Gaius Octavius

Hold your horses! Wasn't it profitable for the Brits? Got them started on the road to civilization, didn't it? They'll get there - one day in the future. I'm dead! :giljotiini: :nopity:

Don't forget the very large salaries for the otherwise out of work Eurocrats.

Happy Birthday :wub:.

Congratulations! You got your umbrella!

MPC has a good point. There doesn't appear to be so much as a scratch on it (not that that means anything). Could it be that those Italian forgers are at work again?

If a woman wishes to become pregnant, she is to drink a wine and then go to SLEEP with her husband?

N.N. Thank you for the compliment. I also enjoy your lucid and informative posts. Upon reflection, my use of that term was in poor taste, and I apologize to all for its use. You might find it odd that I agree with your last post save for the first sentence in the last paragraph. I abhor violence of any stripe, be it facial, verbal or physical.

Dr. Dalby: You didn't say 'gold and silver'; another poster did. Thanks for the info on the gold mine.

Ursus, I am sure that all the Romans here abouts wish your Love a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year also!

N.N., I have a great dislike for people who want to kill me because I am not of their ilk. To argue from a particular to the general is, of course, absurd. Their mullahs do preach hatred of the West and Christians in particular. They hate the U.S. because of its support of Israel. No matter how, the Israelis did defeat the Arabs for their land. The Arabs defeated the Romans for the Holy Land. That's life. Every nation was conquered by someone. Of course you speak of the U.S. with regard to the Irish. The British had/have no right to treat the Irish Catholics as less than human because they were/are not Protestants. Last on the job, first off. You seem to count British casualties; how about all the Irish who perished of starvation and mistreatment? Did you add them up? Ignorance? Do you think that the Pope, recounting a dialogue that took place six centuries ago, should have been reviled the way he was by the Mohammedans? BTW, how do you know, what if any, religion I hold to? Just as a point of information. I don't like wars - period.

I don't much care who came to the Americas first. The important thing is who did something about it. Regardless of prejuidices, Columbus was the one who told others about it, and did somethig about it.

Christians entering Sancta Sophia, while it was a mosque was not allowed. A Christian would profane the place. What is the point, aside from provoking Christians, for praying in one of those idolatrous joints? They can whack their heads away in streets, on air planes in movies, etc. It seems that God sees them everywhere, so why do they need a church to do their head banging? There is a mosk in Rome. Is there one non-moslem temple in all of Saudi Arabia? I give up! When a Christian can visit the Kabala, they can whack their heads away in St. Paddy's as far as I am concerned!

Gold and silver mines in Old Blighty? The reason the Romans visited Albion in the first instance was to prevent the local tribes from raiding the coast of Gaul; inciting the Gaulish tribes into rebellion; and interfering with coastal trade there. There was profit in that. To some extent the employment of Batavians, Syrians, etc., as legionaries relieved pressures in other provinces. There was profit in that. Trading with the Pictish confederacy via the two Walls provided a profit. The Villa Economy and the enhanced tin mining operations provided profits. The Romans didn't bother with Hibernia because its predations weren't a big thing. The Romans weren't complete fools. It is true that the Romans could have purchased the excess goods of Britain, but those goods could not have been produced in the quantities that they later were without the Roman conquest.

Come, come, WW, my good young fellowe. Let the general public in on what you got for Christmas!

Ml, me thinks that thou playest with me! Howsomewhatever, it is my general practice to eclipse (as far as possible) proto-idiots from my hard disc. Libitrarians don't want to pay the taxes for the roads that they drive on; nor for the agency that holds them somewhat safe from poisoned food; nor for the fire & police, etc., etc., etc. At their very best, they are illogical, super-selfish, proto-neo-Neanderthals; Don't remember the chap Bad narik in particular, but if he is who I think that you mean, the only things original about him were his head and suit. Heard all his claptrap before. Didn't have to hear it again from an acolyte of sum dung moon.

Poor thing! :wub: Now, we live in a co-op - two apartments per floor. Bride president of such co-op. High enough to be out of the noise zone. In walking distance of the necessaries. Giant park, giant library, zoo, Brooklyn Museum and botanic gardens - all a little walk away. All manner of calamities tended to tout d' suite by the staff. Eat your liver out!

In reality, Saddam was a 'bastard' at conception. He did earn the title, on his own account, in later life. Anyway, I don't think that he is dead. Note that they had something wrapped around his neck. They had one of his numerous look-alikes stand in for him and take the fall (so to speak). He's probably having a late supper with the Carlyle Group as I write. Might come in handy one day in the future. It's all a conspiracy.

I believe that most medieval 'wars' were fought with relatively small parties. Mercenary 'Captains' were employed to do the dirty work, if any. Their men would be reasonably well trained and equipped. Most of the 'battles' (especially in Italy) were a sort of chess game. When one side saw that they were out-maneuvered, they simply packed up and went home, none the worse for their failing effort.

In the event of victory, not only were discarded Roman arms collected, but also those of the enemy. The enemies' arms were part of the 'loot', but more importantly, the Romans would not leave arms lying about to be collected by their enemy for future use. From Marius' time onward, the Roman pila were made in such a fashion, so that when they hit something, one of the two bolts connecting the head to the haft broke. This made a sort of 'L' shape out of the pilum, rendering it useless. I believe that this construction was unique to the Romans.

I thought that when the pay-wagons ceased to go to Britain from Rome, in the 400's, the legionaries simply melded into the local population.

EQUAL JUSTICE FOR ALL! Let's take a historical tour. After WWI, Italy was to get Kurdistan. Nixed by Brits and French. Iran-Iraq war, paid for and supported by U.S. Saddam Hussein figures that Kuwait is his reward. Bush I, sucker-punches Hussein by allowing the U.S. ambassador to tell Hussein (the U.S's. then pal) that it would not be a concern of the U.S. if borders are 'adjusted'. (Prior to this, during the Iran crisis, Kuwait would not allow U.S. war ships to call at their ports nor allow oil tankers to fly their flag.) Kuwaiti ambassador's daughter pulls a little fraud in U.S. Congress. Badman Hussein gets kicked out of Kuwait. General Schwarzkopf gets 'snookered' by sneaky Iraqi generals. War planes can't fly, but helicopters can! Quite a Caesar! Badman gives Shi'ias and Kurds a lesson with helicopters, poison, etc. For whatever the current 'stated' reason is, Hussein and his cronies are relieved of their duties. In all this, hundreds of thousands are killed, maimed and wounded. Am I to understand that the entire Hussein dynasty could not have been assassinated by the most powerful nation in the world at the cost of a few bullets and/or bombs and a handsome payoff? Hussein did away with his sons-in-law quite inexpensively. In Cambodia, millions were murdered by their communist tyrants. Vietnam kicked them out. Now, one of the former tyrants is prime minister, and in an underhanded way allowing his pals to get off the hook. Badman was a piker compared to this lad. Will his time come? Then there are the Argentine admirals; the former head murderer of Guatemala; the now lapsed Pinochet, and the slavers of Christians in Mauritania. Not to forget the goings on in the Sudan, Zambia, and several other sub-Saharan nations. Is Khadaffi on the menu? And Osama is still on the loose. What am I thinking about! The U.S. is not involved with 'nation building' - paraphrasing Afganicus Iraqicus.

In addition, a lot of mud helped the English. So did some very dumb French commanders.

Here is another forum. I am sure that the guys over there will be glad to help. http://z11.invisionfree.com/LatinSpeakers/index.php?act=idx

N.N. "Fair & Balanced". News is not 'Fair', therefore it should not be reported in a 'Balanced' fashion. News is facts and should be reported without prejudice, a most difficult chore. "We report; you decide." How can one come to a 'correct' decision if the report is tainted? Capitalism, and alleged capitalists, have justly earned a bad name. Some of my best friends are capitalists; I am one. The latter does not relieve the former of odium.

:notworthy: It figures! You would leave out the most important - the most fatal - toxin of all; TA DA!; MPC!