Ursus

Ummm ... it was off the top of my head, but if you want books... Martin, Thomas _Ancient Greece_ Burkert, Walter _Greek Religion_ Konstam, Angus _Historical Atlas of Ancient Greece_ Hornblower and Spawforth _Oxford Classical Dictionary_ Adkins and Adkins _ Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece _

The Longest Day is great! (except for John Wayne, I just find him over the top). But it really captures the feel of all the countries fighting and their view points. The book it's based on is even better. I don't think it demonizes the Germans, either. Maybe the Fuehrer and his command structure, but not the Germans per se. Saw Battleground a few times, too. Good movie. I think my favorite though is "Patton" with George C Scott.

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I give up reading." Henny Youngman.

"Most of the parallels between Mithraism and Christianity are part of the common currency of all mystery cults or can be traced back to common origins in the Graeco-Oriental culture of the Hellenistic world." Manfred Claus. _The Roman Cult of Mithras_ Routledge. New York, NY. 2000.

The politics of the Byzantines are engaging, and the personalities fascinating. The artwork at times enchanting. But all those ridiculous Christological arguments! You're right, it doesn't feel like the good old Pagan Rome. Nonetheless I'll be reviewing a Byzantine book shortly, and I'm happy to see the site's interest in the Imperial and Byzantine periods is nearly as strong as the Republic.

I think Rome's alleged inner failures are much overhyped. The Western Empire fell because Germanic supertribes came pouring through the breaches, and the empire didn't have the resources to fight both them and the Persians at the same time. True, the frequent civil wars didn't help. But this business about Rome falling because of "moral failings" seems like sour grapes from cranky old men. As to America's alleged moral failings - no comment. That really doesn't belong on this folder.

I say get the Spice Girls back together and let them compose an European Anthem.

I've read myths about sacred swords were common to the Germanic tribes.

Like I said above, Minerva wasn't quite the war deity as Athena. Also, as far as I know, Athena didn't have the healing aspect of Minerva Medica. An epithet merely invokes a particular attribute of a deity. "Medica" would be the healing aspect of Minerva. "Pallas" would be the Greek word for Minerva's status as a maiden. I'm not sure of all the epithets.

Which just goes to show philosophy has nothing on ruthless political acumen.

I have recently read some scholarship by Galinsky, et al, that attempts to frame Augustus' role as Princeps from the standpoint of auctoritas. I have submitted a full review for the site. In brief, while Augustus did concentrate various Republican offices into his persona, he preferred to rule from the standpoint of his moral/spiritual authority. The secret to the success is that the non-political classes of Italy whom he empowered more or less accepted his vision of a new Roman order, and eagerly contributed to it.

You could say the Capitoline Triad of Minerva, Jupiter and Juno were the patron deities of the Roman Republic.

You are an evil man. Now I'm going to to be rewriting song lyrics all weekend like Weird Al Yankovic. Imagine a Britney Spears foregoing "Baby, One More Time" and singing: His tyranny is killing me I must confess, I did the deed When he's not here all Rome will be free Come on Brutus Let's stab Caesar one more time!

Minerva is identified with the Greek goddess Athena. Some scholars suggest Minerva was borrowed early from Greece via the Etruscans. Others suggest Minerva is indigenous to Italy. Whatever the truth, the two deities are similar and became all the more so after Roman religion began assuming Greek flavors. Minerva is connected with an archaic Latin word meaning

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/99744.html I don't want to fight, I just want to sing!

Except for Roman Catholicism, eh?

Poke a few holes in the ant mound, pour gasoline down, and set it ablaze. Fun, fun, fun.

The cult of Isis comes to mind as such a closed, private order. Unlike most religious structures in the Roman world, the Iseum was completely walled off from the surrounding world - and even within its walls there was a sanctuary where only the initiated and clergy could enter. Also, there were some cults such as the Orphics who did try to seclude themselves from the surrounding lifestyle and devote themselves to a life of ascetic mysticism. However, I believe Christian monasticism took all these elements, combined them, and elevated them to the next level.

Non-Roman Italians were absorbed rather than wiped out. Their nobility became Equestrians and then Senators by the Principate. Sejanus was either an Etruscan or a Volscan, as I recall.

I believe I read this book when I was in high school. It's been a while. I remember it as being a good read .... which is no small feat when someone indulges Cicero's penchant to drone on.

Symbolic importance? I suppose the very idea of having ancient and cultured Hellas as a jewel in someone's crown justified the expenditures for some. Not all actors assess everything on a strictly geopolitical cost/benefit rational analysis -- the power of images and sentiment factors in quite often.

I call myself a "Roman-American" ....

In the tradition started by Pertinax, I shall deliver a few "pocket" review of books I read this weekend. Eck, Werner. Augustus. Blackwell Publishing, 1998. A no-nonsense survey of Augustus. The first half is a chronology of Augustus from early years to the battle of Actium. The second half explores the political and military accomplishments of his rule. The writing (or at least the translation from German) is clear and crisp. The book from Blackwell is put-together very well, and the appendix includes a copy of Res Gestae. The one downside is that the book is very skimpy with the cultural and religious developments of Augustan Rome. Galinsky, Karl. Augustan Culture. Princeton University Press. 1996. Galinsky seeks to undo the interpretation of Augustus as proto-fascist set by Syme's Roman Revolution. I believe he largely succeeds. Galinsky establishes auctoritas as the central Augustan virtue, and then demonstrates how Augustus ruled by incorporating this trait in every aspect of culture. Galinsky provides ample evidence that Augustus was far from being a godfather of 20th century totalitarians. A sweeping survey of Augustan Rome. My one problem is that the author's prose is long-winded and somewhat postmodern in perspective - I felt he was writing more for his fellow academics than for the general reader. Which is a shame, because the themes in this book need to be read by the average Romanophile. I intend to do a fuller review of this book for UNRV. Galinsky, Karl. The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Augustus. Cambridge University Press. 2005. A collection of essays of various topics on Augustan Rome written by scholars in the US and Europe. Edited by Galinsky. The quality of the essays vary with the individual author, but in general the book provides an interesting and multifaceted survey of the period.

Oh, I think I should also put in a good word for the imperial genii of Julius and Augustus ...