Gaius Paulinus Maximus

very interesting. Could it possibly be the site of the original settlement of the Boudica and her Iceni warriors? Hopefully they'll get the funding they require to continue with the project, maybe excavation of the site will turn up even more evidence to support the Boudica theory. I'll keep an eye on that one.

The following come's from Colleen McCullough's glossary in the Masters Of Rome series, although you wouldn't normally class McCullough as one of the best sources to use, never the less I've always found her work to be really well researched and usually very accurate as well. Aedile :- There were four Roman magistrates called aediles; two were plebeian aediles, two were curule aediles. their duties were confined to the city of Rome. The plebeian aediles were created first (in 493 B.C.) to assist the tribune of the plebs in their duties, but more particularly to guard the rights of the plebs to their headquarters, the temple of Ceres in the Forum Boarium. The plebeian aediles soon inherited supervision of the cities buildings as a whole, as well as achivial custody of all plebiscities passed in the plebeian assembly, together with senatorial decrees (consulta) directing the passage of plebiscities. They were elected by the plebeian assembly. Then in 367 B.C. two curule aediles were created to give the patricians a share in custody of public buildings and archives; they were elected by the assembly of the people. Very soon, however, the curule aediles were as likely to be plebeians by status as patricians. From the third century B.C. downwards all four were responsible for the care of the streets, water supply, drains and sewers, traffic, public buildings, monuments and facilities, markets, weights and measures (standard sets of these were housed in the basement of the temple of Castor and Pollux), games and the public grain supply. They had the power to fine citizens and non citizens alike for infringements of any regulation appertaining to any of the above, and deposited the monies in the coffers to help fund the games. Aedile-plebeian or curule-was not a part of the cursus honorum, but because of it's association with the games was a valuable magistracy for a man to hold before he stood for office as praetor. As the plebeian aediles were elected by plebeian assembly, I have come to believe they did not hold imperium, and therefore were not entitled to sit in the curule chair or have lictors.

Money well spent I say! I'm hoping to go back to Rome again this Easter time (fingers crossed!) so I'll definitely make it a priority to check this out as well as the house of Livia which was closed when I was there earlier on this year.

Just to add to Nephele's list, what about Mother Teresa?....... She founded the Missionaries of Charity and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work. For over forty years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. As the Missionaries of Charity grew under Mother Teresa's leadership, they expanded their ministry to other countries. By the 1970s she had become internationally famed as a humanitarian and advocate for the poor and helpless. Surely she deserves a mention? Just another thought.... What about Pamela Anderson?? Those slow motion shots of her running down the beach have got to count for something????

ROME

The reign of Justinian was a turning-point in Late Antiquity. It is the period when paganism finally lost its long struggle to survive, and when the schism in Christianity between the Monophysite east and the Chalcedonian west became insurmountable. From a military viewpoint, it marked the last time that the Roman Empire could go on the offensive with hope of success. Africa and Italy were recovered, and a foothold was established in Spain. When Justinian died, the frontiers were still intact although the Balkans had been devastated by a series of raids and the Italian economy was in ruins. His extensive building program has left us the most celebrated example of Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture that still survives: Hagia Sophia in modern Istanbul. His reign was a period when classical culture was in sharp decline and yet it had a last flowering, with historians such as Procopius and Agathias working within the tradition inherited from Herodotus and Thucydides, and poets such as Paul the Silentiary who wrote some of the most sensuous poems that the classical tradition has ever produced. The Codex Justinianus, the Institutes and the Digest of Roman jurisprudence, all commissioned by Justinian, are monuments to the past achievements of Roman legal heritage. Justinian's reign sums up the past. It also provides a matrix for the future. In particular, there was the bubonic plague, which appeared in Constantinople in 542, for the first time in Europe, and then travelled round the empire in search of victims, returning to the capital for a new crop in 558. The plague ended a period of economic growth and initiated one of overstrained resources. take a look HERE for a brief history of Justinian.

It seems that Josephus is probably the best and most reliable source concerning the final days of Pilate's life. Scripture gives us no further information concerning Pilate, but Josephus, the Jewish historian records that Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea succeeded Gratus. According to Josephus (Ant, XVIII, iv, 2) Pilate held office in Judea for 10 years. Afterwards he was removed from office by Vitellius, the legate of Syria, and traveled in haste to Rome to defend himself before Tiberius against certain complaints. Before he reached Rome the Tiberius had died and Gaius (Caligula) was on the throne, AD 36. Josephus adds that Vitellius came in the year 36 AD to Judea to be present at Jerusalem at the time of the Passover. This would indicate that Pilate had already left for Rome. Josephus (Ant, XVIII,iv, 1, 2) gives an account of what really happened to Pontius Pilate and his removal from office. A religious fanatic arose in Samaria who promised the Samaritans that if they would assemble on Mt. Gerizim, he would show them the sacred vessels which Moses had hidden there. A great multitude of people came to the "sacred mountain" of the Samaritans ready to ascend the mountain, but before they could they were attacked by Pilate's cavalry, and many of them were slaughtered. The Samaritans therefore sent an embassy to Vitellius, the legate of Syria, to accuse Pilate of murdering innocent people. Vitellius, who wanted to maintain friendship with the Jews, removed Pilate from office and appointed Marcellus in his place. Pilate was ordered to go to Rome and answer the charges made against him before the emperor. Pilate set out for Rome, but, before he could reach it, Tiberius had died. From this point onward history knows nothing more of Pilate. There are also so more far fetched tales of what happened to Pontius Pilate, like these I came across.... Eusebius (4th cent AD) tells us (Historia Ecclesiastica, II), based on the writings of certain Greek historians, that Pilate soon afterward, "wearied with misfortunes," had killed himself. (Hist. Eccl. 2.7.1). Various apocryphal writings have come down to us, written from the 3rd-5th centuries AD, giving legendary details about Pontius Pilate becoming a Christian, and his wife, traditionally named Claudia Procula, was a Jewish proselyte at the time of the death of Jesus and afterward became a Christian. There are other traditions mentioned in the false Gospels (non-canonical Apocryphal Gospels) concerning Pontius Pilate. Church tradition portrayed Pilate in very favorable terms. In the second century Gospel of Peter, Jesus is condemned not by Pilate but by Herod Antipas. Tertullian asserted that Pilate was a Christian at heart and that he wrote a letter to Tiberius to explain what had happened at Jesus' trial (Apology 21). The fourth or fifth century Gospel of Nicodemus (which contains the Acts of Pilate), does not make Pilate a Christian, but depicts him as more friendly towards Jesus than any of the canonical gospels. Pilate was soon canonized by the Coptic and Ethiopic churches.

Some 1,650 years ago someone was so comprehensively fed up with the state of the Roman empire that they committed an act of treason, blasphemy and probably criminal defacing of the coinage. They cursed the emperor Valens by hammering a coin with his image into lead, then folding the lead over his face. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/heritage/st...2228673,00.html

If you do manage to bump into old St Nick on your travels will you do me a big favour and just remind him not to forget the Nintendo DS lite in pink (please don't forget the pink bit it's more important than life itself!) that my little girl asked Santa for in one of the many letters she's sent him. Cheers mate I wont forget this!

Caldrail......I feel your pain my friend, keep your chin up !

****BUMP***** It's been a while since the last post and we've gained a few more members bringing interesting names along with them so come on you newbies explain yourselves!!!!

A warm welcome Ti. Horatius Barbatus! Hope you enjoy it here at UNRV.

I think that it's quite amusing that even today with all the knowledge and technology available, the German researchers are still unable to re create the Roman superglue.

Thanks for the excellent replies, I found them very interesting. Just to back up what Joyfulpuck mentions concerning the aerarium, I came across this on LacusCurtius........ .

I've found THIS It seems to be what your looking for but unfortunately it also seems that you'll have to pay for the pleasure, I'm not sure how much it costs but if it's that important to you it might be worth your while. This is a very interesting thread, please let us know what you find out.

During Augustus' reign he established somewhere in the region of 28 colonies in Italy, one of them was Venarfrum, it was an ancient town of Campania, close to the borders of Latium adiectum and Samnium. He built the town many public works, one of which was an aqueduct and from what I've read he actually charged the people of Venarfum for the water that was taken from this particular aqueduct. This is taken from an inscription that was found in Venafro in Campania before 1834........ In regard to the water which tomes, flows, or is conducted into the toron of Venafrum : it is ordered that authority and power to allot and to distribute the said water by sale, or to impose and to determine the fee therefor, shall be entrusted to the duumvir or the duumvirs of this colony placed in charge of this task by a decree of a majority of the decurions of the toron, provided that not less than two thirds of the decurions are present when the said decree is passed ; and by the decree of the decurions, which has been passed in the manner as has been described above, he shall have the right and the authority to establish a regulation therefor. Now I know that all the water that came into the city of Rome via the aqueducts was free for every one, but was it a regular practise to charge all the other towns and cities of the Roman empire for the use of the Roman built aqueducts that supplied their inhabitants with water or was this case just a one off? To read the full Edict click HERE

You know what to do then Caldrail?..... Ditch the rust bucket and get yourself a good reliable car...........I've heard that the Vauxhaull Vectra is a most excellent automobile!!!

I'd go back to 80 AD to be present for the grand opening ceremony of the Colosseum, what a spectacle that must have been!

Well thank you very much Caldrail, I drive a Vectra................. Only joking!!!! I wouldn't be seen dead in one! Every time I see one on the road (which incidentally is about every 2.5 minutes) my left eye develops a nasty twitch and my head begins to jerk violently!! Dull is not the word! So come on then Caldrail what sort of chariot do you cruise around in then??

This should pretty much answer this question for you VTC... http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gaze.../LANARD/8*.html

HA HA this bit is a classic!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VTC!!!! Have a good one!

I don't doubt what you say for a second Caldrail, true every general and every legion would have had different ways and idea's of how to keep their troops in tip top fighting condition but what Vegetius does give us is an excellent insight into how the legionaries were trained and drilled from the start and through out their careers as a soldiers of Rome. Vegetius doesn't say that that was the only way they were trained he just gives us a general overview of some of the training methods that were used.

Taken from De Re Militari by Flavius Vegetius Renatus....... THE DRILLING OF THE TROOPS The organization of the legion being thus explained, let us return to the drills. The younger soldiers and recruits went through their drills of every kind every morning and afternoon and the veterans and most expert regularly once a day. Length of service or age alone will never form a military man, for after serving many years an undisciplined soldier is still a novice in his profession. Not only those under the masters at arms, but all the soldiers in general, were formerly trained incessantly in those drills which now are only exhibited as shows in the circus for particular solemnities. By practice only can be acquired agility of body and the skill requisite to engage an enemy with advantage, especially in close fight. But the most essential point of all is to teach soldiers to keep their ranks and never abandon their colors in the most difficult evolutions. Men thus trained are never at a loss amidst the greatest confusion of numbers. The recruits likewise are to be exercised with wooden swords at the post, to be taught to attack this imaginary antagonist on all sides and to aim at the sides, feet or head, both with the point and edge of the sword. They must be instructed how to spring forward to give the blow, to rise with a bound above the shield and then to sink down and shelter themselves under cover of it, and how to advance and retire. They must also throw their javelins at the post from a considerable distance in order to acquire a good aim and strengthen the arm. The archers and slingers set up bundles of twigs or straw for marks, and generally strike them with arrows and with stones from the fustiablus at the distance of six hundred feet. They acquired coolness and exactness in acnon from familiar custom and exercise in the field. The slingers should be taught to whirl the sling but once about the head before they cast the stone. Formerlyall soldiers were trained to the praccice of throwing stones of a pound weight with the hand, as this was thought a readier method since it did not require a sling. The use of the common missile weapons and loaded javelins was another part of the drill strictly attended to. To continue this drill without interruption during the winter, they erected for the cavalry porticos or riding halls covered with tiles or shingles, and if they were not to be procured, with reeds, rushes or thatch. Large open halls were likewise constructed in the same manner for the use of the infantry. By these means the troops were provided with places of drill sheltered from bad weather. But even in winter, if it did not rain or snow, they were obliged to perform their drills in the field, lest an intermission of discipline should affect both the courage and constitution of the soldier. In short, both legionary and auxiliary troops should continually be drilled in cutting wood, carrying burdens, passing ditches, swimming in the sea or in rivers, marching in the full step and even running with their arms and baggage, so that, inured to labor in peace, they may find no difficulty in war. For, as the well trained soldier is eager for action, so does the untaught fear it. In war discipline is superior to strength; but if that discipline is neglected, there is no longer any difference between the soldier and the peasant. The old maxim is certain that the very essence of an art consists in constant practice.