The Wolf and the Lion: Synesius’ Egyptian Sources

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The Sacred Command of the Lord my Brother the Emperor Should Have Come as Something Not to Neglect

Late Roman stereotypes assigned women certain powers.1 Thus for example, when the elder but not senior emperor Theodosius faced a choice between defending the interests of Valentinian II, his ineffective colleague from the previous dynasty, or acceding to the aggression of Magnus Maximus, his countryman, an unimpeachably orthodox Catholic, a proven effective general, and as an emperor one whose imperium Theodosius had recognized,2 Valentinian’s Arian mother Justina could be understood to have swayed Theodosius decisively by offering him her daughter Galla in marriage.3 This scenario enabled hostile interpreters to trivialize Theodosius’s decision as irresponsible appetite and to belittle its execution (e.g., Zos. 4.44.2-4). Invective made women in a narrative a drain down which it flushed male protagonists’ motives. But women might also serve to elevate propriety. Theodosius, married to Galla, was no longer merely Gratian’s fixer. Now he was personally implicated in the family. The parts of Theodosius’s decision that involved inconstantly retracting the acceptance he had granted Maximus earlier, or self-interestedly precluding the chance Maximus might succeed so well in the West that eventually he would strike east with gathered strength, could be eclipsed by the glow with which the marriage suffused Theodosius’s enhanced unity with the family that had made him emperor. Women’s involvement meant family. Familial values won approbation. Thus rhetoric, or representation more broadly, could turn women to either denigratory or exculpatory ends. But real women lived the scripted roles. Social expectations gave Justina and Galla a means to help change history. Theodosius need not have accepted their ploy if he did not have his own reasons to intervene against Maximus. But if by intervening he gained dynastic support, a new sexual partner, and a potential mother of more children, he had so much the more motive to act. It is not the whole truth that Justina and Galla rescued Valentinian’s throne and their own eminence near it, but neither is it false

Gender, Democracy, and the Justice of Athena’s Vote to Acquit Orestes

This essay examines closely how Athena by chartering the Areopagus court resolves the succession of violence on which Aeschylus centered his Oresteia. Neither historical nor dramatic and poetic conventions determine whether Athena calls an odd or even number of human jurors, and does or does not vote with them to create their quitting tie. The interaction of :Orestes\u27, the Erinyes\u27, and Apollo\u27s arguments, together with Athena\u27s reactions, demonstrates that an even-numbered human jury splits equally over whether a human child owes duty more to father or mother. Athena\u27s birth bars her from testing this question on her own sensibility and her celibacy prevents her from Clytemnestra\u27s guilt. Instead she turns to social values. Since judgment of individuals levels out inconclusively, the democratic jury Athena institutes deflects outrage at its verdicts. Similarly, Athena\u27s rule tied jury-votes acquit maximizes satisfaction for the human community within which a case is judged

Deportation Worry, Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Trajectories, and Incident Hypertension: A Community-Based Cohort Study.

Background Worry about deportation has been associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors in cross-sectional research. No research has evaluated this association longitudinally or examined the association between deportation worry and incident cardiovascular disease outcomes. Methods and Results We used data from an ongoing community-based cohort of 572 women primarily of Mexican origin. We estimated associations between self-reported deportation worry and: (1) trajectories of blood pressure, body mass index, and waist circumference with linear mixed models, and (2) incident hypertension with Cox proportional hazards models. Nearly half (48%) of women reported "a lot," 24% reported "moderate," and 28% reported "not too much" deportation worry. Higher worry at baseline was associated with nonlinear systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure trajectories. For example, compared with not too much worry, a lot of worry was associated with a faster initial increase (β, interaction with linear year term: 4.10; 95% CI, 1.17-7.03) followed by a faster decrease in systolic blood pressure (β, interaction with quadratic year term: -0.80; 95% CI, -1.55 to -0.06). There was weak evidence of an association between deportation worry and diastolic blood pressure and no association with body mass index, waist circumference, or pulse pressure trajectories. Among 408 women without baseline hypertension, reporting a lot (hazard ratio, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.15-4.10) and moderate deportation worry (hazard ratio, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.17-4.30) were each associated with greater risk of incident hypertension compared with reporting not too much worry. Conclusions Deportation worry may contribute to widening disparities in some cardiovascular disease risk factors and outcomes over time

Exploring how practising mindfulness affects people's experiences of living with a long-term condition

There is increasing evidence that mindfulness meditation-based interventions (MMBIs) benefit people with many long-term conditions (LTCs), particularly in terms of psychological wellbeing. Most evidence however relates to short-term outcomes, and limited information exists about how people integrate mindfulness into life over the longer-term, and how this affects their experience. This PhD aimed to address these limitations through the research question: How does practising mindfulness affect people’s experiences of living with a LTC? A qualitative approach was adopted, using grounded theory to explore the processes of change. Using two-stage interviews, diaries and focus groups, data were gathered from 34 participants and seven trainers of Breathworks’ mindfulness course. Almost all study participants reported a diversity of physical and/or mental health problems, many with multi-morbidity. Fieldwork was supplemented by a subsequent Cochrane-informed overview of systematic reviews and a critical review of qualitative studies of MMBIs. Participants’ experiences were predominantly strongly positive, identifying significant changes in thinking and behaviour. They described in detail how mindfulness had become part of their lives, enabling them to be more effective and responsive in their self-care. Analysis identified a core process and metaphor of ‘Starting where I am’ on an unwanted journey to an unfamiliar place. This highlighted how people become more aware and accepting of their condition and its impact, but able to see it in a wider context, and thus to take appropriate action. The process was represented in five interrelated themes: Getting a new perspective; Feeling equipped to cope; Doing life differently; Seeing a change; and Finding it difficult. Through exploration of existing chronic illness literature, the study suggests that mindfulness is a powerful facilitator of transition, through which people come to terms with challenging life events. Transition is associated with improved, self-directed self-management, which is significant to both people with LTC and healthcare providers

Futuristic Education: Hopeful Realism

As educators we must look ahead if we want our students to survive, adapt, and prosper in the fast-changing world of the twenty first century. Educators must demonstrate a responsibility for the future. The proper attitude to develop is a philosophy of hopeful realism. With hopeful realism a person has a clear appreciation of the issues and risks that lie ahead but also a recognition of the emerging solutions and opportunities. Hopeful realism teaches not for the computer but rather for how one can apply the knowledge and power gained by using that computer. It exemplifies values that will continue to transform us into useful citizens and relates information to wisdom. It is this philosophy, not science or technology, which should be uppermost in any culture or civilization, simply because the questions it can answer are more important for the continuance of human life. It is evident that the more technological capacity we possess, the more we need enduring values, because the more power that exists, the more we need to control its direction