In earlier chapters it was pointed out that the characteristically Roman virtue of pietas expressed and strengthened family affection and family ties. We may see one manifestation of pietas in the care for the maintenance of children embodied in the institution known as the alimenta, though some writers have regarded increase of population and [RECRUITMENT FOR THE ARMY] as the motive which inspired its adoption by the state.

Private generosity sometimes.. The cost was met from the interest derived from a capital sum donated to the township. The Emporer Nerva adopted a similar plan in founding the ‘state’ maintenance allowances for 5,000 Italian children, as a beginning. The system was extended by later Emporers, especially Trajan, Marcus Aurelius^, Septimus Severus, and it disappeared in the reign of Diocletian.

Briefly, the scheme was this: the treasury made loans to farmers, who rendered a return of the value of their land; the loan was not more than about one-twelfth of the capital value. The farmer paid the interest at 5 per cent. to his local township, which was bound to spend it on the maintenance of children of the town..

The Emporers were proud of the scheme; Alim. Italiæ appers on the coins of Trajan, and Trajan’s Arch at Beneventum shows him greeted by four women, one with a baby in her arms, and by two Roman citizens, one with a boy on his shoulders, the other with a boy at his side. The women, no doubt, symbolise cities.

The foregoing was a verbatim and punctuation accurate excerpt from RH Barrow Pelican Books 1949, a ‘powerful’ cultural education & propaganda tropes, memes & morēs source consciously and semi-consciously for several hundred million political leaders since.

My pleasure to bring to Olivetti Monkeys students.

Don’t overlook the biographical fact I’ve been the Literate-world’s most trenchant and influential McLuhanite scholar and educator for 55 years eh.

John Blundell

‘Headkicking’ Twenty-first ‘Sent 2 re’ Mainstream #Science #History #Ecomomics Politics Futures

Australia

^v students you will enjoi this; for three curious years as we all sit around bemused if not a little more agitated than that by the agonising demise of Romance Era Socratic Syllogisms-neoclassicism or ideological neoliberalism – credit there is of course due to emeritus Prof Chomsky – I’ve had a copy locked in storage with the rest of my library of the late Howard Spring’s Fame is the Spur, published I think by a son or a family trust in say 1940 which you can sort-of guess is the quite fabulous life’s story of the ‘First & Second World’ ‘s first national leader to emerge as inclusive liberal centrist not greedy stupored aristoi & not collectivising committee-person socialists, thereby ‘ushering’ into electoral politics an Art-of-the-possible, Every-player-wins-a-prize, en meme temps, environmentally & socially catastrophic compromising endless-conversation, endless negotiation and endless talkfest meliorism inevitably operated (run) by accountancy-firms that word credit for what is now a radical critique – so Laugh\\\\\Cry Team – of Mussolini’s Corporatism JM Fraser former Western-Victoria Australian prime minister deceased, advertising & public relations industry rabbits, corporate lawyers and senior ancien regime (old party) apparatchiks, spies & ‘hit-men’ DAVID LLOYD GEORGE, first Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor.. Readers ! Have you all drifted off, again? RU awake? Australian Bloke 4 Foreplay Bob Hawke period.. Ha, 300 or some pages into Fame is the Spur our Main-man wheels out he’s fave Marcus Aurelius quote which goes something like this – 1 for the money.. 2 for the sho [ah].. 3 to get ready.. Now GO cat GO/ Drink my liquor from an old fruit-jar Do anything that you want to do But uh-uh baby, lay off of my shoes – in all ages and histories, in all towns and families [dogfights, shit-fights, bun fights, knife fights ‘n cockfights will oft occur but] they’re quickly over [, chaps]