vespasian70

Sir Ronald Syme states only one legion was lost. (Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 18 (1928), pp. 41-55) Brian Jones also agrees to one legion was lost. (Suetonius: The Flavian Emperors, p.135) Pat Southern in her bio of Domitian says one standard was lost by Fuscus (possibly a Praetorian standard and not a legionary eagle), however she also agrees with Jones that it cannot be that of the V Alaudae because that legion was lost long before the Dacian campaign. Jones states the legion did not survive 69/70 AD. (Southern - Domitian: Tragic Tyrant, p. 98 and Jones - The Emperor Domitian, pp. 138-143)

Thank you for the heads up on this! I quite enjoyed this. Actually, you don't need itunes to listen: go to "The History Of Rome by Mike Duncan" at blogspot.com to listen online. http://thehistoryofrome.blogspot.com/

I've found the following very useful: From Tiberius to the Antonines - Albino Garzetti Vespasian - Barbara Levick The Emperor Titus - Brian W Jones The Emperor Domitian - Brian W Jones Hadrian - Anthony R Birley Marcus Aurelius - Anthony R Birley Septimius Severus - Anthony R Birley The Roman Empire: From Severus to Constantine - Pat Southern

Ever since reading Robert Grave's translation of the 12 Caesars when I was a kid, I've been fascinated by the 1st century AD. I particularly like the Flavian era...so much history there - year of the four Caesars, Masada, fall of Jerusalem, building of the colosseum, eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, ect.

Thanks for the recommendation Melvadius! Looks like an interesting read....I will check it out. Btw, I bought Fraser's book and quite enjoyed it.

I have always loved Connolly's work... I have three of his books (Pompeii, Greece and Rome at War, The Ancient City) and find them very useful because of the many things which are illustrated and can't be found any where else.

I always fancied Tusculum would be a pleasant suburb of Roma. Looking in my Barrington Atlas I can even locate where my villa might be...there is a cluster of them just to the north and west of the town proper on the slopes of the Alban hills.

I ordered Fraser's book today because I'm curious about his conclusions concerning the battle's location. It would be a wonderful thing if Mons Graupius can finally be located!

Currently reading 'Tacitus: Agricola' with text, introduction and commentary by Ogilvie and Richmond. A very rich source of info about Roman Britain in general and Agricola's campaigns in particular.

Fantastic pictures! I can tell a lot of care and detail went into the set design. Can't wait for this to be available here in the States.

Hello all! I have seen two different books available about the battle of Mons Graupius, 'A battle lost: Romans and Caledonians at Mons Graupius' by G. Maxwell and 'The Roman Conquest of Scotland, The Battle of Mons Graupius AD 84' by J. E. Fraser. I'd like to know what anyone thinks about them and which one would be the better choice. Both books are fairly recent (Maxwell's 1990, Fraser's 2005), but I suppose Fraser's being just a couple of years old, reflects more recent scholarship.

Peter O' Toole is the only reason why I would watch this movie...then again, I could watch him read the telephone book for 2 hrs and enjoy it.

IMHO, the answer to all three questions is no. I just hope this doesn't spell out the end of the project. Harris' novel would make a wonderful film in the right hands...

From the table of Roman wines: 'Alban - A preferred wine among the upper classes, it provided several varieties of flavors including very sweet, sweetish, rough, and sharp. It was considered perfect if kept for 15 years.' Recently I tried a Fontana Candida Frascati from the Alban hills. The label says 'In the hills near Rome are areas of volcanic soil over 2,000 years old. Here the grapes for Frascati are grown.' A major hint that they believe they are the sucessors of Roman wine making. Not a bad wine at all IMHO.

'Blessed are the cheesmakers.' Indeed.

R. S. Gottfried in his book 'The Black Death' claims it was smallpox and probably marks the first introduction of it in Mediterranean Europe. Apparently the pox lasted for 15 yrs, devestating Italy, Egypt, and Asia Minor. It is thought that small pox was present in some Germanic tribes, but was never transmitted from across the Rhine. Roman legionaries arriving from the east seem to be the culprits. Is there anything in the description of the symptoms that allow a smallpox rather than a measles diagnosis? The link Pertinax posted had this to say in a footnote: 'There are two major sources for information about the Antonine plague. Galen listed some of the symptoms of the pestilence in On the Natural Faculties; however, since he did not go with Marcus Aurelius on campaign, he possibly did not see the disease first hand. Other plague information is included in the Letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto, who was a tutor of Marcus Aurelius. ' Galen seems to be our man.

R. S. Gottfried in his book 'The Black Death' claims it was smallpox and probably marks the first introduction of it in Mediterranean Europe. Apparently the pox lasted for 15 yrs, devestating Italy, Egypt, and Asia Minor. It is thought that small pox was present in some Germanic tribes, but was never transmitted from across the Rhine. Roman legionaries arriving from the east seem to be the culprits.

Thank you Pertinax for the helpful link! The footnotes to the article do mention some sources (Galen of course being one) and more recent studies on the Antonine plague, which is a great starting point.

Currently I'm reading John Kelly's 'The great Mortality' and in the book he makes a passing reference to the Antonine plauge of the 160's stating that it killed off between one quarter and one third of Roman Europe's population. These stats are comparable to the Black Death 1200 years later. Funny it's not as well known. If Europe's population plunged from 50 to 70 million people in the 2nd and 3rd centuries to 25 or 26 million by 700, how much of this is due to the plague? Smallpox being the culprit. And what are the primary sources for our information about the Antonine Plague and has anyone done a more recent study of it?

I'm very pleased to see Caroline Lawrence here on the boards. As a major collector of historical Roman fiction I have of course added The Roman Mysteries series to my collection a while ago. I was very pleased at the depth of research that went into each book and was quite entertained with the story as well. My little nephews love the copies I bought for them too. I only wish the TV series was shown here in the States, from the tantalizing bits I've seen online they look very well done. Great article you posted Guy, I came across it sometime ago and lost the link. Thanks for posting it.

I agree with you that the Zealots on masada were not the freedom fighters depicted in the film (or for that matter in any work of fiction I can recall). I like the film on a purely artistic basis, not a historical one. If we were to stick to just the historical facts, the film may not end in the mass suicide that Josephus so passionately wrote about. A Masada film that depicts the rebel Jews as terrorists will perhaps never be made, unless Mel Gibson is up for the job. And yes, it is nice to see a fellow Roman enthusiast so close to home.

Actually the script shows the Roman commander Flavius Silva in a very favorable light. He wants peace and fashions a compromise (which in the end falls apart however) with the rebel Jewish leader Eleazar ben Yair. Though the compromise is purely fiction, it does show that not all the Romans were 'villians'. The Commodus depicted in Gladiator was far more evil than any character in Masada.

Hello all! I wanted to let everyone know that on Sept. 11th Masada the TV mini series from 1981 starring Peter O'toole will be released on DVD. This is one of my favorite films of all time and I'm quite excited it's getting a proper DVD release. If you have never seen it you will not be disappointed. Cheers, David

There actually is a book along that line: Animals In Roman Life And Art by J.M.C. Toynbee. An excellent read that goes into some detail how the Romans treated the animals they came in contact with.