Tanaquil Optima
@tanaquil-optima.bsky.social
1. US politics
2. Cat pictures to pay for trauma of above
3. Arcane bits of ancient history/archaeology/religion that make me happy
4. Snark
Mundus sine Caesaribus. MAGA delenda est.
2. Cat pictures to pay for trauma of above
3. Arcane bits of ancient history/archaeology/religion that make me happy
4. Snark
Mundus sine Caesaribus. MAGA delenda est.
Pinned
An excellent work on the subject and very apropos of current events.
The philosopher Celsus on the perspective of anti-intellectual Christians of his time: "Let no one educated, no one wise, no one sensible draw near. For these abilities are thought by us to be evils."
The philosopher Celsus on the perspective of anti-intellectual Christians of his time: "Let no one educated, no one wise, no one sensible draw near. For these abilities are thought by us to be evils."
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
You ever think about how the Roman Senate kept meeting centuries into the reigns of emperors. Hanging out, shooting the shit, giving speeches, and play-acting that their positions of privilege remained positions of power.
January 3, 2026 at 6:36 PM
You ever think about how the Roman Senate kept meeting centuries into the reigns of emperors. Hanging out, shooting the shit, giving speeches, and play-acting that their positions of privilege remained positions of power.
😹😹😹😹😹😹
January 3, 2026 at 11:25 PM
😹😹😹😹😹😹
For a balanced Bluesky diet, a cat pic. Maybe Aenghus had the right idea during the fireworks for 2026 in general.
January 3, 2026 at 11:06 PM
For a balanced Bluesky diet, a cat pic. Maybe Aenghus had the right idea during the fireworks for 2026 in general.
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
Well, it didn't take long for 2026 to go dramatically sideways in terms of American (and Venezuelan, and ultimately many other countries') politics.
I mean, not unexpected, but it would have been nice to get through the first weekend quietly. You know, since the year only started on Thursday.
I mean, not unexpected, but it would have been nice to get through the first weekend quietly. You know, since the year only started on Thursday.
January 3, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Well, it didn't take long for 2026 to go dramatically sideways in terms of American (and Venezuelan, and ultimately many other countries') politics.
I mean, not unexpected, but it would have been nice to get through the first weekend quietly. You know, since the year only started on Thursday.
I mean, not unexpected, but it would have been nice to get through the first weekend quietly. You know, since the year only started on Thursday.
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
What if none of these things is a distraction from the other things and instead they're all just horrible things
January 3, 2026 at 8:03 PM
What if none of these things is a distraction from the other things and instead they're all just horrible things
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
Lysistrata would be a fun Democratic position for the midterms
December 31, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Lysistrata would be a fun Democratic position for the midterms
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
I am tired of Trump continuing to be in power and the endless parade of whatever new terrible idea he has and whatever new rich felon he pardons and whatever new poisonous lackey he empowers this week.
But every single one of those things deepens my determination to resist.
But every single one of those things deepens my determination to resist.
I am annoyed by the persistence of 'resist libs are tired of resisting Trump' line.
No Kings put record-breaking numbers of people into the streets, specials/off-years are at D+10 or more.
I don't think the resist libs are tired. I think some writers are tired of writing about resist libs.
No Kings put record-breaking numbers of people into the streets, specials/off-years are at D+10 or more.
I don't think the resist libs are tired. I think some writers are tired of writing about resist libs.
December 30, 2025 at 12:46 AM
I am tired of Trump continuing to be in power and the endless parade of whatever new terrible idea he has and whatever new rich felon he pardons and whatever new poisonous lackey he empowers this week.
But every single one of those things deepens my determination to resist.
But every single one of those things deepens my determination to resist.
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
This is the first time I've seen this point made and wow, 🤯.
I always find these articles misleading because even though America is secularizing more and more, the American’s who aren’t secularizing have the most wealth, assets, homes, and most political power by far. So secularizing is really a nothing burger until some of the wealth class does it too
December 30, 2025 at 12:02 AM
This is the first time I've seen this point made and wow, 🤯.
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
Oldest Living Cat - Guinness World Records
YouTube video by Guinness World Records
youtu.be
December 29, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
Daaaaamn this holiday sugar crash/normal seasonal depression/2025 retrospective crossover is ROUGH
December 29, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Daaaaamn this holiday sugar crash/normal seasonal depression/2025 retrospective crossover is ROUGH
Those are some killer vertical beard waves. Was he a facial hair trend-setter as well as a historiographical one? Need to find more contemporaneous portrait busts to confirm.
Head of Herodotos; Greek inscription. ΗΡΟΔΟΤΟϹ -Hērodotos-
Roman copy of the Imperial era (A.D. 2nd century) after a Greek bronze original of the first half of the 4th century B.C.
From Benha (ancient Athribis), Lower Egypt.
MMA Department of Greek and Roman Art, Gallery 162.
(See Alt for more)
Roman copy of the Imperial era (A.D. 2nd century) after a Greek bronze original of the first half of the 4th century B.C.
From Benha (ancient Athribis), Lower Egypt.
MMA Department of Greek and Roman Art, Gallery 162.
(See Alt for more)
December 29, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Those are some killer vertical beard waves. Was he a facial hair trend-setter as well as a historiographical one? Need to find more contemporaneous portrait busts to confirm.
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
Politics is not fan culture—none of these people are your friends. There are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.
We can be grateful that MTG is against Trump without liking her or thinking of her as a long-term ally. The anti-Trump coalition must be huge.
We can be grateful that MTG is against Trump without liking her or thinking of her as a long-term ally. The anti-Trump coalition must be huge.
December 29, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Politics is not fan culture—none of these people are your friends. There are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.
We can be grateful that MTG is against Trump without liking her or thinking of her as a long-term ally. The anti-Trump coalition must be huge.
We can be grateful that MTG is against Trump without liking her or thinking of her as a long-term ally. The anti-Trump coalition must be huge.
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
Just when we thought The Internet had nothing left to give, it gives us this. 😍
#MosaicMonday
Image from fatcatart.com?lang=en.
#MosaicMonday
Image from fatcatart.com?lang=en.
December 29, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Just when we thought The Internet had nothing left to give, it gives us this. 😍
#MosaicMonday
Image from fatcatart.com?lang=en.
#MosaicMonday
Image from fatcatart.com?lang=en.
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
Good morning and welcome to marvellous marmalade Monday
Appreciate the moments that make you smile
Appreciate the moments that make you smile
December 29, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Good morning and welcome to marvellous marmalade Monday
Appreciate the moments that make you smile
Appreciate the moments that make you smile
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
Next time someone says they don’t have to apologize for being white anymore, ask them to tell about the most recent time they were forced to apologize for being white and who made them do it.
December 29, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Next time someone says they don’t have to apologize for being white anymore, ask them to tell about the most recent time they were forced to apologize for being white and who made them do it.
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
if you're wondering why your trans friends everywhere are a little on edge right now, it's because a story about a radical conservative christian student abusing rules and processes to deliberately target a trans instructor consistently gets reframed to omit the entirety of the anti-trans bigotry
If you’re wondering why your friends in academia are a little on edge right now, it’s because an eighteen-year-old who hasn’t done the reading, doesn’t look at the assignment, and has does no critical thinking skills more complex than “because I think it’s in the Bible” can literally end your career
The University of Oklahoma has removed an instructor who was accused by a student of religious discrimination over a failing grade on a psychology paper in which she cited the Bible and argued that promoting a “belief in multiple genders” was “demonic.” https://cnn.it/4b6g3rd
December 24, 2025 at 8:55 PM
if you're wondering why your trans friends everywhere are a little on edge right now, it's because a story about a radical conservative christian student abusing rules and processes to deliberately target a trans instructor consistently gets reframed to omit the entirety of the anti-trans bigotry
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
every time I can recall from history that a group has centered a culture of martial virtue to the point of conflict,
the "soft intellectuals" the warriors distinguish themselves from have learned war real quick, dominate because they pay attention to details, and then go back to art and nerdy stuff
the "soft intellectuals" the warriors distinguish themselves from have learned war real quick, dominate because they pay attention to details, and then go back to art and nerdy stuff
December 24, 2025 at 8:43 PM
every time I can recall from history that a group has centered a culture of martial virtue to the point of conflict,
the "soft intellectuals" the warriors distinguish themselves from have learned war real quick, dominate because they pay attention to details, and then go back to art and nerdy stuff
the "soft intellectuals" the warriors distinguish themselves from have learned war real quick, dominate because they pay attention to details, and then go back to art and nerdy stuff
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
. . . for some reason I'm skeptical of an argument for the preeminence of military history by a user named "Roman Helmet Guy".
December 24, 2025 at 9:44 PM
. . . for some reason I'm skeptical of an argument for the preeminence of military history by a user named "Roman Helmet Guy".
Reposted by Tanaquil Optima
If I were still teaching US History, I would gather images of the oval office over time and ask students to analyze what the decorations, including the choice of portraits, busts, etc, tells us about how a particular president understands the history of the US. 🗃️ www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
A 3-D Look Inside Trump’s Revamped Oval Office (Gift Article)
Take a 3-D tour of the president’s office, where he covered more than a third of wall space with gold.
www.nytimes.com
December 24, 2025 at 2:10 PM
If I were still teaching US History, I would gather images of the oval office over time and ask students to analyze what the decorations, including the choice of portraits, busts, etc, tells us about how a particular president understands the history of the US. 🗃️ www.nytimes.com/interactive/...