When the news cycle all feels a bit too much, one must take solace in what one can control: those pleasant distractions such as commissioning articles and features for a history magazine, and interviewing authors on their newest releases. My recent delve back into ancient history – Harry Sidebottom’s comprehensive gladiatorial narrative and Bruce Chilton’s life of Queen Berenice, both of which feature this month – has got me thinking about thought and motive itself.