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"Un-American" Activities in Hollywood
The Origin and Deeds of the Goths. Then the slaves returned the river to its original course and were killed in order to keep the location of the grave a secret. The famed treasure that went into the tomb with the Visigoth king is believed to be a few tonnes of gold and silver as well as the Menorah from the Second Temple, looted by the Romans from Jerusalem in 70 CE, the Telegraph reports. Given the size of the treasure it’s hardly surprising that many have tried to find it, including Hitler, who tasked Heinrich Himmler with the discovery. Given the supposed location, it’s also hardly surprising that nobody has found the treasure yet. No search until now, however, has had the support of the local authorities or the technical means to examine the riverbed. Commenting on the project in a statement quoted by the Telegraph, Cosenza’ mayor Mario Occhiuto said that there are clues and historical records that confirm the location of the treasure in the tomb of Alaric. The team of archaeologists assigned to the project will have “the latest technical and scientific innovations” at their disposal to find the gold and silver. If the search is successful, it will greatly increase the tourist attractiveness of Cosenza, which, like many other cities in southern Italy, is experiencing serious economic troubles, the Telegraph notes. Yet, the enthusiasm is not unanimous and there are some more cautious voices. One such voice is that of a Mediaeval historian from Calabria University, Pietro De Leo, who told Corierre della Sera that although there can be little doubt as to the location of Alaric’s grave, it is unlikely that the tomb contains any precious metals or artefacts from Roman times. In addition to the excavation works, the project, which aims to commemorate the Goth chieftain, also involves the construction of a museum, something that has sparked opposition from some local historians who claim this would be a humiliation because of Alaric’s record in Italy. The Visigoths overran Rome within three days and then moved south with the ultimate aim of reaching Africa. Their king, however, died in Calabria later the same year and the conquest plans fell through. Cosenza’s mayor dismissed the negative remarks with the argument that Alaric was an important historical figure that played a part in the demise of the Roman empire and as such deserved the attention he is getting with this project. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user: Maitre Francois ]]>
www.rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user: Matt Lachniet, University of Nevada at Las Vegas ]]>
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Cover-up of Paris Massacre Begins
www.nature.com
Born in Vienna in 1755, Antoinette was the fifteenth child of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and the Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa. Part of one of the most powerful families in Europe at the time, she soon drew the interest of other monarchies around the continent. At the age of fourteen she married the future Louis XVI, sealing a new alliance between former enemies Austria and France. Before Louis’ ascent to the throne Marie Antoinette was celebrated as a teen idol in France. Following his coronation however, she became increasingly unpopular. Although stories have inevitably been exaggerated or made up – most famously the belief that she responded to a peasants food shortage by declaring “Let them eat cake” – it is clear that she lived a life almost completely antithetical to her quiet, withdrawn husband. As France entered a period of political and economic turmoil, with support of the monarchical system increasingly sparse, Antoinette’s reportedly debauched life style drew greater and greater condemnation. Spending much of her time away from the king in her private castle, the Petit Trianon, rumours began to circulate of adultery, while pamphlets accused her of ignorance of the French people, greed, and debauchery. Of course, such depictions of the last French queen have stuck. We often consider her the archetype of the excesses of extreme wealth, failing to consider that such portrayals were likely often made with ulterior motives. Indeed, many historians since, such as Charles Duke Yong, have painted her as a generous, modest monarch who tried to reform the morals of the court. Undoubtedly, the French Revolution was a vital moment in the history of democracy, coming in a society which was deeply divided between class. But is accepting the cartoonish images of Marie Antoinette failing to grasp the true complexity of the factors at play in the conflict between monarchy and people?]]>