Gaius Octavius

tflex, your post didn't respond to my two statements. Remember then that you are the one who decided the two most perfect countries.

I believe that German was once considered to be one of the 'official' languages of the U.S, but would you please relate what these borrowings are?

FVC, some of those Eyetalian rascals have been known to become made men in the buschia!

I was neither trying to insult you nor demean your efforts. What I was trying to get at, was that you are missing the color that a Livius provides. You may be correct in what you say of modern authors, yet they have been known to foul up matters. The modern translators of the ancient writers are not at all hard to read.

He is a very modest person, but beware he can also make things disappear. In his evil mode he can infect posts!

Some would disagree with the statement. For example the Dutch, Austrians and God forbid the French! The Scandinavians. Dare I mention Germany! Not, of course, Britain or Italy. How does Canada fit into this? What is this business about FISA warrantless searches? The Supreme Court appointing presidents and 'money = speech'? Would the maker of the originating statement please address the two statements contained in Post #1?

You must not be familiar with Silvio Berluscone. Is it me or is it that a lot of Italian officials still have ties to the mafia, even if they deny it now or consider themselves no longer a part of the mafia relationship? All Italians are born into the M.A.F.I.A. Even the Italo-Americans! We are given a special official identity card at birth; a registration number and a draft card. If one's roots are Sicilian, it is the Mafia. If Neapolitan, it is Omerta. Don Tomassso

Ursus: "Tu, Caesar, Aetas." = "You, Caesar, for the Ages."? (That's a question.)

Neither was this incompetence good leadership nor was it even an isolated incident. Caesar was continually faced with attempting to extricate himself from his own disasters. Yet, he did! That was part of his genius. At Ilerda, his army was almost lost to starvation. ALMOST. At Dyrrachium, it was eating grass. He did gain the day. At Alexandria, he was continually appealing to neighbors for food, and most of his campaign in Africa was little more than a foraging mission, and nearly a fatal one at that. Once again, NEARLY. I grant that Caesar was a good fighting general, but leadership is much more than what happens on the day of battle. How generous! Yet, this intelligence is shattering! The above critique notwithstanding, it is my well considered and unalterable opinion that Caesar's ashes (when found) should be consigned to the Tiber; his statues defaced and his name erased from the eyes and memory of mankind. New Jersey should be re-named New Cato. An universal holiday be proclaimed to the glory of Cicero on June 1st of the year.

Without demeaning or deriding anyone or their achievements: It may have been the author (Fuller) who said that Alexander fought an oriental mob. Alexander's achievements lasted for his lifetime. Caesar's achievements (no matter how flawed their execution), have lasted to this day. (Augustus', also.) Who else may that be said of? If his raids into Britain were a failure, then they set the stage for its eventual conquest. Caesar's military campaigns are studied in every military school today. After all is said and done, the question to be answered is: would the West, and indeed the World, be as it is today, except for Caesar and Augustus? Scoundrels, who only achieve infamy, such as Brutus, generally don't murder their own ilk; it is usually their betters as their motive is profit and/or the enrichment of their class. Gavrillo Princeps murdered Archduke Ferdinand for the freedom of Serbia and not to fill his pockets. I believe that it was Fuller who held that Scipio Africanus was the Greatest Captain in History. Again, had it not been for Scipio, would the world be as it is today? My opinion only.

That was taken from a book and is all I know about Arabic. I would guess that just as with Greek, the first hurdle is the alphabet. Listening to the language on short wave radio and TV (along with learning songs), would be a great help.

Wouldn't the Julio-Claudians head that list for the Empire period? It would seem that they set the tone for the subsequent Empire.

From: Manual of Foreign Languages, Geo. F. von Osterman; 4th Ed.,Central Book Co., N.Y., 1952. "The Arabic verb has but two tenses: Perfect and imperfect." "There are two declensions of nouns in the singular and only two genders, masculine and feminine." Easy enough for little Arab kids to learn!

You're doing it backwards. But you are entitled.

F.C., agreed. A better word might be monopolists. This is addressed jokingly in the "Renaming Brooklyn" poll's results.

I believe that you miss a lot of color and insight by not reading the ancient authors.