Ludovicus

From Cindy McCain at the Republican Convention: "...So how about Governor Sarah Palin! John has picked a reform-minded ... hockey-mommin' ... basketball shootin' ... moose huntin' ... fly-fishin' ... pistol-packing ... mother of five for vice president. And as a fellow hockey mom myself and a western conservative mother, I couldn't be prouder that John has shaken things up as he usually does!" http://www.npr.org/blogs/politics/2008/09/...acter_hock.html Can you imagine if a Democratic Party representative proudly hailed Michele Obama as "pistol packing" ? We'd see an immediate tidal wave of rightwing accusations headed Mrs. Obama's way of "dangerous black radical" "terrorist," and a host of unprintable epithets. In 2008, you still get a pass in the US if you're white.

Unfortunately, dumbing down makes something more broadly appealing, and therefore more lucrative. I think we will find in this theme park of 'Rome 2000 years ago' elements of Roman history from the founding of the city to the sack of Alaric. Horatius defending the bridge will probably be in there, along with abundant depictions of Romulus, Remus and the wolf. Turn a corner and there will probably be some sort of shooting gallery based loosely around the Aurelian walls, with barbarian horsemen to shoot. Giant heads of Constantine, made from polystyrene, will abound. Most of the unthinking public regard everything in the Roman period as happening 2000 years ago. On a local BBC TV programme aired several years ago, a 4th century find was featured. The archaeologist being interviewed had to several times stress that the find was 1600 years old, in answer to repeated dumb questions such as 'These are coins from 2000 years ago?' or 'Was this a busy street, back then 2000 years ago?' Yes, every cliche` ever invented. But isn't it our responsibility to respond? If not, why this website and forum?

Just returning from Rome, I find the ideas of a Roma Aeterna Fiberplastica even more absurd. Throughout the City, what you most often see is a layer cake of a metropolis. Republican and older layers are exposed juxtaposed with Empire, Byzantine, and Renaissance strata, each enriching the others stories AND US: The preserved first-century Roman street under the Basilica of San Clemente with 2nd century pagan and Christian residences, the 4th century church sitting on top, and finally the beautiful worship space of the 12th century all make up a single experience, the whole story of the Basilica of St. Clemente, a whole delicious cake. "The park would provide family-friendly attractions to show visitors what life was like in the Rome of 2,000 years ago," reports ABC. Why a theme park of Rome of 2000 years ago? Why not one of Constantine's Rome? Why not St. Gregory's? To isolate a single layer of the City would be to dumb down what is essentially Rome, an ancient, yet living past. And I haven't even touched on the temptations to embellish and distort a single layer for the sake raking in the almighty euro.

With the dramatic drop in population at the end of the Gothic Wars, the marble cutters and lime burners must have had a picnic. Remember also that a number of very destructive earthquakes hit the City in the 6th and 9th centuries. Large buildings such as the public baths and the Forum Romanum must have been reduced to forests of fallen columns, easy prey for the marble recyclers. Here's a detailed account of the use of Roman spolia (recycled building materials) in medieval Europe. http://books.google.com/books?id=va6MW3rp2...3&ct=result Some where in Lan

I'm not a Latinist either. If I recall correctly, the two inscriptions are believed to have been set up roughly at the same time. The second one seems to be even sloppier than the first, even though the lines are straighter. The upper lines are very crowded whereas there is an abundance of space at the bottom. Then there is the question of spelling differences between the two inscriptions. I don't know enough Latin to tell which one would be the original and which one the copy, but since they can't seem to be dated relative to each other, I'm not sure anyone has got that figured out yet. It seems to me that late Romans had a much more 'dynamic' or relaxed approach to grammar and spelling. Languages change over time, so that might not necessarily be a sign of a decline. I hope someone more knowledgeable can chime in though. As someone who is moderately appalling at Latin, I have been quite relieved to see that inscriptions often have a somewhat more eccentric approach to the language than the classical writers. This is not necessarily true only of the late Empire. I recall a truly appalling first century text unearthed in Spain in the 1990s and many other provincial inscriptions are of a similar calibre. When pulled up on the shortcomings of my own Latin - as happens all to frequently - I point to inscriptions such as these and announce my allegiance to the freedom and flexibility of inscriptional Latin, rather than the rigid dogma of the classicists. It is possible that the Colosseum inscriptions were done by a provincial worker as a stop-gap until a 'proper' plaque could be put in place, but this plan was superseded by events. Yes, that does make sense. Poster size paper and cardboard would not have been available. I guess the "proper" plaque was never produced or it could have ended up in the hands of the marble cutters (marmorarii) and lime burners (calcararii), growing work forces of recyclers at the end of the Western Empire.

This essay seems to contain a general overview of the Roman games. It might lead you to further research. Here goes: http://www.essaydepot.com/essayme/2277/index.php Beginning with Constantine we see a change in attitude toward gladiator combats and staged animal fights on the part of the emperor. I believe his dislike is quoted in "Colosseum." http://www.amazon.com/Colosseum-Ada-Gabucc...999&sr=1-14 Best of luck with your research and writing.

The "Oxford Archaeological Guide to Rome" is another good resource on the post AD 312 deterioration of Rome. Unlike many of the tourist books available, this good guide often takes the history of Rome's empire era buildings beyond the Empire. For example, on the Circus Maximus, I quote briefly: "The Circus continued in regular use until well into the C5; the last official races were organized in AD 549 by Ostrogothic KingTotila." And on the Curia (Senate House in the Roman Forum): "In AD 630 the Senate House was converted by Pope Honorius I into the church of St. Hadrian (S. Adriano, in Italian)." http://www.amazon.com/Rome-Oxford-Archaeol...7190&sr=1-3

There are indeed a number of very interesting late antique elements to be found in the Colosseum. One of the inscriptions, I believe it's a dedication by one of the Anicians has a very interesting English commentary next to it, stating that the errors that can be found in the text are a sign of the depths to which Roman civilization had fallen. Unfortunately, that very sentence contains a very glaring spelling error. It's almost worth the 11 euros to get in by itself. Maladict, Please tell us more about the errors in the plaque, which I see as stark evidence of Rome's collapse. Good heavens, the marble carver didn't even care to keep the lines of text parallel! Gregory the Great was an Anician. I take it they were one of the last historic families to remain active in the City's life.

Even after the multiple sackings of Rome, the City's administration took pains to restore public buildings. In "The Colosseum" by Ada Gabucci (editor) there is some very interesting commentary on Ancient Rome's largest edifice, the Flavian Amphitheater, as it weathered the declining years of Roman power. This book is the only source I've been able to find with details on the Colosseum's condition in the 5th and 6th centuries, about the same time period we've been discussing in this thread. Several of these restorations are recorded in inscriptions still visible today. In fact, if you've ever had to stand in line to buy tickets to get into the Colosseum, you've probably stared at the marble plaque (484 AD) installed by Decius Marius Venantius Basilius and wondered why the marble carver couldn't keep his lines of text straight. The Gothic Wars, 535-553, spelled the end for many of the proud buildings that had survived the earthquakes and the barbarian plundering of Rome. Around this time, the first burials within the City are found outside the Colosseum. Surely, here we are at a different period in Rome's history.

I agree. Alemanno's idea is a stinky one. And how many archaeological sites will they disturb as they construct this SPQRland of thrill rides and hyped re-enactments? It will be as unreal as Busch Gardens Old Country.

From ABC news (Australia): "With the ruins of ancient Rome, the splendour of Vatican City and countless Renaissance art treasures, what does Italy's capital lack to attract tourists? The answer, according to the mayor's office, is a Disneyland-style theme park. "The model is Euro-Disney in Paris," said Deputy Mayor Mauro Cutrufo, announcing plans to build a vast ancient Rome theme park just outside the city which he says could be up and running within three to four years. The park would provide family-friendly attractions to show visitors what life was like in the Rome of 2,000 years ago. To be built on an as yet unspecified 1,000-1,200 acre site, it would put a Roman twist on rides like Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean, in which visitors float on boats through a fantasy pirate world. "You would relive scenes from the Colosseum, from ancient Rome, gladiators or maybe Julius Caesar or other things," a Rome city official said, ..." http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/14/2335965.htm What an unfortunate plan. Real history is too much of a bother. Pay money to have some fake history served up to you. This disaster of an idea speaks volumes about the new mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno.

I hope we're not blaming the Russians for the current high cost of oil, as one of the more recent posts may seem to suggest. Let's remember that before the invasion of Iraq crude was going for $27.69 a barrel. http://inflationdata.com/inflation/Inflati...rices_Table.asp Do we need the Russians? I think we do, if we're to avoid the unipolar world that has so depleted US strength. Sharing power with other nations doesn't mean we condone everything they do. It does mean that we look to issues of shared interest and pursue them jointly. Bullying Russia, or for that matter any country, is counter productive. The aggressive decisions to incorporate the old Soviet-bloc nations into NATO, to install missiles in Poland, and to arm Georgia with US weapons have antagonized Russia and to an extent are fueling Russian reactions.

With the new mayor of Rome there seems to be a complete turn around in regard to safe guarding the cultural past of the Eternal City. The zeal to build the parking garage despite the evidence that it would endanger the Domus Lucullus excavations seems consistent with Alemmano's over all attitude toward the City's cultural heritage. Alemmano is behind a plan to build a Disney-style theme park just outside Rome's walls. "Often dubbed the world's most beautiful city, Rome's cobbled piazzas, baroque churches and abundance of ancient archaeological sites have long drawn tourists from around the globe. But according to the new deputy mayor, what the Eternal City really needs to keep visitors coming is not museums, but fun rides. "The model is EuroDisney in Paris," said Mauro Cutrufo, as he announced plans for a 500-hectare (1,250-acre) theme park on the outskirts of Rome, which could be ready in three years, he said. If Cutrufo gets his way, anyone bored of touring actual remains of republican and imperial Rome can head to the suburbs to see the same thing in fibreglass." http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/15/italy August found Rome built of brick and left it adorned in marble. Alemmano will leave it with a twin, erected in plastic and fiberglass.

One important difference may be that Iraq was never part of the US and they don't even share borders, while Georgia has been Russian for almost two hundred years, up to less than two decades ago. I agree. That's an important distinction.

Not long after the Georgians bombed the capital of Ossetia, which resulted in the massive Russian response, George Bush accused the Russian Federation of "bullying" Georgia. The next day Senator McCain stated, in reference to the Russian presence in Georgia, that "in the 21st century nations don't invade other nations." What was the Bush Administration's treatment of Iraq, if other than "bullying?" There are at least tens of thousands of dead Iraqi's and a destroyed country that are very good witnesses to the action of George Bully Bush. And he wants to wag his bloody finger at the Russians! Maybe the Russians are taking a lesson from the Bush manual of international relations.

You are of course deluding yourself. We cannot win a confrontation with Russia, especially one on their doorstep! You clearly are misreading my comment and also are too pessimistic. First, I don't want shots to be fired. I want the US military to show itself as a buffer against Russian tanks and we'll easily win that confrontation. So Clodius, what do you suggest. Should we become defeatists and useless like Nato or the EU because now that would be delusional. Kowtowing to czar-like people such as Putin and his little puppet. What do you think we would do, as Americans, if the Russian Federation landed Russian marines on the coasts of Canada? Your suggestion would constitute an out and out provocation. Think more clearly.

Thanks for the link! Please keep us abreast of this find.

By the late Empire Rome was not the fashion center of the Empire. Constantinople was. I share your frustration with the anachronistic costuming of these TV presentations. History is much more complicated and interesting.

What suspense! Please let us know what they find in the stone coffin.

Do you really think the American people are ready for yet another war, this one with Russia over Georgia? We have two already ongoing and one heating up with Iran. Where will the money come to pay for a war with Russia? The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are completely financed with money borrowed from abroad, from China and others in the international money market. Almost none of the war expenditures have been budgeted for. I don't think it's lost on us, the American people, that this kind of McCain big stick approach will bankrupt the country if carried to it's logical conclusion, a hot war with Russia. The millions of foreclosures we're suffering through has made us even more attune to cost of things.

From the mid-6th thru the 8th centuries Rome's population shrank tremendously. Betrand Lan

Here's a reconstruction of the Antikythera device.

Yes, very fascinating. The device must have started out in a foundry and then finished in a machine shop. Here's a look at what the "computer" must have looked like the day the last machinist polished his proud work: http://www.comcast.net/news/science/slides...Ancient.Gadget/ Sorry. As of August 8, this link is no longer valid. See my other post below for an image of the device.

Both Rome and the US began as limited republican democracies. Then both became empires. I associate Cincinnatus, citizen-farmer-consul, with the Roman Republic. Likewise, the early farmer-settler-small business owner with our former republic.