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-- doesn't seem to be a Reply tab on Guy's post and can't find the OP on this topic. ..BUT-- According to Suetonius-- as Caesar sat down before the assembled Senate, several conspirators approached him as if to pay respects. The lictors were probably behind or off to the side and not positioned to defend Caesar from the attack which began suddenly and unexpectedly. https://www.livius.org/sources/content/suetonius/suetonius-on-the-death-of-caesar/ (ch 82) Maybe the better question is what did they do in the immediate aftermath of the attack? Maybe they just scrammed realizing that they had just failed their mission?

Hope this is okay with you all as it's self-promo. I checked with the mods who said it should be alright. Anyway, for the last two years I've been writing a novel based around the Battle of the Frigidus. The more I read into it, the more I realised just how needlessly destructive the whole affair (the second civil war in 6 years) was. Beforehand, I thought it was a candidate reason for the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Now, I'm certain it was (at least the main catalyst). Anyway, here's the deets for LEGIONARY:DEVOTIO AD 391: in the aftermath of civil war, the Roman Empire lies broken. The emperor is missing. Rumours fly that he has lost his mind. Sensing weakness, the Goths rise in revolt. All to the delight of the dark hand who orchestrated the civil war… and plots to stoke another. Far out at sea, Pavo stands watchfully at the prow of the Justitia, running cargo between distant lands. At every port, he hears of the empire's swelling troubles. Of fire and zeal and panic. Of legions, bristling for battle. But his days of protecting the provinces with sword and shield are over. He, his wife and his lad will soon have enough funds to make a home on a quiet island, far from the madness. Yet the empire is an ever-hungry beast, and Pavo is about to sail straight into its jaws… It is a journey that will take him to the brink, and throw down before him the question to which there is only one answer: what would you sacrifice to save your loved ones? Blood, treachery, reckless heroism, justice, honour. This story has it all. If you fancy a read, it's out on all the usual places: Amazon: http://mybook.to/LegionaryX All other retailers: http://books2read.com/Legionary10 Thanks!

The major problem faced here is that the general public want a simple description of how the legions were formed, deployed and disbanded. Because of their need for a straightforward narrative, books such as that by Dando-Collins, which purports to give a straightforward narrative, are bought, read and believed by those with a general interest in the Roman Legions. Consequently, any information which goes against the simple narrative are discounted 'because Dando-Collins says so'. The next stage is that this information passes into 'everyone knows' territory and so becomes accepted as fact, appearing in other books and on TV/the internet. Hopefully sites such as UNRV can help to correct the spread of false information.

I'm interested in material artifacts aspect of Roman history, and am less interested (skeptical in fact) about the going narratives. Think how wrong the media gets a story if you happen to have local knowledge of it. But there are hard to overlook vignettes evoked by ruins that just beg for some contextual story, like the alienation of Tiberius or the refinement of the Quintilii brothers based on their respective villas. Same could be said for their meditative portrait sculpture...

Respectfully, many items sold on Amazon are also stolen from brick-and-mortar retailers. I was buying a product from a “reliable source” that was using some strange packaging material. Then I realized they were selling stolen items. Now I try to buy directly from the manufacturer. https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/07/06/amazon-sellers-suspended-over-stolen-goods-caught-in-crime-ring.html

Good point....For comparison-- over two million cuneiform clay tablets from Mesopotamia have been found, but only ~2% of them have been translated so far, but look how much that has contributed to our knowledge of the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, etc civilizations.

That's one of the planet's most seismically active areas. Ground levels regularly rise or fall up to a foot a year. Modern Pozzouli -- Ancient Puteoli https://watchers.news/2025/02/18/over-550-earthquakes-recorded-at-campi-flegrei-caldera-prompting-school-closures-in-pozzuoli-italy Nearby Baiae was developed as a resort starting about 100 BC and became a favorite, decadent vacation spot for the imperial court. It began sinking in the 4th century AD....I think they found a graphitus there that reads "Quod Baiae accidit Baiae manet"

Ave, my friends! I haven't visited here in a long time, but I wanted to tell you all about a new project I started this year. In 2019, I published a novel called PRESIDENT HAMILTON, an alternative history of Hamilton's life had he not died in the duel with Aaron Burr. In 2023, I wrote another novel, yet unpublished, called WITH MALICE TOWARDS NONE, based on the premise of John Wilkes Booth failing to kill Abraham Lincoln, and what Lincoln's second term of office would have looked like. Since I seem to be in a groove now, I decided to take on (and reverse) the most tragic assassination of them all, the murder of Julius Caesar. I had originally wanted the focus to be Caesar's campaign against the Parthians, but I found another author has already written a whole series about that scenario - and the first book, at least, was quite good. So instead, I titled this book THE RETURN OF JULIUS CAESAR. It takes place five years after the Ides of March, with Caesar on his way back to Rome after vanquishing the Parthian Empire, and deals with his political struggle to restore and reform the Republic before stepping down as dictator. It's a monumental undertaking, and right now I am seven chapters in. In case you are wondering how I got Caesar past the Ides of March, I originally wrote that as a short story and have now incorporated it as the prologue of my novel. It is available to read on my blog, and I would love some feedback on it from the learned members of this forum. Here is the link: https://lewisliterarylair.blogspot.com/2025/01/here-is-prologue-for-my-latest-novel.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-06-iq-scores-1970s.html. Actually, IQ scores have been falling by 7 pts per generation since 1970. During that time, thanks to the elimination of Pb from gasoline & paint, airborne levels of Pb have fallen to virtually undetectable levels. ....Not to change the subject, but since the Draconian regulations concerning auto exhaust emissions went into effect, despite measurably "cleaner" air in our cities, rates of asthma & COPD have also skyrocketed....Have they done us a favor with their over-reaching regs? Our regulations concerning acceptable Pb levels/exposures are purely arbitrary, there being no systematicallly acquired body of data upon which to make an educated estimate. The only large-scale experience is based on one episode of chemical warfare committed in Iraq about 30 y/a. Pts with very high Pb levels remained asymptomatic. Symptoms only developed in those with levels several hundred (IIRC) times over levels considered "safe." In the famous case of Flint, MI several y/a, they never told us the levels of Pb found in the water. Doing an orders of magnitude estimation, if the levels were 1000x higher than the regulatory acceptable levels, a 30 kg kid (who never got any bigger nor excreted any of the ingested Pb) would have had to drink 5 gal of water a day for 100 yrs to attain blood levels above the levels considered safe....Always do the arithmetic before panicking. Environmental Pb levels probably vary with geographic location. Before becoming known as Cheeseheads, Wisconsinites were known as Badgers because lead miners in the SW corner of the state used to provide shelter for themselves by burrowing caves, like badgers, into the banks of the Miss. R. where Pb veins are very close to the surface. How does this apply to ancient Romans??? Pb pipes do not cause contamination of the water because a biofilm quickly forms inside the pipes so the flowing water does not actually contact the pipes ...Pb cooking utensils? Doubtful, because most Romans were poor, so they didn't have metal vessels, and besides, most plebs in insulae and ate at the many tabernae & popinae, doing little cooking at home.

There were a few posts on this subject in the distant past (see below): The Wikipedia entry on the cursus publicus, the state mandated courier system of the Roman Empire, was pretty good, also. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursus_publicus A good video by Garrett Ryan that adds insight to your question.

Hello everyone. I' Kevin a Retired Executive Chef here in Las Vegas. And Retire Army Ranger. I worked for years at Caesar's Palace and love every thing about the Roman Empire. Even my House is designed that way.

WThat series ran in the70s. I was in my residency working 120 hrs/ wk--not much time for TV. FWIW- the Wiki article claims Claudius suffered from weakness, particularly of the legs, and had nervous twitches of the head-- consistent with the myopathy and tremors seen in hyperthyroidism. You're right about medical problems of the ancients, not so much that they were exotic, but that without treatment they were carried to extremes not seen often today. These days, I try to avoid watching anything shown on the Propaganda Broadcasting System.

Thank you for reading my post. Some people believe the swelling depicted in Claudius’ neck was indicative of his having a goiter. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=26074.0&srsltid=AfmBOopzs5D_su_nC993MbXUWT5BQHFP7enx_Fbxdmhsbvsp4mefTjoc A goiter is caused by an iodine deficiency. The thyroid requires iodine for normal function so it enlarges if there is an iodine deficiency to capture all the iodine it can. Below is a picture of someone with a goiter Compare the picture above with this other coin of Claudius (from Wildwinds.com) Of course, no one knows for sure, but it is an interesting observation. Addendum: It’s interesting to see the progression of neck swelling of Nero as he grew older (and fatter).

Here’s an article discussing various mental and physical health metrics across different regions of Germany. It notes that the southern areas, influenced by Roman rule, score higher. The Legacy of the Roman Empire in Germany: A Surprising Study Reveals How It Influences the Current Well-Being of Regions Roma Eterna? Roman Rule Explains Regional Well-Being Divides in Germany - ScienceDirect

For some reason, a "reply" option does not appear after that original post, but it's an interesting question deserving of contemplation. We could present a plausable arguement that a tendency to take captives is a behavior pattern innate to humans and helped improve chances of survival for our species when our numbers were few, helping to avoid the pitfalls of inbreeding. Concerning ancient Rome and slavery- a few thoughts-- Hollywood has tainted our views. While Romans had the legal power & rights of "paterfamilias," the ultimate power of life or death was rarely exercised. Slaves were generally treated well, often playing integral roles in the household, including companionship as well as nursemaid/governess/teacher. Roman slaves were often given wages/"spending money"above and beyond room & board, and were oftrn in a position to take on extra work for pay outside the household. It was not at all unusual for slaves to buy their own freedom. Freedmen wore a felt hat (the pileus) somewhat like a modern fez.....The largest, most ostentatious tomb sitting in a very prominent position just outside the gates of Pompeii was built for a freedman who became quite wealthy. The more menial tasks including construction work was accomplished by slaves as well as by citizens. Cf- recent discoveries showing that the Great Pyramids of Egypt were constructed mostly by citizens, not slaves as previously thought....Those jobs needed to be done by large numbers of people whether they were paid or not. Either way, their room & board needed to be covered, so it's really just a paper shuffle of how that got done and the poor masses needed to earn a living.

Interesing find. "Solidus" is Latin for solid, as in "not hollow." Apparently the name was applied to gold coins first issued by Constantine....and in modern Italian vernacular, "soldi' is the term for "loose change." I guess inflation has always been a problem.

"... explore the breathtaking ancient city of Termessos, enjoying its mostly Roman-period architecture. This city is situated almost absurdly high in the mountains of modern-day Turkey, which kept it preserved for over 1700 years, untouched by looters or restoration."

A rare Brutus gold coin will be up for auction on December 9th.

Here is a walkthru of Pontius Pilates pilgrim's road, which has been excavated horizontally for over a third of a mile 50 feet under Jerusalem. I gather it is nearing being opened to tourists, altho excavation is still in progress as you can see by the host disturbingly yanking artifacts out of a wall of dirt. It was super expensive and high tech to dig without disturbing the surface:

A Roman knife handle was found depicting a (left-handed) secutor gladiator in a river near the Roman town of Corbridge near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/rare-gladiator-shaped-knife-handle-discovered-by-hadrians-wall Roman Corbridge:

The DNA studies on the victims found at Pompeii have shown some surprising results: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1063333? https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03576-y

I asked a professor of Classics. He said the translation is good. "No problem on the translation. What your friend has is accurate in vocabulary, grammar and word order. Ready for a tattoo or motto! Signifer Sancte Michael, illumina viam meam" guy

Amazing......There are rare examples of other ancient seeds able to have been germinated after thousands of years. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_viable_seed. Apparently it's an often repeated myth that grain seeds from the Pyramids have been germinated. Somewhat related, Moses' original Burning Bush is supposedly still alive and doing well at St Catherine's monastery in Sinai. The monastery is only 1700 y/o, so the bush was already 1600y/o when the place was built. I wonder if they have have to pay extra for fire insurance? https://madainproject.com/burning_bush_of_saint_catherine_monastery#google_vignette

-- brings to mind some American sports history.....In college (American) football, Harvard and Yale have their annual "big game,' a rivalry dating back a century (a long time here)....Around 1965, Yale had an unusually good, undefeated team and Harvard an unusually bad team. Harvard had little hope of making a good showing, but, miraculously achieved a tie score at the end of the game, ruining Yale's shot at a perfect season....The next morning, the head lines in the Harvard daily newspaper read "Harvard Wins 0 - 0!

Very interesting. We tend to underestimate the extent & sophistication of trade routes in those days. That lion isn't the only thing fishy at St Mark's......Maybe that isn't even St Mark in the cathedral, but someone else https://www.thecollector.com/alexander-saint-marks-tomb-venice/

Crikey, that's one exposed site. I can just imagine a centurion gritting his teeth as soldiers moaned about the cold wind.

Or Circus Moderatus? The famous one in Rome is 2,037 ft by 387 ft and there was for a while an even bigger one near the present central train station. The well preserved Circus of Maxentius on via Appia of Rome has a spina barrier alone of exactly 1000 Roman feet: P.S. for those concerned about unprecedented tourist crowds in Rome, I have only ever seen at most a couple of visitors at this atmospheric site. One in a cluster of many undervisited sites.

Please remember the text below: Here is an article discussing a series of books documenting the ancient Roman frontier network. The project began with efforts to have the limes in Upper Germany recognized as a World Heritage Site. This required more thorough documentation of the 550 km-long Roman frontier. This initial effort was the first of twenty books written over a span of twenty years to comprehensively document the entire Roman frontier. https://the-past.com/feature/encircling-the-empire-how-romes-frontier-network-was-chronicled/

So limes means frontiers. Those Roman frontier books as well as many other archeo ones are available on free (slow) pdf downloads at https://www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress/Open-Access/Open-Access . Some have great photography; I will post a few examples:

Sherlock was always deducing occupations by observing anatomical changes induced by repetitive actions. We call it Over-use Syndrome these days. There was an anthropological report published in the med lit 30y/a about the high number of vertebral compression fractures found in ancient skeletal remains of indigenous people of the Pacific NW, presumably from the stresses of driving dog sleds-- a rate comparable today of that seen only among rodeo riders.

I had listened to his much longer recent podcast on the subject, but I'm not sure it's for everyone (thus he uses his alternate channel):

I stumbled across this video that takes a look at an oddity in Britain, the Fosse Way. For those who don't know of it, it's a Roman era route from SW to NE England - but incredibly straight. Yes, I know, Roman roads are supposed to be straight aren't they? Yes, but only between settlements. The Fosse Way is simply a line on the map, and perhaps it's a sign of something we've forgotten?

Hello everyone, I have a deep passion for Ancient Rome and have worked as a licensed tour guide in Rome there for over 10 years. I'm excited to engage with this community and learn from like-minded individuals.

Excavations continue in the Regio IX area of Pompeii (see post below). Recently, the discovery of a painted blue room was announced. Along with the frescoes painted on the walls, intact amphorae were uncovered. Numerous oyster shells were also unearthed. These shells were thought to have been used as part of the plaster or mortar mixture. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/04/science/blue-sacrarium-pompeii-excavation-scli-intl-scn/index.html

Childlike graffiti depicting gladiatorial imagery has been found in Pompeii. One drawing that outlines a small hand (see picture below) suggests that it was the work of a child between 6 and 7 years of age. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/05/graffiti-depicting-gladiators-found-during-pompeii-excavations/152088

Time Team regular Guy de la Bédoyère outlines the disturbing fate of most artifacts and even basic archeo site info after the initial headlines. Site reports are either not written or pulped; computer formats go obsolete. Museums put stuff in irretrievable storage, uncataloged. This in the most well meaning of places such as UK, he maps out the inevitable incentives leading to this. Even in the headlines, unwarranted claims are typically made such as ownership of villas or ID of sculptures. He has made great efforts to counter this with no joy:

Ditto caldrail.

The story behind the images by Goldsworthy:

Timgad: idyllic retirement village on African frontier... P.S. don't miss my previous posted video, a mere 2.5 minute atmospheric gem.

More of a 'hello again' rather than a new introduction. I joined the forum back in 2006 and sort of drifted out of the orbit around 2012, although sporadically sending the odd contribution since. New interests, several house moves, currently living in France after moving there from England in 2017, lots of guitar and double bass playing in Jazz, country and Rockabilly bands. Recently my Dad died and helping my daughter sort out all the house contents, I rescued a good amount of history books, and rediscovered my mums old photos of archaeological sites from when she was at university. My interest in Rome was rekindled! Although like the Empire itself it never technically died as I shifted my interest to the Byzantine, or rather Eastern Roman Empire. Work has, of course, resumed at HOMVNCVLVM, the tiny Roman Colonia in the North of England, of which I am the governor. As well as focusing on astronomy, and developing a new interest in Black Powder firearms and shooting. Hello again! I wonder how many of the old bunch are still here?

The geography of the Med gives the following ferocious seasonal winds, usually oriented to push sailors away from sheltering shores. Except for the boot of Italy which may be placid to a fault (promoting Roman development?).

This mini series begins tomorrow night, April 2nd, at 9pm, on our PBS station. According to this link, it was made in 2023. Perhaps others have watched it already. Looks like it might be interesting. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30272530/

I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. Right from the beginning, it had a certain modern day political vibe to it. Subtle messages throughout. Those were done well, but overall not a good production - my opinion anyway.

The road discovered is thought to be a crossroads with the Via Domitia, which was the Roman road that linked Italy with Hispania through Southern France. The remains were discovered between the two roads: In Ancient Rome the cemeteries were traditionally located outside of the religious boundaries (pomerium) of towns and cities. Tombs and elaborate burial monuments lined the roadsides. Burial graves and monuments along the Appian Way near Rome

I think phase 2 will be a spectacular win, linking the under visited Circus Maximus to under visited Baths of Caracalla to u. v. Via Appia. I think we discussed the Darya video on how the isolated new Map museum and sculpture garden is included too. Nobody but me makes the horrible walk between these relatively adjacent sites due to multi-lane fast roads, industrial vibe where you can hardly buy a hydrating drink, and poor signage/sidewalks/crosswalks. I hate the logistics and loss of context using wheeled travel instead. Phase 1 could turn out intrusive, but I think taps into the less busy side of the coliseum towards the weird grassy hill east side of the Forum. Not many go there since you can't see what's ahead and whether it is worth the climb; I stumbled around there only because of the new Nero dining room excavation, which I found practically deserted. It would be a plus even relieving pressure on the coliseum by offering alternative strolls. Crossing thru the Palace area to the racetrack could be intrusive, but folks need a little guidance there anyway because it isn't obvious you can get thru the palaces to the racetrack. It is such a maze that on my first visit back when the forum was free, I found myself walking on an exquisite decorated floor all wavy and fragile with poor options to avoid it or back off. It's not clear where the route will go due to the articles having paywalls, etc but I think phase 1 generally doesn't intrude except to give guidence in areas where there is a lot of random congestion and confusion. I include a picture that falsely looks intrusive, but depicts almost no change to the recent practice of closing off the horrible road Mussolini plowed thru the Forum. I would rather Via dei Fori Imperiali be torn out and excavated, but shutting out vehicle traffic with a few niceties seems fine: Other anecdotes: Now you can be walking quite close to the massive Baths of Caracalla and not see it. I made a rare exception and asked directions which just confused things since I accented the wrong syllable into gibberish. I looked for a street sign for a major road branching off another major one to shortcut to Via Appia, with absolutely none in sight in the industrial wasteland deprived of pedestrians. Another shortcut was super narrow and twisty with fast traffic barely scraping brick walls and each other with side mirrors. I was like a hunted animal who couldn't see when to creep thru the rubble safely. The only foot traffic was a couple stunning blondes walking with just wisps of clothing and cheap flip flops. Unlike me, they could obliviously walk in traffic lanes because the drivers stopped on a dime to stare. Ah, so much more I could pass on...

The typical Roman has elven facial features, short black or brown hair (for men), fair or olive skin (changes tonne with season), a broad brow, deep eye sockets, high-bridged aquiline Roman nose, round or large almond blue or brown eyes (eye colours can vary), shorter shaved face or short moustache & goatee, medium rosey lips, deep facial depth on side, prominent cheek-bones, raised long straight chiseled jaw and smaller round head. They usually have light olive skin, in summer and pale skin in winter. Their Roman nose could be a natural adaptation to smell where the enemy is located in battle. The typical Romans also have broad shoulders, a muscular Roman statuesque body, as well as strong biceps and calves. This could be inherited from the Roman legions who had to march from Rome to Britain as part of their military training. They are usually around 150-170 cm tall. The typical Romans usually had Roman feet with the first three toes at the same length-possibly as a natural adaptation to give them more stability as they worked hard and marched around a lot. The typical Romans ideally have almost flawless physical proportions, except that many have ears that stick out a bit. This could be a natural adaptation to help them hear better, especially when wearing a Roman helmet. The typical Romans looked like many modern-day Italians, especially from Naples, Lazio, Tuscany, Sicily and Calabria. They also looked like the typical Greeks. The difference was that the Greeks' face was usually longer and their nose was usually straighter. The typical Roman was more common in ancient Rome, before the barbarians invaded and unfortunately polluted their blood-making more of them look more typically foreign. I know all this because I have observed the common physical traits exclusive to hundreds of modern Romans. They don't look much different from the ancient Roman portraits and statues of Romans. Link to what typical Romans generally look like: https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sca_esv=558714157&sxsrf=AB5stBjkhoyzPdtfDftQGjQIT4sYgCmUvQ:1692610383270&q=roman+phenotype&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi35IyFue2AAxW-pVYBHc5SCmQQ0pQJegQIChAB&biw=384&bih=718&dpr=2.81#imgrc=-plQ53jFy1UY7M&imgdii=D2w1coIzns4n4M (It should be noted that some Romans in the link look more typical of Greeks and Germans).

Whilst I was on holiday I saw a television broadcast of a dramatised documentary about Boudicca's rebellion against Rome in AD60. Entertaining stuff, however biased toward the Roman account, which is admittedly our only source and written back in the day to conform to their readers expectations of an interesting and dramatic anecdote. But as I watched, I realised the presenter was making fundamental errors about Rome's provincial policies. In short, I hereby examine three statements made during the program. 1 - That Rome ruled by violence and oppression 2 - That Rome relied on the invincibility of her army 3 - That the rebellion illustrates the truth of what life was like under Roman rule. 1 - Rome ruled by violence and oppression This is a common conception. Rome is seen as a monolithic nation state that assimilates populations to produce indentikit citizens with a generation or two. This was simply not so. Rome was at heart a city state with influence over a network of territories of varying status and native populations owing them loyalty and taxes. it is true that many regions were brought into the empire via conquest of one sort or another, but let's not forget that the realm of Iceni was a client state that Rome expected to inherit. Tacitus tells us that... The imperial agent Caisu Decianus, horrified by the catastrophe and his unpopularity, withdrew to Gaul. It was his rapacity which had driven the province to war Annals (Tacitus) Imperial agent? So Decianus was there at the orders of Nero to make sure the man the Senate had sent to make sure the province was doing fine, was doing fine. Whilst the habit of being rapacious, greedy, clumsy, and brutal was an unfortunate tendency of senior Romans in Provincial assignment, clearly not all of them were. Therefore violence and oppression was a policy pursued by individual Romans at their discretion rather than any tyrannical regime the Romans had foisted upon the unfortunate Britons. But then, the Romans didn't like tyrants all that much, never mind the Britons. 2 - Rome relied on the invincibility of her army Rome's legions were not invincible and they knew it. The sources contain many references to utter defeats and indeed, some describe one legion or another as barely resembling a military unit at all. But let's read what Tacitus says about a military mission to relieve the sack of Camulodunum. The Ninth Roman legion, commanded by Quintus Perilius Cerialus Caesius Rufus, attempted to relieve the town, but was stopped by the victorious Britons and routed. its entire infantry force were massacred, while the commander escaped to his camp with his cavalry and sheltered behind its defenses. Annals (Tacitus) Oh dear. The commander ran away with his horsemen, perhaps two or three percent of a full strength legion. How invincible was that? 3 - That the rebellion illustrates the truth of what life was like under Roman rule. The 'savage' Britons ran riot, attacking Londinium, Veralumium, and eventually meeting another legionary force under the senatorial governor Suetonius, at the Battle of Watling Street. Tacitus kindly gives us the speech made by Boudicca - which is clearly invented since no-one would have recorded it for the benefit of a Roman historian. The Britons lose, and Boudicca is said to have poisoned herself - a standard Roman style fate. Nero sends replacements for the casualties suffered by the Ninth Legion. And hot off the boat is Decianus' replacement. Still the savage British tribesmen were disinclined for peace, especially as the newly arrived Imperial Agent Gaius Julius Alpinus Classicianus, successor to Caius Decianus, was on bad terms with Suetonius, and allowed his personal animosities to damage the national interests. Annals (Tacitus) Should have all been sorted. Calmly, confidently, and decisively. But as happens in these anecdotes of Roman disorder, personality is the flaw rather than politics. Nero senses things aren't working out, and sends his freedman Polyclitus to investigate, who travelled with a seriously large entourage that stretched the patience of Italy and Gaul. it even intimidated the Roman legions. The Britons were, by all accounts, quite amused. But all this was toned down in Polyclitus' reports to the emperor. Retained as governor, Suetonius lost a few ships and their crews on the shore, and was then superseded for not terminating the war. His successor, the recent consul Publius Petronius Turpilianus, neither provoking the enemy nor provoked, called this ignoble inactivity peace with honour. Annals (Tacitus) One imperial agent ran away, his replacement pursued intrigue rather than the rebels.. The senatorial governor got the sack, his replacement did nothing until the leaderless rebels gave up. Conclusion The television presenter stopped at the defeat of Boudicca, describing Rome as a tyranny that trampled rebellions with violence and oppression. What Tacitus describes is a catalogue of folly. Greed, cowardice, intrigue, indecisiveness, and clumsiness. The war is not won, merely left to fizzle out. Violence and oppression? Truth was the Romans were too busy making mistakes.