caldrail

There's no need to speculate. We already know. Marius faced a shortage of veterans and could not levy a new legion in the time honoured organisation. So he made do with raw recruits, but he also noted how much simpler and straightforward it was to recruit and train every recruit to the same end - as a heavy infantryman. Therefore his reforms were partially based on his own experience of warfare, though I understand he also used other peoples ideas that were being tried at the time. Whether the reforms were necessary is difficult to answer because I'm sure Marius didn't overturn military tradition without good reason. Perhaps the most important was the seperation of land ownership and military service by allowing the landless poor (provided they were citizens) access to gainful employment. The creation of a standing army meant that the frenetic recruitment generally experienced in campaigning was less desperate, since Rome would already have men available to fight at any time. You will hear it said that the Marian Reforms allowed the resettlement of veterans in provincial or downturned areas. Whether that was intentional I don't know, but that sort of thing could have been done anyway - it just wasn't necessary in former times because the levy comprised of landowners. Also, the resettlements occured after the generals exploited this military resource for their own ambition.

An early start this morning was required. I'd even had a phone call from a claims advisor to warn me that I had to get out of bed this morning. There was no problem waking up. Punch & Judy saw to that as they left for work, making my alarm clock pretty well redundant too. As for today, a murky start, but the skies brightened, and ye gods did the temperature drop. Not actually as cold as it gets in Britain, not even frosty, but the effect was accentuated by the relatively mild if somewhat damp weather we've been having lately. It felt as if it was freezing. As for my all-important claims interview, it turned out to be another pointless exercise in bureaucracy. It seems I now have to write the same information out in triplicate. I'm not joking. Oh well, if that's what it takes to earn my meal ticket in the absence of gainful employment, so be it. Meanwhile, Back At The Library Once again I sit down for a couple of hours of free internet access. Same as every other day, but my attention was drawn to the display case on the second floor. The Science Museum has an annex up the road from where I sit typing this. Wroughton airfield stores lots of stuff, from old aeroplanes to all sorts of documents, and in previous years, my drum kit resided temporarily in one of the hangars by Red Gate (The caretakers son was one of Red Jasper's crowd of amateur roadies). Occaisionally they let the library display some of their treasures. Mostly old books, some hundreds of years old, and a patent of nobility from Henry VIII's reign was in there for a while. Today, I spotted some ephemera from the golden age of airships. Photos of R100 in flight and construction, but there was something better than that. A menu, an incomprehensible card document in germanic language and script, and a pair of colour printed tickets from the airship Hindenburg dated to 1936. The sense of occaision these vessels must have engendered, not to mention encouraged by the aviation industry, was almost palpable. A pair of tickets to South America with colour pictures of the Hindenburg illustrated above all else what a big deal it was. Now all gone in a puff of smoke.

Probably not, but bear in mind these people are conducting an armed struggle for their own aggrandisement as much as any political principle, and to survive against stronger and better organised forces, they adopt terror tactics. This isn't a new phenomenon at all. Although it has a cultural colour, similar strategies have always been part of armed conflict. Remember the Romans always said you should never be taken prisoner by the Galatians. It's a question of expedience and perception. Who are your enemies? To western minds, the casual slaughter of civilians is usually unacceptable, but not just for any chivalric or humane reasons - it's also a matter of propaganda, because there is a need to be seen as morally superior to your opponent, and the modern media loves nothing more than scandal. The point about discipline is true of today, but that's applied to modern standards. The Romans weren't bound by our limits. Whilst their discipline was brutal, it created brutal men, and the Romans wanted that. They were a very macho people to begin with, very martial-minded, and had little or no time for humanity when it obstructed a potential victory. Further, the Romans were prone to allowing their men to loot and pillage in some circumstances. That was to keep the men happy as much as crush the enemy. Roman soldiers expected booty from war, and expected their leaders to provide oppportunities for it. That tradition began earlier. Arena combat and the spectacles resulting from it where already big business by the time of the Caesars. However that doesn't detract from your point. Blood sports involving live combat for public entertainment was a unique phenomenon as far as I know. Death against a wild animal was a much older idea, although only the Romans turned it into an industry.

I find it strange he manages to trace his way home, but then he can afford to pay people for that (Sorry, Ozzy, love the music) DNA is all very well, but there are other means of tracing ancestory. Somethimes clues are found in the name. For instance, mine suggests that a dim distant ancestor was a land-holder beholden to no-one else until William the Conqueror did away with such fuedal anomalies. Never did like the French

A few years ago, a guy at work told me what the Polish were like to live with. He resided in a rented room, in a property shared with a number of Polish people. He told me of the attitude they were prone to, and the shenanigans they adopted if they didn't get their own way. For my part, I took it with a pinch of salt. Perhaps my colleague was unlucky and his co-habitees were not the most genial sort of people to begin with. I didn't assume he was right about the behaviour of a nation. Now I'm starting to wonder. There's a sort of old fashioned male dominance going in with the Poles in my area. It's as if they assume they have no reason to respect anyone else unless they're at risk of getting a fist in their face, and even then, they relish the prospect of another challenge to their manhood. It's all very feral and if I was honest, a bit depressing. Come on Poland, catch up with the twenty first century, please? Round Two My neighbours are back on form. After a period of relative calm following my complaints (and my rebuttal of theirs), they're back to normal, which means the woman is given an excuse to jabber and hoot excitedly for six or seven hours without drawing breath. I have to be honest, she isn't my idea of a fun person to spend time with. So why did she bang on my wall last night? Was she in the mood to start an argument? Or was that an attempt to prove some sort of social superiority? All she's done is demonstrate what I said in the first place, that they're selfish self-absorbed youngsters who believe they can do as they like if they can get away with it. The trouble is they charm the pants off the letting agent. So for the time being I have to put up with the Punch and Judy show next door. Under Cover This morning I wandered into the bathroom somewhat bleary eyed after my neighbours decided it would be fun to bang doors. Through the decorated glass I could see a white shape where no white shape should be. What on earth is that? A parked car? If so, what happened to mine? I opened the window and looked out to see a heavy duty plastic sheet heaped on top of my car. Why? Why is that there? What idiot decided that dumping a plastic sheet on my car is going to make it any more presentable? Or is this another stunt by a certain someone who's already complained my car is parked in the space I pay rent for? Wet and... This morning was an odd sort of start to the day. It was grey and gloomy, as you expect in november, but on the horizon was a layer of darker cloud, which with the low lying clag, gave the impression of hills and mountains in the distnce. A very peculiar optical illusion. Now of course the cloud has thickened and it's started raining. I'm under no illusion about that.

I seriously don't think a rehearsed chorus line of actors represents adequate proof of something that isn't documented in Roman sources. I notice that Brady, like any good officer of the 40's, stresses parade ground precision. I do have objections to this. Firstly, by what mechanism did the front rank realise they were all sufficiently tired and weakened? They were facing the enemy. They were busy in a sword fight. As for the centurion, he was likely in the front rank along with them, and there's no guarantee he was able to observe and command objectively. Secondly, Brady may well be assuming a pyramid commnd structure as he was used to. There is no direct evidence I know of that the Romans used such a system, and the structure of the legion suggests otherwise. Although the Romans stressed individual initiative, it's clear from the sources that there was little of it in practice, and indeed, Roman soldiers who did take the initiative were as likely to be laughed at by their mates. Thirdly, Brady was trained in a different methodology of fighting and his assumptions about how the battle line begaves is a little fanciful. He does not metion how this line relief system dealt with dead and injured legionaries obstructing the process, nor how it coped with rough ground. Fourthly, if, as Brady hints at himself, the relief of the fighting line was done ad hoc, and not by general order, this does not represent a practised drill but simply common sense if you want to present a durable front against the enemy. If Brady was studying battlefield tactics from Caesars time, does he quote where he got this information? Why is Brady regarded as such an informed source?

Just to prove that remote areas of the United States are not the only desirable place for alien invasions, we have one of our own, with a real live Dalek in the library. I can hear it warbling downstairs. For around five seconds the gathered children were stunned into silence. With the harsh distorted voice we expect of malicious pepperpots armed with rayguns, it said "I only want to be loved. I came to your planet because I thought you were caring. How wrong can a Dalek be? Exterminate!!!!" At least the parents fell over laughing. Once the kids had recovered from the suprise of seeing the Dalek actually move and communicate in front of them, they all started screaming requests for some sign of recognition. The Dalek of course is uniquely unable to wave hello, and thus the children are traumatised forever, learning that not all toys are soft and comfy. The naughty kids soon gained precedence, yelling to to demand attention from the alien invader, and starting arguments with the harassed space being, who asked them not to shout. I have a sneaking feeling the Dalek desperately wanted his raygun to work. "I will destroy the building!" Claimed the Dalek. Really? There was a time when they routinely threatened to destroy our planet. All that wasted effort. All they needed to do was build a Carbon Dioxide Plant and we were all doomed. Of course the 'pepperpot' is only a machine to carry the mutated creature inside it. The original Dalek was a green slimey squidgy thing with distended tentacles. The newer Dalek resembles a cyclopean octopus. It has to be said, we humans far prefer fluffy animals in general. Daleks lack the cute factor. They also lack the winning streak. After decades of experience in dealing with them, I'm pleased to announce that humanity has risen to the challenge of the library invasion. Poor Dalek. He doesn't stand a chance against those kids... Pretty Faces My daily ritual involves waiting to sign on. Claimants come and go, some happy, some morose, mostly shabby rejects of society by circumstance or choice. By and large the ladies are not what you'd call attractive. Women have an unfair advantage in the workplace. If they're at all attractive, they get preferential treatment from the boss, something I lost out to once as a young woman got promoted over my head because she was slightly sexier than me. Yesterday I sat there among the throng of quiet claimants. A couple of ladies emerged into view. Actually, they weren't bad, much more desirable than the usual working class harridans shoving their offspring here and there with frustrated barking orders.. Little things like pretty faces can change your entire day, but wait, hold the bus, who is that? An oriental lady stepped into the office. Apart from some natural shyness, she was charismatic, utterly gorgeous, and dressed to kill. I hope the government understand I now have an excuse to carry on claiming.

Beep... Beep... Beep... The old womans mobility buggy goes into reverse gear for the seventh time as she fails utterly to negotiate the wide open space of the library lounge. Now she's stuck between shelving units with ten feet to spare. That kind of sets the tone for the day. Oh hang on again, she's reversing again.... Okay, she's moved a few feet. That'll keep her happy for a a few minutes until she works out where she is. But as I was saying, today is proving to very annoying. One of the other computers has the volume turned right up, and every so often the Microsoft Windows Theme Tune manages to be soothing and irritating at the same time. The asian couple in the next cubicle are busy planning their lives, two ladies are jabbering away about how to to use a computer in another, and guess what? Mr Fidget has turned up. My day is complete. It all began early last night with the wind howling outside. Sleep? Not possible. it wasn't helped when I was roused from my semi-comatosed state by some idiot knocking on a window outside. Don't know whose exactly, and I don't care. Go away. Bad News For The Lazy The big news item last night wasn't the diplomatic mission to persuade the Chinese to be nice and democratic, nor the explosions in Pakistan, nor the hatred directed toward BP's former boss. It was the new rules for benefit payments. Apparently a politican has decided that if a claimant refuses work he can have his payments stopped for up to three years. Three strikes and you're penniless. Although the severity of these penalties is designed to dissuade the workshy from making lame excuses to stay idle, I have to say that the Department of Work and Pensions have already had similar powers for some time. Back in 2003 I signed a jobsearching agreement that stated a refusal to accept an offer of employment was liable to cause problems. My gripe isn't that there are severe penalties, but rather there's a growing assumption that the unemployed are idle by choice. So where are all these new jobs and community projects going to come from? It isn't often I agree with the Labour Party, and I know it's all political sabre rattling, yet I can't help feeling the real savings are going to be made by creating scapegoats.

It was only a few years before when Julian's outnumbered army suffered an initial setback at Strassburg, but quickly regrouped and won a decisive victory against a the Alemani. One of the differences was that Fritigen's Goths had been rumaging around within the empire and had access to the armory, so they were able to equip themselves with up to date Roman arms and armor. There were also numerous defections of semi-Romanized Goths from the Roman army who joined Fritigen. The point being that Valens was probably facing a much more sophisticated force than a typical Germanic army. The Goths at Adrianople were no more sophisticated than any other. It is true they used some Roman equipment, more likely from the battlefield after their initial victories than plundered from armouries, and it's also true they had Roman deserters among their number. They also employed other Germanic tribes, including Alans. The behaviour of the gothic warriors during the battle was consistent with cultural norms, and no more advanced than other barbarian tribes of their day. I do see a lot of statements to the effect that the Goths were somehow superior, on the basis that they - oh no - defeated a Roman army. The problem is that many people simply assume the Romans were at the peak of effectiveness as they had always been. Not so. The Romans assembled at Adrianople were reluctant fighters, had arrived in a disorderly manner, were badly led, had no clear idea of what was going on or what was expected of them, were hot and tired after marching for hours, and subjected to smoke from crops burned deliberately. More to the point, Fritigern was a very worried man. His forces were becoming desperate for provisions, they'd been given a bloody nose by Roman forces days earlier, and had been cornered at Adrianople. In fact, Fritigern was playing for time, using any excuse to stop the battle from starting so Alatheus and Saphrax could return with their forces. Roman equipment of the day was no more sophisticated than anyone elses, and far from being 'up to date', it was conformal to the period and effectively little different from the equipment used by their enemies.

Today is the day. Today I face the Gestapo... Erm... I mean an important Customer Compliance person at the Job Centre. It's not something to take lightly. Already several people have had their money stopped for discrepancies in their job search, including FR, my old buddy from my glory days in local bands, who has chosen to become self employed again in the music scene after they stopped his money for forgetting to apply for a particular vacancy. I wish him well. "This won't take long." She told me as I entered the small interview room. Gulp. Show no fear, Caldrail. To my pleasant suprise I survived unscathed. It pays to observe the rules, regardless of whatever complaint you might have. The lady who got me to sign the contract observed that most of the veteran claimants on her books find it difficult to find work because they're either been unemployed a long time, or that they have specialist experience and struggle to find that niche again. She reckoned I fitted both categories at the same time. Perhaps. Thing is though I have to believe I'll come out the other side of this with gainful employment, if not quite the job of my dreams. As I pointed out I have plenty of transferable skills. I'm not sure knowing a bit of Roman history is going to land me me a well paid job, nor am I sure my skills at driving sports cars, flying Cessnas, and wacking the heck out of a drum kit night after night is going to help much, but you never know... Assigning Blame Why on earth was anyone suprised by the violence of yesterdays march by students protesting at the governments plans for tuition fees? There's always been a minority of anarchists in that age group who want nothing more than a chance to defy authority under the cover of an organised protest. It must be said though they made a mess of that building at Millbank, London. Like everyone else, I don't see the point of such blatant damage. All they've done is wreck the credibility of the student union's argument, but then, they weren't there to add support for the cause. I had to laugh though when Boris Johnson, our current London Mayor, refused to answer the questions of the television news reporter. It seems Boris warned there would be violence when the government plans were first revealed. Steadfastly he refused to identity himself with the aims of the march and referred to it as a legitimate protest ruined by mindless vandals who should face the full weight of criminal proceedings for their actions. I agree, as it happens, but who punishes the politicians when they wreck things? Wet And Wind Blown As I was warned of previously, the weather was foul. Blustery winds and persistant rain made it a somewhat uncomfortable day. As I packed my shopping at the supermarket checkout, you could hear the wind howling through the automatic doors behind me. The lady on the till chuckled along with me at the exaggerated noise. "This is going to be a quiet day." She commented. What? Surely not? Since when were Swindoners put off by Atlantic squalls sweeping across the West Country? Good, honest, bracing weather for us hardy Wiltshire breed. As if we had any choice. It is of course Armistice Day today, marking the end of the Great War and our annual rememberance of those who died. It's a shame the weather was bad but that didn't put off those attending the gathering at the Cenotaph just across from the library. Nor should it. We glorify warfare a lot these days. It's as well to honour those who actually suffered the consequences of it. Come to think of it, there's a cemetary in the back streets of the hill behind where I live. Although it's officially discouraged, I sometimes take a short cut through there. Walking through I did notice a modest cairn of stones. Compared to the mossy and glossy headstones spread across the hillside, it sort of stood out as crude and makeshift. If you look you find a dark metal plaque which announces the cairn is to remember a gentleman who died in South Africa serving King and Country against the Boers. His friends had the memorial put there to mark his passing, since they had no body to bury. I found that an oddly touching sight. It wasn't that my thoughts were on the great loss of life over the last century due to conflict, but rather the personal touch, far more meaningful than the anonymous service held in the town centre. It's been a century or more since a small group of railwaymen piled those stones there yet the sadness of the moment survives. That was this morning. It's now the afternoon, and the weather is still intermittently bad, but we've had brief spells of sunshine. It's almost safe to go outdoors again.

That's exactly the point. There is no skill in drawing comparisons between ancient and modern because inevitably it distorts the ancient world in modern colours. You may well understand the modern military implicitly, but so what? The Romans belonged to a different world. They had a different culture, different backgrounds, different methods, entirely different mindset. What you need to do is understand the Romans from source - and they have left us a suprisingly insightful catalogue of anecdotes. The problem is most people don't want to know. They focus on this image of the 'efficient military machine'. The Romans weren't entirely efficient and certainly not the machine we often portray them as. They were well organised, but often badly led, badly behaved, and only succesful when they were able to control events to their advantage.

No. Whilst the adoption of a standing army made the process easier from a military point of view, the 'doom' of the Republic was due to political and societal changes. Some people view the arrival of the Principate as a sudden event. I don't. Whereas it only became a formality when Augustus grabbed the reins, the culture of imperialism had been growing for a century earlier. Arguably the permanent legions were a catalyst toward change in that armed force was always a threat to established power, but in fact it was the weakness of the Senate and the strength of the Roman world, then without parallel in tems of military resources, were able to open up new territories for the greedy and ambitious. As Polybius predicted, Rome had reached the point of realising it could flex it muscles relatively safely. It took a disaster like AD9 for them to realise they weren't invincible.

Ah yes. If there is no neighbour to hear it, does the door rattle? That question has been debated by philosophers ever since the door was invented. I must err on the principle that the rattle is a natural consequence of impacts between brass components of the door handle resulting from vibration caused by heavy vehicles thundering up and down the hill outside, since sound is merely a vibration transmitted to the ear, a sensory adaption allowing us to interpret those vibrations as annoying rattles. In other words, I hear rattles because I'm designed to. I must therefore blame God, because he claims the patent on our design. We are after all paying the price of the apple of knowledge. If Man was intended to have door handles, he would have made them as vibration-suppressant and a non-rattling material. Sadly, I've just let the idea out of the bag, and by now, some avaricious capitalist is wringing his hands in joy at the possibility of extracting cash from our pockets in return for noiseless door handles. Only

After the last two days of dull wetness, this morning was a welcome relief. The sun is shining, the skies are blue, and before I get too lyrical about how wonderful the british weather is right now, it's also very chilly out there. Today is a day for relaxing. It shouldn't be really, seeing as it's a normal working day in the middle of the week (most wednesdays are, for those who haven't spotted that curious fact), but it just feels as if it should be. However, the gleeful warnings of impending doom have been issued from the television weather people. The next few days show great swathes of blue contours sweeping across Britain and with it lots and lots of rain. Don't be too suprised if tomorrows blog entry is entitled "Drowned Rats". Out Shopping There comes a time in a mans life when he must, simply must, obtain new underwear. I have finally reached that milestone in my life. I think I reached it once or twice before, but thankfully I wasn't permanently traumatised. So I popped into the department store I knew from my work placement, as I also knew their prices were reasonable and that they were likely to understand what I was talking about when I gave up the search for the necessary item and asked one of their staff for assistance. As it turned out, I spotted a familiar face, Miss G, and immediately I made a beeline for her so I could ask her where to find men's underpants. It would save me a lot of hassle you see. She looked at me approaching with her usual "Oh God no, not him!" expression. I deserve it really. I used to tease her a lot and to this day I don't think the poor girl understood why. Anyway, I asked her where I could find men's underpants. Ordinarily that might seem a strange thing to say to an attractive young lady, but she merely directed me to the basement. I found my underpants, she was free to go doing shop assistant stuff without any teasing from me, and all was well. Life goes on. New Coat OF Paint The old cinema across the road from the library has received some attention lately. After a long spell as a bingo hall, it now has a brand new logo bolted to the wall in big black letters upon a fresh coat of white paint. Where it once displayed "Mecca", the name of the bingo chain who ran the premises, it now says "Meca". Either there's been some commercial rebranding going on, or the state of British educatiion has finally fileterd down to the heady and exciting world of bingo hall management.

We can't because the forum rules say so As it happens, people do that routinely. In fact, by making direct comparisons, the temptation to paint the Romans in modern colours is distorting the picture. It is true there are parallels, for no other reason that the Romans were human beings too, and despite differences in culture some elements of behaviour are bound to be similar. However, there is an assumption about the Roman legions that isn't supported by archaeological or anecdotal evidence. In Life In Roman Britain, Joan Alcock describes the legion as "An efficient fighting machine". That's a common statement and one based on reputation and the idea that a persistent and detailed organisation implies certain kinds of behaviour. I won't contest the Romans were organised. They obviously were, at least in terms of organisation, but apart from unit affiliation and provision of duty, how organised were they? Note this extract... Certain soldiers are gramted by their conditions of service some exemption from the heavier fatigues. These are men such as surveyors, the medical officer, medical orderlies and dressers, ditchers, farriers, the architects, pilots, shipwrights, artillerymen, glassfitters, smiths, arrowsmiths, coppersmiths, helmet-makers, wagon-makers, roof-tile-makers, swordcutlers, water engineers, trumpet-makers, horn-makers, bow-makers, plumbers, blacksmiths, stone-cutters, lime-burners, woodcutters, and charcoal-burners. In the same category are usually included butchers, huntsmen, keepers of sacrificial animals, workshop officers, attendants, clerks who give instruction, clerks responsible for monies left on deposit, clerks responsible for monies left with no heis, orderly room staffs, grooms, horse trainers, armoury officers, the herald and the trumpeter. Digest (Tarentus Pateernus) At first glance this seems like an astonishing depth and breadth to legiomnary life. However, notice that in most cases, these are civilian trades already known to the individual. The legions did not train people in all of these tasks, and for many, the jobs listed are little more than specific but menial duties that aren't actually required on a day to day basis. Instead, they are listed as Immunes, trades or posts for which the lucky holder can avoid onerous labour. The point is that many of these are of exaggerated importance. Excuses to sit on their backsides in some cases. Also notice that the treatment of these individuals mirrors that of the villa system. Skilled slaves are given specific duties and kept from hard labour. Did this attitude of skiving and bribing really produce an efficient military machine? We have letters like one recovered from Vindolanda, asking for underpants and demanding to know why their beer ration hasn't arrived. We have accounts, like those of Tacitus recounted earlier, or the insights provided by Josephus. Josephus is mostly quoted for the famous line that "Their drills were bloody battles, and their battle were bloody drills". It does suggest an aggressive and grim determination in conflict, which was exactly what the Romans wanted from their legions. However, Josephus also tells us how dull witted and clumsy Roman soldiers could be in their business. Whilst engaged on siegeworks, Roman soldiers leave their weapons too far away, and an ambush by zealots results in chaos, one instance nearly causing the death of Titus himself. For all their 'traditional military discipline' as Drusus described it, it was quickly thrown off. Note also how Josephus gives an account of Roman looting, when legionaries are let off the leash deliberately by their commanders, effectively out of control for three days. Notice how quickly discipline evaporates in Pannonia and Germania. We aren't dealing with people raised and educated in the modern world. Roman soldiers were largely superstitious and ignorant people for whom a life of soldiering was a good alternative. It is true they had a great many artisans and trades in their number, which they exploited as much as the trader exploited to ensure an easier life. We cannot discount the endemic corruption, the fleeting nature of their uncompromising discipline in both peace and war, nor that evidence the Romans have left us that condradicts the image of an efficient Roman military.

My neighbour was not happy. He left for work this morning by slamming the door, which results in the house moving slightly. Seriously, it does, you can actually feel the movement caused by air pressure. Not only that, but passing lorries on the road outside make the house shake. Worse still, the vibration causes my bedroom door to rattle, and that, I suspect, is what kept my neighbour awake and got him all riled up. Even my usual strategem of wedging a plastic bag under door made no difference. The brassy rattle kept on sounding. As it happens, I do have some sympathy. It kept me awake too. Rushing About Another rainy day. This morning I got up a little late and realised to my horror that I'd forgotten to fill in my jobsearch booklet last night. Why is it that when you're in a hurry, the human bladder refuses to empty? Come on! Come on!.... So I rushed down to the Job Centre braving the nasty weather. Thankfully the rain wasn't that heavy, but it certainly wasn't fun. Then again, attendance at the Job Centre never is. Some claims advisors really don't like happy claimants. It's a sign that life is too easy and they start all sorts of machinations to wipe that smile off your face. On the plus side, I was rescued this morning. A good natured claims Advisor, Mr T, has taken me onto his caseload again. I have to say he's polite, helpful, and doesn't display the wicked satisfaction many advisors show when their customer is squirming under scrutiny. talking of which, I'm die to be placed under scrutiny shortly. An interview with Customer Compliance no less. Do I really need to describe what's going to happen? According to Mr T, a few claimants have had their money stopped already. Nothing to worry about, he tells me. Big Bangs I hear on the news that the Hadron Collider in Switzerland has succcesfully recreated little 'big bangs'. Actually it didn't. It simply reproduced for a brief instant conditions that existed moments after the Big Bang had happened. Not that I'm worried of course, but creating a new Big Bang isn't likely to teach us much, because the last one caused an explosion whose debris is now spread across countless light years of space. Funny thing really. I spent my childhood living under the threat of soviet nuclear missiles, now I live under the threat that some scientist might light a bigger firework than he intended. I wonder? Is all this quantum research going to do anything useful? Like cure the rattle on my bedroom door?

The organisation of large crowds of men at a battlefield is not like playing chess. Without clear understanding of what was required, an army was not likely to deploy or behave as the commander would wish. Control over men has always been an issue in warfare, not just because of the practilicaties of communication in very trying circumstances, but also because human psychology lends itself toward rage and panic. The Romans decided very early on to err on the side of practicality. They wanted a simple, direct, brutal means of conducting a battle that diod not risk confusion unnecessarily. No system is perfect, and the Romans in fact were only dominating the battlefield (despite their reputation in modern eyes) when they dictated what tactics were to be used. Roman tactics were not sophisticated. It relied on discipline, a martial spirit, and blood and guts victory more often than not. Assets like cavalry and archers were handy to have around, but required specialist training the Romans didn't spend much time on. As regards Adrianople, it's iompossible to say whether the battle plan was any good because we don't know what it was. All we know is that their army turned up after a march and made a very ragged attempt to deploy, and one section of the line arrived late. Notice also the confusion. No-one in the Roman line appears to know exactly what was going on. In fact, the batle started because the late arriving Romans spooked the goths and reacted as if the battle had begun. Sebastianus had from the start attempted to persuade Valens that his raiding tactics were more likely to succeed. Apparently he was right. Even Zosimus records that heads were being sent to Constantinople on a daily basis, and I note that the goths had begun foraging in a large armed mass to survive Roman ambushes. In other words, the goths were becoming wary, not to mention a little desperate. Unfortunately the Romans were overly concerned with internal politics. Sebastianus was not well liked and his attempts to curry favour with Valens not only annoyed the Emperor himself, but many of his courtiers, and there was a lot of sniping in high places going on. Whilst it was possible that Sebastianus might have eventually forced the goths to negotiate by his preferred tactics, Valens wanted a victory. With his position growing insecure, Sebastianus began persuading Valens that a battle now rather than later was a good idea. It meant valens would not have to share the glory with Gratian, the western emperor. It also defused some of the sniping that was going on. As we now know, the Romans severly underestimated the numbers of goths likely to be present. They had thought they would outnumber the goths handsomely and I suspect, were a little over confident because of it. That doesn't mean their plan was bad as such, but rather that it was based on assumption, and ancient warfare was all about pulling the wool over the enemies eyes. Anything to gain an advantage before you begin. Nonetheless, the Roman army collapsed the moment the gothic cavalry appeared, and found itself herded into a disordered mass surrounded by gothic warriors. Whatever command and control existed had evaporated - but that wasn't the first time the Romans had experienced this phenomena. One intrinsic property of the Roman system was the direct command of the centurion, and notice that by the time of Adrianople, the centurionate had withered and with it an essential component of Roman success in leadership and discipline. To some extent that's true. Remember though that Roman warfare relied on hand to hand melee, and in those circumstances, there's always a certain allowance for whatever morale, fighting spirit, and leadership that happens to be present. it's never a sure thing. That said, the training imparted to Romans of that period did have beneficial effects on their abaility to fight in the line - and that's one major reason for Roman success. The other major reason was that they liked to dictate how and where the battle was fought - that requires a measure of planning. The problem with using Vegetius as a template for Roman training is that he was referencing methods used over hundreds of years. Not all legions did everything he writes about all the time. Whilst we know the Romans did have military training manuals (they gave some to the Britons to help them defend themselves when they left in the 5th century) there is no mention of any formal and fixed training regime at any point in Roman military history. It was all done ad hoc and according to the preferences of the legion command. Because they adopted methods either learned by experience and familiarity with their enemies, who were themselves more sophisticated than the Romans about battlefield command. I cannot stress this enough - the classic Roman legion was not necessarily as sophisticated as we might imagine. Certainly it was well organised, but if you look closely, there's a sort of bored indifference that emergences from archaeological finds. Up to half a legion might be excused duty or on holiday when employed on garrison. It was too bothersome to keep finding small tasks for soldiers to occupy their time, and civil engineering projects like aqueducts or roads were always undergoing construction and requiring cheap labour. In other words, the Roman army was in a process of change, adaption, involved in a sort of arms race to ensure their armies could meet their enemies on at least equal terms. That was part of the problem with the older legions - they had been superceded, and the reforms in the late empire were part of this process, changing the Roman army from an assault force to a security force to defend borders and keep territory safe from internal and external threats rather than marching into their territory to crush the threat at source. That represents a real sea-change in Roman thinking. Instead of the former military pride and martial spirit, the Romans had become somewhat defensive. The survival and prosperity of the byzantines must have affected their outlook as well.

The wind is blowing. The rain is falling. What a horrible morning! Solo Music A couple of nights ago the BBC had a bit of a Robert Plant fest. Concentrating mostly on his solo career after Led Zeppelin, it was a curious tale of musical experiment including a hilarious commercial phase in the eighties. I've had some respect for his efforts in the past - Slow Dancer from the album Pictures At Eleven has always been a personal favourite among many - but I wasn't aware of the variety of music he'd been responsible for. In a sense, I'm walking a similar path right now. I don't mean that I want to sound exactly like him, because that isn't possible and in any case, I have no wish to set up a tribute band, but in the sense that I now have an opportunity to explore music, to express ideas lurking in my subconcious rather than fitting in with well established genres. In fact, the programs couldn't have been timed any better. Not so much inspired, perhaps, as morale restored. My circumstances mitigate against creativity, and bearing in mind I was never a productive lyricist to begin with, creating an album is not going to be a sudden explosion of creative effort. I don't think that matters. After all, it's been twenty years since I was seriously involved in music and despite my tongue-in-cheek rock god status, I was never that well known to begin with. My album won't be an exercise in profit, but rather a statement, and I actually do believe it's right I approach it that way, regardless of how well it does in the marketplace. My Greatest Rock Star Moment Today I entered the job centre office for my daily signing, and with the place almost devoid of anyone in attendance on this dreary horrible morning, almost every claims advisor turned to look at me. The funny thing is there's sometimes a moment when you make some strange kind of impact, for no discernable reason. Today was like that. No-one commented, or said anything, they simply looked up and watched me arrive. Today however was not the most notable occaision that I arrived with celebrity style attention. You would think, given my experience as a performing artist, that something like that happened going on stage. I wish. No, despite some very succesful and somevery well attended gigs, my greatest rock star moment was very modest. It happened in Wootton Bassett, during the early years of of Red Jasper. The band were meeting at a pub for a discussion over a pint (or several) and as I came in, the whole pub, packed with weekend revellers, went silent and stared at me as if to say "Who's that? Who is he?" Unless this has ever happened to you, it's impossible to describe how it feels. You're there, and something important is going on, no matter how insignificant it would ordinarily be. For that short moment, I was important in some subtle way. Sigh. The claims advisor has signed me off and tells me I can go away. Fame is so fleeting...

The German tribes cooperated better in the 4th century. To say they were a civilised state is an exaggeration. In fact, it was Roman influence that brought the German tribes together despite the policy of divide and conquer. You might consider that the Romans had in fact suffered a loss in terms of propaganda and politics. As for the oriental armies, I agree, they were well organised. A nice website here... http://www.iranchamber.com/history/parthians/parthian_army.php http://www.iranchamber.com/history/sassanids/sassanian_army.php Bear in mind the difficult terrain that the Romans and Persians faced each other across. Largely arid and relatively empty. For a large army to cross and fight at the other end was a major effort. TYrajan was a success in this respect, having reached the Caspian Sea, but notice that his successor Hadrian gave it back, partly as a political nicety to ensure the persian king did not go to war as he was threatening to (and his daughter was returned to him as well), but also because there was very little about that territory that held any real appeal to the Romans, never mind the difficulty of ruling an area that large.

That's a darn good question. I'm not aware of any significant mutiny in the Roman navy, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

No. There were many reasons for the defeat at Adrianople. it is true that unit quality had declined. So had the ability of commanders to lead armies in battle. These are attested to in our sources. Marcellinus emphasises how the Romans got their act together - which is stretching the point because whilst they did fight off the goths until dark, they still ran away at the first chance and remained disordered and contained. Zosimus on the other hand is scathing, describing the Romans as effeminate. The truth lies somewhere between. To say the Romans had lost their ability to command large armies is overstating the problem. They had however become very bad at it. Valens knew that already, which was why he removed Trajan (general, not emperor) from his post and brought Sebastianus in by virtue of his reputation. For his part, Sebastianus blew it. He was so concerned with his career that Valens got fed up of him, realising Sebastianus was exaggerating in his reports. Realising that Valens had sussed him, Sebastianus changed tack and persuaded Valens to meet the Goths at Adrianople ahead of Gratians reinforcements. The point here is that the Romans were overly concerned with politics, and combined with poor intelligence the plan to meet the Goths was not based purely on military terms. In terms of centuries, please realise that the Romans did not organise their armies in the field as we do today. In the classic era, the period that colours our opinions, the cohort was a formation that did what it says on the tin - "Mutual support". It wasn't named that for nothing. A single man on the battlefield can only handle a certain number of men in battlefield conditions before it becomes impossible and chaos ensues. The Romans, by experience, found around a hundred was the limit. The cohort existed for the centuries to support each other, and note that for that to make sense, there must be a measure of local initiative from centurions, which is exactly what our sources are telling us. However, cordinating support amongst groups of eighty men in close proximity is one thing. Coordinating the efforts of a larger army, stretching into the distance, composed of disparate units, is another altogether. Because the Romans did not employ a formal messaging system (no-one mentions it at all), armies fought according to predetermined orders more often than not. To change an armies disposition required considerable urgency and effort. The Romans already knew this. That was why they preferred a local command emphasis. It made more sense to them. That's all very well, but we also have to realise that the old days were gone. The legions were smaller, more specialised, less practised in formal warfare as opposed to the raiding style they had grown accustomed to. Our sources tell us the veterans were reluctant fighters - a point often overlooked - and that Sebastianus selected the best of the novices for his elite raiders, simply because they were keen and ready to fight. Valens had to make speeches at Melanthia to persuade his army to go to war - it wasn't simply a matter of issuing orders. As for training, it wasn't close to what it had once been. De Re Miltaris (Vegetius) is often hailed as a manual of what the Romans did to train their troops, but what the book is about is suggesting what the Romans ought to be doing, based on practises used in former times. Don't make the mistake of assuming that there are necessarilty simple and clear cut reasons for an event turning out the way it did. Adrianople was the result of a series of factors that led to the Roman defeat. For an army composed of veterans, supposedly well trained and experienced, note that they arrived on the battlefield in a somewhat disorganised manner, displayed a lack of coherent command, and failed utterly to react in a disciplined manner when the gothic cavalry launched their ambush. Only later, when it became obvious that it was a matter of time before they were slaughtered, did the Romans rally and fend off the Goths, escaping with two thirds of their army lost.

hard to say. There is something in the human psyche that responds to a strict definition of status, on the basis that everyone knows their place, and to allow the promotion of poorer classes does erode that. In fact, it does illustrate a certain erosion of Roman culture altogether, since the promotion of a lowly individual would mean they would ascend to a higher status on retirement. Earned by their military career, one would assume, but all the same an increasingly egalitarian Rome must have 'softened' as part of the societal balance. As for the concept that officers promoted through the ranks would have been preferable, that's impossible to say. It actually depends more on the qualities on the individual concerned. An officer from a low birth may have been hated or respected - both are equally possible. As for the idea that a soldier could be 'only a centurion', bear in mind how influential centurions were. They were a class of junior officer who were responsible for leadership, discipline, and taking the fight to the enemy. If you look closely at the development of the legion, the centurionate takes on another aspect. These men were also acting as a sort of 'tribal chief', each with a retinue of soldiers under their sway, and we know that Roman soldiers were sometimes unwilling to accept orders from centurions other than their own. Also, becoming a centurion opened up doors in later life, and notice also how centurions were sometimes given territorial responsibilities in garrison duty, acting as Roman officials. As far as I know, the change in unit organisation was to meet the changing tactical requirements of security in the empire. The need for large heavyweight armies had gone, largely because the Romans weren't fighting large battles much any more, and also because raiding tactics employed by hostiles on the borders mitigated against unwieldy formations. In fact, the dispersion of forces around provincial areas led to a great deal of annoyance to local populations, who often became respsonible for billeting these men and suffered their bad behaviour. If anything, it encouraged a rebellious attitude and I do note that toward the end communities were seeking every opportunity to opt out of the tax system, partly because the costs of supporting a large defensive military were proving too much, but also because communities were questioning what they got for their money. It had more to do with ensuring political security and devolving Roman government into the tetarchy in an attempt to increase efficient rule. It's interesting that you suggest this, but I don't have any specific reason to believe you're right. Soldiers are as likely to be manipulated as anyone else. If an influential individual claims that rebelling is necessary, and worse still, claims divine right in doing so, any assumption of divinity in the established government is soon forgotten. After all, legions had always been ostensibly loyal to the emperor since the time of Augustus, but the loyalty of the men was always going to be more focused on their leaders who provided for their welfare in many ways far more than some distant emperor. The only real change in Roman behaviour regarding the military and christian belief that I'm aware of was a growing reluctance for men to serve, based on religious objection, and if anything, the minor upsurge in executions of refuseniks was not likely to inspire christian soldiers to loyalty toward those who punished their beliefs. Good question. I'm not sure, as it happens, because that's not an era I know much about. I get the impression rebellions were much rarer in byzantine times. Might be worth reading up on it. I do note a stronger loyalty to the emperor in byzantine times. Even the suggestion that a man was acting against the throne resulted in one guy receiving one of the most cruel and theatrical executions I've read about.

I've seen information like this mentioned in passing in one or two books on prehistory of the British Isles at my local library. I can't give any specific references without a search for it. In fact, the info really is in passing. None of the authors goes into any detail but it does raise a lot of questions about ancient Ireland. Without the Roman connection, or the lack of written record, the ancient history of the Irish receives little attention. Noticeably, there was a considerable drop in population during the Iron Age, restored partly by prosperous trade with Roman England over the centuries, which does underline the Roman finds in Ireland as being sale goods or belongings of refugees rather than signs of latin colonisation, which has no tradition in Ireland.

She couldn't wait. With a mischievious smirk my mother asked if I'd heard about the latest government initiative for the unemployed. I hadn't, as it happened, but I understand that long term claimants are now going to be required to work four weeks on placement to qualify for benefits. Actually I'm not that bothered. I did thirteen weeks of that earlier this year, so it's just more of the same to me. The point though in this case is that my mother couldn't wait to push a pin into my little bubble. She relishes every chance for that. There are other weapons in her arsenal. Family successes are thrust in front of me too. This week a cousin was part of the line up in a photograph of the staff of a highly rated school in some newspaper or other. The idea being that I feel envious of how well other members of our family are doing while I'm clearly not. Every time I visit she mentions how tall I'm getting. That's nonsense of course. I'm the same height I was thirty years ago, but the point here is belief. She wants me to believe what she tells me. The moment I say "Yes, I am getting taller", she wins another victory, and she'll start suggesting all sorts of things safe in the knowledge I won't argue. So the siege of my self-esteem goes on. All part of her master plan to turn me into a Jesus creep. My mother has this mental image of what she wants me to be. She denies it, of course, but for the last thirty years she hasn't given up, believing blindly that one day my lack of success will make me realise that my spirituality is the cause of my misfortune, and that going to church on a sunday, wearing the clothes she prefers me to, having an accountant hairstyle, and all the other sundry requirements are going to make me successful. Rubbish. She's a manipulative old woman who thinks she knows better than everyone else. The christian idea that worshipping God turns you into a success is actually bending a Commandment to the point of catastrophic failure. After all, wasn't it Jesus who said "A rich man has no more chance of entering the Kingdom of Heaven than a camel has of passing through the eye of a needle"? Does faith reward the faithful with material success? That seems a very dubious concept, but then, that's been the christian message since the 1st century. In any case, I have other beliefs. I don;'t accept Jesus was anything other than a typical cult leader who got himself executed for undesirable activity. God is a human concept, not an absolute truth. Nor for that matter do I accept the existence of the retinue of supernatural entities invented by christians in times gone by. Fate is the sum of all decisions and natural forces. The breakdown of my career and personal affairs happened the moment I declared myself a spiritualist. That's not divine intervention. That's malice and spite. Pressure Is On The news of the government initaitive to make long term claimants worjk for their money isn't a new idea. That's been mooted around for a long time. Only now, when the country is in debt to desperate levels, has the will to enforce that idea emerged. That's only the tip of an iceberg. The mood in job centres has changed. Driven by a messianic need to uncover the workshy and dole cheat (not to mention earning brownie points at head office by doing so) the red tape involved in job searching has gone up a notch. Previously my job search booklet was enough, a simplistic table in which to scrawl a quick record of each step I've taken. Now I have to enter the same information again on a form designed to catch people out. It'll get worse. The dreary routine of searching, applying, and receiving rejection is bad enough but the pressure to prove that you are doing what you claim will get steadily worse as the most obvious cheats are unmasked and the temptation to find scapegoats increases. For now I shall have to grin and bear it. Sorry Jesus, but the castle gates are shut, the walls are stout, and I'm not in any danger of starving. Besides, I'm content with my spirtuality. I don't need yours.

And cause gatherings of woolly hats in tents outside your door if you own one.