On the study of history

A laconic comment from Demetrius Lacon

"The more we know of history, the less shall we esteem the subjects of it; and to despise our species is the price we must too often pay for our knowledge of it."
Lacon
quoted in Beacon 3:4 New Series
11 December 1841
p. 32

Your editor, colleague, and friend can certainly attest to this. When first I returned to university in pursuit of a graduate education in history, it was my hope to better understand how an American (and, for that matter, French) Revolution could begin dedicated to liberty, equality, and the brotherhood/sisterhood of mankind , yet result arguably in an authoritarian empire bent on conquest. The answers are there, but are not particularly pleasant to digest. Readers of this blog can expect more discussion of this topic in forthcoming posts, but for now I will leave you today with some background on Lacon and the origins of the adjective “laconic.”

First, Lacon: Demetrius Lacon or Demetrius of Laconia (Greek: Δημήτριος; fl. late 2nd century BC), an Epicurean philosopher and a disciple of Protarchus. Lacon was an older contemporary of Zeno of Sidon and a teacher of Philodemus. He is not as much remembered today, but widely quoted by late 18th and early 19th century

Second, Laconia: an ancient country in southern Greece. The capital city was Sparta, and the Spartans were famous for their terseness of speech. Laconic comes to us from Greek Lakōnikos, derived from Lakōn, meaning "native of Laconia." This word has been used since the 16th century and sometimes used with the basic meaning "of or relating to Laconia or its inhabitants." We are more likely to use Laconian for this meaning today. In current use, laconic means "terse" or "concise," and recalls the Spartan tendency to use the fewest words possible.

Behold ! Clio, the muse of history: