On the left: the famous historian Tacitus.
On the right: historically accurate depiction of Olympiodorus of Thebes (that’s Thebes, Egypt, not Greece). He was a historian and diplomat who served under Theodosius II (Byzantine emperor from 408 to 450). He had quite the adventurous life, undertaking diplomatic missions that took him from the northern border among the Huns, to the southern border among the barbarian populations that inhabited Nubia, and to Italy in the west.
Most importantly, he always travelled with his faithful friend: a parrot “with which he himself lived twenty years, which mimicked nearly all the acts of a human being. It used to dance and sing, call people by their names and the like.” I’m sure he was a funny guy to have at parties.It used to dance and sing, call people by their names and the like.
“Mostly we figure that means ‘yes’.”
It is incredible to imagine his life. The dude witnessed the sacking of Rome and the growing Hunnic threat, and he saw the Empire crumbling and dissolving while also still experiencing the somewhat intact Imperial power. For me personally, the contrast between the theoretical “Glory of Rome” and the reality - collapse of the imperial structure - is incredibly interesting. He lived right through it.
