Ursus

No, but seriously, while the Roman army was distinguished by a code of discipline and organization that set it apart from other ancient armies, it was still a killing machine. The Roman armies were noted for the extent of their destruction, even going so far as to butcher livestock and chop the heads off dogs when raiding a city. I just don't think the "professional ethic" of the legions should be overly romanticized. To say they believed in duty and discipline doesn't make the whole lot of them Stoics (I don't think the average person had much use for Greek philosophy at all), and it certainly doesn't make them Samurai either.

There have been several banned members. I believe the most recent was Imperator Marzellus, the majority of whose posts I have deleted from record.

Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of the women.

But don't these schools have libraries and librarians that can assist students in their search for resources? It's not like Ancient Rome is an esoteric subject which is the province of only a few scattered scholars on the internet.

Feel free to read and review a book then, Flavius.

http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=9824914681168115545 Patrician You scored 84% on Social Skills! You are one of the ruling elite. Thought your family may not be rich in money, you are rich in power and through that power you can replinish your coffers at will. Caesar doesn't trust you, nor should he. You don't trust Caesar or the Plebians (citizens), as you know just how fickle the two can be. Thus you spend lavish sums to put on games, festivals and theater performances for the masses, in an attempt to show up Caesar. You play a dangerous game with the crocodile, in the hopes that he will eat you last...

Not to sound condescending, Flavius, but we try to keep this site a little scholarly and articulate. If you want run-of-the-mill polls and stock discussions, there are other forums out there.

Ooops. Looks like I was a bit off. Post Roman Medieval Europe is not my forte. Thanks to whoever split it.

http://www.umass.edu/peri/resources/wei/staterankings.htm Most of the best states are in New England. Most of the worst, in the deep South. Heh. My own state of PA is second tier, though I work for Maryland. I suppose I should contemplate moving to New England.

Not too much, no. The north fell to the Goths, then to the Byzantines, then to the Lombards, then to the Franks and (later) the Holy Roman Empire (I think that's the progression, in any event it was gobbled up by various post-Roman forces). The South fell to Normans and then to Saracens. The Middle became the Papal States. I'm sure the Medieval military buffs could probably give you more detail. I do know the northern cities around the Po River Valley were the first to recover and even today remain richer than the rest of Italy.

For sake of brevity, and lack of personal interest, I omitted the minor regions.

I don't really get down and shake my booty. But I like classical and neo-classical stuff to relax. If I listen to pop culture I tend to go for Stones, Zepplin, etc.

Italy By the Age of Augustus, all of Italy had been Romanized, including the formerly Celtic lands of the north. The civil wars had meant the death or impoverishment of many of Rome

Yes, I have a job. In fact I've been pulling 10-12 hour shifts lately. As to whether or not I have a "life" ... well, I usually prefer a good book to most people I know. Ciao.

Caracalla gave near universal citizenship to the peoples of the empire, making them subject to various taxes. This distinction probably matters more to moderns than to the Ancients, as social classes mattered more on a practical level than citizenship.

I doubt the Romans showed any remorse to an enemy of the Republic just because he was a genius. Indeed, an enemy who happens to be a genius is dangerous.

Has Hollywood ever made a sympathetic, or at least balanced, view of the Roman Empire? Everything seems to concentrate on slaves, gladiators, orgies, the deadly rivalries of the imperial court, and the (usually exaggerated) treatment of Jews and Christians.

Heh, I loved the commentary. Still waiting for "Rome" to come out on DVD.

Your flair for theatrics aside, I'd be happy with the usual archaeological indications. There is no reason to imbue a religion or cult with any more antiquity than can be proven.

If true. 12, 000 years old .... that predates agriculture, doesn't it?

Equestrian status or higher for gallery and blog options. Sorry, but it prevents one post wonders from using our advanced features.

Is this a reputable source, because it seems too astonishing to be true.

I received a phish recently trying to imitate amazon.com. And you know what, I still get those freaking hoax e-mails asking me to set up my bank account for starving third worlders.

Feel free to review.

I tried this game a while ago and grew tired of what I saw as the severe leftist bias of the system (e.g., all crime will be solved by severely taxing the wealthy and throwing the money at education and welfare). But nonetheless, the newly founded Commonwealth of Ursinius joins the region. http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index....nation=ursinius