Gaius Octavius

Some lad on NPR today mentioned that Romans were the first to farm oysters. And that the denarius had something to do with oysters. (Rats! I missed his point!) As an aside, he noted that the oyster business and prostitution were the main occupations in New York City at one time. I wonder if the Romans drank wine or beer with their oysters. How about clams, mussels, snails and urchins? Raw or cooked? Wine or Peroni?

My Bride decided on: 1. Aspirin. 2. Toilet paper. 3. Cigarette lighters to get the fires started. Note well that she didn't include ME!

THE STREETS OF HEAVEN AND AMERICA ARE GUARDED BY UNITED STATES MARINES

Would you please give a little more information on this matter.

Caesar = hairy. I knew that I could count on you. Thanks. Now, how about the rest of my twaddle? Does it hold water?

I will grant that it is up for grabs whether the authors in the Bible were out to make a sheckel or not. But, it is not up for grabs, in re Brown. He was out to make a pound or two. The Bible was written in different times for diffferent generations. The words and idiom used were for the people of that time - as they understood them. These same often change in meaning and nuance, if not meaning the opposite, as the generations pass. (English being a prime example) One must know what the words meant at the time they were written. In addition to time, there is the problem of the translation into different languages (and their times). Words and idiom are difficult to translate. How does one understand the word 'sanguine'? Warm or bloody? How about 'moot'? If 'contradiction' seemingly (rather than 'apparently') exists in the Bible, it is the function of churches, rabbis and pastors to clear the matter up with due regard to the afore mentioned. Perhaps the Jews were not used to physically build the pyramids, but does that mean that they were not slaves or were not slaves used in some ancillary fashion in their building? It is held by believers that the Bible was written by a human hand guided by God. Believe It or not. Apparently, God gives one that choice. Just to anticipate someone holding that I have 'contradicted' myself in regard to translations, I don't know if the hand of God guided the translators. I'll take the matter up with St's Augustan and Thomas tonight.

Catholics? Only Catholics? Therefore, The Orthodox, Protestants and Moslems accept the book's fairy tale? This comment applies whether one accepts the Bible (or Koran) as Gospel or not.

Methinks that you have the wrong Mary.

That is the nature of FAITH and MIRACLES. Either one believes or doesn't. Like the words manners, taste and unique, which do not take adjectives, faith and miracle stand alone. Jesus has two natures; True Man and True God. God is sexless and colorless (amongst other attributes). God may do as He chooses. I haven't read the book and won't; saw the boring documentaries; will have to see the flic by edict of my Bride. Brown won the case against him in the British assizes. The book is a story, just like Jack and the Bean Stalk. It wouldn't be politic to tell a Moslem that Mohammed didn't ride into heaven on his white horse. Now, we have this Judas Gospel. Then there are the Gospels of Mary Magdelan and St. Thomas. Obviously, the Council had no idea as to what it was doing when choosing the books of the Bible. It seems that those, who lack faith, so easily have faith in the likes of the DaVinci Code.

Excellent commentary, gents. So, just two cents worth. I understand that if a Roman column were charged by cavalry, in a reasonably open area, and the enemy were armed with spears, the Romans would form up into a square. They could easily defeat the charge in this fashion. If the cavalry were armed with arrows, and did not engage the infantry directly, as at Carrae, then the result might be disaster. It seems that Varus did not use 'scouts' and was much too credulous of Ariminus. "Trust but verify."

It is my understanding: That the 'nomen' and 'cognomen' travelled through the generations of a family in the male line. That there were a number of 'praenomen' peculiar to each family line, e.g., Caius, Decimus. That the 'cognomen' was based on a trait or occupation or physical characteristic of the founder of the family, e.g., Cicero - 'chick pea'; Rufus - 'red'; Niger - 'dark'. I have no idea what Caesar meant. That an 'agnomen' was 'awarded' to an individual for a feat or service to the state, e.g., Germanicus - 'conqueror of Germans'; Africanus - 'conqueror of Africa' (the province); Augustus - 'highest'(?), and did not travel through the family line. Which last calls to mind the question, why wasn't Caesar awarded an agnomen? Am I in need of severe correction and education? In my opinion, the 'political correctness' alluded to earlier, neither serves nor honors the intended, and is insulting as it is not necessary.

Rameses, one of the best ways to learn English is to read Dickens and Jane Austen; American, Mark Twain. Good luck, kid

Ahoy P-P, What are you going to do with that humungous salt mine stuffed under Detroit? Then there is that prize winning mushroom growing under most of Mishhagin. Good start for a salad out there in the provinces. Get jer buck?

No apology necessary, kid. Most Americans can niether read, write nor speak English. A 'certain party' manages to mangle the language daily. He has degrees from Yale and Harvard. Since he won't, I apologize for him.

Rameses, I think that you are misunderstanding the posts. Most, if not all, agree with you. The guys are just kidding. They are being sarcastic with all of their 'apologies'.

Ave Pantagathus: Did you read my post with a jug of falerno at hand? Actually, I thought that the BBC was wrong, so I thought that I would go to the Oracles to get the right skinney. :notworthy: P.S. Where is that place that you are from?

While cruising through the BBC site, I came across an area where they were celebrating 'Black Month'. They mentioned that North Africans were stationed at Hadrian's Wall, and claimed that they were black. Fair enough. Then they claimed that the Emperor Severus was black as he was born in North Africa. They show an image of Severus on a coin. He doesn't look Negroid to me. A person being born in North Africa or Spain doesn't make him African or Celtic. Political correctness?

Assuming that you are speaking of the USA, this was undoubtedly written by some #@*!#'s child, who doesn't know the difference between race and ethnicity. If this moron thinks that there is a 'pure' ethnicity anywhere in Europe, he has been playing with his marbles much too long. Roman legionaries were 'settled throughout western Europe. Campagnia (southern Italy) was loaded with them. That kind of idiotic statement is used to confirm the 'inferiority' of Mediterranian peoples.

Just to widen the search, how about throwing the Fair Sex into the mix? Theodora any help?

And many more healty ones!

Don't you dare apologize for me! It's my business and was my pleasure! My Lordship, Count Dracula

[quote name='Julia C

[quote name='Julia C

In my opinion, there is a problem with the word 'greatest'. It presupposes personal priorities. If one considers Scipio, it might be said that were it not for him, the Roman Empire and the present Western World might never have come about. Caesar, Augustus, Justinian, etc., might never have existed as great men. Scipio's contribitution was mainly in the field of war; Caesar in both war and politics. To me, it seems that time, place and manners (the evolution of weapons and tactics in war; the evolution of concepts and ideals in politics, etc.) must be considered. Are Alexander, Caesar and Scipio interchangeable when the aforesaid are considered? Would any of those men have had their successes and failures in the China of their times or a thousand years earlier? I doubt if any would claim that Brutus or Pompey were Caesar's equals or Hannibal, Scipio's. Yet, these were 'great' men. Since we cannot get in between Caesar's ears, it is possible that he had the good of the state in mind (in his terms), rather than personal aggrandizement. My ignorance of Italian is monumental, but I believe the word 'fascisti'(?) means 'doer'. I would appreciate it very much if someone would give me a definition of 'fascism'.