The Honest Broker’s Humanities Course shifts to the Middle East and Persia, exploring the Quran (circa 800 A.D.) and the 13th-century poet Rumi, before returning to Rome next week. The reading, kept under 250 pages, includes 14 of the Quran’s 114 surahs (1-5, 12, 17, 18, 32, 36, 55, 67, 103, 112) and self-selected Rumi poems. New to both texts, I approached them with curiosity, trusting the curator’s selection after prior Bible readings, but found the experience underwhelming.

The Quran portrays Allah as focused on division between believers and unbelievers, with frequent mentions of hell for those lacking faith. Submission to Allah’s will is paramount, and praying toward Mecca symbolizes spiritual alignment and community unity. The text excludes Jews from Abraham’s promise if they do wrong, though some verses suggest salvation for believers, possibly including Jews and Christians. Jesus is depicted as a prophet, not divine, contrasting Christian beliefs. Allah seems to emphasize punishing unbelievers, with hell referenced often, and fasting is highlighted as a path to righteousness, noted during Ramadan.

Familiar Biblical stories—Cain and Abel, Joseph, Moses—appear but differ from their older Genesis versions. Joseph, for example, is nearly perfect in the Quran, unlike the flawed figure in the Bible. The origins of these variations remain unclear after online research. Some Quranic verses, like “God does not burden any soul beyond its capacity” (Surah 2:286), contrast with Christian teachings, such as Galatians 6:2’s call to “bear one another’s burdens.”

Rumi’s poetry feels modern and dreamlike but elusive compared to upcoming Roman poets. Plans are in place to revisit Rumi when studying Dante, a contemporary. The Quran was read on a Kindle (Clear Quran translation), which hindered the experience due to reliance on spatial memory for physical books, making note-taking and recall difficult. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s music and Islamic architecture were briefly explored but felt overwhelming. Next week’s reading covers Virgil’s Aeneid (Books 1 and 2), Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Book 1), and selections from Horace, Catullus, and Sulpicia in Davenport’s Portable Roman Reader, with Verdi and Puccini arias and cave art.

LINKS

Ted Gioia/The Honest Broker’s 12-Month Immersive Humanities Course (paywalled!)

My Amazon Book List (NOT an affiliate link)

Rumi's Poems

CONNECT

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Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

Can you be scandalized by a 2000-year-old book? I think I was with Suetonius’ Lives of the Caesars, a gripping, gossipy account of the first twelve Roman emperors, from Julius Caesar to Domitian. Written around 120 AD, Suetonius’ work (part of The Honest Broker’s “Humanities in 52 Weeks” list) blends history with salacious details, offering a vivid, if dark, portrait of power, excess, and moral decline. It's not exactly light beach reading but proved endlessly fascinating for its unapologetic dive into the personal lives of Rome’s rulers.

Suetonius, born around 70 AD to a Roman knight family, organizes the book into twelve biographies, which I've listed here for easy reference:

• Julius Caesar
• Augustus
• Tiberius
• Caligula
• Claudius
• Nero
• Galba
• Otho
• Vitellius
• Vespasian
• Titus
• Domitian.

Notably, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, from the chaotic years of 68-69 AD, were barely recognized as emperors. Each biography sketches the ruler’s family background, reign, military campaigns, and personal habits, with Suetonius excelling in the juicy details of their excesses. His vivid prose, like describing Caligula as transitioning from “emperor” to “monster,” reveals the depravity of unchecked power—think murders, incest, and shocking debauchery.

The book’s strength lies in its storytelling, but its darkness—wanton death, sexual depravity, and a lack of heroism—can be exhausting. The Roman people’s hope for better rulers is repeatedly dashed, as seen when Caligula’s assassination leads to Claudius, another cruel leader. The complex web of intermarriage and adoptions among the Julio-Claudians is dizzying, with family trees barely helping. Economically, Suetonius notes rising “value” in Roman real estate under Julius Caesar, missing that this was inflation driven by reckless state spending, a recurring issue that strained the empire and its people.

Suetonius’ perspective, shaped by living through Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian’s reigns, adds depth, though his distance from earlier emperors allows for embellishment. This week's music was Mozart’s symphonies 39-41, sweetness and light compared to Rome’s darkness.

This is a year-long challenge! Join me next week for the Koran and the poems of Rumi.

LINK

Ted Gioia/The Honest Broker’s 12-Month Immersive Humanities Course (paywalled!)

My Amazon Book List (NOT an affiliate link)

I misspoke! Gates of Fire was written by Steven Pressfield, not Victor Davis Hansen. Sorry about that!

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

Episode Overview

This week, I consider the Stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations and Epictetus’ Enchiridion, part of Ted Gioia’s Humanities List (link below!). Moving from Greek dramas to 2nd-century Roman Stoics, we first talk about the move from Greek lit to Roman, how the mindset and history will impact what we read. I cover Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus in depth, mention Admiral Stockdale (a modern Stoic) and end the episode with Rudyard Kipling's poem "If."

Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations

Meditations, the private journal of a Roman emperor, emphasizes self-focus, humility, and inner peace. Key takeaways include:

• Focus on your own mind and skills, not others’ actions or opinions.
• Embrace nature to cultivate curiosity and appreciation for the world.
• Accept life’s brevity and smallness, acting virtuously without expecting rewards.
• Find peace within, not in external escapes like vacation homes.
• Hold pleasures loosely to achieve contentment in the present moment.
• I note the surprising modernity of Aurelius’ advice but question its contradictions, like the futility of life versus the call to virtue.

Epictetus’ Enchiridion

Epictetus, a former slave turned philosopher, offers a direct, practical guide in The Enchiridion. I prefer Epictetus’ straightforward style, finding it more relatable than Aurelius’ introspections. Highlights include:

• Distinguish what harms the body from what affects the will—Epictetus’ own lameness adds poignancy to this teaching.
• Know your limits and operate fully within them, committing wholeheartedly to your purpose.
• Avoid excess in speech, laughter, or indulgence, embracing simplicity.
• Consider the parallels to Biblical teachings like Colossians 3:17.

Reflections and Challenges

I don't love Stoicism, as I think it sacrifices deep love and beauty. But there's no doubt that its ideals have a place in society--Stockdale and Kipling both reflect that. Translation struggles (George Long’s arcane 1877 version versus Gregory Hays’ readable Meditations) and time management issues due to travel delayed this week’s reading. Classical music (Haydn’s Symphonies 45, 94, and 104) enriched the experience, though I skipped the art.

What’s Next

Next week, I explore Suetonius’ Twelve Caesars with Mozart’s symphonies and Italian art by Botticelli and Caravaggio. Subscribe to follow the journey!

LINKS

Ted Gioia/The Honest Broker’s 12-Month Immersive Humanities Course (paywalled!)

My Amazon Book List (NOT an affiliate link)

Haydn's Surprise Symphony

Admiral James Stockdale

Spencer Klavan (Modern Classicist)

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

LISTEN

Spotify -