Comments on: All that Caesar had… http://www.ryanholiday.net/all-that-caesar-had/ Meditations on strategy and life Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:06:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Derek Rushforth http://www.ryanholiday.net/all-that-caesar-had/#comment-8058 Derek Rushforth Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:03:39 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/all-that-caesar-had/#comment-8058 Ryan, just came across your site. I recently just ordered this book, even though this post is over a year old. Just wanted to say I enjoy your writing, as much as any collegiate student can. Ryan, just came across your site. I recently just ordered this book, even though this post is over a year old. Just wanted to say I enjoy your writing, as much as any collegiate student can.

]]> By: Tucker Max http://www.ryanholiday.net/all-that-caesar-had/#comment-8057 Tucker Max Wed, 07 Mar 2007 16:35:12 +0000 http://dev.ryanholiday.net/all-that-caesar-had/#comment-8057 No dude--read your history, and read Meier closer. You are only seeing what you want to see, not what Meier writes, and not what the reality is. Doesn't Meier say that Caesar had no allies or friends beyond those that personally benefitted from his success? What does that tell you? Beyond that, I don't care about purity of motives, I care about what the ultimate result is--what did all your efforts lead to? At the end of your life, what can you point to and be proud of? What did Caesar create? Yes, he conquered Gaul, but it's arguable he was the reason the Roman Empire eventually fell. Caesar had the chance to re-install a republic and bring Rome back to its glory, but instead opted to rule as something close to a tyrant. No question Khan was brutal to those who resisted, but to those who capitulated, he gave almost complete autonomy, and enforced free trade and complete religious freedom across his empire. And this was 1000 YEARS AGO! Ask yourself, who has meant more to history, Genghis Khan or Julius Caesar? I don't think it's even close; Khan wins by a huge landslide. Beyond that, how did they die? Caesar, still in his political prime, in a flurry of knives from his friends. Khan died an old man, surrounded by his family, ruling everything within MONTHS of travel. Look at their legacies: The Mongol Empire is STILL unsurpassed in size of empire, Caesar was never really cast out--he choose to leave in order to do what he wanted, to conquer not because he wanted to create something better, but because he wanted to satiate his ego. There is a huge difference between the motivations behind Khan and Caesar, and it is obvious from what they created with their conquering. No dude–read your history, and read Meier closer. You are only seeing what you want to see, not what Meier writes, and not what the reality is. Doesn’t Meier say that Caesar had no allies or friends beyond those that personally benefitted from his success? What does that tell you?

Beyond that, I don’t care about purity of motives, I care about what the ultimate result is–what did all your efforts lead to? At the end of your life, what can you point to and be proud of?

What did Caesar create? Yes, he conquered Gaul, but it’s arguable he was the reason the Roman Empire eventually fell. Caesar had the chance to re-install a republic and bring Rome back to its glory, but instead opted to rule as something close to a tyrant. No question Khan was brutal to those who resisted, but to those who capitulated, he gave almost complete autonomy, and enforced free trade and complete religious freedom across his empire. And this was 1000 YEARS AGO!

Ask yourself, who has meant more to history, Genghis Khan or Julius Caesar? I don’t think it’s even close; Khan wins by a huge landslide. Beyond that, how did they die? Caesar, still in his political prime, in a flurry of knives from his friends. Khan died an old man, surrounded by his family, ruling everything within MONTHS of travel. Look at their legacies: The Mongol Empire is STILL unsurpassed in size of empire,

Caesar was never really cast out–he choose to leave in order to do what he wanted, to conquer not because he wanted to create something better, but because he wanted to satiate his ego. There is a huge difference between the motivations behind Khan and Caesar, and it is obvious from what they created with their conquering.

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