“contemporary”:

Spengler defines this as periods of a given Culture that occupy the same point on the Culture’s lifecycle and proceeds to provide 12 examples of homologous people/events/cities.

 

Pythagoras contemporary to Descartes:

A classic comparison, the 2 definers of their Culture’s Number idea, both living in the Spring time of their respective Cultures:  Pythagoras 570–495 BC, Descartes 1696-1650 AD.

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Archytas contemporary to Laplace:

Both men were Number thinkers and were active in the fall of their respective Civilizations.  Laplace was a French mathematician (1749-1827) building on work of Descartes moving geometry towards Calculus.  Archytas was a 2nd generation Pythagorean (428–347 BC) who looked to arithmetic rather than geometry for proofs.

 

Archimedes contemporary to Gauss:

Archimedes (287- 212 BC) was the most advanced thinker of Classical Number; anticipated modern calculus & analysis by applying concepts of infinitesimals & method of exhaustion to  rigorously prove a range of geometrical theorems.  Active during the winter period of the Classical Civilization.  Gauss was an innovative mathematician, he worked on advanced areas such as differential, number theory, practical science (optics, magnetism), astronomy & non-Euclidean geometry; active during the winter period of the Faustian Civilization.

 

Ionic contemporary to Baroque:

Ionic was an architectural style developed after Doric (spring) during the 5th & 6th century BC, the summer of Classical Culture. Likewise Baroque followed Renaissance (late spring time) & emerged in the Summer of Faustian Culture,

Polygnotus contemporary to Rembrandt: * see Endnote 45

Both men were famous & widely admired in their own day and in later periods.  Both men had the ability to express in painting deep psychological truths.  Both painters worked in the summer of their respective Cultures.  Polygnotus in mid-5th century BC, Rembrandt in the 17th century AD. 

 

Polycletus contemporary to Bach:

Both men were active in the high summer of their respective Cultures.  Both men were active in their Cultures favoured expressive avenue (sculpture, orchestral music), the medium of their Soul.  Polykleitos was a Greek sculptor in bronze (5th century BC); with the Athenian sculptors Pheidias, Myron & Praxiteles, regarded as a critical sculptor who along with Phidias created the Classical Greek style, particularly with contrapposto (the posture in his statues, the weight placed on one leg).  He consciously created a new approach to sculpture, writing a treatise (Kanon), designing a male nude reflecting his aesthetic theories on the mathematical basis of artistic perfection.  Bach (18th century AD) was a music genious & prolific composer using counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, he explored & developed Western music in the Baroque age.  His compositions have had profound influence on all of Western music.

 

Phillip & Alexander contemporary to Revolution-1789 & Napoleon:

Phillip II king of Macedon, father of Alexander, radically altered the Greek political structure by imposing a federation of cities (himself as head) in 338 BC; planned an enterprise aimed against Achaemenid Empire (First Persia Empire), which was duly carried out by his son Alexander.  This broke the city state model & also saw a supreme war leader emerge (Alexander).  1789 saw the dynastic political model replaced by a democratic & constitutional republic of citizens; with Napoleon a supreme popular military leader emerged. 

 

These are contemporary not because of any functional equivalence, but because both occurred just at the point where Culture was transitioning into Civilization: 338 BC and 1789 AD,

 

building of Alexandria, Baghdad and Washington: * see Endnote 46

Spengler claims the founding of these 3 cities are all homologous (contemporary) as all 3 were built in the transition point between Culture and Civilization, the late Summer period of their respective cultures.

 

Classical coinage to double entry book keeping:

Sometime between 650 and 500 BC, coinage was invented and spread throughout the Greek world.  Croesus (reigned c. 560–546 BC) is credited with issuing the first official state coins of certified purity & weight.  Soon after this they became widely adopted in the Greek mainland & by the end of the sixth century BC most of the city-states in the Greek world had their own coins.  This was during the transition from Spring to Summer period of the Classical culture.  Double-entry bookkeeping is an accounting, system so named because every entry to an account requires a corresponding and opposite entry into a different account.  The double entry has 2 equal and corresponding sides known as debit & credit.  First used in Europe by Amatino Manucci, a Florentine merchant, late 13th century.  He was employed by the Farolfi firm and the firm's ledger of 1299-1300 evidences full double-entry bookkeeping.  This is during the transition from Spring into Sumer in the Faustian Culture

 

First tyrannis and the Fronde: * see Endnote 47

Although tyrants were not restricted to the Archaic period (6th century BC) it was during this time that their rule is most significant.  We see Cleisthenes in Sicyon, Polycrates in Samos, Peisistratos in Athens.  They set the stage for significant political change.  Sparta intervened against these tyrants & assumed Hellenic leadership prior to the Persian invasions.  Simultaneously Persia first started making inroads into Greece & many tyrants sought Persian help against popular forces seeking to remove them.

 

These political events are contemporary because both occur in the early summer of their respective Cultures.

 

Augustus and Chinese Shih-huang-ti:

Augustus first Emperor of the Roman Empire (27 BC- 14 AD); adopted son of Julius Caesar, with Marc Anthony & Lepidus formed 2nd Triumvirate to defeat the assassins of Caesar; following Philippi they divided the Republic among themselves ruling as military dictators.  Eventually Lepidus was driven into exile & Anthony was defeated at Actium (31 BC) leaving Augustus in sole command.  Shih- huang-ti, First Emperor of Qin (259- 210 BC) founder of the Qin dynasty, first ruler of a unified China; born a prince of the state of Qin, becoming king age 13; following the Qin’s conquest of all the Warring States, he became first emperor age 38; substituted “First Emperor “ for king from 220-210, his self-invented title would be used by the Chinese rulers for the next 2000 years.

 

Although functionally similar, the men are contemporary because they both worked in the winter of their respective Classical and Chinese Civilizations.

 

Hannibal to WWI:

Hannibal was the military commander of Carthage at a time of conflict & tension between Rome, Carthage, Macedonia, Syracuse & the Seleucid Empire.  He famously, at the start of the Second Punic War, marched an army (including war elephants) from Iberia over the Pyrenees & Alps into Italy. In his first few years in Italy, he won 3 dramatic victories: the Trebia, Lake Trasimene, and Cannae, where he displayed the ability to determine his and his opponent's respective strengths and weaknesses, and to plan the battle accordingly.  With these victories he won over many former allies of Rome. He occupied much of Italy for 15 years but was unable to march on Rome. An enemy counter-invasion of North Africa forced him to return to Carthage where he was decisively defeated by Scipio Africanus at the Battle of Zama.  WW I (1914-18) was also a long war of attrition, between Germany versus England France & Russia. 

 

These 2 conflicts are “contemporary“ as they both occur at the transition point between Culture and Civilization.

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physiognomic importance:

having to do with or related to the outward appearance of anything, taken as offering some insight into its character

 

Protestantism & Dionysia movement:

This is another set of programmes which are homologous & hence contemporary.  The Protestant movement dates from 1517, when Luther inaugurated the Reformation; it lasted until the end of the Thirty Years' War with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.  This corresponds to the summer Period in the Faustian Culture.  The Dionysia movement, can be dated to the 6th century BC, in Athens of the Peisistratids; as such it is related to the Classic early summer period.

 

Functionally both movements were departures from the established religious practice & sensibilities, less institutional & more personal.

 

English Puritanism to Islam:

Both of the religions/political movements burst into the scene rapidly with huge impact.  Both took place during the late summer of their respective Cultures.

 

English Puritanism:

the founders were clergy exiled under Mary I, returned to England in 1558; played a major role in English history first half of the 17th century; they were English Reformed Protestants in the 16th & 17th centuries who sought to "purify" the Church of England from its "Catholic" practices, maintaining that the Church of England was only partially reformed after its break with Rome under Henry VIII.  One of the its leaders was John Pym, whose movement succeeded in taking control of the government of London in 1641 & 1 of 5  MPs who King Charles I tried to arrest in 1642 sparking the Civil War.  Although Cromwell was not a Puritan, his rule of England (1648-58) marks the high water mark of Puritanism.  It was a phenomenon that occurred in the late summer of the Faustian Culture

 

Islam:

Muhammad (570-632 AD) was the founder of Islam; he experienced revelations that he believed were from God, conveyed to him through the archangel Gabriel, & recorded the content of these revelations in the Quran.  He preached to the people, imploring them to abandon polytheism and to worship one God. Although some converted to Islam, the leading Meccan authorities persecuted Muhammad & he eventually left Mecca for Medina (622) & established his political and religious authority; the conversion of Mecca followed & soon a new unified Islamic polity in the entire Arabian Peninsula emerged..  Following his death his Arab followers in the 7th century established and then rapidly expanded their religious base through military conquest.  Islam burst onto the scene in the late summer of the Magian Culture