caldrail

There's a degree of difference in what these establishments offer. Like any business premises, its going to vary in size and facility according to scale of operation. Campagnia as a whole was the region that italian gladiatorial combat comes from (Capua in particular as mentioned above). Realistically you'll get a few large schools whose owners have pretty much cornered the larger contracts and a number of peripheral, smaller ones. For instance... Caesars Ludus was a mini-arena, with a sunken oval area for the practice fighting and training. The barracks at Pompeii (I've not been there, so please correct me if I'm wrong) appears to be a quadrangle surrounded by cells and storerooms. I don't know if gladiators trained in the arenas themselves (much like modern sportsmen do) but I've seen no evidence of that.

So it was you then?

It makes no difference in reality. The car was well and truly killed off last year mechanically two months after I bought it. I've had long arguments with the police over it. Fact is - somebody wants me to get rid of it and wanted me to do so right from the start. Not until they own up to what they did.

This morning I was walking up a street around the corner from where I live. Strewn with yellow and brown leaves, damp after last nights rainfall. It was also covered with broken glass in one place beside a car. Yes, the mystery car thief has struck again. Its hard to understand what he gains from this. Its entirely opportunistic, his targets are at random, and judging by the stuff left lying around the car I passed today, he simply isn't interested in what he finds. So is after anything specific? Apparently not. I actually start to wonder if he's doing it just to be anti-social, though it has to be said he did search my car fairly thoroughly. After all the vandalism thats been going on, the garage across the yard have left their external lights on all weekend, leaving me to sleep through a dull orange glow from my bedroom window. It must be said, the volume of people hurling taunts and insults in the small hours has decrased noticeably - along with an increased police presence I'd suspect. If only that were all. The alleyway beside the block of houses where I live has become a favourite dumping ground for someone. Mattresses and binbags regularly appear, and of course, so do broken bottles. To quote Blondie, they 'like the sound of breaking glass'. Breakage of the Week We all do it. In a moment of detached clumsiness we all drop things. Only this time, I didn't just drop it. The plate slid out of my hands like it was propelled by strange forces, scattering piled crockery and utensils waiting to be dried on my kitchen top before sliding to the floor and disassembling itself into random molecules. Then the dislodged stuff followed, and despite my heroic efforts to catch things, most ended up following the plate like inanimate lemmings. I definitely heard the sound of breaking glass. Don't like it.

Ultimately, I would have to say Rome's success was built on their passion for organisation. They were so much more business-like about warfare than others it was a real advantage, whatever the quality of leaders and men.

Prisoners of war weren't usually trained as gladiators. Lets make a distinction here. A gladiator is a trained professional fighter (by AD60 anyway). After a conflict there would be a glut on the market of such men, so the markets weren't really all that interested in selling them. Therefore they were likely to be disposed of. Although some may have attracted the interest of a lanista, the sad truth is most POW's headed for the arena were cannon fodder in the spectaculars or beast hunts. Now to answer your question, in AD60 you might expect the majority to be britons, jews, mauretanians, ex-pirates (cilicians, africans etc) - all possible prisoners, not necessarily of war, but of any anti-social behaviour from roman perspective. Occaisionally roman citizens were so treated. There was an example during Tiberius's reign of a town refusing to allow a centurions burial until a gladiatorial fight had taken place, and the towns people were taken away by legionaries (fate not described). Since trained gladiators were from a relatively small number of slaves considered worthy, from people available on the market, from law-breakers consigned to the training schools, or volunteers, (although suetonius does mention twenty thousand men in the training schools in Caligula's time) there really isn't any need to worry unduly about percentages, and you might just as well assign a broad range of the origins listed above.

Rome did not always win. I recall a bunch of hairy gauls striding into the senate house in the 390's BC for example? Or Crassus discovering the hard way that the persians were not impressed with his wealth? Or Varus simply falling for a clever ruse? What we can say is Rome always survived. In part that was down to roman character as a society. Warlike certainly, but also stubborn and clearly a society that believed in itself and its aims. Also, the available recruitment pool was larger than many enemies (as Hannibal discovered) so the romans were able to absorb defeats more readily. Which brings up the point about leadership. Its true the romans had some good generals over the years. Young nobles were brought up with military experience as a priority, with a sense of professionalism we don't usually see in the ancient world, but the truth is that history focuses on the achievers, the more talented commanders, and the men who were lacklustre (and didn't cause a disaster) are very rarely mentioned at all since roman commentators were only interested in hero's and villains. Typical storytelling. Part of the problem is Rome's reputation as a military power. Its not that its totally exaggerated as such, but it has been turned into legend (and I suspect the romans were happy to let it be so, never mind modern perspective). Every so often on these forums I see people eulogising the legions as 'the best'. Well... at times they were, but the legions were not totally reliable nor unbeatable. I ran into the same problem at Hadrians Wall, were I heard someone commenting on the standard of roman soldiers (having watched a demo by re-enactors). I conversationally put him straight and got a slap in the face from a young man, clearly an off-duty member of HM armed forces, who saw the roman legions as a sort of parallel to his own service and thus transferred his pride readily. At their best, the romans were good. There's no getting away from it. They were well equipped, relentless, and disciplined in battle. At their worst, the romans were unreliable, undisciplined, totally unable to show initiative. So much depended on the quality of leadership.

Kubrick merely directed the film. The project belonged to Kirk Douglas and he based it on Howard Fast's novel, which presented Spartacus as the freedom fighter struggling to change the world for a better place. This was a modern perspective of course. The real Spartacus had much less generous aims than that. This new project? I can see it now. American style quips and gags, lots of fast paced fencing, a sassy love interest who turns out to be as good a fighter as Spartacus (quite by chance of course, but she's a film heroine) and plenty of happy-go-lucky male bonding. Ugh. Too indigestible. And I haven't even seen the trailer yet.

According to a recent survey by an employment website, only 14% of people ever end up in their dream job. What they haven't asked is how many of those 14% succeed at it. As a confirmed member of the politically stronger Failure Party (86% of the vote at the last count) I would like to point out getting your dream job is only half the battle, and that keeping it is sometimes a little tougher. There is of course the old wisdom that you should beware of what you wish for, and that the grass is always greener on the other side of the hill. Since I'm considered 'over the hill' by most employers, I have to say the grass isn't green at all. Do I sound aggrieved? Well, actually, I can't complain too much. I've done things many people dream about. All Change In The Tardis Yep, its that 'New Dr Who' moment. David Tennant has decided to move on to a higher plane of existence and so the media circus surrounding who plays Who is going to start again. Personally, I think I'm perfect for the job. After all, it beggars belief that Cardiff is the site of a strange rift in time and space when everyone knows the rift is located at Swindon. We get all sorts of aliens here.... Promise of the Week Our chancellor, less capable but less deceitful than his predecessor, has vowed to rebuild public finances. A labour politician who wants to reduce spending? Or is this another veiled warning of increased taxation? As if we don't more than ever before already, but then again, this is the party that told the public there's lots of ways of taxing people they haven't tried yet.

Galen was a capable physician, well pracvtised by virtue of dealing with gladiatorial injury. If he turned out to be an equivalent of a Harley St physician, it doesn't suprise me. Also, its a mistake to believe the common man had easy access to medical care - he didn't, it was (as often happened in the past) a matter of cash. The legions were different in that they had physicians amongst them for practical reasons, thus giving them access to 'free' health care. But then... they had to serve twenty odd years for it.

Yep, its AM. He's sat two cubicles away from me in the library as I write this and whinging away like nothing else. Mutter mutter.. groan... can't send my emails... stupid computer.... why won't this work.... oh no.... not again.... mutter mutter.... Funny thing is, some unemployed guy, older than me and obviously unacquainted with personal computing, was getting help making a job application via the internet. AM looked over his shoulder irritably A - because they were disturbing his whinging time and B - because the other guy was getting attention. Eventually the unemployed guy and the patuiently helpful library assistant went away. "Making noise like that, disturbing us when we're trying to do our emails", He hissed angrily, "No ettiquete at all". You have to laugh. Laugh of the Week Goes to Syria's response to american forces mounting a raid on their territory. "Terrorist agression" they denounce it as. Well, it seems to me that the american raid was targeted precisely to achieve a single objective, which they seem to have succeeded at. Terrorism is more indiscriminate and lets be honest, Syria has never shown any qualms about harbouring such people. I know some people are going to point at this action and denounce the US as throwing its weight around (like the critics always do), but since the US has suffered thousands of casualties trying to restore peace in Iraq (whatever the political motives) you can hardly blame them for attempting to cut off the enemies recruitment office. I think Syria needs to realise America was serious when it declared 'War On Terror'

Superb. I'm cancelling my subscription to Lego with immediate effect.

The four famous ones were the largest institutions, and Capua was known for them, though I suspect again there were only a few major ones there. Other people owned troupes of gladiators and had them housed/trained on their villa grounds rather than a dedicated ludum. There were of course plenty of itinerant troupes, usually of low quality and reputation, who had no premises at all.

Cheers peeps. Useful info.

I had a discussion about things roman with a ardent christian recently and it struck me that she was telling me things that were obviously fabricated by someone. I do think she was genuinely sincere, but it seems her info was even worse than mine. So far, I've heard he disappeared, that Nero personally condemned him to the lions, that he was hung by the neck, and that he had his head chopped off. There's a sort of fairy tale atmosphere to all of this and that bothers me? I must stress that I'm not interested in the religious dogma that surrounds Paul (thats for another forum anyway), I'm only interested in him as a historical figure. Do we know what actually happened to him?

Funny things motorbikes. When you're young they seem so iconic. When you old they seem so symbolic. When they blast up the street they seem so noisy. When I was very young I used to see Evel Knievel featured on the news, preparing once again to crash his bike spectacularly in front of thousands. He wasn't the first to do motorcycle stunts by any means, the 'Wall of Death' sometimes featured in circuses and so on, but Mr Knievel had a talent for publicity. It seems though he had little talent for riding. Nonetheless, he had no regard for the dangers involved, and you can't help but admire him for that. You can't help but admire the media circus that followed him. I too had a motorcycle stunt toy. A sort of wind up thingy that shot off a launcher across the jury-rigged leap of death-defying scale between stacks of books and plywood boards. That poor toy always ended as a mangled heap of plastic againt the opposite wall. The funny thing was the painted expression on his face. A permanent grin like "This is hell... Help me..." These days though the level of talent involved in motorcycle stunts has improved a great deal. I see tv programs where youngsters make astonishing leaps and arrive with astronautic precision on the earth ramp the other end. A few days ago I watched a 'freestyle motocross' event in which they not only leap, but perform backflips and aerial gymnastics en route. Astonishing. For me though motorcycles were never a step toward manhood. I went straight for cars. I've done some pretty daft things in them in my younger days (good grief why are human beings so completely irresponsible when they're eighteen?) but to be honest I can't claim to have leapt thirteen double decker buses in one. I also know that many older people buy motorcycles to recapture that spirit of youth. Harley Davidsons seem to be the most popular for that, though why this is so is beyond me, since almost everyone else spits in fury at at the very name of that manufacturer. Personally I have no intention of trying to recapture my youth. Why would I need a second childhood? Most people think I haven't left my first one yet. Reminisence of the Week I was working as a delivery driver, and one of my stops was a boatyard north of Henley. I found the place, delievered thepackage, got the signature, and set off for my next destination. I stopped before pulling out onto the main road. Look left, look right. Some distance away to my right was a lone motorbike. No conflicting traffic then, so I turned left onto the road and proceeded toward a nearby bridge over the River Thames. This bridge was at an angle to the road, almost hidden by riverside trees. It was also an old victorian humpbacked stone bridge with no way to see anything coming the other side of it. Then in my mirror I spotted the rider. Just before the bridge he was attempting to overtake. I widened my eyes in alarm. He can't be serious? He was. He went for it. The little two stroke opened up and buzzed like a manic wasp. Then I noticed a car coming over the bridge. Being in a van, I was much higher than the rider passing on my right, and I doubt he saw it. I braked to let the rider past and winced as the car turned the bend in the face of the bike. The rider swept past me and swerved back into lane with inches to spare. He wobbled a little before accelerating away across the bridge and that was it. He was gone. He was very nearly a goner. Why are eighteen year olds so irresponsible on motorbikes? Actually, I can imagine his adrenaline rush afterward, and a big grin on his face from having faced danger and surviving. Somehow though.... I doubt he was competition for Evel Knievel, talent or not.

There is an anti-christ, and his name is Tiddles.....

I imagine his fate is up to him. He bears dishonour and that will affect what he can achieve thereafter.

I approve of this. A practical solution to almost any problem. I know just what to hit it with.... Oh no.... I'm a disgruntled RAF wannabe..... As regards to what goes on aboard ship, I would like to point out that both sexes go to sea these days with strict intsructions about no hanky panky. Which leaves me wondering if the decks of the modern warships resemble the set of a Carry-On film...

During my last years at school I was a little less than well behaved. Nothing malicious, just totally unable to act in a mature or acceptable manner. It was of course a teenage rebellion. The teachers were not impressed and I remember stern lectures and demands to know what I intended to do when I left school and went out into the big wide world. I chose to join the Royal Air Force. So I popped down the recruiting office and the man in uniform there said "Sorry, Son, no vacancies". Huh? Well that sounded a little odd. So I travelled to a nearby town and applied there. They told me I couldn't hear properly. Now that I'm a lot older, I've come to notice certain trends in people who once served in the armed forces. One of those trends for instance is the delight ex-squaddies take in telling people who ask about their service that it was in a special unit. Usually they weren't, but your average civilian doesn't know that. Ex-RAF men always seem disgruntled. My local locksmith mutters darkly about his lack of promotion. He spent long hours poking a machine gun out of the back of a helicopter and considered that a waste of his talent. At least he had some. A gentleman I used to work with once served in the RAF too. He is prone to fits of anger, and with a complete inability in handicraft (he originally applied as an RAF mechanic), his idea of assembling flat pack furniture is to demolish it with a hammer because screw A does not fit in hole B. As he was so incapable of doing anything else than punching sergeants on the jaw, once released from punishment they had him working on nuclear weapons. Seriously. Unless he's pulling my leg too, but then he's a disgruntled ex-RAF type. So.... Why is it ex-Royal Navy personnel never ever discuss it at all? Or even tell anyone they were sailors? Plea of the Week A cat has adopted my parents. Would the owner please reclaim this animal before it enslaves them totally. Thank you.

We invented people like that generations ago.

This strains credibility a little. Men who volunteered or were coerced to fight in the arena were either slaves or criminals - scumbags socially, although the few succesful ones became celebrities as gladiatorial combat grew in importance. Therefore a soldier in the arena is an ex-soldier. Since legionaries did not leave the service voluntarily (could they buy themselves out? I have no evidence of that) and that soldiers were disciplined internally, it would have to be men who once belonged to a disgraced and disbanded legion - that didn't happen every day. Alternatively, a soldier might have been subject to civil law for criminal activity whilst away from his unit (On leave? In civvies?) and found himself condemno ad gladius. Not a true professional gladiator then, just a participant in a spectacularum. Cannon fodder for the crowds pleasure. I do seem to remember that Caesar had the central barrier of the Circus removed and had soldiers fight a mock battle for the crowds entertainment, elephants and all. I don't know off hand whether they were serving legionaries, and if so, it set an extraordinary precedent that wasn't often repeated.

Camp Prefects were long-timers by and large, as the job was usually given to senior centurions as a reward for long service. Centurions were under no obligation to retire, seeing as they were fundamental to discipline and leadership. The rank and file were a different class. Its true the legions gave them some benefits - important ones for the standards of the time - but legionaries were not molly-coddled at all. Camp life was harsh at times and any man idle in the barracks would soon find himself on fatigues (although I accept things tended to become lax during peacetime). Legionaries were notorious for bad behaviour, and one aspect of this (as soldiers have always done) is to avoid onerous duty. Bribery after all was endemic in the legions. So in fact there is every motivation for a legionary to be somewhere else. There are plenty of records and requests survivng, many from Vindolanda, which demonstrate how often leave was granted to ordinary soldiers.

There wasn't much formality to it. If the lanista agreed (he might think you're too wussy for instance) he'd require you to swear an oath and that was your side of it. The contract would have been recorded for administration and legal niceties, but as a matter of interest I don't know of any requirement to sign a contract or 'make their mark'.

Injury is another reason. To be honest I haven't seen any evidence that legionaries could voluntarily opt out of service. If need be, they could ask an officer for leave. Records from Britain suggest as much as half the legion were at times unavailable to fight for various reasons including absence. There was no ejection from the legion in normal circumstances. Punishment for crime or ill-discipline was harsh and sometimes lethal, but any social exclusion never dictated a permanent absence from the unit. It seems the romans took the attitude that once you signed up (in the professional era at least) you had sworn an oath to serve, so serve you shall.