Gaius Paulinus Maximus

Actually I thought Simon Woods who played the older Octavius in series 2 was a much better than Pirkis. He was a lot more cold and calculating than the wet lettuce character played by Pirkis.

Funnily enough I've just recently read "The Silver Branch" which was the follow up to the "Eagle of the Ninth". I'd forgotten how good these books were. Hopefully the film will do the books justice.

A big hello to tk421 and S.P.Q.R. Don't worry if you think you may be out of your depth in some threads, you are not on your own that's for sure, I can certainly vouch for that! If you think you've something to add to the conversation whether you think it correct or not, just go ahead and post it, if it's not quite accurate then I'm sure somebody will very kindly correct you and point you in the right direction! Welcome and enjoy!!

I must have missed this review first time around. I'm a big fan of Goldsworthy work and also a big fan of Maty's so to have the two combined in one review is a big plus for the book review section. A great review, very well written as we would expect. I look forward to reading Goldsworthy's take on Rome's downfall.

As a result of such abuses, tax farming was replaced by direct taxation early in the Empire. The provinces now paid a wealth tax of about 1 percent and a flat poll or head tax on each adult. This obviously required regular censuses in order to count the taxable population and assess taxable property. It also led to a major shift in the basis of taxation. Under the tax farmers, taxation was largely based on current income. Consequently, the yield varied according to economic and climactic conditions. Since tax farmers had only a limited time to collect the revenue to which they were entitled, they obviously had to concentrate on collecting such revenue where it was most easily available. Because assets such as land were difficult to convert into cash, this meant that income necessarily was the basic base of taxation. And since tax farmers were essentially bidding against a community's income potential, this meant that a large portion of any increase in income accrued to the tax farmers. HERE'S an interesting article from the Cato Journal which covers among other things taxation.

Thanks for the invite Aurelia! I don't suppose you have anything a bit stronger than tea do you? Maybe a drop of Falernian to warm the cockles??? Welcome aboard.

Thanks again guys, much appreciated

Probably my favorite building in the whole world, the inside is simply breath taking.

Anybody remember a game called Chucky Egg?? I used to play it on my Commodore 64 when I was a kid, it was a a kind of platform game along the lines of Donkey Kong that was just so addictive.

Thanks guys! I awoke this morning with a severe hangover, went to a gig last night in Leeds with a group of friends, We went to see a band called who are easily one of the best live acts around at the moment, they were brilliant. After that we went out on the town proceeded to get extremely drunk and now I'm suffering the consequences! Tonight I'm going out for a meal with the family, we're going to our favorite Indian restaurant called Kiplings. the food is exquisite and I can't wait!! So all in all I've had a great birthday!

I like the sound of Colin Trowel, I too give inanimate objects names, my good friends are Suzi sat-nav (she gets me from A to , Bobby Squasher (a very handy tool) Steve the spirit level (another handy tool) and Tommy Knocker (my trusty hammer which is believe it or not another handy tool!!!)

HERE'S an interesting article on the Romano-British town of Bath. Bath

Never put a sock in a toaster???? Never put jam on a magnet?????

Ow. I think we have another winner. -- Nephele Your right Neph, Ludovicus is definitely hard on the heels of Ursus with that one!!

I've just watched a TV programme called Hestons Feasts, some of the brits here might be familiar with the show. It's about a chef called Heston Blumenthal who cooks a feast for certain Z list celebrities all his recipes are taken from different from times in history, tonight's show was called The Roman Feast. The menu goes as follows........ Pigs nipple scratchings, Calf's brains custard, Trojan pig which is a whole hog filled with edible intestines and an ejaculating cake! His recipes are taken from Apicius which is the title of a collection of Roman cookery recipe's thought to have been compiled in the late 4th century AD, he attempts to follow the ancient way of cooking and even makes his own Garum. Click HERE to watch the show, it lasts about 50mins but is well worth watching. Watch out for the pig cooked in a hot tub.....Genius!

Is it just me or should that penis have bigger balls????

A new treasure from Herculaneum was unveiled in Naples on Tuesday, where it will join a major exhibition exploring life in the Ancient Roman town buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD. The show, running until April 13, already features over 150 artefacts and human remains uncovered over the last three centuries but the new relief, uncovered by accident last month, is stirring fresh interest. The marble sculpture, dating back to the 1st century AD, apparently depicts two separate scenes centred on Dionysius, the Greek counterpart of Ancient Rome's god of wine and merrymaking, Bacchus. http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/en..._117334922.html

Excavation of a proposed park-and-ride site in Taunton has revealed one of the largest prehistoric roundhouses in Britain and a number of Roman burials. The house dates from the Iron Age (400-100 BC) and was constructed from wooden posts with a thatched roof and had a diameter of 17m (56ft). The finds unearthed from the Cambria Farm site since December 2008 are to be displayed by the Museum of Somerset. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7958965.stm

I'm a bit late with this one too but nevermind. Happy birthday PP! All hail our glorius leader!!!!!!

Better late than never!! Happy Birthday Vig, hope you had a good one!

Michael Grant takes it for me too. I picked up a 1975 re-print of the original 60's Penguin translation for a ridiculously cheap price on Amazon.

I've been missing for a few months so here go's....... To Taizong, Lupercus, Charlie Collins and Aurelia Welcome to UNRV and enjoy!

Here's a belated birthday wish MPC, Hope you had a good one!! I like the look of the book you've got on order, think I might have to get a copy for myself.

I'm not in the slightest bit jealous Klingan ..... Honestly!!! Have a great time mate and don't worry, we'll still be here when you return or should I say IF you return!!!

Agreed, not only due to their threat to Roman homeland, but the stories of child sacrifice in Carthage are supremely outrageous if true (?) HERE'S an interesting discussion we had a while ago on the subject of Carthaginian child sacrifice.