Technologia imperatores: Unpacking the tech bro fascination with the Roman Empire
At the end of 2023, while Elon Musk was flirting on X with conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair, the two exchanged jokes about a popular trend on social media, which involved asking men how often they think about the Roman Empire. Eighteen months later, St. Clair announced she had given birth to Musk's 13 th known child.
They chose the name Romulus for him, the latest addition to a blended family that the head of Tesla, X and SpaceX privately calls his "legion." As for his three daughters, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg chose names inspired by Roman emperors: Maxima, August and Aurelia. And when the two men considered facing off in an MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fight in 2023, Musk suggested holding it in Rome, at the Colosseum.
Many leaders of major tech companies have a fascination with the Roman Empire. Palmer Luckey, the virtual reality pioneer who shifted to military drones at Anduril, wants to create an ultra-realistic simulation of ancient Rome. Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter (now X), often draws a parallel between the advent of the internet and the development of aqueducts by the Roman Empire. The powerful investor Marc Andreessen has said California is "like Rome in maybe 250 AD, we live amidst an enormous flowering of culture and creativity, but the roads are becoming unsafe and nobody is quite sure why."
Zuckerberg, who has a good command of Latin, is passionate about Rome, to the point that he recently designed T-shirts himself featuring altered Latin phrases. For example: "Carthago delenda est" ("Carthage must be destroyed"), or another that drew some mockery: "Aut Zuck aut Nihil" ("Zuck or nothing"), a nod to "Aut Caesar aut nihil" ("Either Caesar or nothing") attributed to Cesare Borgia, Machiavelli's Prince.
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2 days ago
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Technologia imperatores: Unpacking the tech bro fascination with the Roman Empire
At the end of 2023, while Elon Musk was flirting on X with conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair, the two exchanged jokes about a popular trend on social media, which involved asking men how often they think about the Roman Empire. Eighteen months later, St. Clair announced she had given birth to Musk's 13 th known child. They chose the name Romulus for him, the latest addition to a blended family that the head of Tesla, X and SpaceX privately calls his "legion." As for his three daughters, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg chose names inspired by Roman emperors: Maxima, August and Aurelia. And when the two men considered facing off in an MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fight in 2023, Musk suggested holding it in Rome, at the Colosseum. Many leaders of major tech companies have a fascination with the Roman Empire. Palmer Luckey, the virtual reality pioneer who shifted to military drones at Anduril, wants to create an ultra-realistic simulation of ancient Rome. Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter (now X), often draws a parallel between the advent of the internet and the development of aqueducts by the Roman Empire. The powerful investor Marc Andreessen has said California is "like Rome in maybe 250 AD, we live amidst an enormous flowering of culture and creativity, but the roads are becoming unsafe and nobody is quite sure why." Zuckerberg, who has a good command of Latin, is passionate about Rome, to the point that he recently designed T-shirts himself featuring altered Latin phrases. For example: "Carthago delenda est" ("Carthage must be destroyed"), or another that drew some mockery: "Aut Zuck aut Nihil" ("Zuck or nothing"), a nod to "Aut Caesar aut nihil" ("Either Caesar or nothing") attributed to Cesare Borgia, Machiavelli's Prince.
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Shriya races in a predominantly male-dominated sport, but she's breaking barriers in Indian motorsport. Driven by passion, Shriya hopes to inspire a new generation of racers and put India on the map. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ New important data on the historical and cultural evolution of Ithaca has emerged from the University of Ioannina research at the archaeological site known as Homer's School since the start of the 19th century. Located in the northern part of the island, Agios Athanasios, has as its core a large rock formation at the foot of the village of Exogi, in a green area full of water springs. The excavated antiquities are located on two mounds, which are connected by two carved staircases. The remnant of a Hellenistic tower (3rd century BC) dominates Ano Andiros, while most of Kato Andiros is occupied by a large rectangular building. The earliest evidence of human activity at the site now dates back to the Final Neolithic phase (late 5th/4th millennium BC). They include, among other things, several dozens of flint artefacts and a few hundred fragments of pottery. As far as the Bronze Age evidence is concerned, a few dozen fragments from around 30 different vases from the late 14th and 13th centuries BC have been identified so far. Of great interest is the intact underground fountain/tank on the site, with eccentric boulder walls, one of the few known of its kind. Based on its shape, its structural features and the discovery of Late Mycenaean cylinder fragments inside it, its dating to the Mycenaean paleolithic phase seems highly probable, as previous researchers have argued. 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From the ongoing work of sorting and cleaning (where appropriate) thousands of fragments of Hellenistic/Early Roman roof tiles, 14 examples of sealed tiles with Greek and Latin inscriptions have been identified. Recent processing of the material has yielded a sample which preserves a seal of major importance, with the name [OD]YCCEOC (in the general) to the left. Another fragment shows an incised dedicatory inscription, with the name probably in the dative, perhaps of a pilgrim: ODYC[CEI Regarding interpretation of the complex, the findings of W. Vollgraff's excavation (of 1904) at Upper Andros were taken into account. Of these, some are from the late Roman period, among them a miniature bronze bust with the features of Odysseus, according to the attribution of his figure in Greco-Roman art, but also in the bronze coins of Ithaca of the 4th-3rd century BC. The flourishing function of the building complex is placed in the Hellenistic to early/medium Roman times (up to the 1st/2nd century AD). The ensemble is characterised by robust structures on dandera, incorporating impressive elements of carved architecture, as well as niches for votive offerings or inscriptions, which testify to the intensive cult use of Kato Andiros. The Hellenistic monumental complex can now be linked with certainty with the Odyssey of Ithaca, and with the existence of a sanctuary/hero of Odysseus, which is mentioned, together with related games, in a resolution of about 207 BC from Magnesia in Asia Minor. The character of Odysseus and his exact position in relation to the games have been the subject of fruitful scholarly debate since the 1930s. 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The rehearsal period wasn't always just the hard work crew and artists are used to. In May and June, the temperature rose several times during the day to 30 degrees, which made it very difficult to work in the quarry, where the only shade is provided by the set. They tried to drink plenty of water and wore hats. As the performance starts at daylight and ends in the dark, work often continues until dawn. By then the crew are fighting the cold. Philipp Krenn says that he keeps a winter coat in his dressing room alongside his summer hat, because he has to put it on at night. On the huge stage, 60 to 65 artists perform together at times, and the spectacular set elements dwarf the human being, in particular the sea waves. The director promised that it will be an astonishing sight to see the ship rise out of the sea with the sailors on board. The quarry, owned by the Esterházy family, has been in operation since Roman times. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also the source of the building materials for many of Vienna's iconic buildings, such as St Stephen's Cathedral, which is still supplied with stones from across the stage for repairs and maintenance. Pop princess Sabrina Carpenter has divided fans and sparked moral outrage after revealing the new cover art for her upcoming album 'Man's Best Friend'. Depicting the 26-year-old on her hands and knees in a black minidress while a faceless suited figure grips her hair, fans have argued the image perpetuates patriarchal values and degrades women by relating them to pets. 'This entire thing is so disturbing. Why are we proudly comparing ourselves to dogs,' wrote one commenter on Carpenter's Instagram post. A post shared by Sabrina Carpenter (@sabrinacarpenter) 'Love Sabrina - but this picture - why is the man in there like that? Its [sic] not a very empowering image for women. I think its [sic] a mistake since most [of] her fans are women and as a dv [domestic violence] survivor i find it uncomfortable and id [sic] rather see her empowered than like that,' said another. Responding on Facebook, Glasgow Women's Aid, a Scotland-based domestic abuse charity, called the album's artwork "regressive", adding: 'Picturing herself on all fours, with a man pulling her hair and calling it 'Man's Best Friend' isn't subversion. It's a throwback to tired tropes that reduce women to pets, props, and possessions and promote an element of violence and control." The heated responses also reflect a heightened anger and sensitivity at a time when women's rights are being eroded by governments - and threatened by the manosphere's (a collection of online spaces that promote misogyny) toxic cultural influence. 'This screams trad wife at a time when many of us are fighting for bodily autonomy. It's so poorly aligned with this political moment that it's either intentional trolling or just blatantly out of touch. Either is not ok right now,' one fan said. Meanwhile, others have countered the discourse with reminders that Carpenter has always owned her sexuality by playing with male fantasies - and that outside of the album's wider context, we still don't know its true meaning. 'I'm seeing a lot of discourse about Sabrina Carpenter's new album cover… for those of you who may lack critical thinking skills, the cover is clearly satirical with a deeper meaning, portraying how the public views her, believing she is just for the male gaze,' a response reads on X. Following her mainstream breakthrough last year, with frothy earworm Espresso the most-streamed track on Spotify in 2024, Carpenter has become one of pop's biggest superstars. Known for her tongue-in-cheek playfulness and provocative performances, she sparked some controversy last year after filming a saucy music video inside a church, for which the priest that authorised it was stripped of his duties. While sex has always been an intrinsic part of Carpenter's image and appeal, it's most often utilised for satire and innuendo. In a new Rolling Stone interview, the singer further defended this, saying: 'It's always so funny to me when people complain. They're like, 'All she does is sing about this.' But those are the songs that you've made popular. Clearly you love sex. You're obsessed with it.' Still, despite those that bemoan Carpenter's ongoing backlash as overblown, lacking nuance and missing the point of her hypersexualised and kink-coded brand, contentious discussions continue on the blurred lines between reclamation and regression. 'Satire only works when it clearly exposes, exaggerates, or critiques the thing it's referencing. Rn, Sabrina's cover recreates sexist imagery without disrupting it, so it reads as compliance, not commentary,' one fan said. Earlier this month, the singer performed at Barcelona's Primavera festival for the first time, and released 'Manchild' - the lead single from her upcoming seventh studio album, set for release on 29 August 2025.
