History's no mystery

Diogenes

Diogenes

Nemo me impune lacessit
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When General von Steuben first set foot at Valley Forge in 1778, a soldier described him as “the ancient fabled God of War”.

He turned a ragtag group of militiamen into a disciplined force who took down the mighty British army.

Here’s how…


Born into a military family, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was always destined to make warfare a career.

At a mere 14 he observed the 1744 Siege of Prague, and at 17 he enlisted in the Prussian army—the most disciplined fighting force in Europe.

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Here he fought in several battles during the Seven Years' War, was promoted to captain, and even served as an aide under Frederick the Great.

But his Prussian military career ended abruptly when he was discharged in 1763, allegedly due to the scheming of a rival officer.


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Nonetheless, Steuben's destiny lay outside Europe. After a decade-long position as court chamberlain for the prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, a small German principality, the newly appointed baron yearned for war.


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After failing to find a position in any European armies, he looked toward America.

Through mutual contacts with American ambassadors, the baron arranged to join the Continental army as a volunteer.


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Due to his military exploits in Prussia and willingness to volunteer, General George Washington looked at him favorably and appointed him temporary Inspector General of the American forces.

In 1778 he arrived at Valley Forge and immediately established a presence. One soldier described him: “He seemed to me a perfect personification of Mars.".

Steuben’s initial impression of the camp was poor. There was no set arrangement of tents and huts and sanitation was poor.

He laid out a plan to have tent rows for command, officers, and soldiers, and established proper locations for kitchens and latrines.

The administrative state of the army was described as “incompetence, graft, war profiteering." Poor bookkeeping meant that no one knew how many supplies were available.

Steuben initiated strict record-keeping and regular inspections, saving the army countless supplies over time.

Despite his organizational and administrative accomplishments, Steuben’s most lasting contribution was the training program he developed for the Continental Army.

Picking 120 men from various regiments, Steuben created an honor guard who set the template for the rest of the troops. The honor guard was used to demonstrate the baron’s training and in turn they would train other personnel.

Steuben’s eccentricity and charisma created a mystique around him. He wore full military dress to each training session, a stark contrast to his soldiers who had little proper clothing at all, while his frequent use of profanity and hands-on approach endeared him to the soldiers.

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Steuben wrote down his drills, originally in French—the military language of Europe at the time—but eventually in English, and developed a manual for the Continental Army. Colonel Alexander Hamilton and General Nathanael Greene assisted him in drafting the program. Steuben’s manual served as the basis for the book “Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States,” or more commonly known as the “Blue Book’. It was used by the US Army until 1814, and influenced their tactics and drills until the mid 19th century.

On a tactical level, Steuben introduced the bayonet charge as an effective maneuver. Bayonets had previously been relegated to tools rather than weapons, but the baron taught soldiers how to use them properly.

At the Battle of Stony Point in 1779, the Continental Army used Steuben's training and charged the British lines, winning the battle with their bayonets. The only muskets that were fired were used as a diversion.

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Steuben was integral to the Americans’ success in the Revolutionary War. It’s possible without his expertise, the US as we know it would not exist today.


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The baron represents the proper integration of foreign talent into a nation. He came as a willing volunteer, offering up his expertise that benefitted his host nation.

He was rewarded for his service when an act of the Pennsylvania legislature granted him citizenship in 1784.

Steuben’s service to the American people highlights the adaptability of the early US, and how it welcomed outsiders if they contributed to America’s goals.

Today the US is caught up in endless debates over immigration policy. Should we look to Steuben as an example?


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The ancient fabled God of War...

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Sixty years ago today, Sir Winston Churchill died.

His death also marked the end of The British Empire, which was not only the largest in history, but also the most important, as it gave birth to the modern world.

However, not many people know that the Empire was book-ended by two Churchills: John, Duke of Marlborough and Sir Winston, who each defeated a would-be world hegemon: King Louis XIV of France and Hitler.

In this three-part series, you'll learn how Sir Winston honed his craft as war-leader through writing the biography of his great ancestor.



 
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Beneath the grand Vittoriano monument in Rome lies a forgotten piece of the city’s past: the Athenaeum. Once a center of learning and intellectual life, it has been buried under centuries of history, its purpose shifting as the world around it changed. Today, its name lives on in institutions dedicated to knowledge.

The Athenaeum was built in 123 AD by Emperor Hadrian. Hadrian wasn’t just a ruler; he was a thinker, a poet, a man who admired Greek culture so deeply that he spent much of his reign bringing its philosophy, architecture, and traditions into the heart of the Roman Empire. He envisioned the Athenaeum as a place where literature, philosophy, and science could thrive—an intellectual hub to rival those of Athens itself.


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The structure was impressive. Built mostly from marble, it had three large halls, each with high vaulted ceilings. It could hold around 900 people, and its acoustics were designed to carry voices clearly, making it an ideal space for lectures, debates, and performances. It wasn’t just a building; it was an idea made stone—a Roman embrace of Greek intellectual tradition.


Hadrian wanted the Athenaeum to be more than just a venue. He wanted it to be a living institution. Here, poets recited their latest works, philosophers debated the nature of existence, and scientists demonstrated their discoveries. It was a place where ideas clashed and evolved, where Rome proved it could be as much a center of thought as it was of power.

For centuries, the Athenaeum remained an essential part of Roman intellectual life. It hosted poetry competitions, philosophical discussions, and even scientific demonstrations. But Rome’s fortunes changed.

As the empire declined, so did the Athenaeum’s purpose. By the 6th and 7th centuries, it was no longer a center of learning—it had become a mint. Archaeologists have found metal ingots and evidence of smelting, suggesting it was used to produce coins. Later, as Rome’s population shrank and the city became less important, it turned into something even more unexpected: a burial ground. The intellectual center of Hadrian’s Rome had become a necropolis.

By the 8th century, the Athenaeum had changed yet again. It was now a barn, housing livestock instead of scholars. The transformation was a reflection of Rome itself—once the capital of the world, now a shadow of its former glory. And then, in 848 AD, disaster struck. An earthquake caused the building’s roof to collapse, burying much of its structure beneath rubble. Ironically, this destruction helped preserve it. While other buildings were stripped for materials, the fallen roof shielded the Athenaeum from further decay.

For over a thousand years, it remained hidden. It wasn’t until 2009, during the construction of Rome’s Metro C line, that archaeologists uncovered its remains. Inscriptions, fragments of manuscripts, and parts of its original structure were found, shedding new light on its history. The discovery was a reminder of Hadrian’s vision and the intellectual life of ancient Rome—a moment of rediscovery for a city that never stops revealing its past.

The Athenaeum’s story is, in many ways, the story of Rome itself. It was built as a place of learning, repurposed for industry, turned into a cemetery, then a barn, then forgotten. And yet, it endured. Even in ruin, it survived. Parts of its structure were reused in later buildings, its memory carried forward in the name ‘Athenaeum,’ which now refers to institutions dedicated to culture, literature, and learning worldwide

Hadrian’s vision didn’t die with the building. It inspired the creation of Athenaeums across the world—most notably the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, a grand neoclassical structure that continues to be a center for arts and culture. The name itself has become a symbol of intellectual pursuit, a tribute to the original institution’s legacy.

Today, the Athenaeum remains an archaeological site, a relic of Rome’s past and a testament to its resilience. It stands as a reminder that knowledge, like Rome itself, is never truly lost—it merely waits to be rediscovered.





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