“Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” - Thomas Hobbes
“Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.” Jean Jacques Rousseau
In January 1238 the Moskva River was frozen solid. This made it a great highway for the advancing army. The Golden Horde was commanded by Batu, the grandson of Genghis Khan. Batu only knew victory and approaching Moscow he must have felt confident in continued success on the battlefield. His latest round of imperial conquest had begun the year before.
In 1237 Batu marched on Riazan. He was seeking a tribute of ten percent of armaments and of the armed men. Iurii Igorevich the prince of Riazan refused. This meant a battle would ensue. Iurii reached out to the nearby cities requesting aid, but it would be too slow in coming. Riazan fell to Batu.
Batu continued his advance. Geoffrey Hosking in his book Russia and the Russians notes:
“In Vladimir many of the inhabitants took refuge in the Cathedral of the Assumption, where they were burned alive or hacked to death by the assailants if they tried to escape. Suzdal suffered a similar fate: they plundered the church of the Holy Virgin and burned down the Monastery of St. Dimitri, and the others they plundered. The old monks and nuns and priests and the blind, lame, hunchbacked, and sick they killed, and the young monks and nuns and priests and priests’ wives and deacons and their wives, and their daughters and sons-all were led away into captivity.”
Moscow was a town of about 6,000 people when Batu Khan began his march on the city. The defense of the city fell to Phillip the Tutor. Simon Morrison in his book A Kingdom and a Village writes about the attack as follows:
“The commander sat on his horse as the enemy approached then reinforced his head with the sign of the cross, opened the gates of Moscow and screamed. The mongols imagined a huge army coming at them even though there wasn’t one and retreated. Batu advanced captured Philip alive, tore him apart and scattered the pieces in a field. The commander of Moscow died, the primary chronicle declares for his orthodox Christian faith. The mongols torched Moscow’s walled wooden palace, churches, and everything else.”
The Golden Horde could not be defeated and thus began the 240 year Mongol yoke over Moscow and the other cities of Russia. Until someone could rise up and throw off the shackles that bound them Russia would be controlled by foreign power. The jungle only respected the strongest.
Great literature should do more than entertain us. It should provide a roadmap to improving our lives.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens introduced readers to Sydney Carton, one of literature's most compelling and deeply flawed characters. Dickens also gives him an unusual title: the Jackal.
His struggles raise questions that remain relevant today.
Are we defined by our past mistakes? Can we overcome our weaknesses? What separates the people we are from the people we could become?
Lessons From the Jackal is a 25-day character study exploring these questions through Sydney Carton’s life, decisions, relationships, and personal development.
This is not a traditional course on A Tale of Two Cities. Our reading assignments will focus specifically on Carton, with sufficient background provided to understand his story. No previous knowledge of the novel is necessary.
Each day will feature selected readings, historical comparisons, reflection questions, discussions, and practical challenges ...
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)
Samuel Johnson was among the most influential literary figures of eighteenth-century England.
He achieved extraordinary intellectual distinction through his essays, poetry, criticism, and his celebrated Dictionary of the English Language.
Yet Johnson’s personal life was far from uncomplicated.
He struggled with recurring melancholy, anxiety about his spiritual condition, and profound dissatisfaction with himself.
Despite these difficulties, Johnson demonstrated remarkable generosity toward people in need.
He provided financial assistance, offered hospitality, and maintained relationships with individuals who were frequently overlooked or marginalized by polite society.
Johnson’s life provides an interesting contrast to Sydney Carton’s.
Both men possessed exceptional intellectual abilities.
Both experienced deep personal dissatisfaction.
But Johnson repeatedly converted his abilities into substantial achievements while also demonstrating compassion through his ...
