What we see and what we seem are but a dream; a dream within a dream

I sent my soul through the infinite,

Some message of that afterlife to spell;

And by and by my soul returned to me and said;

'I myself am heaven and hell'


Clio—detail from The Allegory of Painting by Johannes Vermeer
The Birth of Venus, by Sandro Botticelli c. 1485–1486.
Brynhild by G. Bussière, 1897
Queen Zenobia's Last Look Upon Palmyra, Herbert Schmalz
Lady Florence Dixie as portrayed by Théobald Chartran




She Comes in Colours Everywhere

Have you seen her all all in gold

Like a queen in days of old

She shoots colours all around

Like a sunset going down

Have you seen the lady fairer.

She comes in colours everywhere

She combs her hair

She's like a rainbow

Coming colours in the air

Oh, everywhere

ME

Who am I? No fancy colours, no designs, no mission statements (and definitely no user boxes!), just a few simple facts. My name, part of it anyway, is Anastasia (not the grand duchess, though both my mother and my boyfriend claim I act like one). I was born in June 1986. I am English, conservative and patriotic. I love history, politics, literature, philosophy and travel. I have been fortunate to have covered a good bit of the globe, in one capacity or another, and hope to catch up with most of the rest over the next few years. My prime function here on Wikipedia is to answer questions, chiefly on the Humanities Desk, when I am able, and within the limits of my intellectual competence. I enjoy good company, both men and women, but I have a great problem in tolerating fools. This has been my chief weakness. Apart from that I am practically perfect in every way!

I am spending a lot of time on my computer at the present, enabling me, for sheer amusement and diversion, to dip into Wikipedia from time to time. I like dealing with empirical issues mostly, with questions that have a definite aim and purpose. I also like to challenge mistaken assumptions. But I really hate the long and windy discussions, which never reach a definite conclusion and simply allow people to drone on interminably. Pure prejudice on my part, I confess, and I am sure some people must find them constructive; but I will continue to avoid these 'baggy monsters', or exit quickly when a decent question turns into yet another drone fest!

I play golf, tennis, lacrosse, hockey and polo, being a good horsewoman, and I love to hunt. In addition, I go mountaineering from time to time, mainly in Scotland, but also in Spain and Norway, and I am an avid skier. An all rounder, in every good sense.

Why Clio? Because Clio, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, is the muse of history and heroic poetry, and has been my ever present mentor since I was a very little girl.

Begin thou, unforgetting Clio, for all the ages are in thy keeping, and all the storied annals of the past. Statius.

Who would I be if I was not Clio? I would be Nobody. Why? Because Nobody's perfect!

WOMEN I ADMIRE

(In no particular order)

Nemesis, by Alfred Rethel (1837)

Hypatia, as depicted in Raphael's The School of Athens.


Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift


Perhaps the greatest satirist who ever lived-I love him to bits! My favourite quotations?

MEN I ADMIRE

(Apart from Swift, and again in no particular order)

Brünnhilde and Siegfried

File:Lettow2.jpg

Egon Schiele, Self-portrait, 1912

Why I do not edit mainpages

It has been suggested-quite recently over the question of extermination camps-that I should also edit main pages. I did consider this when I first joined Wikipedia last October, but I was quickly discouraged. I raised some issues of interpretation on the Juan Peron talk page as a preliminary step, questioning in particular the contention that he could be accurately described as a 'fascist.' The argument I put forward was effectively silenced by the 'no original research' cudgel, though my reasoned contentions were not based on 'original research', whatever that is supposed to mean. Since then I have seen pages butchered by editing and counter-editing to the point where I consider them practically worthless. I cannot tell you just how many simple errors I have discovered, and the quality of 'collective writing' is in many cases quite atrocious. Hence the reference desk, where no-one can butcher what I write, and where I act as a guide and a mentor. Long may it continue.

I have now reflected on the above and changed my mind. After all, it is a lady's prerogative, is it not?

Clio's Anthem for England

It has to be this [1]. I Vow to Thee, My Country

England
I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
I heard my country calling, away across the sea,
Across the waste of waters she calls and calls to me.
Her sword is girded at her side, her helmet on her head,
And round her feet are lying the dying and the dead.
I hear the noise of battle, the thunder of her guns,
I haste to thee my mother, a son among thy sons.
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.
Edward III depicted in Cassell's History of England (1902)

Clio's favourite fictions

In no particular order, and confining myself to one book for each author (and restricting myself also to twenty out of hundreds), these are as follows;

Clio's favourite non-fictions

Again no order of importance, just as they come into my head.

Once out of nature I shall never take
My bodily form from any natural thing,
But such a thing as Grecian goldsmiths make
Of hammered gold or gold enamelling
To keep a drowsy emperor awake;
Or set upon a golden bow to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come.

Clio's Awards

All much appreciated.

The Exceptional Newcomer Award
I was the one who welcomed you, and even though you really can't be considered a newcomer anymore, you still deserve the Exceptional Newcomer Award! bibliomaniac15 Review? 01:42, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
The Epic Barnstar
I, Dweller, award Clio the Epic Barnstar for outstanding History-related contributions at the Humanities Reference Desk. You sprinkle enlightenment like gold dust. Dweller 15:53, 21 March 2007 (UTC)
The Original Barnstar
Clio, I award you this barnstar, though it seems so inadequate to express my thanks for the outstanding help that you gave me in response to my question. You truly are a star. TP86 11:57, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

Half a star for your expansion of Barbatio (You should frequent WP:RDAC and "join" it, maybe it can be revived.). The other half for everything else! :-) ---Sluzzelin talk 19:46, 23 May 2007 (UTC)


The Original Barnstar
I hereby award you this Barnstar for your outstanding work on the Reference Desks. Corvus cornix 19:21, 23 June 2007 (UTC)
The Half Barnstar
I hereby award you the Half Barnstar, for your superb work with Ghirla in generating encyclopaedic content from the Humanities Ref Desk. Rockpocket 05:34, 29 June 2007 (UTC)


The Epic Barnstar
Awarded to Clio for outstanding contributions to history of the 17th-19th centuries.Blnguyen (bananabucket) 03:02, 25 July 2007 (UTC)
The Epic Barnstar
I see you already have one, but I think your level of work deserves two. Apparently, I am supposed to explain here why I award it, but somehow there are few doubts that wp:rd/h would be why!martianlostinspace 13:22, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
The Barnstar of Diligence
Clio, i award you this barnstar for your tireless and excellent efforts in helping answer peoples queries on the humanities reference desk Hadseys 01:25, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
The Wikipedian Order of St George and the Dragon
Awarded to Clio for services to history and heroic poetry, philosophy, music, language, rhetorick, reasoning, and the enlightenment of the commonwealth. Xn4 15:21, 15 August 2007 (UTC)
The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
Thank you for your help with Muslim history. You are very wise. Philip the Arab 16:18, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
The Epic Barnstar
for being so brilliant Martinben 15:19, 29 August 2007 (UTC)
The Special Barnstar
From me for being the person you are. You have given me so much simple pleasure. Fred said right 14:23, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

I hereby grant you the Scope of Accuracy for accurately answering lots of questions and the Spade of Tireless Research for always digging up the relevant sources. May they aid you in your further work on WP:RD/H -- Ferkelparade π 01:42, 22 October 2007 (UTC)

The Bronze Wiki
for your continuing informative and helpful responses on the Reference Desk which have been intelligent, informing, well researched and sometimes humorous. Your contributions have been astonishingly wonderful and engaging to read. A great man once said "Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam" and how useful that phrase is today although I can't see it ever being said by you. "Cave ab homine unius libri" is not something that will ever apply to you either and for that I am grateful. Cedo maiori 86.21.74.40 01:17, 3 November 2007 (UTC)
The Surreal Barnstar
Awarded to Clio from Fred for being repeatedely useful, a Greek spirit of wisdom and knowledge in a land of virtual dreams. Fred said right (talk) 12:56, 6 December 2007 (UTC)
The Reference Desk Barnstar
For being arguably the best RD respondent ever. Taraborn (talk) 17:18, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
This editor is a
Yeoman Editor
and is entitled to display this Service Badge.
The Socratic Barnstar
Who but you deserves one of these. I suppose it should really be the Hypatia Barnstar! OTMA (talk) 20:23, 5 April 2008 (UTC)
"Experienced Editor, awarded for being a registered editor for at least 1.5 years and making at least 6,000 edits"
This editor is an
Experienced Editor
and is entitled to display this
Service Badge.
The Barnstar of High Culture
thank you for your answers to my questions on philosophy. I cannot say how impressed I am. F Hebert (talk) 11:43, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

gold

I think you deserve this for your many wonderful contributions to the Reference Desk, always a pleasure to read. I am so sorry that you are gone. Topseyturvey (talk) 05:48, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

The Barnstar of Awesomeness
Come Back Soon! Strawless (talk) 17:54, 16 May 2008 (UTC)
The Barnstar of Emptiness
For the unique void you left behind, and hoping you will fill it again someday in the near or distant future. Yours. Sluzzelin talk 09:17, 14 June 2008 (UTC)|}

Greetings, Clio the Muse.