Maryann Philip

Reading about the United States Justice Department investigation of Ferguson, Missouri has me thinking about what happened to Leonardo da Vinci when he was a young man.

The Justice Department investigation has decided that, after the botched investigation, the evidence was too contradictory to support a criminal prosecution of the Ferguson, Missouri officer who shot Michael Brown. Instead, they are going after the City of Ferguson, for the way its criminal justice system operated. DOJ is saying, among other things, that the criminal justice system in Ferguson became a money–making device, which violates due process of law.

Leonardo was a victim of a money–making criminal justice system: the Florentine "Office of the Night." The Night Office spearheaded a witch hunt for homosexuals that reached its zenith around the time Leonardo was anonymously accused of homosexuality and publically arrested, then released for lack of evidence. The anonymous accusation against Leonardo, three other men and a seventeen year old with no known connections simply labelled them as homosexuals, without explaining how "anonymous" could have known about the intimate lives of all five. Under modern legal standards Leonardo could not have been arrested, much less jailed indefinitely based on such an accusation. But that is precisely what happened.

During Leonardo's time, over 50% of males in Florence were formally accused of homosexuality to the Night Office– sixty percent of men who lived to forty years of age. It specialized in coerced confessions–but it did not get one from Leonardo. Which is remarkable, once you understand how it worked.

I wrote about this in Da Vinci Detects http://www.amazon.com/Vinci-Detects-Renaissance-Featuring-Machiavelli-ebook/dp/B00PFAP1VS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459294075&sr=8-1&keywords=da+vinci+detects – a murder mystery from Real History Mystery Press that details, as historical background, the abuses of the Night Office, including the story of Leonardo's treatment and how it changed his life and reputation. In Da Vinci Detects you will also meet other Renaissance greats, like Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Raphael and Botticelli, all of whom were together in Florence at the time, as a matter of historic fact. Botticelli, in fact, was also anonymously accused to the Night Office.

Which brings me back to Ferguson, Missouri. I won't comment on the DOJ's allegations, which I have not followed closely. But here is the analogy to fifteenth century Italy: under the Office of the Night, the judges, police, and anonymous citizen accusers were all paid directly out of the heavy fines imposed on convicted homosexuals–a system that was regarded as "liberal" at the time, since homosexuals were routinely executed elsewhere during that era. But paying everyone involved for convictions resulted in huge numbers of accusations and arrests, numbers that dwarfed criminal prosecutions for homosexuality elsewhere. And once arrested, the accused were subjected to a wide variety of pressures, occasionally including torture, to get them to confess.

All this is explained at greater length and –ironically –in an entertaining way in Da Vinci Detects. http://www.amazon.com/Vinci-Detects-Renaissance-Featuring-Machiavelli-ebook/dp/B00PFAP1VS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459294075&sr=8-1&keywords=da+vinci+detects

Do you see the analogy here? When justice becomes about money, weak and despised minorities get victimized. In Renaissance Italy, it was homosexuals and juveniles. In Ferguson, Missouri, it is blacks. In both places, many were arrested on pretense. Some were guilty, but many were innocent. And the facts are so distorted by a biased system that it is impossible to know the guilty from the innocent. In this kind of justice "system," people get labelled for bad reasons. Even though he was not convicted, Leonardo da Vinci has been labelled a homosexual pedophile for five hundred years, based on no evidence whatsoever.

Guilt or innocence becomes secondary when justice is about money.

This entry was posted in Blog on March 29, 2016 by mary bernard.

LEONARDO DA VINCI AND FERGUSON, MISSOURI

Reading about the United States Justice Department investigation of Ferguson, Missouri has me thinking about what happened to Leonardo da Vinci when he was a young man.
The Justice Department investigation has decided that, after the botched investigation, the evidence was too contradictory to support a criminal prosecution of the Ferguson, Missouri officer who shot Michael Brown. Instead, they are going after the City of Ferguson, for the way its criminal justice system operated. DOJ is saying, among other things, that the criminal justice system in Ferguson became a money–making device, which violates due process of law.
Leonardo was a victim of a money–making criminal justice system: the Florentine "Office of the Night." The Night Office spearheaded a witch hunt for homosexuals that reached its zenith around the time Leonardo was anonymously accused of homosexuality and publically arrested, then released for lack of evidence. The anonymous accusation against Leonardo, three other men and a seventeen year old with no known connections simply labelled them as homosexuals, without explaining how "anonymous" could have known about the intimate lives of all five. Under modern legal standards Leonardo could not have been arrested, much less jailed indefinitely based on such an accusation. But that is precisely what happened.
During Leonardo's time, over 50% of males in Florence were formally accused of homosexuality to the Night Office– sixty percent of men who lived to forty years of age. It specialized in coerced confessions–but it did not get one from Leonardo. Which is remarkable, once you understand how it worked.
I wrote about this in Da Vinci Detects http://www.amazon.com/Vinci-Detects-Renaissance-Featuring-Machiavelli-ebook/dp/B00PFAP1VS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459294075&sr=8-1&keywords=da+vinci+detects – a murder mystery from Real History Mystery Press that details, as historical background, the abuses of the Night Office, including the story of Leonardo's treatment and how it changed his life and reputation. In Da Vinci Detects you will also meet other Renaissance greats, like Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Raphael and Botticelli, all of whom were together in Florence at the time, as a matter of historic fact. Botticelli, in fact, was also anonymously accused to the Night Office.
Which brings me back to Ferguson, Missouri. I won't comment on the DOJ's allegations, which I have not followed closely. But here is the analogy to fifteenth century Italy: under the Office of the Night, the judges, police, and anonymous citizen accusers were all paid directly out of the heavy fines imposed on convicted homosexuals–a system that was regarded as "liberal" at the time, since homosexuals were routinely executed elsewhere during that era. But paying everyone involved for convictions resulted in huge numbers of accusations and arrests, numbers that dwarfed criminal prosecutions for homosexuality elsewhere. And once arrested, the accused were subjected to a wide variety of pressures, occasionally including torture, to get them to confess.
All this is explained at greater length and –ironically –in an entertaining way in Da Vinci Detects. http://www.amazon.com/Vinci-Detects-Renaissance-Featuring-Machiavelli-ebook/dp/B00PFAP1VS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459294075&sr=8-1&keywords=da+vinci+detects
Do you see the analogy here? When justice becomes about money, weak and despised minorities get victimized. In Renaissance Italy, it was homosexuals and juveniles. In Ferguson, Missouri, it is blacks. In both places, many were arrested on pretense. Some were guilty, but many were innocent. And the facts are so distorted by a biased system that it is impossible to know the guilty from the innocent. In this kind of justice "system," people get labelled for bad reasons. Even though he was not convicted, Leonardo da Vinci has been labelled a homosexual pedophile for five hundred years, based on no evidence whatsoever.
Guilt or innocence becomes secondary when justice is about money.
This entry was posted in Blog on March 29, 2016 by mary bernard.

Reading about the United States Justice Department investigation of Ferguson, Missouri has me thinking about what happened to Leonardo da Vinci when he was a young man.

Guilt or innocence becomes secondary when justice is about money.
This entry was posted in Blog on March 29, 2016 by mary bernard.

Gay Rights, Discrimination, Justice for Homosexuals, History of Persecution Gays Homosexuals

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Why Did Martin Luther Publish his 95 Theses on Halloween?

November 1, 2017

Tags: Reformation Sunday, Reformation Day, Halloween and Reformation Day, Martin Luther, 500th anniversary Protestant Reformation', 95 theses, Martin Luther in Rome

Why did Martin Luther choose Halloween to launch his 95 theses?

Halloween is a Celtic holiday, so it was likely unknown in Luther's Germany. But All Saint's Day is the next day, November 1, and relics owned by the Wittenburg Cathedral were displayed on that day, among very few others in the church year. So scholars think Martin Luther posted his theses then, because he knew many people would see them. Thanks to the printing press, they went viral, beyond his wildest dreams.

In recognition of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, I recently launched Martin Luther, Machiavelli and Murder the third Real History Mystery in the Nicola Machiavelli series (which have collectively consistently rated 4 out of 5 stars after 170+ Amazon reviews). The mystery takes place in Rome, during the two months Luther spent there as a young monk, as historic fact. If you want to hear a Luther scholar talk about how these two months influenced Luther's life and works, you can use the link at the end of ths blog post. If you want to have fun hearing essentially the same thing, read my book.

As Luther was still a staunch Catholic when in Rome, the "real history" in the book is the corruption and scandal there that provided the tinder when Martin Luther lit the match, 500 years ago today. You will meet or learn about the most corrupt popes in history, and the beginnings of Luther's disillusionment with the existing Church.

You can read the first 20%, and follow a first page link to all the great Renaissance art in the book, here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074K96HRN. And of course buy it, for $2.99(ebook)/$7.99 (hard copy). Here is a plot summary:

The corruption and grandeur of Renaissance Rome during young Martin Luther's real-life visit form the backdrop to this tale of murder, war and papal politics. On arrival, Luther is nearly struck by the body of a naked, murdered cardinal thrust from a whorehouse window. Prime suspects behind this and other assassinations include "warrior" Pope Julius II and two future Medici popes, one of whom will become Luther's future nemesis, Pope Leo X. Leonardo da Vinci and the infamous Niccolò Machiavelli play roles in a deepening mystery that ranges across war-torn Italy. Forced to work with the licentious artist Raphael and Machiavelli's winsome daughter Nicola to solve the mystery, Martin Luther battles temptation and sin, while witnessing abuses key to shaping Protestant theology and his future destiny.

And here is a scholarly video that tells many of the same stories: https://www.facebook.com/Ligonier/videos/p.10156114141743115/10156114141743115/?type=2&theater

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Alternate subtitle: A Real History Mystery of Homosexual Persecution

Leonardo da Vinci and the Florentine witch hunt for gay men

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Podcast: Why does history label Leonardo da Vinci a homosexual pedophile?

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THE NICOLA MACHIAVELLI "REAL HISTORY MYSTERY" SERIES!

Historical mystery

Martin Luther, Machiavelli and Murder: A Mystery of Renaissance Rome

The history of Martin Luther's early sojourn in Rome, as backdrop to a murder mystery

HISTORICAL MURDER MYSTERY: Da Vinci Detects Murder and Sex: A Real History Mystery of the Renaissance, Featuring its Greatest Artists

Leonardo da Vinci and his Machiavellian patron solve murders rooted in Leonardo's brutalized past.

Historical murder mystery

A Borgia Daughter Dies

A mystery of the notorious Borgia family and Leonardo da Vinci, who worked for them.