‘Seneca has said that we must not give too ready credence to hearsay, for some disguise the truth in order to deceive, and some because they are themselves the victims of deception.’
History can be deceptive. Given the long passage of time, the accuracy of the stories that are told of events becomes hard to confirm. Many of the historical “facts” that are widely known and accepted are in many cases just popular falsehoods. This splendid book by Delepierre corrects some popular misconceptions about a few famous historical events and can serve as a timely reminder to readers that the accuracy of popular historical narratives cannot be taken for granted.
Joseph Octave Delepierre was a Belgian lawyer, diplomat, author, and antiquary.