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To Chthonia...
... a very happy birthday and all good things.
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How did Germany respond when Britain started decoding the Engima machine?
How did Germany respond when Britain started decoding the Engima machine?
Fabio Paolo Barbieri's answer: They didn’t know. I doubt they ever did; the decoding was kept secret till the seventies. It did sow distrust, because the Germans could tell that information was leaking somewhere. On the notorious occasion when a British submarine entered the ( Read more... ) -
Are Paradise Lost and the Divine Comedy deemed true by the Catholic Church?
Are Paradise Lost and the Divine Comedy deemed true by the Catholic Church?
Fabio Paolo Barbieri's answer: Dante delivers an account of planet Earth which is factually wrong, and may well have never intended it to be factual rather than allegorical. So the word “true” in its most obvious sense certainly does not apply. If you take his story as ( Read more... ) -
Were ancient Finns aware of the existence of the Roman Empire?
Were ancient Finns aware of the existence of the Roman Empire?
Fabio Paolo Barbieri's answer: It can’t be said for certain, but it is much more likely than not. Stories about great empires travel a long way; if China knew about Rome, however vaguely (and vice versa), certainly there is no reason why the early Finns should not. Plus, the Romans knew ( Read more... ) -
Google: follow the law and keep victims of crime safe
Google: follow the law and keep victims of crime safe
I've signed the petition calling on Google to act now to keep victims safe. Will you add your name?
Posted by Fabio Paolo Barbieri on 24 May 2018, 09:33
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How do believing Catholics feel about Dante's Divine Comedy?
How do believing Catholics feel about Dante's Divine Comedy?
Fabio Paolo Barbieri's answer: I cannot help but be disgusted and outraged by the answer that denied Dante any better claim than being some sort of social commentator. I imagine the answerer in question finds Beethoven a nice jingle writer for TV ads and Michelangelo a pleasant designer of ( Read more... ) -
What if Ancient Japan produced a great conqueror similar to Alexander The Great?
What if Ancient Japan produced a great conqueror similar to Alexander The Great?
Fabio Paolo Barbieri's answer: They did. For military genius, boldness and fortune, more than one Japanese commander could be compared to the king of Macedon. But the story of Toyotomi Hideyoshi shows the problem. Where would a Japanese conqueror go once he had subdued ( Read more... )