Gaius Octavius

The nobles had their own personal guards or gangs which they used not only for protection but to annoy enemies. In lieu of on the spot justice, the magistrates and courts looked to violations of the laws.

Tenga nu bechere 'e vin' riente 'a man mo, e te salute.

Pfts P. & Moon.: Braccae tuae aperiuntur!

Pfts P., what, in particular, leaves you in a state of confusion?

Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est!

Oh, dear me! Unfortunately you have exposed yourself to some wiseacre :smartass: who would injudiciously, undiplomatically, and undeservedly declare: "And it shows". :wub:

Maybe this is . After Brennus and his mob did their work on Rome and he declared "Woe to the vanquished!", I believe that the Romans had a little tete-a-tete with his crowd and enforced a significant reduction of their population. This put an end to that particular 'war'. Phyrrus, after licking his wounds from all of his victorious battles, shrewdly came to the conclusion that he should turn tail and return home. Better a decent retsina than another 'victory'. So much for that particular war. The 'war' ain't over till the last 'battle' is decided. Cannae was a great lamentable defeat, but the only thing that it decided was the Romans' great noble courage. Such as Sun Tzu and Maccheavelli held that a war was won BEFORE it was commenced. Hannibal (nor did the likes of Hitler) did not consider this little bit, but only his oath. The economics of the business were against him, thus his stars were crossed, but he didn't know or consider this. Zama was his, and his nations, just reward. Then, after all, how could he have known that a better captain would have presented his credentials and meddled in affairs. In my opinion, 'battles' should never be confounded with 'wars'.

Because a person came from Spain (or any other province), didn't make him a Spaniard. E.g., an American born in Britain is still an American.

Interesting site Ludovicus. I THINK that there may be an error in the 'Campano' translation. I have an acquaintance with the Neapolitan spoken in the 19th century, and BELIEVE that the 'j' would have been pronounced as a 'y' or as 'gee'. The word for 'chicken' would be galline; hen, gallina - pronounced with a hard 'g' and the last vowel dropped in the former - 'gah-leen'; in the latter it would be pronounced 'gah-lee-nah'. I BELIEVE that the 'd' - 'r' usage is wrong here. The 'd' should have been retained in this case, and the last vowel dropped, thus deman'. The "c'a" (which, at best, means 'than the') should have been "c' na" ('than a'), to retain the feminine. To sum up: "... c' na gallina deman'. " Was Corsican left out? Caius, you :smartass:, :shutup: ! This twaddle is !

Now the khat chewers in Somolia are being run by Islamist Extremists. I don't know which one is worse, but buying oil from them is paying out for suicide. Perhaps if Clinton didn't have brains of jello Somalia would be a better place right now. A lot better. Even a lot of the soldiers hate him for pulling out. My good fellowe, forgive me if I err, yet was it not the assorted media trash talkers and the repulsive party that forced him out of the situation busche the very first instituted? With regard to the 'jello' factor, please advise if you think that the Intra Cranial Feculence of the present pretender is preferred to peppermint jello?

Cool!

I am not sure that it is support, but rather explanation. Were it not for the likes of Batistas, Nicholas II's and Idrises, there would be no need for Castros, Lenins or Cadaffy's. I don't know much about Qdaffy save that he was allegedly involved in killing innocents and defiling Italian war graves. But he is a 'good' lad now. Oil. As far as Somalia is concerned, our 'super patriots' and common idiots, prevented the situation there from being amended a decade ago. But the crud will get to the business now. No Clinton. Oil. Let me try to get you back here. Have you noticed that Tom Paine has been cast into the dust bin of history? In my opinion, Mr. Paine is the philosopher of freedom and liberty - without peer. He is given an honorable mention in schools - but nothing more. No statues (that I am aware of); no memorials. His body was allowed to moulder hither and dither. I wonder why? Not really, I know why. His philosophy might open the somnolent minds that suffer the dreaded Intra Cranial Feculosis Syndrome. Now I really do digress. How, in the bloody blue blazes do I get a picture up into My Album? I have been diddling with that confounded thing for days and the only result is pain. I've a shot of myself and one of Viggen addressing the Legatii to put up for the edification of the Forum.

I don't believe that we are, in reality, on different pages. If by belief, one means religion, then certainly of course not. That is one reason why I pointed out the fact that the U.S. government divided Cuba into seven Protestant districts. I am certainly against government giving tax payer money to 'faith based' organizations. Government has no business supporting or suppressing (save those that are contrary to legitimate laws, duly enacted) any religion. No person may pick and choose the legitimate and duly enacted laws that he will observe. I may not decide that as I do not agree with the traffic laws, that I may disregard them - at your peril. Then there is the matter of having to comply with the myriad of laws and rules that no one has ever heard of. But that is another discussion. Excuse me for reducing the 'education' matter to an absurdity as I only do it as an example. No US person may withhold elementary education from his charges and send them off to the mines at age six. Theoretically, we elect our legislators because they represent, in general, our considered views. They are thus charged with representing us and the nation as a whole. Recently one of these 'exalteds' voted with 'his' president on the matter of stem cell research but informed the opposition that he would vote against the legislation (which he really disagreed with) in future because he had done 'his duty to his president'. At this point, the child of perfidy should have been excised from life. A 'crime' with 'no victim', is in reality, a contradiction. If one uses prostitution as an example, it may be said that there is no victim. Some would hold that the prositute and/or the customer are victims. HIV and the break-up of families along with the degrading of the prostitute who may be practicing the trade willfully or perforce.

The sundry insults not withstanding, I am sure that the two P.'s will appreciate your deep perception. :wheelchair:

Squirrels! Savage man eating long tailed tree rats. :nopity: :stretcher: :wheelchair: :crutch:

Gaius sees that he has befuddled affairs here. The quip is from an Italian movie, 'Bitter Rice', a B&W movie made during Roman times. Starred Gina Lollabridgida (Mama mia, che bellizza!). A kid asks his mother: Where did I come from? She fobs him off with: A head of cabbage. Then we see the kid destroying a head of cabbage in the garden. Mama: What are you doing you little vaggabond? Kid: Looking for more (Eyetalian) kids! I hope that matters are more transparent and that none of the Moderators or Legatii are paying attention. :sneaky2:

Thank you all for peeking. Your comments are truly appreciated. Makes it worth while. :notworthy: Can't wait for P. to peek - when he gets out of the hospital. Aha! We have more emoticons. No one ever tells me anything. I have been waiting for hours to get one miserable picture into My Album. And it ain't cooperating. Going to get P.'s Browning to amend the situation. :tomcat:

The real answer to the question of how Eyetalians arose is simple. From a head of cabbage!

This is no matter! The poor lad reposes at the gates of Hades with a silver coin on his tounge and you ROFL! For shame!

It is evident that an English translator of the stature of Mark Twain is required at this juncture. It is well known that conclusions drawn from syllogisms without a middle are of the most valid and useful variety. Criticism created by mental (pardon the term) gymnastics (to put it elegantly) are the most contributory elements of intellectual argumentation. Inserting ones own fantasies into another's argumentation is always of great assistance to a contra parties quaint, if not absurd, propaganda. In this vein, I plead: guilty. Kadaffi is truly a ruthless SOB, but have you really looked at the system of government there? Government, by definition, is a societal end.

My Dearest Romans: It has fallen to my saddened lamentable lot to have to inform you of the recent savaging of His Greekness, Don Giovanni :notworthy:, by a squardron of savage squirrels (Arboratus Rodentus Ratus). Whilst he was gargling a brew, and taking in the visions of lightly clad maidens, the lately reported cowardly Red Coated vulture, cruelly interrupted his sanguine reverie and swooped down and fowlly snuffed another innocent chipmunk. This action could no longer stand. His Greekness :notworthy: , sprang to the Browning, (which he constantly keeps to hand in the event of a Yankee raid), and blew the plumed fowl murderer to kingdom come. Feathers all over the homestead. The racket caused a great alarm in the resident squirrel community and fearing that they were next in line for a judicious reckoning, they presumed it best that they attack first. Armed with acorn onagers and specially sharpened teeth, they had at the startled unprepared and besotted Pantagathus :notworthy:,(Peace be with him.). He did not give in easily. Fur, flesh and other sorts of gore ornamented the estate. His Domina put in a cameo appearance and laden with sundry armaments, made short work of the varmints. RIP Thenceforth, His Greekness :notworthy: , was given another brew and carted off in a most casual fashion to Greate Basil's Memorial Hospital. He is lying in state, in a full body cast, in total traction, in the ICU unit. Tubes are coming out of him like a spaghetti dinner. Fortunately, one is connected to a keg of ale which is recharged daily. He shall be amongst the missing until recovery or a miracle. His Greekness :notworthy: has requested that in lieu of flowers, candy, fruit and such waste, that you send to me, (Whoever I am at this moment and at where ever I reside at same moment) such gold, currency, coupons, stamps or anything of great value that you intend for him :notworthy: Whoever, whatever and where ever I am now,

Egads man, where is the generally vociferous Gaius we have come to appreciate? Did I stifle your routinely robust vocabularly with the unintended harshness in my tone? There can be no excuse for such a development. PS. (semi on, but mostly off topic) Not being a cigar smoker, are Cuban cigars really all that good or does the embargo simply make them more desirable from a status point of view. Gadzooks my Leader, I must tender my exalted apologies for my extensive wandering hubris. As for cigars, see to the Herculean hawker of herbs, His Grace of Brigantia, :notworthy: and the lately here abouts much maligned authoratative author of Homeric criticism; the possibly soon to be created Eyetalian, Dr. A. Dalby. :notworthy: Actually you are a Tribunus Laticlavius. Why is everyone calling Cuba a socialist country? It is very far from that! I call it fascism, the CIA factbook calls it communism. The Cuban regime is a little too harsh to be considered socialist... and it is a joke that it is still called the republic of Cuba... So, now it has come to this: I don't know where I am nor who I am! Better get to the quacks quick before Ursus puts in his meddling moderating influence.

As far as Libya is concerned, I have always admired the tent dwelling master of that desert outpost of glory. Why, I have always wanted to wrap a rag around my head and visit the author of the jolly Green Book and pay homage to the that author of mayhem and the innocent defiler of Italian war graves. qadaffy is my hero. I commend him to all as an examplar. _________________________________________________________________________________________ What? I am a what now? Will some good person please translate, as my trust and admiration for the Legatii and Moderators may be unfounded. I refer, of course to 'Tribunus Whatever'. Mayhaps it is an unneeded curse on my humble sarcastic person. Do I also get to keep my exalted status as A Roman Senator?

Please invite me. I promise to keep my tounge. All I wish to do, is to amend my prior bad habits.

Ah!, yes " If you don't love it (in accordance with the 'super patriots', 'good people' and scoundrels), leave it." Yes, yes, I am now a devotee of that example of freedom of speech and liberty. One might just as judiciously hold that those in favor of that line, commence another Bay of Pigs (no pun intended) debacle - with their dumpers on the line and not sit back safely on their feculators. Do not put words in my mouth. I made no such inference. I simply say, if someone loves Castro and the socialist experience, you are free to do so. I don't personally care if you in particular love or hate your country. You may have noticed that I try very hard not to make ad hominem comments, unless in jest with those I am close to. I referred to your words, which you printed, and not to you. I do really have great respect for you, in particular, and every other member of this magnificent Forum. There is absolutely no sarcasm here.