Book Review: 'The Ancient City' by Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges

'The Ancient City' is a book that deserves to be read over and over again.

It is, in sum, a historical biography of the ancient cities of Athens and Rome (and to some extent, Sparta), and traces the origins of extant western institutions and laws to pagan Indo-Aryan religious practices and rituals. For instance, did you know that the western concept of Property Rights is derived - not from Enlightenment-era philosophy expounded by the likes of Montesquieu as we were taught to believe in school - but in fact from ancestor worship and the sacred fire each family held in its domestic hearth?

It also behooves me to liken this book to a time portal. Fustel de Coulanges paints ancient practices and lifestyles so vividly that you feel fully immersed in that time period. On top of that, the author then goes on to explain - in intricate detail - the rise and fall of such societies and how & why revolutions occur.

The author ends the book with an autopsy on the ancient city, analysing the decline of municipal domination and the rise of the nation-state in its place. This gem is truly a treasure trove of timeless information and lessons that are still very much applicable to us moderns, and we ought to heed the lessons contained within this work.

5/5.

Some brief thoughts on 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich'

Very rarely does a book shake me up so much that I needed a stiff drink upon finishing it. This book did just that. Reading it has also re-wired my entire thought process on what it means to live well.

The plot surrounds Ivan Ilyich who leads the ultimate bourgeois normie life - achieving accolade after accolade; his sole purpose to obtain as much respectability and power as he possibly can. He takes great pride in his social status and finds pleasure in his peers' envy of his success.

He is later stricken with terminal illness and the bulk of the story shifts to cover his thoughts upon facing impending death. He regrets the life he has led for he now sees that it has all been for naught. His wife, and especially his spoilt daughter, have - over the years - become materialistic and self-centered, and his daughter appears somewhat unconcerned with his declining health.

Tolstoy thus explores what it means to truly live a good life through Ivan Ilyich's reflections; that living authentically (reflected through Ivan Ilyich's peasant servant, Gerasim) and cultivating genuine relationships with those around you constitutes a life well-lived, not material success or social achievements.

A loose Japanese adaptation of the Death of Ivan Ilyich titled 'Ikiru' was released in 1952. It's directed by Akira Kurosawa and commonly ranked among the greatest films ever made. This adaptation strikes a more optimistic tone as the protagonist, upon learning he has only a few months to live, goes out of his way to live the last days of his life as purposefully and meaningfully as possible.

This particular scene hit me hard.

Something to think about, for sure. Life is brief and fleeting, yet we spend so much of it focusing on trivialities.