Gaius Octavius

A gross lack of decorum! Disgraceful! I'm appaled! Never in my life! Wanna have sex DoL?

Something bad WILL happen in 2007? They must be smoking FOX bush!

Savoury Ducks? Que? The Lancashiresheer cheese? What is it like? No Spotted Dick, whatever that is? No Queen's Pudding, whatever that is? I guess that I'll have to settle for Kobe Beef. If Moon(col)lapse ever gets back to me, I'll let all you in on what is going on with Cecil, etc.

You might remember the 'Mac' of an earlier Journal who was commander of the failed raid on the Coast Guard bank. Mac was graduated from school as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He became a reconnaissance pilot and was sent off to Viet Nam. I was supposed to follow as a combat engineer, but lucked out. The following is a letter Capt. Mac [b.] sent to me in 1963. "13 Jan. 63 Howdy Tom, Greetings from a hospital bed in worn torn Viet Nam. Nope. No bullet holes. No V.D., no rare tropical disease, but chicken pox!! Yep - 17 KIAs last month, 42 WIAs, 5 MIAs & I come down with chicken pox. Kind of embarassing but nonetheless restful. Also gives me a chance to catch up on my mail. This is the first time that I've had two days off in a row since coming to Viet Nam. It's also the first time I've been able to go to sleep at night and know I'll sleep safely. Son, if you own any stocks having anything to do with property in Viet Nam, sell them. I don't think the commies will honor your stock receipts. I'm not saying that we are losing the war; (that would be sedition), I 'm just saying that we're winning it slower than the other side. The Viet Cong (V.C.) are going to be tough to beat. When I first came to V.N. I was stationed with Special Forces at a town called Pleiku in the central highlands. At that time the V.C. would shoot at me with home made rifles or even throw rocks but we've made improvements since then. Now they use 40 mm so we're certainly developing and civilizing a portion of the country anyhow. It's my humble opinion and I certainly can't prove it but I believe Special Forces are the only bastards fighting this war. In earnest that is. Anyhow, I got orders to leave beautiful Pleiku and go to a coastal town (Tuy Hoa) where I managed to unpack one morning, flew 5 1/2 hours for MAAG there and then received orders the same night to move down here to the Delta. For one reason or another, the powers to be saw fit to move the 9th Rep. of V.N. (ARNV) Div.to a town called Saolea[?] and I was to command an L-19 section in support of them. The nearest airfield being at Vinh Long, that is where my trusty section abodes, consisting of 3 L-19's, each equipped with one crew chief and one pilot, one radio operator, and myself. Military red tape being what it is, I find I belong to the 73rd Aviation Co. at Nha Trang, under the operational control of the Delta Avn Bn at Can Tho; attached to the 114th Air Mobile Co. at Vinh Long; in Direct Support of the American Advisors with the 9th, but I live MAAG Tm 52, who are advisors to the civil guard and Special Defense Corps of the Vinh Long Province Chief (a political appointee) with rank of Lt/Col. This gives you an idea of how the war is being won. Anyhow, the mighty 9th[ARVN] has been bloodied several times in the Delta and the papers say they are winning battles. So who am I to disagree, never getting closer than 200 feet to the battle lines.. Generally speaking, the ARVN ground pounder is a gutty little hell bent for leather scrapper who can whip his weight in wildcats, but he appears leaderless. In almost every operation I've witnessed, the V.C. are contacted, the ARVN (whether superior or not) call for artillery and fall back and wait until enough units come up to surround the V.C. But this may take anywhere from 6 hrs to 3 days. And always, always, there is a hole left for the V.C. to escape. It's damn frustrating to call the American advisor. Let me give you a dialogue: Me> 9 Bonus throw charlie, this is Advance Guard 86, over. Ground> 86, this is Charlie, go. Me> 86 here, approximately 76 V.C. leaving tree line and moving south along the beach toward the swamp. Request fire from LCVP's (boats) offshore, over. Gd> Roger 86, this is Charlie, eh, how do you know they're V.C. over. Me> 86 here. Because they're running away from you, and shooting at me over. Gd> Roger 86, request you make a low pass for confirmation, over. Me> 86- Stand by...Charlie, I got low enough to hear them shooting, made four of them duck. They're dressed in black and shooting at me. Request Arty or Naval fire, over. Gd> Eh 86 - Are you sure they're not our advance party, over. Me> Charlie, 86 here. Would your advance party shoot at me, over. Gd> (after some delay) Roger 86, stand by to have your observer adjust Arty, over. (I roger) Me> (Time passes) Charlie, 86 - They're almost in the swamp, better get them while we can. (No answer) Me> (Much time has passed) Charlie, 86 - the lead elements are in the swamp, over. Gd> Roger 86, stand by, we've called for an air strike that'll be here in 4 hours, out. All this time I've been circling perhaps 2 VC companies which were supposed to be surrounded and was just about out of gas. Imagine it - almost 4 hours over the enemy and didn't get a single round near them. Oh, well, maybe the VC will give up. I've just reread this and there's a lot in here that could hang me, so don't spread it around. Just once, I wish I could be flying over an American unit so that when fired upon, I could get hits on target within five minutes. It would make me feel so good. Well this is getting long winded so I'd better ring off. Pardon the writing but it "taint" up to snuff lying in bed with a fever. Be sure to give my warmest regards to your parents and don't be afraid to write, I'll answer it. Your Friend, B." ----------------------------------- I used to laugh when I read this letter, now I am crying like a baby. Lt. Col. Mac, USA, passed to Glory on 30 April 2007 at about 2 PM, MDST of bone cancer. Dormit in Pace. We'll knock back a couple of shots together - soon. ----------------------------------- Sound familiar?

Did the Romans have a fixation on the number Twelve? Twelve villages; twelve tribes; Twelve Tables; twelve months?

I notice from the above that the Latin for 'cheese' is 'caseus'. The 'Italian' seems to be 'fromaggio'. The Neapolitan is pronounced 'Kaz' (Don't know how to spell it - probably 'cas'.). Once upon a time, I worked in a Neapolitan bakery. People would come to us with pieces of chicken, beef, sausage, salami, etc., to be baked (individually) into 'Italian' semolina loaves. (Great!) Was this a practice of the Romans? No need to make a sandwich (sanguich in broken Nea.). I don't know how Roman 'gorgonzola' kaz is, but my Bride stumbled onto something after I complained about tasteless polenta. She threw 1/2 inch cubed gorgonzola, 1/4 inch cubed mozzarella, finely chopped onions, basil, prosciutto, and ?, into the polenta after it was cooked and cooled somewhat (so that the cheese wouldn't dissolve into the polenta nor would the other stuff cook). I like to eat it cold as I watch the Yankees go down in flames. While I am at it. It drives me to distraction when I hear the current crop of ignoratti mispronounce 'mozzarella'. It's not 'mahtz-ah-rel-la. It's 'moo-tza-rel-la. The latter is the cheese; the former may be a girl's little bottom or a little girl killer! ------------------------------ Edit. Pay absolutely no attention to the misguided, uninformed barbarian's post below.

"At Upp

1. I believe that the words 'democracy' and 'dictatorship' have a different meaning today than they did in the Roman world. 2. Military dictatorships, then and now, are efficient because they are able to rule by fiat. Generally, they are more corrupt than the regimes they supplant. 3. The 'problem' with an alleged 'democracy' is that you get a hoover, a reegan, a bush, and another bush. 4. The Senate may have been able to govern a city-state, but once the spoils began to accumulate, its greed and contempt was unbounded. 5. Perhaps Caesar had the foresight to conquer the Gauls and to visit Britain, thus lengthening the existence of the Empire. (The oligarchs and traders were really the only ones to profit from colonization - then and now.) 6. What would you have had Caesar do differently after he took over the reins of government? What, in particular, did he do that was not beneficial to Rome? 7. Insofar as government is concerned, what did the Julio-Claudians do that was detrimental to the state? 8. Post Caesar, did not the Senate have opportunities to regain the reins of government? Was there one man in the vaunted Senate to so much as wag his tongue? Caesar is the ultimate reason why the Western World looks to Rome as its Mother.

From a libertarian viewpoint, my favorite Tacitus quote is often paraphrased as: "The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws." From Book 3 of The Annals: "Mankind in the earliest age lived for a time without a single vicious impulse, without shame or guilt, and, consequently, without punishment and restraints. Rewards were not needed when everything right was pursued on its own merits; and as men desired nothing against morality, they were debarred from nothing by fear. When however they began to throw off equality, and ambition and violence usurped the place of self-control and modesty, despotisms grew up and became perpetual among many nations. Some from the beginning, or when tired of kings, preferred codes of laws. These were at first simple, while men

[My compliments, you, you Greek! A really good one! But, only a Greek, or a god would know what 'hubristic' means. Too bad that Sherman missed your Race! Next time.] G.O. recovers from his initial shock, and commences to prepare a cunning plan to whack Jove and become the King of the gods! P. now takes a peek at G.O.'s visage, and realizes his blunder in summoning Jove. P. cowers and seeks refuge. And then...

"The names of the twins have caused difficulty: whereas the Romans called them Romulus and Remus, Greek writers gave Romulus and Romus. One line of argument is to believe that the Greeks invented Romus as the eponymous founder of Rome and that when the Romans, who called their founder Romulus, heard of Romus, they combined the two as twins, changing the name Romus to Remus. A more complicated explanation suggests that Romulus was only the Latin form of the Greek Romus and that the later Greeks, not realizing this, thought that they had to deal with two men and so invented the twins; when this version reached Rome, the Romans accepted it, only changing Romus to Remus. Other theories, such as that Remus was a later invention designed to account for the collegiate magistracy, need not be pursued here. On the contrary, it is not unreasonable to accept an old Roman origin, since both words are authentic Roman names: in historical times both a gens Romilia and a gens Remmia existed. And since the archaeological evidence suggests the merging of two communities at an early stage in Rome's development (p. 45), the tradition might well have derived from the existence of two early village chiefs. This would then be developed by later writers in the light of numerous folk legends about twins and their miraculous upbringings. "Aeneas was regarded as the founder of Rome only by some Greek authors, and by no Roman writers except Sallust. The Romans, therefore, may have based the idea of their Trojan descent on Aeneas as the ancestor of the Latins rather than as the founder of their city. His story may have reached Rome from southern Etruria and Veii where he was popular at least in the fourth if not the sixth century, as shown by the statuettes, but this need not have involved the belief that he was the founder of Rome. He was, in fact, more closely linked with Lavinium which he had founded. Here the historian Timaeus learned from the inhabitants that among holy objects kept in the city was a Trojan earthenware jar which presumably contained the Penates which Aeneas had brought from Troy; these were the gods of the store cupboard (penes), which later were identified with Castor and Pollux. The tradition that the Trojan Penates came to Rome from Lavinium is strengthened by the discovery there of the inscription to the Dioscuri (p. 40). Further, there is said to have been a cult of Aeneas Indiges, i.e. Aeneas the divine ancestor, near Lavinium. If LARE AINEIA D(ONUM) is the correct reading of a fourth-century inscription found nearby, this would be additional confirmation, but unfortunately both AINEIA and therefore a connexion (sic) with Aeneas are uncertain. But in contrast to Lavinium there was no public cult of Aeneas at Rome itself. Further, Dionysius of Halicarnassus says that the Latins erected a hero-shrine (Heroon) to Aeneas. Again a recent archaeological discovery may or may not provide direct confirmation. A small fourth-century shrine at Lavinium had been built within the circle of an earlier seventh-century tomb, suggesting that a famous person was venerated there, but slight caution is required since it does not correspond completely with Dionysius' description of Aeneas' shrine. However that may be, close links existed between Rome and Lavinium from very early days and continued into historical times; after 338 BC all Rome's major magistrates had to go to Lavinium each year to sacrifice to the Penates and Vesta at the beginning and end of their periods of office (8). "Varied views were also held about the precise date of the foundation of the city. The poet Ennius appears to have gone back beyond Timaeus' date of 814 BC to about 900, while at the end of the third century the annalists Fabius Pictor and Cincius Alimentus advance it respectively to 748 and 728. Cato and Polybius followed Fabius, but a century later 753 BC, proposed by the scholar Varro, became the official date. Soon afterwards under Augustus the legends received their greatest literary enshrinement in Livy's History and Virgil's Aeneid. Although Timaeus and Naevius mentioned Aeneas' visit to Carthage en route for Italy, the story of Aeneas and Dido was Virgil's great contribution." Pirated outright from: "A History of the Roman World; 753-146 BC"; 4th Ed., pp. 48-9; H.H. Scullard. ------------------------------------ I hope that this adds some spice, if not light to the subject.

What could one expect from a Colombian? Are the carabinieri sure that it was alcohol?

[DoL is 'blameless'? Perchance you mean 'shameless'? Innocent? ROMAL!] On his way out, (so he thinks), His Greekship opens the door and emits a blood curdling yell! Gasps! Falls unconscious! It is Hecate!, aka N.C. C. tries to do his Green Queen bit with her. And then...

G.O. cannot make it. My Lady of the North and My Lord of the Weeds know the reasons in particular. I tried to send My Domina, but she has a trip to Montana with a never beginning nor ending itinerary, to visit mosquitoes, assorted vermin, and varmints. The Augusta was gracious enough to volunteer to partner with Claudia. N.N. was also so gracious as to volunteer to assist me about, but I have no intention of hindering anyone. You know that I lie an awful lot, but, in truth, I want so much to meet you. If you ever come to NYC, I want to meet up with you. If the Italy 'do' comes to fruition, I'll try to get Claudia to go. This way I'll feel a closer connection with you. I wish that you Brits would learn to speak English. Wellies? Que?

"Libertarian Party" = "A Pretty Libraraian" Beat that, you, you....

Yo!, All Y'All: Go to: http://www.romereborn.virginia.edu/ here Click on 'Gallery' and then 'Photos' or 'Videos', and Gaius forfend, 'Papers'. Pater Arcanae

Yeah! And the god-Consul is some out-house attendant! I'll get you yet!

That's what i like about you staid, imperturable, stiff upper lip

There is a collection of books on the ancient world (Rome, China, Persia, etc.) by the 'Silver Burdett Company". Three of these slightly larger than comic book size books were written and illustrated by Peter Connolly. His titles are: 'The Roman Army'; 'The Greek Army' and 'Hannibal and the Enemies of Rome'. I have the Roman one, and can say that it is lavishly illustrated - good for a kid. "This book will be devoured by enthusiasts from 8 years to 80!" - Teachers World Barnes & Noble has a kids section.

The Pater Arcanae is pleased to be back with his good friends once again. But, he has been thinking about another one who is missing. I have his name on the tip of my tounge, but am missig it. He hails from the U.S. Northwest or Alaska. The last time we heard from him, he was off to the inferno of Iraq. Hope that he is well. N.B. I try very hard not to forget the blunders of My Lord of the Weeds.

New element discovered! The recent hurricanes and gasoline issues are proof of the existence of a new chemical element. A major research institution has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element has been named *Governmentium*. Governmentium (Gv) has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction which would normally take less than a second - to take over four days to complete. Governmentium has a normal half-life of 4 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as Critical Morass. When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium - an element which radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

If you can get it: "The Ancient City - A Classic Study of the Religions and Civil Institutions of Ancient Greece and Rome" by Numa Denis Fustel De Coulanges, 1956. (The name of the author is not a joke.) The author holds that each community's gods were distinct from those of other communities, e.g., the Zeus of Athens and the Zeus of Corinth were two completely different entities, but did share attributes. When a city fell, it was because its gods had deserted the city. Some ancient religious practices are still extant today. Carrying a bride over ones threshhold is one of these practices. It indicated that the bride is/was abandonig her family's gods and adopting those of her husband.

Then A/C picks up his drink, looks at the muck and screams: "DoC, you blind turkey, you squoze a Love Apple into this cocktail! Look at your bloody hands!" And then...

Nephele: "Nephele, and on, and on..." Primus Pilus: "Get Back Your 'Ooo' with Primus Pilus." The Augusta: "Make Tattle Tale Yours." and "Snap! Crackle! Tattle Tale!" DoC: "Strong Enough For A Man, Made For A Ph.D." [Not even the Pater Arcanae would consider a very minor emendation.] Pantagathus: "Double the Pleasure; Double the Pantagathus." MPC: "MPC Prevents That Sinking Feeling." And, Ta Da, Viggen: "Generator Lipsmackin' Thirstquenchin' Acetastin' Motivatin' Goodbuzzin' Cooltalkin' Highwalkin' Fastlivin' Evergivin' Coolfizzin' Viggen."

WW, thanks. Nonetheless, I'll finish that bloody monster if it takes what little is left of the rest of my life. We Romans are like that. ------------------------- 'Ancient Rome - The Republic' by H.L.Havell. I have this baby. And NO, you wise guys, I didn't buy it upon original publication. Truth be told, I haven't read it.