Gaius Octavius

Could one conclude that Crassus and Cicero and Caesar were related in some distant way?

Constantinople preserved itself for a number of centuries without expansion but rather by trading, which enriched it. The same might be said of Britain today. Its people are better off today than they were a mere 60 or 70 years ago - with an empire.

If memory serves, I believe that the king of Aetius' allies died (slain?) and the allies new leader left the army after the victory. This prevented Aetius from following up his victory. It was a victory insofar as Attila retreated, leaving Gaul 'free'. Somewhere I read that there is a remainder of Attila's army (progeny) in Switzerland today. They supposedly have a blue dot at the base of their spines. Have I been taken in?

Moonlapse: I don't believe that the Reichsbank serves the same purposes as the Federal Reserve System. One might just as easily say that the FRS was patterned after the Bank of England. The FRS came about as a result of the financial crises of the 19th century. The 'reserves' of the smaller banks were kept in larger banks and so on up a line to a major money center bank. If this last bank failed, then all below had a tendency to fail, thus creating 'runs' and additional failures. (The 'reserve' function was taken over by the Fed.) This failure was repeated during the Great Depression when the Fed tightened the money supply rather than loosening the reins. The Fed's actions increased the depth of the depression and caused a need for social programs to protect the U.S. from itself. Abraham Lincoln said that the purpose of government was to do for the people that which they cannot do for themselves. The vast majority of the people could not or did not save for emergencies or old age or lost their savings to the stock market inflation of the 1920's, and the subsequent collapse. The U.S. Army did not adopt the Prussian General Staff system.

Is that how Roosevelt WOULD have put it? Which one, Teddy or Franklin? Actually, as a capitalist, I prefer laying on my backside collecting dividends and clipping coupons.

If that is the place where an allegedly murdered person was found, then somewhere on this site (Viggens archaeological posts?) there is a link to an article about it.

I am sure that one of the TYRANTS is reading all of my posts. But didn't know that that place existed. Thanks. Next time.

Da veniam puellae. Give women pardon. :wub:

Ancient history is a reconstruction from limited evidence. How does one know which reconstruction is true? The same you know whether any reconstruction in any domain is true--through a combination of logic and evidence. Whether later writers gainsay old accounts is meaningless in comparison to the evidence and logical analysis that later writers provide. Agreed - mostly. As a last comment, I would like to know if the reader may be certain that the writer has not 'cherry picked' his evidence due to his possible biases or ignorance? Then there is the matter of which form of logic the author uses. For example: Circular logic? Ill-logic? I hope that I don't have this one wrong: Post hoc, ergo propter hoc? Dixi

If by "feasted on public purse", you mean "collected a government salary", then your original complaint becomes even more absurd--you seemingly want a person to be voted the highest government office with neither any success in the business world OR success in government! I can't imagine a better description of someone wholly unsuited for the presidency. Please be so good as to check out my "Tut! Tut!" thread in the Arena. Thus, I will comport myself with its suggested precepts and not post any absurd comments. Please do me the kindness of re-reading my earlier post. It needs no translation in the mind of the reader. Feasting on the public purse generally is taken to mean that a politician allots favors to a person who then rewards the grantor, or his assignees, with an emolument of some value. The Gentleman from California, who was granted a yacht and an apartment springs to mind. Then, perforce, the recent Indian money affair should be considered in this vein. A 'certain party' of not so recent Halliburton infamy also advances from the recesses of my memory. Thank you for your most civil retort.

Just read a post with some rather unimaginative gutter talk and a complete mangulation of some language. 1. The use of a spell checker so that the reader need not call in the CIA to decipher the muck. 2. In the post profile, I suggest that the member's native language be made known. Thus if it is known that the writers native language is Manglish, a little pagan charity may be expended whilst deciphering the intelligence. 3. Welcome back, Doll. Hope that you have been a good girl.

MPCato: Not when they ran for the highest office. Ex Harry S Truman, most of them had already feasted on the public purse. Agree with the rest - so long as they made it honestly.

Mend thy ways, lest there be a gnome under thy blankets! GOD! :wub: More properly: Ayy! 4gedaboudit!

How does anyone know that modern scholar's writings are true? Many have been gainsaid by later writers.

Assertive language, in my opinion, does not include personal affronts. The subject, not the person or his attributes, should be addressed. When the latter happens, the likes of me with my sarcasm comes into play with no successful outcome.

M.P. Cato: Although they may have been born 'poor', none of the men you cited were 'poor' at the time they ran for the presidency or were appointed to office. I think the point of reference here, is that a 'good' man with his head on right and his pockets empty could never be 'elected' or 'appointed' to any office. ___________________________________ I feel that the U.S. is slowly but surely retrograding to the pre-Teddy Roosevelt era. The progress, in terms of liberty and economic security, made during the F.D. Roosevelt - Nixon period, has been and continues to be eroded by the post Nixon administrations. See Viggen's post. There never has been; nor is there now; nor do I believe that there ever will be a nation run by its people for the benefit of its people. Jefferson's view that the U.S. should have a 'revolution' every generation is as true now as it was at the nation's founding. Tom Paine has been excised from the nation's school system and deleted from the nation's memory. The U.S. Constitution, in its original unamended form, was a corporate charter.

A more than sufficient reserve of Boddington's. If it's what I think it is :drunk: ! A government pension!

In the provinces, yes. Best I recall, taxes on Romans were abolished around the time of the Punic Wars and were only re-instated during the Imperial period. How does that comport with your post #4, i.e., "...the right to tax...."?

Was it a rock or was it rocks?

Didn't the government decide what was to be taxed and how much, and then farm out the collection?

tflex: 1. Most any dictionary definition will suit me. 2. We are commencing to go around in circles on the subject of Cuba once again. 3. I refuse to get in-between peoples ears. Dixi

Good tflex: Consider yourself presently informed as to the existence of His Grace, the blasted french Cardinal! Personally, I have always felt that the wrong rev rat robberson, S.H.I.T.*, has been in need of a good old fashioned solid thrashing for all his bad work. And I see that you will not make allowance for my writing in English. Really, must I repeat: Lafayette, Yorktown, etc. Back to topic. Whether you admit it or not , Israel is a theocracy. For this, Israel is neither good nor bad; a so-called democracy or not. Their people, like the Cubans or any other nation, may choose the form of government that pleases them, without interference from outsiders. My problem has always been with the use of 'best' and 'perfect'. "Mine, is the 'best' kid", etc. A citizen of San Marino or an Aussie would have problems with their not being counted the 'best' or 'perfect' nations.. Don't take all this to heart. These are simply some of my usually ill considered views. * Society of Holey Immaculate Telereverendos. P.S. Thanks for peeking at my blog.

It seems to me that there is an unfortunate use of personal affronts when threads get hot. In my opinion, this only leads to more heat and no light on the subject. Posters are discouraged and leave the thread. Many times posts are misread and this leads to going around in circles and the necessary affronts. To me, this reflects a lack of attention to posts; the absence of logic and a lack of facility with language. A little patience, keeping in mind that the poster's native language may not be English. When necessary, a little humor or sarcasm would suffice. Ice is also nice. What think all y'all?

Count me a winner. I'll take any of the books. Ursus' book would be preferred.

tflex, I didn't quote you at all. You still haven't responded to my statements. You must make allowance for my writing in English.