Gaius Octavius

I wonder why Diocletian didn't do away with Carausius?

Would be nice to know why feet are missing. Did someone expect the mummies to walk away? (Rhetorical.) Perhaps, a punishment to be endured in the after life?

P.P., in a very light vein, those sumptuary laws might be useful today as people spend themselves into penuary with weddings, funerals, etc.

Would sappers have been a special unit?

Could it be that Augustus was thinking in terms of future wars with such as Parthia; the ferrying of legionaries and supplies to hot spots; and communications between Rome and the provinces?

Faustus, in my not so humble opinion, that is typical WSJ editorial page twaddle. Blame it all on Al Gore. We all know that busche can do no wrong! The 'free market' didn't prevent the Los Angeles smog; nor did it prevent the acid rain and pollution emanating from Ocato, Penciltucky, and, New Caesar, from poisoning New England. Regulation had to come to the rescue. Those 'pollution credits' are illogical. Once again, I challenge anyone to define and cite a 'free market', and to give an example.

P.P., that seems more of a political nature. I was thinking more of such as 'Thou shalt not kill.', banking, interest, slaves, the law of the sea, women, etc. Insofar as this thread is concerned, I don't mind if it goes to the pre-empire eras.

We don't, and can't know that there would have been inflation, back then, with a fiat currency. I fear that we shall commence going around in circles. I am on to de Soto. Just to wander a bit, (and effectively support your arguments), the talk is now about the Collateralized Debt Obligations pertaining to car loans and credit card debt. Between this and sub-prime, we are talking about trillions. Bond insurers can't cover their obligations, and are being bailed out in N.Y. Other insurance companies (life) certainly own these CDO's. And the banks (again), and pension funds. The rating agencies are in for it. The lawyers are commencing legal actions against everybody. The Supreme Court's ruling about aiding and abetting may stymie these suits. The polloi are really in for it, if this whole thing starts to unravel. Some forty years ago, a noted economist at Salomon Bros. & Hutzler, warned against the coming gimmics, i.e. such as derivatives and CDO's. I wonder what else is hiding in the woodpile?

Emperors are classified as good or bad; murderous or benign. When it comes to Roman law, there seems to be no criticism, no matter who instituted it. I am thinking here of all the emperors from Augustus to Constantine XI Dragazes. The political aside, do you know of any bad laws and why?

Spittle, try this one out for size: The Raven Edgar Allan Poe [First published in 1845] Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. `'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door - Only this, and nothing more.' Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore - Nameless here for evermore. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating `'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door - Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; - This it is, and nothing more,' Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, `Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; - Darkness there, and nothing more. Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!' This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!' Merely this and nothing more. Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before. `Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice; Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore - Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; - 'Tis the wind and nothing more!' Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore. Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door - Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door - Perched, and sat, and nothing more. Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, `Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven. Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore - Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door - Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such name as `Nevermore.' But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only, That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered - Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before - On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.' Then the bird said, `Nevermore.' Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, `Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store, Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore - Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore Of "Never-nevermore."' But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore - What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking `Nevermore.' This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core; This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er, But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er, She shall press, ah, nevermore! Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. `Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore! Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! - Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted - On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore - Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore - Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore - Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' `Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting - `Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door! Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted - nevermore! ---------------------------------- http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...p;showentry=689

Nephele beat me to it! I am sure some did think that you were speaking with tongue in cheek, but you wound up doing the Forum a service. T.S. Elliot's 'The Wasteland' drove me up a tree in school. I think that I get a little of it now. I think that poetry aids one in thinking and in the use of language. Just as in every other discipline and in life, there are things that we like and those we don't like. http://www.bartleby.com/201/1.html

Exactly!

You go off wandering mindlessly, and now a conspiracy is afoot to deny me my Roman Eagle in my signature! Now I have no one to foil the machinations of these nefarious evil doers. What's it with you and commies, hah? How many times have you crashed the new chariot, you delinquent?

A question pops into my mind. Why didn't Caesar make an attempt on Germania rather than planing an invasion of the East?

If this were the bankers' own money, this would never have happened. It is depositors, clients and lenders money, so it doesn't matter. Those trades didn't have to settle. Of course not! People sell things and don't expect to be paid. "Oh, look we have a billion gallons of bull****, and we didn't have to pay for it"! That is why, in the U.S., in the 1930's, investment banking (save for municipal bonds), was separated from commercial banking. The former used their own money; the later, depositors. basil reegan's deregulation, sure made things easy for the w****'s children.

Then why would Augustus have built these two great fleets and headquarter them in Italy?

Spittle, I am glad to hear that I am not the only ex-con on the Forum. But, come on, you didn't like 'Ellen Mc Jones Aberdeen' or 'Lochinvar'?

Is that the one they had to make waterproof with silicon in the end? Yes, I think so.

Climate change or not, things have to change as we are all breathing the bad stuff.

Somewhere in Turkey, a while back, archaeologists reconstructed a Roman bath. Fire and all. Since you are one of their types, you might be able to find it and get the information you want.

Seriously, why don't you try reading some light literature, such as that of Mark twain, P.J. Wodehouse, Oscar Wilde, etc. Good luck, kid.

Is the rear facade the same length as the front facade?

This is a little late in coming as it goes to subscribers first. --------------------------------------- My Children: The babbling and lying is all over in Iowa! But the air-waves are still polluted with the gas heads' condescending explanations of how, when, where, and why. Look, this is how it stands: Rev. Huckleberry vs Obama :: Faith vs Hope. No Charity whatsoever. Headlines in November: Obama Sweeps South Carolina, Florida, and Ohio. Wins By Landslide. Rev. Huckleberry Takes NY. Swears Himself in as Prez. Bloomberg Elected Veep. Osama Invited to White House for Tea & Pita. Bush & chinney Cuffed. Flush Rimflour Administers Auto D' Fe to Himself. And now, let the gouging, swearing, and lying commence in New Hampsheershire! I propose that Ohio be renamed Ocato. Just as easy, and makes more sense. Why?, some may ask. News stories I would have liked to have heard: Man gets a hair cut in Albania. Wetbacks used by Bechtel to build border fence and tunnels. Ron Paul takes a regular last name - Smith. Sen._______ goes into 'The Closet' directly from the men's room. Mayhem at the Vatican - Pope converts to Islam - Dalai Lama takes over. Bush wins Pulitzer. Hitler's love child found in UK. NY to tax sex. Plush Plim-Plammer goes Liberal. Prince Charles accepts US throne - primary B/S finished forever. Now, me buckos, take your lithium pill; put some aspirin in a handy spot, and grab hold of your chairs: Ron Paul was the only one who made any sense yesterday in those 'debates'!!! Still amongst the 'quick'? Let me know, so that I may clean out the 'recent'. A man never really loses his hair. It simply wanders from his pate to his eyebrows, nostrils, cheeks, and ears. I have a question: If a Moslem man blows himself, (and a gaggle of others), to kingdom come, he gets 71 virgins. Right? Now, if a woman of the same persuasion, does likewise, what does she get? I ask; you tell. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADVERTISEMENT Today's Journal sponsored by the Baghdad Tourist Consortium. Looking for excitement? Real live blow 'em ups - none of that sissy movie stuff. Gun fights at the Green Zone Corral a daily specialty. See people blown into sausage meat. You too, may have the thrill of a life time. Call Suicide 12345; ask for Shiskabab. No refunds. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Earlier there was a thread on 'specialized units' in the Roman army. I believe that it was concluded that there were none. Some time later, in another thread there was a reference to specialized 'scouting' units. Here I am thinking of fighting units. Wouldn't artillery be considered specialized? Any thoughts?

To my understanding, it was the vision of Augustus that created the Imperial Navy, and that Agrippa carried out this vision. In your opinion, what was the value of this navy to the future of the Empire?