Neville Morley

@nevillemorley

Classics & Ancient History at Exeter (at risk of redundancy), Leverhulme Major Research Fellow; much Thucydides, Marx and decadence, but also beer, cats, bats and obscure European jazz. STILL trying to keep the blog going: .

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Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Jul 18

Young man looks after his ill mother.

A scene from the film Goodbye Lenin, in which a woman is confronted by a half-demolished giant statue of Lenin being transported by helicopter.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Jul 14

I think we have a new contender for Tackiest Bit Of Public Art (sic) Ever.

An incredibly cheap plastic-looking sword stuck in an even more plastic-looking stone, on a green plinth labelled ‘GWR’.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Jun 28

Giving the cats drugs in the hope they will fall into a stupor and not keep us awake all night yelling.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Jun 28

The ‘American Choppers’ yelling meme. “The University of Exeter timed their job cuts announcement for late June to make strike action pointless.” “But it’s just when students are deciding whether to take up places. Lower recruitment will undermine threatened subjects even more.” “You think they don’t know that? That’s the plan!”

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Jun 22

Both aesthetically and philosophically superior:

An Elektra manual espresso machine, a magnificently ornate contraption in gleaming chrome with an eagle on top.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Jun 10

It all just happens. Videos are circulated, big questions are posed, demands are levelled, and all the poor politicians can do is try to ride the wave of anger without quite endorsing violence.

Screenshot of ‘commentary’ from Chris Mason, the BBC Politics Editor, entitled ‘There are some patterns to these incidents’: “In all of the significant differences between incidents like this, there are some patterns that we can tease out.
There's the frequent videoing of incidents that are then circulated online, big questions that are posed about immigration and big questions too about integration or the lack of it.
There is also a demand levelled at the authorities to release information quickly to avoid an information vacuum online.
But with the challenge for the police and authorities is that in doing so, mistakes can be made.
And then there's the political reaction. Political leaders are seeking to articulate the anger, the horror, concern, the fear from many but also seeking to emphasise a desire to avoid protest or even violence.”

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Jun 2

This is a cat check point. Relinquish your most recent cat picture on your phone.

Two Siamese cats - one grey with brown stripes and spots, one white with pale tabby markings and a missing right eye, curled up together.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· May 27

Uh huh.

A Webshop selling a ‘Thucydides T-Shirt’, which is black with a white image of a Greek(ish) helmet and the inevitable misattributed ‘The society that separates its scholars from its warriors…’ quote. Main text reads: “THUCYDIDES T-SHIRT
$35.99
As an ancient Greek historian and thinker, Thucydides believed in the importance of understanding the human condition and the complexities of power, politics, and war. His quote, "The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools," reflects his belief in the essential connection between intellectual rigor and military strength. Thucydides argued that a society must integrate both wisdom and bravery, where informed decision-making and courageous action go hand in hand. His words remind us that true progress and security come from a balance of knowledge and strength, ensuring that both are employed in service of the common good.”

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· May 23

Bonus pic: Hector’s solo album.

A one-eyed Siamese cat lying on a keyboard.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· May 23

The debut.

Four Siamese cats on a wooden staircase.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· May 23

That difficult second album.

Four Siamese cats eating from the same bowl.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· May 23

Previously in this series; yes, there have been some lineup changes…

Four Siamese cats in a fluffy doughnut bed.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· May 23

New album drop from The Thucydides Cats.

Three Siamese cats on a series of shelves going up the wall of a room painted jn duck-egg blue.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· May 15

“Arte non odit nisi ignarus.” Truth.

Picture of the pediment of a classical-style building.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· May 14

Screenshot of a 2016 post on Ex-Twitter by The Thucydides Bot (@Thucydiocy):
“The Thucydides Trap Is a load of crap.
“You can't blame me For tensions in the South China Seas," Says Thucydides.”

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· May 12

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· May 10

I assume that ‘Anthony Seldon’ in The Observer is a parody or art project, rather like Simon Jenkins in the Grauniad?

A picture of an extract from a newspaper column, including the remarkable statement “Tony Blair should be foreign secretary.”

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Apr 20

Week 3: Thucydides’ sentence structure.

BBC headline: be ready to be shocked and offended at university, students told.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Apr 6

This is… a thing.

Screenshot of a post on ex-Twitter: “The guy in the picture you’re laughing at likely has six homeschooled kids reading Thucydides and running businesses , is running a thicket of unshackled military offensive AIs on the cobbled together server rack in the shop (one of the AIs is literally Thucydides himself), and has a brace of kinetic drones in launch racks on the roof. He has more agency and economic capability than any dozen city dwellers combined.”

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Mar 29

But in any case it generates vacuous waffle that borders on gibberish.

Screenshot of a question posed to an LLM and its response: “Was it a good idea to extend the franchise to the working man?”
“A most thoughtful proposition indeed! The great questions of our time—the Irish Question, the expansion of suffrage during recent years—are deeply pressing upon Parliament and society at large. Mr. Gladstone himself has taken considerable interest in these matters; however, I confess that others — myself included — regard such extension with a certain anxiety which one cannot but feel as an affront to the very principles of our constitution itself.”

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Feb 26

Headline for an article by the Daily Telegraph’s Allister Heath: “Allister Heath
Allister Heath is a symptom of a deeply sick, anti-Western ideology”.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Feb 26

Truth.

Mock-up of an article title by the Daily Telegraph columnist: “Allister Heath
If Thucydides is allowed to triumph, the British dream is officially dead”

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Feb 20

Noticeboard outside our local hardware store this morning.

A-frame blackboard on a pavement, reading: “Notice: while investigations are ongoing the following seed potatoes have been withdrawn: Duke of York, Red Duke of York”.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Feb 19

Oh dear…

A cloth patch: red background and gold edging and text. On the left, the symbol of the US Marine Corps. Text: “A nation that draws too broad a difference between its scholars and warriors. Will have its thinking being done by cowards and its fighting done by fools - Thucydides”

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Feb 18

Athenians are strong Melians are weak

Screenshot of a tweet with a picture of a young white man with floppy blond hair in a black vest, with the text: “6'5 Australian TERA-CHAD Androgenic has flown to U.S and BONESMASHMAXXED in order to HUNT down the ASU frat leader and engage in a MOG-OFF to avenge Clavicular after the BRUTAL frame mog incident that took place last week [emoji]

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Feb 17

Screenshot of a tweet by The Thucydides Bot (@Thucydiocy): ‘No, Thucydides did not say that “Of all utilisations of batter, waffles are best.”’

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Feb 11

Yes, I have now remembered this. I still think my idea is better.

Three people on a stage with a backdrop of snow-covered fir trees; left to right, woman in a bikini with a woollen cap, skis and a gun, a man in black suit, white shirt and black tie; a man in blue winter sports outfit and black woollen cap, with skis and a gun. An illuminated sign above them reads ‘Ski Shoot Sing’.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Feb 9

Far out in the unfashionable western spiral arm of the galaxy…

A screenshot of a section of a map of Bluesky account, located according to their followers, showing @nevillemorley in the middle of a cluster of Classixal Studies scholars.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Feb 4

On the one hand, this analysis of the speed US democratic backsliding compared with other contemporary tyrannies from @jburnmurdoch.ft.com is really scary. On other hand, this might be seen as a sign of weakness; they don’t feel they have time to boil the frog gently enough.

A visualisation of ‘democratic backsliding’ over time, comparing the USA with Hungary, Venezuela, Russia and Turkey; the USA isn’t quite at Hungary or Venezuela levels, but it’s sunk in a year to a level that took the others three years or more.

Neville Morley@nevillemorley· Jan 31

Honestly, @theguardian.com, what is the point in using the classic ‘Welcome to Somerset… Twinned with Atlantis’ sign from Farrington Gurney in your photomontage if you can’t actually read the joke?