Gaius Octavius

Antiochus, look at the picture in the first row, last to the right, in the Gold Marcus above, and if you can, put it into the 'SYMBOLISM' thread. That shows the 'hand' better. Thanks

BINGO! I will look for a better view of the hand.

"Nemo Me Impune Lacesit" = The motto of Scotland?

In an equestrian statue, the leg position of the horse is supposed to indicate whether the hero died in bed or on the field of battle. (Don't know which.) What is the symbolism of the of the Roman right hand as the arm is positioned at about 45 degrees off the horizontal; the pinky, ring and middle fingers are curved inwards towards the palm and the thumb and index finger form a 'V'? I have only seen this in the statuary of emperors.

Spent a year there one day.

It is dismantled each morning. Much of the construction materials are a part of the legionaries 'kit' and carried along by them to each camp.

All y'all may have noted that His Greekship :notworthy: is AWOL. I have been informed by reliable sources that he took my advice. However he omitted one step of the protocol. A fatal blunder! He left his collection of computers to the whims of the gods in the now no longer existing hogan. The stench is gone. The teepee is now referred to in the past tense. The squirrels occupy an honourable place in Hades. Pesky neighbors have been blown to photons. And the computers, alas, are a fond, if troublesome memory. His Grace :notworthy: , is being comforted by a clan of chipmunks.

"Struit insidias lacrimus cum femina plurat." - M.P. Cato "When a woman weeps, she is setting traps with her tears."

The ads don't bother me. They are not flashing in my face! As a matter of fact, they add a little colour to the page. Would one of the Tyrants put that emote with the constantly moving hammer farther down the list? Pleeze! How does AoS do that? Take advantage of the urchin's talent!

Thee truly thinkist thus? The Society of Holey Immaculate Telereverendos has issued a FISA warrant for thy arrest and detention. Flee at once unto Cuba or Venezuela!

Speaking of editing, the other day I saw a program on The History Channel, 'Roman Vice'. Really pretty good. 50 minutes of commercials and inane 'questions'; 70 minutes of show. Blurred images thrilled me. The services of Cairo Central Casting was employed for the thespians. The intelligence that Julius Caesar 'conquered' Britain, was related to the masses. Naturally, this pleased me no end. Don't those folks with all the letters after their names, pay any attention to their work? Self respect? Or just do it; put the coins into your purse and have done with it? It probably will be re-run once again. Take it in if possibe.

Kosmo, don't feel bad about anything. Gaius is paying attention. He is simply underwhelmed with the misinformation contained herein. Keep punching away! O, tempora; O, mores; Senatu haec intelliget; Consul videt!

I can't give you citations, but from my notes: The Queen of Cities fell to Mehmed II Fatih two and one half hours after dawn on Tuesday, May 29, 6961 (1453AD). Constantine XI Dragazes Paleologus probably was killed at the St. Romanus Gate. His body has not been found. He reigned for 5 years. The Queen of Cities was founded by Flavius Constantine and lasted for 1,143 years, 10 months and 4 days. The Byzantine calandar system counted years From the Beginning of the World, calculated (from the Bible) to be 5,508 BC. September 1 was the new year. An indiction is a fifteen year period. We are in year 7,514 From the Beginning of the World. The contempable, contemptious, porcine mehmet, rode into Sancta Sophia on his horse and despoiled the Church. The above (ex my appropriate adjectives) is probably in the book I offered earlier or from Michael Psellus. Just some color for your effort.

My opinion. What is the point of keeping these treasures of mankind locked up in vaults? If one doesn't want to keep it in situ, then DISPLAY it in a well protected public museum. The point behind making the bust in the first place was to display it and not to keep it locked up in a closet for the benefit of the elect few. Its value is not in the gold content, but in itself. It does not 'belong' to any particular person or institution; it belongs to you and to me. It can just as easily be stolen from a vault as a museum. As a matter of fact, it most certainly will 'disappear' from a vault sooner than a museum a la Willy Sutton. The Brooklyn Museum is alleged to have one of the finest collections of Egyptian artifacts outside of Egypt - mouldering away in its basement. Like to wager that these little bits of history have a penchant for, euphimistically, getting themselves 'lost'?

The Church of San Vitale doesn't look like much (to me) from outside, but it is magnificent inside. The mosaic referred to is bright and I believe tells the story of the coronation of Justinian. The baptismal fountain has a story to it, which I don't remember. It is also situate in an odd position. The city functioned as the Byzantine Exarch's seat in Italy for some time. My memory fails me; perhaps the memory's of others will be jogged.

"History of the Byzantine State", Revised Edition; George Ostrogorsky, Rutgers University Press, 1969. Might answer some of your questions and give you a flavor of the Papal, Russian and Italian influences on events. The last chapters might interest you most.

"The lawn is an ass" Yeah, He's back! :notworthy:

Did mama ever tell you to go play with a dust devil and get yourself swept up in the whirlwind?