Viggen

While I agree that this world cup the performance of the referees are the worst i have ever seen, one should remember that the red card for Italy was as pathetic as the penalty in the last second... All in all i think it is very important for world soccer that places where soccer is not that popular are making advancements and a strong Australian team is a good thing for any sport... I also cant remember that there were so many strong teams still in the quarterfinals, Germany, Italy, Argentina, (Spain/France), Portugal, the world cup with no surprises, maybe Ghana can change all that with beating Brazil today cheers viggen

Hello Ginevra, ...and did you had any luck so far? I know Silentium is Italian, maybe she can help you... cheers viggen

Another review has been completed for our Roman Books section, thanks to community member Ursus. Reviewing a book on the Byzantines can be a chancy affair for any Romanophile who sees them as an afterthought to the Latin West. Nonetheless any Romanophile worth his salt will realize the need to have some passing familiarity with this peculiar culture to fill in the gaps of Western Civilization. From that perspective, any book that offers an honest yet concise treatment of the subject provides a decidedly astute service... ...read the full review of A History of Byzantium by Timothy E. Gregory

...and not even be in the USA (and its free) I have no idea how this is possible and how long it will be available, however if you go to http://www.tvunetworks.com/index.htm and download their player, you get free access to ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, HBO Star Movie (plus some other channels i dont particular care about)... very good quality plus no lag for me... cheers viggen

The Romans were a methodical people, not given to acts of folly - so why did they apparently build a road to nowhere? Known as the Peddars Way, it is a typically straight track marching from near Thetford directly through the heart of west Norfolk until it peters out at an isolated coastal spot at Holme, and is now favoured by walkers and cyclists. But just what its original purpose was when it was built around 2,000 years ago is a question that has long perplexed historians. full article at New.Edp24

A team of German archeologists will come to Iran to carry out joint excavations with Iranian experts in Chehr Abad historical mine where the four salt men had been discovered. The news of discovery of four salt men in Chehr Abad mine was widely spread around the world and attracted the attention of archeologists and cultural heritage experts. The first discovery of salt men and their belongings in Chehr Abad mine of Zanjan province goes back to some ten years ago. They are among rare mummies discovered around the world that are mummified as a result of natural conditions. Samples of these salt men have been sent to Oxford and Cambridge universities to implement genetics studies and DNA analysis. The results showed that the first two salt men date back to the Parthian era (150 BC-226 AD) while the other two are believed to have belonged to the Achaemenid period (648-330 BC). full article at Payvand

The wild lentil (lens culinaris) is a low, unobtrusive plant that yields about 10 seeds. To increase the plant's chance of survival, some of the seeds that fall from its pods fail to sprout during rain. Typically, only one of the plant's 10 seeds sprouts immediately when they reach maturity. The remaining seeds stay in the ground, waiting for their turn to sprout. Each year, only about 10 percent of the seeds sprout. This phenomenon, called "seed dormancy," helped wild lentils survive harsh conditions in the Middle East but did not help mankind, which preferred to use the seeds as raw material in soups and stews. It is difficult to support a family from a few seeds of a plant when one is not sure how many of them will sprout and how many simmering pots they will produce. full article at Haaretz

He was in the Wehrmacht (he was a driver), the most time in action he spent under Rommel in Africa...

I recently discovered some old stuff from my grandpa (who passed away about 10 years ago) in the attic. It is mostly photographs, postcards and war related documents from 1932 to 1948. I thought i share some images i scanned today over the next few weeks in my personal series "WWII Memories". The first image i scanned today is actually rather unspectacular. A simple postcard from end of January 1944. From someone unknown to me (Dr.med. Elisabeth Obladen) to my grandma. It is stamped in Stuttgart (strange enough it says Stuttgart - Stadt der Auslandsdeutschen) (something like Stuttgart - City of the foreign born Germans) The stamp itself shows an image of Adolf Hitler and it looks like it cost back then 6 Reichspfennige? Next to it is another stamp which says "Nahrung ist Waffe" (Food is a weapon?). At the bottom left there is another imprint "Der F

Another review has been completed for our Roman Books section, thanks to community member Skarr. From the very first line in the action packed first book that author James Duffy crafted in this series on the gladiators of the empire, you are transported to a gory, violent world that was ancient Rome, particularly in the arenas that recreated much of the action that the common plebeians hungered for. Packed to the gills, these sand filled arenas provided most of the entertainment that the weary citizens of Rome looked for, a vicarious substitute that provided all the excitement, danger and blood in a relatively safe environment, except for the occasional riot or accident of fate, when wild animals were set loose into the spectator stands, claiming several innocent lives.... ...read the full review of Sand of the Arena by James Duffy

On a lark they examined a theretofore unread section of The Method of Mechanical Theorems, which is the book's biggest claim to fame; no other copy of the work is known to exist. What they discovered made their jaws drop. A section from The Archimedes Palimpsest, which classics Professor Reviel Netz stumbled on during a visit to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Closer examination showed the Greeks understood the concept of infinity. full article at Standford.edu

Congrats to Australia, what a battle and fun it was (and now i also have seen the worst referee in my life)... I think it is very important for world soccer to welcome a sports powerhouse like Australia to join the party... cheers viggen

btw. did you know author Adrian Murdoch has his own blog? http://adrianmurdoch.typepad.com/bread_and_circuses/

pompeius magnus made a review about Cicero a while back http://www.unrv.com/book-review/cicero.php cheers viggen

The archaeological mystery has been solved! The latest research shows that the manuscript found by Polish archaeologists in the village of Gourna (Sheikh abd el-Gourna) near Luxor in Upper Egypt contains the entire biblical book of Isaiah in the Coptic translation.

Turkish archaeologists announced Tuesday that they have discovered an ancient Byzantine port in an area that was slated to become an underground station for a modern rail tunnel. full article at MSNBC

A unique Anglo-Saxon sword has been discovered in an old suitcase in the attic of the archeologist who unearthed it nearly 50 years ago. The seventh century "pattern-welded" Bamburgh Sword, which was forged for a king, narrowly avoided being dumped in a skip by workers who were clearing the house of the archeologist and broadcaster Brian Hope-Taylor after his death. full article at the Telegraph

A major archaeological project at the nationally-important Caistor Roman town in Norfolk is to be launched within the next few weeks. Researchers hope the origins and development of the settlement at Caistor St Edmund, just south of Norwich, will emerge for the first time during eight to 10 years of work. The town was once the regional centre of East Anglia and is one of only three Romano-British towns remaining undeveloped. full article at Edp24

Rome's Greatest Defeat by Adrian Murdoch reviewed by Primus Pilus While Adrian Murdoch author of the recently published (June, 2006) Rome's Greatest Defeat, may be a recent arrival as a published historian, perhaps more importantly he is also a journalist. Using a literary skill set perhaps not always available to the typical historian, he has delivered a refreshing account, not only of the events surrounding the book's title, but of ancient history in general. This is history told from the perspective of a journalist: who, what, why, when and how are examined with journalistic integrity and in-depth review. ...read the full review of Rome's Greatest Defeat by Adrian Murdoch thanks to Sutton Publishing who provided us with a review copy

The Last Pagan by Adrian Murdoch reviewed by Ursus Adrian Murdoch offers a fresh and largely sympathetic treatment of Flavius Claudius Julianus. Let not the title fool you: the book is much more than a stale rehashing of Julian

I am only 7% White Trash. what else do you expect from an Imperator

hehe, yup, all covered, i doubt anyone can now come up with a not already mentioned theory! cheers viggen

We had plenty of this kind, however i thought this is an interesting list from a reasonable source... http://www.utexas.edu/courses/rome/210reasons.html cheers viggen