine the Sixth was the lawful emperor of the Romans. In this character he ascended his hereditary throne, and dismissed Irene to a life of solitude and repose. But her haughty spirit condescended to the arts of dissimulation: she flattered the bishops and eunuchs, revived the filial tenderness of the prince, regained his confidence, and betrayed his credulity. The character of Constantine was not destitute of sense or spirit; but his education had been studiously neglected; and the ambitious mother exposed to the public censure the vices which she had nourished, and the actions which she had secretly advised: his divorce and second marriage offended the prejudices of the clergy, and by his imprudent rigor he forfeited the attachment of the Armenian guards. A powerful conspiracy was formed for the restoration of Irene; and the secret, though widely diffused, was faithfully kept above eight months, till the emperor, suspicious of his danger, escaped from Constantinople, with the design of appealing to the provinces and armies. By this hasty flight, the empress was left on the brink of the precipice; yet before she implored the mercy of her son, Irene addressed a private epistle to the friends whom she had placed about his person, with a menace, that unless they accomplished, she would reveal, their treason. Their fear rendered them intrepid; they seized the emperor on the Asiatic shore, and he was transported to the porphyry apartment of the palace, where he had first seen the light. In the mind of Irene, ambition had stifled every sentiment of humanity and nature; and it was decreed in her bloody council, that Constantine should be rendered incapable of the throne: her emissaries assaulted the sleeping prince, and stabbed their daggers with such violence and precipitation into his eyes as if they meant to execute a mortal sentence. An ambiguous passage of Theophanes persuaded the annalist of the church that death was the immediate consequence of this barbarous execution. The Catholics have been deceived or subdued by the authority of Baronius; and Protestant zeal has reechoed the words of a cardinal, desirous, as it should seem, to favor the patroness of images. *_0077 Yet the blind son of Irene survived many years, oppressed by the court and forgotten by the world; the Isaurian dynasty was silently extinguished; and the memory of Constantine was recalled only by the nuptials of his daughter Euphrosyne with the emperor Michael the Second.
The most bigoted orthodoxy has justly execrated the unnatural mother, who may not easily be paralleled in the history of crimes. To her bloody deed superstition has attributed a subsequent darkness of seventeen days; during which many vessels in midday were driven from their course, as if the sun, a globe of fire so vast and so remote, could sympathize with the atoms of a revolving planet. On earth, the crime of Irene was left five years unpunished; her reign was crowned with external splendor; and if she could silence the voice of conscience, she neither heard nor regarded the reproaches of mankind. The Roman world bowed to the government of a female; and as she moved through the streets of Constantinople, the reins of four milk-white steeds were held by as many patricians, who marched on foot before the golden chariot of their queen. But these patricians were for the most part eunuchs; and their black ingratitude justified, on this occasion, the popular hatred and contempt. Raised, enriched, intrusted with the first dignities of the empire, they basely conspired against their benefactress; the great treasurer Nicephorus was secretly invested with the purple; her successor was introduced into the palace, and crowned at St. Sophia by the venal patriarch. In their first interview, she recapitulated with dignity the revolutions of her life, gently accused the perfidy of Nicephorus, insinuated that he owed his life to her unsuspicious clemency, and for the throne and treasures which she resigned, solicited a decent and honorable retreat. His avarice refused this modest compensation; and, in her exile of the Isle of Lesbos, the empress earned a scanty subsistence by the labors of her distaff.
Many tyrants have reigned undoubtedly more criminal than Nicephorus, but none perhaps have more deeply incurred the universal abhorrence of their people. His character was stained with the three odious vices of hypocrisy, ingratitude, and avarice: his want of virtue was not redeemed by any superior talents, nor his want of talents by any pleasing qualifications. Unskilful and unfortunate in war, Nicephorus was vanquished by the Saracens, and slain by the Bulgarians; and the advantage of his death overbalanced, in the public opinion, the destruction of a Roman army. *_0078 His son and heir Stauracius escaped from the field with a mortal wound; yet six months of an expiring life were sufficient to refute his indecent, though popular declaration, that he would in all things avoid the example of his father. On the near prospect of his decease, Michael, the great master of the palace, and the husband of his sister Procopia, was named by every person of the palace and city, except by his envious brother. Tenacious of a sceptre now falling from his hand, he conspired against the life of his successor, and cherished the idea of changing to a democracy the Roman empire. But these rash projects served only to inflame the zeal of the people and to remove the scruples of the candidate: Michael the First accepted the purple, and before he sunk into the grave the son of Nicephorus implored the clemency of his new sovereign. Had Michael in an age of peace ascended an hereditary throne, he might have reigned and died the father of his people: but his mild virtues were adapted to the shade of private life, nor was he capable of controlling the ambition of his equals, or of resisting the arms of the victorious Bulgarians. While his want of ability and success exposed him to the contempt of the soldiers, the masculine spirit of his wife Procopia awakened their indignation. Even the Greeks of the ninth century were provoked by the insolence of a female, who, in the front of the standards, presumed to direct their discipline and animate their valor; and their licentious clamors advised the new Semiramis to reverence the majesty of a Roman camp. After an unsuccessful campaign, the emperor left, in their winter-quarters of Thrace, a disaffected army under the command of his enemies; and their artful eloquence persuaded the soldiers to break the dominion of the eunuchs, to degrade the husband of Procopia, and to assert the right of a military election. They marched towards the capital: yet the clergy, the senate, and the people of Constantinople, adhered to the cause of Michael; and the troops and treasures of Asia might have protracted the mischiefs of civil war. But his humanity (by the ambitious it will be termed his weakness) protested that not a drop of Christian blood should be shed in his quarrel, and his messengers presented the conquerors with the keys of the city and the palace. They were disarmed by his innocence and submission; his life and his eyes were spared; and the Imperial monk enjoyed the comforts of solitude and religion above thirty-two years after he had been stripped of the purple and separated from his wife.
A rebel, in the time of Nicephorus, the famous and unfortunate Bardanes, had once the curiosity to consult an Asiatic prophet, who, after prognosticating his fall, announced the fortunes of his three principal officers, Leo the Armenian, Michael the Phrygian, and Thomas the Cappadocian, the successive reigns of the two former, the fruitless and fatal enterprise of the third. This prediction was verified, or rather was produced, by the event. Ten years afterwards, when the Thracian camp rejected the husband of Procopia, the crown was presented to the same Leo, the first in military rank and the secret author of the mutiny. As he affected to hesitate, "With this sword," said his companion Michael, "I will open the gates of Constantinople to your Imperial sway; or instantly plunge it into your bosom, if you obstinately resist the just desires of your fellow-soldiers." The compliance of the Armenian was rewarded with the empire, and he reigned seven years and a half under the name of Leo the Fifth. Educated in a camp, and ignorant both of laws and letters, he introduced into his civil government the rigor and even cruelty of military discipline; but if his severity was sometimes dangerous to the innocent, it was always formidable to the guilty. His religious inconstancy was taxed by the epithet of Chameleon, but the Catholics have acknowledged by the voice of a saint and confessors, that the life of the Iconoclast was useful to the republic. The zeal of his companion Michael was repaid with riches, honors, and military command; and his subordinate talents were beneficially employed in the public service. Yet the Phrygian was dissatisfied at receiving as a favor a scanty portion of the Imperial prize which he had bestowed on his equal; and his discontent, which sometimes evaporated in hasty discourse, at length assumed a more threatening and hostile aspect against a prince whom he represented as a cruel tyrant. That tyrant, however, repeatedly detected, warned, and dismissed the old companion of his arms, till fear and resentment prevailed over gratitude; and Michael, after a scrutiny into his actions and designs, was convicted of treason, and sentenced to be burnt alive in the furnace of the private baths. The devout humanity of the empress Theophano was fatal to her husband and family. A solemn day, the twenty-fifth of December, had been fixed for the execution: she urged, that the anniversary of the Savior's birth would be profaned by this inhuman spectacle, and Leo consented with reluctance to a decent respite. But on the vigil of the feast his sleepless anxiety prompted him to visit at the dead of night the chamber in which his enemy was confined: he beheld him released from his chain, and stretched on his jailer's bed in a profound slumber. Leo was alarmed at these signs of security and intelligence; but though he retired with silent steps, his entrance and departure were noticed by a slave who lay concealed in a corner of the prison. Under the pretence of requesting the spiritual aid of a confessor, Michael informed the conspirators, that their lives depended on his discretion, and that a few hours were left to assure their own safety, by the deliverance of their friend and country. On the great festivals, a chosen band of priests and chanters was admitted into the palace by a private gate to sing matins in the chapel; and Leo, who regulated with the same strictness the discipline of the choir and of the camp, was seldom absent from these early devotions. In the ecclesiastical habit, but with their swords under their robes, the conspirators mingled with the procession, lurked in the angles of the chapel, and expected, as the signal of murder, the intonation of the first psalm by the emperor himself. The imperfect light, and the uniformity of dress, might have favored his escape, whilst their assault was pointed against a harmless priest; but they soon discovered their mistake, and encompassed on all sides the royal victim. Without a weapon and without a friend, he grasped a weighty cross, and stood at bay against the hunters of his life; but as he asked for mercy, "This is the hour, not of mercy, but of vengeance," was the inexorable reply. The stroke of a well-aimed sword separated from his body the right arm and the cross, and Leo the Armenian was slain at the foot of the altar. A memorable reverse of fortune was displayed in Michael the Second, who from a defect in his speech was surnamed the Stammerer. He was snatched from the fiery furnace to the sovereignty of an empire; and as in the tumult a smith could not readily be found, the fetters remained on his legs several hours after he was seated on the throne of the Caesars. The royal blood which had been the price of his elevation, was unprofitably spent: in the purple he retained the ignoble vices of his origin; and Michael lost his provinces with as supine indifference as if they had been the inheritance of his fathers. His title was disputed by Thomas, the last of the military triumvirate, who transported into Europe fourscore thousand Barbarians from the banks of the Tigris and the shores of the Caspian. He formed the siege of Constantinople; but the capital was defended with spiritual and carnal weapons; a Bulgarian king assaulted the camp of the Orientals, and Thomas had the misfortune, or the weakness, to fall alive into the power of the conqueror. The hands and feet of the rebel were amputated; he was placed on an ass, and, amidst the insults of the people, was led through the streets, which he sprinkled with his blood. The depravation of manners, as savage as they were corrupt, is marked by the presence of the emperor himself. Deaf to the lamentation of a fellow-soldier, he incessantly pressed the discovery of more accomplices, till his curiosity was checked by the question of an honest or guilty minister: "Would you give credit to an enemy against the most faithful of your friends?" After the death of his first wife, the emperor, at the request of the senate, drew from her monastery Euphrosyne, the daughter of Constantine the Sixth. Her august birth might justify a stipulation in the marriage-contract, that her children should equally share the empire with their elder brother. But the nuptials of Michael and Euphrosyne were barren; and she was content with the title of mother of Theophilus, his son and successor.
The character of Theophilus is a rare example in which religious zeal has allowed, and perhaps magnified, the virtues of a heretic and a persecutor. His valor was often felt by the enemies, and his justice by the subjects, of the monarchy; but the valor of Theophilus was rash and fruitless, and his justice arbitrary and cruel. He displayed the banner of the cross against the Saracens; but his five expeditions were concluded by a signal overthrow: Amorium, the native city of his ancestors, was levelled with the ground and from his military toils he derived only the surname of the Unfortunate. The wisdom of a sovereign is comprised in the institution of laws and the choice of magistrates, and while he seems without action, his civil government revolves round his centre with the silence and order of the planetary system. But the justice of Theophilus was fashioned on the model of the Oriental despots, who, in personal and irregular acts of authority, consult the reason or passion of the moment, without measuring the sentence by the law, or the penalty by the offense. A poor woman threw herself at the emperor's feet to complain of a powerful neighbor, the brother of the empress, who had raised his palace-wall to such an inconvenient height, that her humble dwelling was excluded from light and air! On the proof of the fact, instead of granting, like an ordinary judge, sufficient or ample damages to the plaintiff, the sovereign adjudged to her use and benefit the palace and the ground. Nor was Theophilus content with this extravagant satisfaction: his zeal converted a civil trespass into a criminal act; and the unfortunate patrician was stripped and scourged in the public place of Constantinople. For some venial offenses, some defect of equity or vigilance, the principal ministers, a praefect, a quaestor, a captain of the guards, were banished or mutilated, or scalded with boiling pitch, or burnt alive in the hippodrome; and as these dreadful examples might be the effects of error or caprice, they must have alienated from his service the best and wisest of the citizens. But the pride of the monarch was flattered in the exercise of power, or, as he thought, of virtue; and the people, safe in their obscurity, applauded the danger and debasement of their superiors. This extraordinary rigor was justified, in some measure, by its salutary consequences; since, after a scrutiny of seventeen days, not a complaint or abuse could be found in the court or city; and it might be alleged that the Greeks could be ruled only with a rod of iron, and that the public interest is the motive and law of the supreme judge. Yet in the crime, or the suspicion, of treason, that judge is of all others the most credulous and partial. Theophilus might inflict a tardy vengeance on the assassins of Leo and the saviors of his father; but he enjoyed the fruits of their crime; and his jealous tyranny sacrificed a brother and a prince to the future safety of his life. A Persian of the race of the Sassanides died in poverty and exile at Constantinople, leaving an only son, the issue of a plebeian marriage. At the age of twelve years, the royal birth of Theophobus was revealed, and his merit was not unworthy of his birth. He was educated in the Byzantine palace, a Christian and a soldier; advanced with rapid steps in the career of fortune and glory; received the hand of the emperor's sister; and was promoted to the command of thirty thousand Persians, who, like his father, had fled from the Mahometan conquerors. These troops, doubly infected with mercenary and fanatic vices, were desirous of revolting against their benefactor, and erecting the standard of their native king but the loyal Theophobus rejected their offers, disconcerted their schemes, and escaped from their hands to the camp or palace of his royal brother. A generous confidence might have secured a faithful and able guardian for his wife and his infant son, to whom Theophilus, in the flower of his age, was compelled to leave the inheritance of the empire. But his jealousy was exasperated by envy and disease; he feared the dangerous virtues which might either support or oppress their infancy and weakness; and the dying emperor demanded the head of the Persian prince. With savage delight he recognized the familiar features of his brother: "Thou art no longer Theophobus," he said; and, sinking on his couch, he added, with a faltering voice, "Soon, too soon, I shall be no more Theophilus!"
*_0073 Of fear rather than of more generous motives. Compare Le Beau vol. xii. p. 64. - M.
*_0074 During the latter part of his reign, the hostilities of the Saracens, who invested a Pergamenian, named Tiberius, with the purple, and proclaimed him as the son of Justinian, and an earthquake, which destroyed the walls of Constantinople, compelled Leo greatly to increase the burdens of taxation upon his subjects. A twelfth was exacted in addition to every aurena as a wall tax. Theophanes p. 275 Schlosser, Bilder eturmeud Kaiser, p. 197. - M.
*_0075 He is accused of burning the library of Constantinople, founded by Julian, with its president and twelve professors. This eastern Sorbonne had discomfited the Imperial theologians on the great question of image worship. Schlosser observes that this accidental fire took place six years after the emperor had laid the question of image-worship before the professors. Bilder sturmand Kaiser, p. 294. Compare Le Heau. vol. xl. p. 156. - M.
*_0076 Schlosser thinks more highly of Leo's mind; but his only proof of his superiority is the successes of his generals against the Saracens, Schlosser, p. 256. - M.
!_0076 The second offence was on the accession of the young Constantine - M.
*_0077 Gibbon has been attacked on account of this statement, but is successfully defended by Schlosser. B S. Kaiser p. 327. Compare Le Beau, c. xii p. 372. - M.
*_0078 The Syrian historian Aboulfaradj. Chron. Syr. p. 133, 139, speaks of him as a brave, prudent, and pious prince, formidable to the Arabs. St. Martin, c. xii. p. 402. Compare Schlosser, p. 350. - M.


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Smart Guys
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Pete S. and Andy weren't interested in my company, but they asked smarter questions than most of the VCs I've pitched, and they gave me quality advice. So it wasn't a wasted meeting. I saw the comments from others that they aren't into technology. All I can say is that they were very up to date on my product area, and more importantly they had a very good understanding of the dynamics of my business. Maybe the difficulty is that when you're dealing with a two-person firm, they can't be equally knowledgeable about every part of the industry.PRIVATE: Members Only (266 Characters)

subset: commoncrawl


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This will always be a special quilt for me! thanks to the ladies in my round robin who worked so hard on Mickey for me!
I call this "Mickey's Round with Friends"
My son was being a ham in one pic... :) There are mickey shaped heads in the red border. My Aunt who long armed the quilt even put a hidden mickey into the quilt. It took awhile to find it.


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I absolutely love my dog like there is no tomorrow. She is 1/2 Golden and 1/2 Lab, now 7 years old. She goes with me or my wife nearly everywhere. She thinks she is human. SInce we have no kids, she is treated like our child. Spoiled beyond reason.jasonfish11 wrote:My dog needs another surgery. This time to remove a tumor. Also found out she has a heart murmur and will likely need heart meds if/when it gets worse.
I hate to see any dog have to go through surgery or to simply be in pain of any sort. I slept on the floor with mine the first few nights after she had surgery on her ruptured cruciate ligament a couple years ago. It was excruciating to go through for her and likely more painful for me to stand by helplessly and watch her go through it. So I understand how you feel Jason. I truly hope your girl is 100% after she gets the care she needs, both for her sake and yours.


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|Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Arts and Sciences
|Seminar in U. S. Women's History.
|Three semester hours.
|The course examines the lives of U. S. women and the major historiographical debates in women's history scholarship. Course materials will emphasize the diversity of women's experiences and will culminate in primary source research. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in history.
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Story highlights
- A Drexel University student died March 10 from group B meningitis
- The student had been in contact with Princeton students
- The death raises concerns the outbreak may still be present at Princeton
A Philadelphia college student died from the same strain of meningitis seen in an outbreak at Princeton University, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.
The Drexel University student died March 10 from meningitis B, or "serogroup B meningococcal disease," the CDC said in a statement.
Lab analysis showed the disease matched the strain seen at Princeton through "genetic fingerprinting," health officials said.
"The public health investigation of the Drexel University student revealed that the student had been in close contact with students from Princeton University about a week before becoming ill," the CDC said.
The death raises concern the outbreak strain may still be present in the Princeton community, health officials said.
Starting in December, a "high percentage" of Princeton undergraduates and eligible graduate students received an unlicensed meningitis vaccination called Bexsero.
While the vaccine is approved for use in Europe, Canada and Australia, it is not yet approved for use in the United States. The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration granted approval for the vaccine to be distributed at Princeton.
Last month, Bexsero was also distributed to students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which had an outbreak involving four cases of of meningococcal disease unrelated to the Princeton outbreak. Meningococcal disease can cause meningitis or blood infections.
Nine cases of group B meningitis have been associated with the Princeton outbreak, Princeton University said on its web site Tuesday. Eight cases were previously reported; the new number includes the Drexel case, said Princeton spokesman Martin Mbugua.
The CDC noted no new cases have been seen at Princeton since the vaccinations began on December 9.
"Available data show most adolescents that get two doses of this vaccine are protected from getting meningococcal disease," the CDC said. "However, vaccinated individuals may still be able to carry the bacteria in their throats, which could infect others through close contact."
No related cases have been reported at Drexel, the CDC said. Health officials were investigating whom the student may have been in contact with and providing antibiotics.
A statement on the Princeton website Tuesday urged members of the university community to "continue to be vigilant in following good health practices to prevent the spread of this illness."
Meningitis is caused by inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and the spinal cord, known as the meninges. Infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord usually causes this inflammation, according to the CDC.
College students are especially vulnerable, and dorms are the perfect breeding grounds for an outbreak, health officials say.
Meningitis B spreads through coughing, sneezing, and kissing. It can also spread when people forget to wash their hands or clothes, or among people who drink out of the same cup.
Meningitis B is tricky, since students who catch it may first think they have the flu. It starts with flulike symptoms: fever, headache, stiff necks, vomiting and delirium. If the bacteria spread to the meninges, patients can suffer hearing loss, permanent neurological damage and even death.
In 2012, there were 480 cases of bacterial meningitis in the United States, according to the CDC. Of those, 160 were group B.


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State Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey joked Tuesday morning that there was a quorum of the state Legislature at the new Worcester Regional Transit Authority hub opening ceremony, and it seemed like he wasn't far off. Legislators from both sides of the aisle joined federal and city officials to mark the hub's ceremonial opening in an event that celebrated cooperation, mass transit and an evolving city.
The hub, at 60 Foster St., is adjacent to Union Station and the commuter rail and private buses that run there. All of the WRTA's buses will start their routes at the hub beginning Saturday.
Tuesday's occasion was also one of Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray's last public appearances before he steps down Sunday to become president and chief executive of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. If the ceremonial opening had been the Oscars, it would have been unclear who was up for best actor and who for best supporting — Mr. Murray or the hub.
The $16.3 million, three-story, energy-efficient building houses the WRTA offices, including customer service, and has a waiting area and Wi-Fi. The narrow ends of the building have a strip of lattice running up them that will eventually be covered by vines. The adjacent bus bay and waiting area has a 24-hour ticket machine, eight bus bays, covered bike racks, some seating and constant updates on when buses will arrive. The project, conceived of more than a decade ago, broke ground just over a year ago. Consigli Construction Co. of Milford was the construction manager; Skanska USA Building was the project manager; and the architect was Wendel Duchscherer Architects & Engineers, PC in Buffalo, N.Y. The Federal Transit Administration gave $15.9 million to the project, and the state paid approximately $400,000.
Mr. Murray, a former Worcester city councilor and mayor, spoke of how a "well-intentioned mall," the old Galleria, once divided downtown and how good transportation options will help the city "grow and thrive."
City Councilor-at-Large Frederick C. Rushton, speaking on behalf of Mayor Joseph M. Petty, said, "I'm really just a Number 2 kid," referring to the bus he used to ride downtown from his neighborhood. He said the downtown is again a destination with possibilities, many of them visible from the hub, and he praised Mr. Murray for helping that happen. "This is a real capstone in terms of what he's done," Mr. Rushton said.
While Tuesday's speakers focused on the hub's supporters, there was also recognition of its detractors, both past and present. District 2 City Councilor Philip P. Palmieri once had to be convinced that the hub was a good thing. Stephen F. O'Neil, WRTA administrator, reassured Mr. Palmieri and the audience that the facility will "have adequate security" and be "a safe place for people to get on and off buses," and Mr. Palmieri added that he is "thrilled about it."
Jo Hart, a resident who never seems to miss a transit meeting and who continues to be critical of the hub, got an unlikely shout-out from Mr. Rushton and Mr. O'Neil, which she thought was "hysterical." Later, she said of the hub, "It's not good to take everybody away from north Main Street. It's bad for business. They're taking us where we don't want to go."
Still, she received the same gift glass as the dignitaries in attendance.
The new hub is not the end of the WRTA's evolution. Late-night service is expected to start in July, electronic and hybrid buses are expected to be running in the fall, and transit authority still needs to replace its Grove Street maintenance facility, a move that is still years away.
The WRTA will be out in front of City Hall Friday to remind riders of the changes coming Saturday. For more information about how routes will change with the new hub, go to www.therta.com.
Contact Jacqueline Reis via email at email@example.com and follow her on Twitter @JackieReisTG.


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My paternal great-grandfather, Michael SMITH (b. 16 May 1829, France; d. 16 Apr 1902, Nebraska Soldier's Home, Grand Island, Nebraska), and his wife, my great-grandmother, Margaret Nellie (Maggie) SODERSTROM SMITH (b. abt 1846, Seden; d. 18 Sep 1901, Nebraska Soldier's Home, Grand Island, Nebraska) are each buried at the Nebraska Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, Grand Island, Nebraska.
Michael served in the Civil War as Farrier with Company E, 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry from 5 Sep 1961 to 3 Oct 1864.
This final photo provides the setting of the stones.
Families are Forever! ;-)
This Blog focuses on Ancestor Stories, both the stories themselves about my family's ancestors and discussions of where they come from and how to prepare and share them. These stories may be non-fiction or fiction – we will always tell which is which, of course. Also see my KINNICK blog and The HOMEPLACE Series Blog, left sidebar, scroll down.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Tombstone Tuesday - Michael and Maggie SMITH
Posted by Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith at 6:27 AM
Labels: Civil War, Smith, Soderstrom, Tombstone, Tuesday
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing these pictures. I appreciate that you have been able to travel to various sites where our family has lived and that you are willing to share.ReplyDelete
That is my mission in the weeks, months and years ahead. I'll ask for some help, from time to time, as well. ;-)ReplyDelete
Bill ;-)
Author of "13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories"
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Prospect Q&A: Inside Rondon's head
Contender for Tigers' closer role, Venezuela native sounds off
By Andrew Pentis / Special to MLB.com | March 13, 2013 6:22 AM
The last time the Tigers started grooming a closer with 100 mph heat and a tattoo running down his forearm, things didn't go according to plan. Joel Zumaya, who sported flames on his skin and whipped his elbow high into the air and seemingly above his cap, struck out 97 batters in 62 games as a rookie in 2006. His violent motion limited him to an average of 27 relief appearances over the next four seasons, and he hasn't pitched in the Majors since 2010.
Bruce Rondon is not Joel Zumaya.
Despite the triple-digit radar recordings and his own Bruce Lee-inspired body ink, the 22-year-old Venezuelan has a sleepy quality on the mound. He's busting at the seams below his uniform, as he goes on to explain, but you never get the sense he's giving too much effort. His easy, three-quarter arm slot is more deceptive than it is demanding.
And his style gets results. After saving 29 games with three Detroit affiliates last season -- nine more than his Opening Day goal -- Rondon is MLB.com's No. 92 prospect and in his first Major League camp. If he succeeds there, few among the long-tenured Tigers will remember at all the hurler he only slightly resembles.
Thanks to Tigers official Aileen Villarreal for transcribing and then translating Rondon's Spanish into English.
MiLB.com: How would you describe your mind-set and approach while on the mound?
Rondon: That I'm the best.
MiLB.com: Has that always been your attitude?
Rondon: Always. Every time I'm on the mound, I always think I'm the best. Off the mound, I don't think that, but when I'm on there I have to have that mentality, that I'm the best and that I'm invincible.
MiLB.com: Your repertoire should inspire self-assuredness. Tell us about it.
Rondon: Fastball, slider and changeup. The fastball, I try to throw over 100 [mph]. The changeup is around 92-93. The slider is around 86-88. From last year 'til now, I would say I have [improved my] control. I've worked very hard to control them.
MiLB.com: You're obviously known for your fastball. Were you always able to throw hard growing up or did a specific mechanical change in your career increase your velocity?
Rondon: Yes, I could always throw the ball pretty hard. Actually, they didn't let me pitch when I was young because I threw the ball too hard. Everyone knew [I could pitch], but they wanted me to hit. [Then I was converted] into a catcher.
MiLB.com: Could you have ended up playing that position?
Rondon: Honestly, I never loved being a catcher; my love was always pitching. It was something that always inspired me, that caught my attention, that motivated me. I felt happy pitching, and it was just always what I loved. so when they asked me if I wanted to pitch I was very excited and of course said yes. [That was when] I signed with the Tigers [on Sept. 12, 2007].
MiLB.com: Before you made your way to the States, what was baseball like at home in Valencia, Venezuela?
Rondon: The crowds over there are very aggressive. It's a little crazy, but it can be motivating because when you do well, the whole stadium gets up and cheers. On the other hand, when you don't have a good outing, you have to know how to handle it with the crowds. The greatest thing in the world for me is when my family is able to watch me play. Sometimes I'm sad when I'm playing here and look in the stands and they're not there. When I was growing up, I would always tell my dad that I was going to pitch professionally so that they could watch me play.
MiLB.com: How good of a hitter were you? Do you think you could have made it as a position player?
Rondon: During batting practice, I was good, but not really during the game. Maybe after practicing, I could learn, but I don't think so.
MiLB.com: How old were you when you turned to pitching full-time?
Rondon: I was 15. [I had] never practiced. I knew I could throw, but I had to start from point zero. When they told me I was going to pitch, I was so excited that I was going to be pitching that it didn't matter about taking the hits I was going to take. I wanted to learn, so I started with just my fastball. I didn't have any other pitches aside from my fastball. Once I got to the Tigers, they helped me with my pitching and I have really learned a lot.
MiLB.com: What is the fastest reading you've registered on a radar gun?
Rondon: 104 mph -- against the [Class A Advanced] Yankees at their stadium in Tampa. My teammates told me after the game. They said, "Rondon, we have some news for you." I asked them what had happened. They told me I had thrown the ball 104. I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. Then they showed me the radar gun and I said, "Wow."
MiLB.com: Have you ever been on a team with a pitcher who threw harder than you?
Rondon: It has always been me so far.
MiLB.com: That would seem to inspire a nickname. What's yours?
Rondon: Up to this point, I have not gotten one.
MiLB.com: Bruce doesn't seem like it would be a popular first name in Venezuela. Where does it come from?
Rondon: My dad loves Bruce Lee. My dad wanted to name me "Bruce Lee." My mom didn't want the "Lee," but she was fine with the "Bruce."
MiLB.com: Where does your dad's admiration for the martial arts master come from?
Rondon: He loves all the Bruce Lee movies. He always asks me to get him Bruce Lee movies from here and shirts and those kinds of things. [Lee] was big for him because he made it to the United States by himself. My dad would always tell me that I would make it to the United States by myself and I was going to accomplish big things ... and here I am now. Things have happened where I think, "Wow, my dad was right."
MiLB.com: So your name works on a couple different levels ...
Rondon: Maybe he chose that name became [Lee] never lost faith. I would always tell him that I loved baseball and he'd tell me, "Son, you have to work a lot and work hard because it will be very difficult for you to be in the United States by yourself." I didn't believe him because I was young, but everything that he told me was true. Sometimes [now] my family will call me and tell me, "Son, you came out in the newspaper next to Miguel [Cabrera]," and I tell them sometimes, "I'm next to him and can't even believe it."
MiLB.com: What would it mean for your family back in Venezuela if you make a Major League Opening Day roster?
Rondon: I'll tell you this, they probably wouldn't sleep the night before. They really wouldn't sleep because that's what they've been waiting for. If [the Tigers] tell me I'm making it, I probably won't sleep that night, either, from thinking about it so much. Thinking to myself, "Wow, it's me -- I'm the closer." It would really be something special if they gave me that news, like a dream come true.
MiLB.com: Do you notice a different feel to the ninth inning, compared with pitching in the seventh or eighth inning?
Rondon: Honestly, I don't like throwing in the fifth, sixth, seventh innings. It just isn't the same attention, it's not the same adrenaline. When you come out in the ninth inning, people are waiting for the ninth inning. People are thinking, "Wow, there comes the closer." And that is what motivates me, what gets me going.
Andrew Pentis is a contributor to MLB.com and writes the Prospective Blog. Follow him on Twitter at AndrewMiLB. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.View More


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Subscribe To MGM Ready To Go To War With Universal Over Alleged James Bond Ripoff Film Updates
I've already subscribed
James Bond is easily one of the most iconic characters in the history of Hollywood. The average person, whether they're a fan or not, knows his code name, his favorite drink, his catch phrases and his basic personality. In short, he's one of the most profitable assets MGM has, and apparently, executives will go to great lengths to protect their hold on the secret agent, even if it means starting a legal war with a giant company with plenty of resources to fight back.
As we speak, Universal is currently prepping plans for an MI6 spy thriller called Section 6. Attack The Block's Joe Cornish is on board to direct and Jack O'Connell from 300: Rise Of An Empire is scheduled to play the lead, but if MGM has its way, the movie will never begin production or see the light of day. Why? Because the powers that be think it's nothing more than a cheap, illegal knockoff of James Bond.
MGM and Universal have reportedly been going back-and-forth about this project for a few months. Once it became clear Universal had no intentions on backing down, MGM, in conjunction with the typical James Bond producers, officially filed a lawsuit. Variety was able to obtain a copy of it, and not surprisingly, it's pretty aggressive.
Here's an excerpt…
"This lawsuit concerns a motion picture project, in active development, featuring a daring, tuxedo-clad British secret agent, employed by 'His Majesty's Secret Service,' with a 'license to kill,' and a 00 (double-O) secret agent number on a mission to save England from the diabolical plot of a megalomanical villain. Most moviegoers would assume from that description alone that this lawsuit concerns the next James Bond picture. It does not. This lawsuit is instead about a James Bond knockoff that defendant Universal is readying for production."
That sounds like a pretty vicious indictment, but it's important to remember we're only hearing from one side right now. Lots of characters work for the government and are allowed to kill in the line of duty. We need to know whether they're using the same frames of reference and the same phrases or whether those loose plot points are being manipulated to seem like they exactly correspond with the James Bond franchise.
Thus far, Universal has refused to turn over a copy of the script from Section 6. If this lawsuit continues, it's very likely that will be forcibly entered into evidence. Exactly what it will show is unclear, but either way, it would be a bit of a surprise if Universal fights this too aggressively. It takes millions of dollars to go to court for something like this, and I'm not sure the monetary upside for a film about the history of MI6 without a huge name to topline is that high.
We'll keep you updated.


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Apr 11, 2012
Missing Maine: Green Olive Cream Cheese
I mentioned last week that I've been missing Maine and missing getting a green olive cream cheese bagel from a local bagel shop. I realize that only about a 1/3 of my readers will stick with me on this post - green olives are certainly an acquired taste. I'm the only one in my family that likes them. Everyone else pretends to die at the idea of me eating them. Whatever! So, if you like green olives, or know someone who does, keep reading. Other wise, it's okay, I'll catch up with you later.
So, Maine! I love Maine! I called that state my home for 10 years and even though I knew in my heart that it was time to move to Colorado, it was hard to leave. My favorite little town, and the last placed we lived in Maine, is called Camden. It was there that I fell hard for green olive cream cheese bagels.
So, why did a Utah girl end up in Maine? Well, in 1997 my husband and I stood on the corner of Elm Street, in Camden, by the city green. I was holding my then 3 month old daughter and we both had a rush of emotion hit us. We were just on vacation but there was a sense of clarity in that moment and we knew we were supposed to live in that town. It was home! I'm pretty sure our family thought we were just drawn to Maine because of it's New England charm and one brother claimed it was the farthest away we could get from family, but, I've had those impressions before and I knew - I knew - it was something more.
It took us another visit a year later and then another two years to pull things together but we did it. We moved. Our family didn't understand. My parents thought we were insane. Moving 3,000 miles away from family and friends "just because" was unthinkable to them. But we knew it was right. And, years later, even my dad admitted it was a good move for us.
We didn't end up in Camden until 2006. We'd visit every chance we got but moving there didn't happen right away. When it did though, it was right and we were lucky enough to have this be our regular view on evening walks.
Beautiful! They'd shoot fireworks out over the harbor in the summer and I swear, it was the most patriotic thing you could ever see. I felt very American living in small town USA. Here's a little map of Camden.
We lived at "A". The Bagel Cafe was at "B". It was so close. The Village and harbor are at "C". I felt so spoiled that I lived in a Norman Rockwell like town were I could walk everywhere. It would take about 5 minutes to walk to the harbor, village shops, and the library. If you ever get to go to Maine, go visit Camden. It's a busy tourist town in the summer but the beauties are worth the trip. Oh, and see "D" - I miss that place the most. Laite Beach. It's not a beautiful beach as in sandy and warm. It's slightly rocky, and not very big, but it was my place. Very few tourist knew about it so it was a place to go and sit and think and most of all search for sea glass. I miss searching for sea glass. I miss Laite Beach. I miss my walks to the village. I miss the friends I left behind.
Ok, I'm starting to miss Maine even more.... let's move on.
I told you that I've been craving these bagels and that I haven't been able to find anything close to them in Fort Collins. Because of that, I came up with my own recipe. If you are interested, here it is....
You will need:
1 - 8oz package of cream cheese. I opted for the less fat version but it's good with regular too
Plain bagels
Onion powder
*Garlic Salt
Green Olives
(*edited note: My friend Mona, suggested Garlic Powder instead of Garlic Salt since the olives are already salt. I'll try that next time)
Step 1: Start by letting your cream cheese soften. You want it soft enough that you can stir it easily. Then, sprinkle on some Garlic Salt and some Onion Powder. I didn't measure, I just sprinkled. Start with less and then add more to taste as needed.
Step 2: Next, take a handful of green olives and chop them up. You'll want about a 1/2 of a cup, more or less. I tend to go for more but 1/2 cup is a good amount.
Step 3: Stir everything together. Taste it and if it needs more garlic or onion, mix in a little more.
Step 4: That's pretty much it. I like to let the spread sit in the fridge for a little bit, maybe an hour before I eat it. The flavors tend to settle this way. Then, when you are ready for a quick snack, toast a half of a bagel, spread on the yummy goodness and enjoy! You can also put it on Ritz crackers for an appetizer too.
So, thanks for letting me reminisce and if you try the recipe, let me know what you think.
16 comments:
- Molly said...
This looks FANTASTIC! Green olive hummus is my all time favorite snack (with some pita chips and a beer) and this looks like a close second.
I love your story about moving to your quaint New England town. Made me feel like anything is possible :)
- April 11, 2012 at 12:40 PM
- Mona said...
Your Maine friends miss you too! I was in Camden just a few weeks ago put picked sea glass on the beach in Searsport just cause it was easier to get to. Love green olive cream cheese but may I suggest that you try using garlic powder instead of garlic salt since olives can sometimes be salty on their own. Either way, enjoy!
- April 11, 2012 at 1:15 PM
- Gracelyn Zegarelli said...
Delish! I love simple recipes like this! :)
- April 11, 2012 at 1:30 PM
- Barbara Chace said...
Can't say I like the olives but I love Maine.
- April 11, 2012 at 2:50 PM
- Bluefunk said...
I love green olives. I make this appetizer where you cover them in a flour and cheese crust and bake them. SO good! The green olive cream cheese sounds divine!
I love your story about Maine. I've never been there but it looks quite beautiful.
- April 11, 2012 at 6:52 PM
Ohhhhh, this makes me so sad! Laite Beach is my favorite, too. Laite Beach and the Children's Chapel. Camden is a special place for sure.
- April 11, 2012 at 8:31 PM
- Sheri said...
I wanna go! It is on my bucket list. Why did you leave? I think once I finally got there, wild horses couldn't drag me away.
About the olives, not so much but love the cream cheese. Wonder if black olives would work....
- April 12, 2012 at 5:56 AM
That sound so yummy!
Also interested in the recipe "bluefunk" is talking about...care to share?!
- April 12, 2012 at 10:11 AM
- Susan F. said...
As a Mainer I can tell you there are many wonderful places here. :)
Camden is gorgeous. I've never heard of garlic powder with the cream cheese and olives. I may try it for my guys sometime.
- April 12, 2012 at 7:37 PM
Thank you for the delicious recipe! I made this for lunch yesterday and it was SO good!
- April 13, 2012 at 7:28 AM
- j.fo said...
I seriously eat green olives on EVERYTHING and I can't believe I've never thought of adding them to cream cheese! Thanks so much for the inspiration. I can't wait to try this tomorrow morning!
- April 13, 2012 at 3:04 PM
My mom made green olives and cream cheese for us all the time growing up, but we ate it on wheat thins. I have never tried it on a bagel, that's next on my list.
- April 13, 2012 at 8:24 PM
OMG! I am ready to pack my house and hit the road! Camden is movie-perfect, AND they have olive bagels. Sign me up!
- April 18, 2012 at 6:19 PM
I grew up with this being made and stuffed in celery sticks. We usually only made it for holidays, but it is delishous.
- December 5, 2012 at 12:46 PM
I have a newfound like for green olives. This totally hits the spot. Enjoying it with some saltines for a light lunch. Thanks for the recipe and the story!
- August 2, 2014 at 11:52 AM
- Heather Perrin said...
After reading this, as I am going thru a divorce, this makes me want to take my kids and move to Maine, or least visit! I have just got done looking Camden up and it looks beautiful!
- October 23, 2014 at 5:48 PM


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Browsing Conference papers by Author "Andersen, Kim Normann"
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Strategies, Business Models, and Management ModelAndersen, Kim Normann; Medaglia, Rony (Frederiksberg, 2009)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: European Commission funded research is driven by the objective of integrating excellent research in Europe by using public funding to gain momentum and sustainability. This paper presents the results of an analysis of the management patterns of 20 Networks of Excellence. Our analysis indicates an absence of business management competences in the project consortia and unclear criteria for sustainability. Sustainability strategies appear to be ad hoc driven and orchestrated by the project monitoring events, rather than built in the consortia management structure. The paper advocates for bringing onboard conventional management models along with strategic positioning, business models, and business plans. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7866
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Cattle grazing reductions likely in some areas under proposal
By Mateusz Perkowski
Capital Press
Some Oregon ranchers would be disproportionately harmed by grazing restrictions under a proposed plan to protect sage grouse, according to leaders of a state cattlemen's group.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management recently offered a draft plan for managing the greater sage grouse, a candidate for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The agency's "preferred alternative" under the plan would prohibit grazing on nearly 118,000 acres in eastern Oregon.
While this represents roughly 1 percent of the 12 million acres of BLM property available for grazing in the region, the closures would be concentrated in "research natural areas," or RNAs, across the state.
Ranchers with grazing allotments within RNAs may be forced to severely reduce their herd sizes if the preferred alternative is adopted, said leaders of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association who have studied the proposal.
"It would be a huge percentage of their total permit, so we're concerned about that," said John O'Keefe, treasurer of the OCA and a rancher from Adel, Ore.
Reducing livestock production in eastern Oregon has an impact beyond the individual ranchers, as it reverberates through to their suppliers and other local businesses, said Bob Skinner, chairman of the group's public lands committee and a Jordan Valley, Ore., rancher.
"Every time you do that, you affect the economy," he said.
The RNA designation wasn't initially supposed to affect grazing, but now it appears that BLM officials have changed their mind, Skinner said.
More grazing land has been added to the RNA category over the years, so it's inappropriate to terminate the practice now, O'Keefe said.
"They're meeting their (rangeland health) objectives with cattle on them now," he said.
The proposal also indicates that grazing curtailments might occur over a much larger land area, if the BLM determines that sage grouse habitat criteria aren't being met, O'Keefe said.
Under the proposal, grazing can be restricted or disallowed within another type of land designation — area of critical environmental concern, or ACEC — if the conditions fall below certain benchmarks, O'Keefe said.
Oregon has roughly a half-million acres of ACEC land within the sage grouse's habitat in the state, according to BLM.
O'Keefe said he's concerned that the BLM will rely on values — like forage density and grass height — to determine the health of habitat, even though these factors vary across different parts of the state.
In other words, some areas are naturally productive and shouldn't be used to gauge the suitability of less productive areas, he said.
"They don't occur uniformly through the range," O'Keefe said. "If it doesn't occur naturally, it's not going to occur even under appropriate management."
Skinner said cattlemen plan "to hold the BLM's feet to the fire" to ensure that its recommendations actually make sense for the sage grouse's health.
The biggest threat to the bird's population is wildfire that destroys its habitat, and grazing can reduce fuel loads to mitigate fire risk, he said.
Even so, opponents of grazing look for arguments to restrict the practice, Skinner said. "Every time they get a situation like the sage grouse, they take full advantage of it."
The Oregon Natural Desert Association, which has battled against grazing in court, believes the practice contributes to sage grouse habitat fragmentation along with fire and other factors.
Over-utilization of native grasses by cattle can make room for invasive species like cheatgrass that are associated with increased fire risk, said Dan Morse, conservation director for ONDA.
"We need to focus on all those impacts and not just one impact," he said.


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Cheat Sheet
Photoshop CS4 For Dummies Cheat Sheet
Getting around in Photoshop CS4 means knowing, not only the basics, but how to troubleshoot problems, use selection and layer-merging tricks, and getting acquainted with the filter gallery and its colors.
Troubleshooting in Photoshop CS4
When you run into a problem with Photoshop CS4, like the program won't do what you want it to, or Photoshop simply won't do anything, try these quick fixes to troubleshoot:
Tools don't work
Deselect. Unless you're trying to work within an active selection, press Command+D (Mac) or Ctrl+D (Windows) to deselect. An active selection elsewhere may be restricting your work.
Reset the tool. Right-click (Control+click for a trackpad) on the tool icon at the left end of the Options bar and select Reset Tool.
Check the Layers and Channels palette. Make sure you have the correct layer active and that the layer (not a layer mask) is active. Check the Channels palette to make sure you have the color channels active.
Commands aren't available
You move the cursor to the menu and click, only to discover that the command you want is grayed out! Your next stop should be the Image→Mode menu. Check to make sure that the image's color mode and color depth are appropriate for the command you want to use. (Many of Photoshop's filters, for example, can be used only with 8-bit/RGB images.)
Fixing Photoshop
When Photoshop just won't work properly, try replacing the Preferences file by using this procedure:
1.Open Photoshop and save your custom goodies. Choose Edit→Preset Manager to save sets of styles, brushes, and other such bits and pieces you created. Use the Save Actions command in the Actions palette menu to save any sets of custom Actions.
2.Review your Preferences. Open Photoshop's Preferences and go through each pane, noting your preferred settings so that you can restore your work environment later.
Quit Photoshop. You can close the program like this:
On a Mac: Hold down Command+Shift+Option and restart Photoshop. When prompted, release the modifier keys and confirm, that yes, you do want to replace the Photoshop settings.
On a PC: Restart Photoshop; then immediately press and hold down Ctrl+Shift+Alt. When prompted, release the modifier keys and confirm, that yes, you do want to replace the Photoshop settings.
Selection Tricks in Photoshop CS4
Say you want to work on a part, or selection, of an image instead of the whole photo. Photoshop CS4 has a large group of selection commands and tools. Here are a few tricks to add:
|Make a selection of all pixels on a layer
|Command+click/Ctrl+click the layer thumbnail.
|Load a layer mask as a selection
|Command+click/Ctrl+click the mask thumbnail.
|Load an alpha channel as a selection
|Command+click/Ctrl+click the channel thumbnail.
|Load all pixels according to luminosity
|Command+click/Ctrl+click the RGB channel thumbnail.
Photoshop CS4 Layer-merging Tricks
Here are some tricks for working with layers in Photoshop CS4 if the Layers palette gets too crowded, or if you need to apply the same filter to multiple layers, streamline your Layers palette, or work with multiple layers as a single entity.
|Merge the active layer into the layer below
|Merge all visible layers into the active layer
|Merge a copy of all visible layers into a new layer
Photoshop CS4 Filter Gallery Colors
Most Photoshop CS4 creative filters use foreground color, background color, or both, and you should select these colors before you get into the Filter gallery. Use this list for important Photoshop filters and the colors they use:
|ArtisticColored Pencil
|Sketch→Graphic Pen
|Foreground + background
|ArtisticNeon Glow
|Foreground + background
|Sketch→Halftone Pattern
|Foreground + background
|Brush StrokesAccented Edges
|Foreground + background
|Sketch→Note Paper
|Foreground + background
|DistortDiffuse Glow
|Foreground + background
|Foreground + background
|Foreground + background
|Foreground + background
|Foreground + background
|SketchBas Relief
|Foreground + background
|Foreground + background
|SketchChalk & Charcoal
|Foreground + background
|Sketch→Torn Edges
|Foreground + background
|SketchConte Crayon
|Foreground + background
|Texture– >Stained Glass


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The Australian government last month released the final version of its long-awaited Energy White Paper. Energy Minister Martin Ferguson's speech to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) launching the White Paper was interrupted by Quit Coal protesters, one playing a fictional mining magnate thanking Ferguson for supporting the coal industry. After the protesters were removed from the stage, the audience (evidently a bunch of dinosaurs) applauded Ferguson's retort that the demonstration said something about the education of young people and he would resume discussing "how we create wealth to create economic opportunities for those young people". Let's look at how the government intends to do this.
The Energy White Paper is a dry document, in more than one sense of the word. Once again I am struck by the contrast between the way the Labor government is portrayed by the likes of News Corporation, and the government's true policies and priorities.
On the surface, the final White Paper somewhat improves on the draft version (and on the dogmatic anti-renewables stance Labor took in Multi-Party Climate Change Committee negotiations) by acknowledging the falling prices and growing role of renewables and proposing demand-management measures. This is possibly thanks to the increasing clout of the renewable energy lobby. It's certainly an improvement on the Howard government's 2004 Energy White Paper, which placed all of its climate eggs in the CCS basket (mainly through a $500 million Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Program which has been perpetually delayed). But instead of advocating further action as is urgently needed, the White Paper merely reaffirms inadequate existing climate policies, claiming "the Australian Government has already put in place the key mechanisms to drive a transformation to cleaner energy".
The big picture is that the government's fossil fuel addiction remains as strong as ever. The Energy White Paper's key priorities include "developing Australia's critical energy resources, particularly gas resources" (p xviii). It plans to facilitate the expansion of fossil fuel mining and export industries at a time when they should be phased out as fast as possible. It boldly says (p. 66): "Coal is, and will remain an integral part of Australia's economy." Gas and coal rate far more mentions in the White Paper than any renewable energy technology. In a nutshell, the shift from Howard's Energy White Paper to Gillard's one is from a fossil-fuel-only approach to an all-of-the-above policy analogous to Obama's, which seems to have originated from a spoof campaign video by Paris Hilton, of all people.
The Energy White Paper advocates at least as much investment by 2050 in coal, gas, and the unproven technology of CCS ($95-125b) as in renewable energy technologies that are available now ($100b). However, the government has delegated responsibility for these investment decisions to the market. This gives an unfair advantage to fossil-fuelled electricity generation, which is profitable today thanks to past government ownership and $13 billion in present federal subsidies (which the White Paper dismisses as routine).
The government envisions fossil fuels will still meet 60% of Australia's electricity in 2035 (compared to 90% today), after which in the words of environmental lawyer Chris McGrath, "the tooth fairy appears". McGrath was referring to the White Paper's assumption that the government's literal pipe dream of carbon capture and storage (CCS) miraculously becomes feasible so the fossil fuel industry can continue to supply 44% of Australia's electricity in 2050. CCS is perpetually decades from being commercial; it is in the fossil fuel industry's interests to hold out the promise of CCS, but not to actually deploy it because it could double the cost of generating electricity.
Figure 1: Australia's electricity generation mix to 2050 in AEMO medium demand scenario. [Source: Energy White Paper]
The White Paper does not include a graph of emissions projections, but the draft version cited Treasury projections showing Australia would meet its (inadequate) targets by purchasing cheap and dodgy offsets from overseas. Domestic emissions would actually rise until the 2030s then fall back to today's level by 2050.
In any case, the largest source of demand for Australian fossil fuels remains unimpeded: our climate policies do not apply to emissions from fossil fuels burned after they leave our borders. Any emissions cuts at home will be far outweighed by the Energy White Paper's planned exponential growth of fossil fuel exports. The White Paper boasts Australia is the world's largest coal exporter and intends we will soon be the largest exporter of liquid natural gas (LNG). It enthusiastically projects Australia's coal exports will double and our gas exports quintuple by 2035 (and as I've written before, the total capacity of proposed coal export ports suggests the reality could be even worse). The excuses for fossil fuel exports don't stand up to scrutiny: our exports are our responsibility.
Figure 2: Australian energy trade projections by fuel, 2008-09 to 2034-35. [Source: Energy White Paper]
Not only does the government want Australia's enormous known fossil fuel reserves to be burned, it also plans to go exploring for new ones. It has requested a Productivity Commission inquiry to "determine whether there is evidence of unnecessary regulatory burden" on energy resource exploration (p. 79). It supports opening up whole new industries in unconventional gas and unconventional oil, which are even more carbon-intensive than conventional fossil fuels. It even briefly mentions protecting fossil fuel infrastructure from climate change impacts.
The Energy White Paper speaks of "a need for industry to engage with local communities and other stakeholders to earn a 'social licence to operate'" (pp. xvi-xvii). It supports existing weak regulations as ways to address voters' concerns about the development of fossil fuel industries without actually hurting the industries – though it seeks to weaken those regulations. It also mentions working through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) on "reducing regulatory burdens", "rationalising carbon reduction and energy efficiency schemes", "streamlining environmental regulations", and promoting "coexistence" of coal mining and gas fracking with agriculture.
Similarly, Ferguson said in his launch speech: "we simply cannot afford to miss opportunities through a lack of understanding or a failure to retain a social licence to operate" and called on the "energy industry" to "step up its engagement with the community, because without their support your business will face increasing challenges." Despite claiming to be technology-neutral, something tells me he wasn't talking to the solar industry. Ferguson also said implementing the White Paper will require "overcoming populism" – perhaps referring to anti-fossil-fuel groups like Quit Coal? He can't have been referring to renewable energy because the overwhelming majority of Australians support it.
If you require further evidence of where the government's loyalties lie, consider that the Energy White Paper was praised by mining industry groups including the Australian Coal Association.
The contradiction at the heart of the Energy White Paper is that Australia claims to support the globally agreed objective of limiting warming to <2°C, yet demand for our planned fossil fuel exports depends on a scenario where the world takes no further climate action beyond what has been pledged in UN climate talks, leading to ~4°C global warming. As the International Energy Agency (IEA) recently warned, the majority of the Earth's fossil fuels must be left in the ground to avoid 2°C. Only a schizophrenic government could both aim to avoid dangerous climate change and pursue an all-of-the-above energy policy. But that is what the Energy White Paper does. It even claims inexplicably: "Through this diverse portfolio of energy exports […] Australia is well placed to help our customers manage their long-term efforts to address climate change."
The only realistic solution to climate change is to phase out fossil fuels. Australia desperately needs an energy policy that will do so, not one based on the delusion that we can afford to burn it all. As Beyond Zero Emissions has argued, Australia's leadership in the wrong direction gives us power to lead in the right direction: by rapidly eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions from our domestic economy, phasing out our fossil fuel exports, and launching international negotiations on a global fossil fuel phaseout.
But I suppose Martin Ferguson would say the International Energy Agency is suffering from a "lack of understanding" of the fossil fuel industry. Ferguson knows better: catastrophic levels of global warming will "create economic opportunities". After all, he doesn't take advice from silly uneducated protest groups like the IEA. He gets his policies from hardheaded mandarins – like Paris Hilton.


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Energy Management: Small Steps Can Pay Big
Like Coins in the Couch Cushions, Savings Are There to Be Had
There's a growing interest in electrical energy management, and it's no wonder as costs continue their meandering upward path. Even as new resources are found, the cost to get to them and to get them to us remains high. Unpredictability, whether induced by weather, mandated reliability upgrades across the grid, time-of-use tariffs or other unanticipated conditions, appears to be the only certainty.
"If you get caught in one of those spikes, that's not good," said Shawn Rash, president of American Energy Solutions, who advocates a "reasonable" approach to energy management. "And a lot of times we don't know exactly what the end game is or where we're starting."
Instead, organizations need to do due diligence to know not only where they're heading, but also where they're coming from, Rash explained in a presentation at this week's ABB Automation & Power World event in Orlando, Fla. "Energy management is not just a single event," he emphasized. "It's ongoing."
As a service provider, American Energy Solutions focuses its efforts on reducing energy costs, reducing energy consumption, managing price volatility and providing sustainability solutions. Speaking of a typical customer relationship, Rash described first looking at an organization's energy rate, whether regulated or deregulated, then managing and reporting that on an ongoing basis. A rate optimization checklist would include an analytical review of compiled data, including cost and consumption, a detailed review of current and other available tariffs, a detailed review of existing purchase contracts and other elements.
In one example, a company was able to save considerable money with a very low investment simply by auditing its bill management and reducing late fees. In another example , this one of a pet food company, a historical study of energy bills was able to uncover huge differences in the average cost of energy at the company's various locations, ultimately learning that some locations were needlessly leaving ovens on all the time, whether they were in use or not. Other efforts have included an infrastructure advisory for new construction, getting the utility company to move things around for better efficiency, negotiating a $650,000 reduction in utilities for a food processor, and finding a seven-year refund and ongoing tax exemption for a grocery store.
American Energy Solutions was able to save ABB's plant in South Boston, Va., $104,700 annually, amounting to a 20% reduction in energy costs. After that initial success, the same ABB plant decided to evaluate its lighting. With a switch to LED lighting, ABB saved more than $45,000 just from the Energy Policy Act (EPAct), and another $21,000 through a retirement-of-current-fixtures tax benefit.
In addition to the tax and energy savings, the ABB plant saved more than 5.6 million pounds of CO2 emissions. Although it was a greater initial investment, switching to LED lights rather than an interim fluorescent move saved more than a million pounds more of CO2 emissions.
Rash contends that choosing the right partner can help you find the energy savings. "You can start picking off five or six projects that you can do," he said. "And then the next year, there will be an even better payback as energy prices go up and material costs go down."


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Home | Afternoon Amusements | Locations | Practice | Tools of the Trade
The C.E. Summer Survey is an easy job; almost like a vacation, in fact. You get up about 6:30 in the morning, plan work for the day, get out in the field by 7:30. During the day your don't have to work much – just tram up hill and down dale with a transit or level on your back, wade through creeks and bogs, over fences, etc. So about noon you come back to headquarters and eat a whale of a dinner – that is, the first week you do; after that you generally have to take lunch along so as not to waste time. The afternoon follows the same course as the morning, and when it gets too dark to see the gradations on the instruments you wander home. After supper the Section walks down to the village to get the mail and chew the fat, or occasionally to sing a little; but about half past seven the Captain gets anxious and drags his gang back to work polygons. This is a nice little easy job – just a matter of looking up logs for an hour, finding the blooming thing doesn't close, and looking the logs up over again. When all the polygons are computed all you have to do is to figure up the day's levels and copy notes from the section book into your own, and then about one o'clock you are all done – nothing to do until tomorrow. Yes, it's easy – good as a vacation. [1919 Transit]
Click on the thumbnail for a larger view of the photograph.
© 2006 Institute Archives & Special Collections


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Theory & Struggle is the journal of the Marx Memorial Library published by Liverpool University Press. Currently published annually, it features articles that grapple with debates taking place within Marxist circles as well studying critical developments in the labour and progressive movements in Britain and internationally, including movements for gender equality, for racial equality and for peace.
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