Augustus Caesar

and then...... Before anyone can react quickly enough the super fast AC gets there first and blows the 'mighty' Jove away and a small puff of smoke generated by someone else's overworked bum!!! Jove disappears and the guests cheer AC as a hero!! GO cowers in the corner trying desperately to hide from the guys who just love poking sharp instruments into places that hurt just a tad... Even though the fact that GO had actually prior to this visited the lavatorium he still made a little mess on floor... and was deeply embarrassed by it all. Oh no..... the soldiers have spotted GO in the corner.. - is it 'Time Gentlemen Please' for our little matey? Or will he have a 'Cunning Plan'????

AC recovers from his cocktail after a few days but Doc is blameless...someone dropped a potion in the beaker when she wasn't looking!! AC blames those darned aliens... can't go anywhere without them following one!! He saunters after Doc and explains his misfortune and advises her of her innocence. She is most grateful and proceeds to sit down with AC for a good long chat about life, the universe and everything.... they soon discover the answer is actually 42... just as Deep Thought said it was!!!! Another stiffy drink was called for and it was getting late.... Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.......

NN has contacted a few more folks in the last week or so but as yet I have had only one further confirmation. If ANYONE else IS coming please let me know because I have to contact hotls shortly seeking accommodation and advice etc on costs. Either PM me or post here. Thanking you kindly.....

OK G O... We'll all get together some day somewhere... possibly in Rome???

By now you will have heard of the date of transmission of Rome 2 on BBC 2 this month for the first time. For those who haven't - the date is Wednesday June 20 at 9pm apparenty. I stand corrected if this wrong but I only briefly caught the one preview so far transmitted whilst I was around.

AT LAST FOLKS - Rome 2 will air in Britain this month - June!! A trailer is now showing on BBC 2 and their website as yet does not give a start date but it is more than likely two weeks away or so. This is great news. Whether or not it is a good watch it doesn't matter. At least the BBC have kept their word it would be shown. What a pity it is the last series. Never mind - two series is better than none. So stay tuned to BBC 2 and watch with excitement!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What's all that about then GO?!?!? Doc... is this a party or what? I need a stiff drink.... water to be on the safe side!!

AC makes his way to stand behind GO ready to let him fall into his 'safe' hands when he partakes of his drink. Of course AC has a habit of missing some catches!!! Someone - namely GO - is going to have a rather nasty headache!!!

A wee bit cranky? That man needs to watch his p's and q's me thinks!! AC an imposter? Is he really awake or just lumbering around like all centurions sleep walking? Hey Doc... give him a VERY large wine... it may just bring him to his senses!! Or the Tarpeian Rock will.... one bump on the head from that and he will be OK - unless he misses the rock and hits water first... and he can't swim!!!

And everyone else!!!!!!! Excellent soundtrack is Gladiator!! We should take a decent sound system on the Wall meet and have it blaring out in the background!!!!

AC wonders if he can persuade one of his influential contacts into making to what Caldrail seems a very good deal? Austentatius Delarius is his man for this moment he thinks... so wanders off to find this most trustworthy of gents.

It seems Manlius has suddenly gone from two words known to him to FOUR!!! Ah well, busmen are an intelligent lot!! It aslo seems that Manlius is asking Caldrail for his ticket!!! Is this to be his final demise as Manlius manhandles Caldrail? Or are they "Going on a Summer Holiday" together?

That's quite an interesting and thought provoking article Viggen. Personally I never bought the idea that the Romans and Saxons were great enemies. Sometimes far too much emphasis is automatically put onto a group of foreigners coming to these shores and having to literally fight to gain a foothold. Anyway, this I may look further into when I get to go back to London for a visit.

I'm confused!! So what is the axe I pasted above then? Is that 'bearded' or 'beaked'???

"Hey, I was just offering another option...." As long as my guests are happy, that's all that counts! Ah happiness... I remember that!! Anyway, it seems the party is in full swing and that the good lady host is doing her utmostto keep things ticking along nicely. Feedng the panther and trying to persuade Caldrail to do the 'nice' things in life... will it succeed? It seems even now the 'wicked' chap is planning another little excursion to one of his many 'customers'. And so.. Doc, you have failed in your quest to drive a wedge between Caldrail and Manlius. Is there another plot ready to be hatched before Caldrail slinks off altogether to carry out his deed and extract more money from his 'victim'? What is the hold he has over this chunky slave? Maybe a neeter approach is required Doc. I am feeling very light headed with all this fine wine and sumptuous food!! A rather good looking lady approaches and asks for my assistance elsewhere... can I really be bothered? Or does my manly gown need shifting this cool night?

Thank you Pertinax on behalf of myself and the team who went to Vindolanda to arrange this meet. May I add that as well as PMing myself or NN with confirmation of your attendance in September that you also post here your arrival and departure days so others will know who is coming and when. For more specific details like wishing to do a talk about a subjet you should contact myself or NN personally. I should point out that subject matter should be primarily about the Wall itself or material connected to it. This should be passed by us so we can arrange the timing of events with the visits to the designated forts etc. So far we have four speakers and I am sure we could fill in more if time allows. Accommodtion is currently being looked into. I cannot go much further without solid commitments from members so please read the previous post I made above. Let's make it happen and let's make a great job of it!!

Is this what Pertinax refers to? I have come across this before but this is by no means a subject I know anything of... The page I got it from only has this image and no text!!!

I think it's about time good young AC took his place and asked everyone to respect the host and this wonderful event she has laid on for all us good citizens of Rome. "Be quiet you lot at the back and give me respect or I'll have you all thrown to the lions!!" AC commands slence and gets it. Good job too coz he hates watching lions having a good time... "Now you all know that the Doc here is fond of a good razzle or two and maybe some other things as well but there's no need to keep causing a rumpus just because you feel like it. I've been watching you all in here with your ideas of merriment etc and I must admit some of it is getting out of hand. I suppose it might be too much to ask for a civil party to begin to take shape and for us all to get on with what us good Romans do best. So I'm gonna ask that we all get totally ratted but in a 'nice' fashion." With that silence again left its ugly head hanging over the procedings and Doc was quite chuffed that at last the party was about to get into a proper swing. "Hurrah for AC!!" she shouts... "YAY!!" went up the cheers all round the floor. Caldrail hung his head and looked at the panther. They sleeked off together in the sunset but stayed a close distance to the party to hear all the jolly goings on. Manlius began to sneeze all over Nephele who still hadn't given up on the peacock feather!! Maybe if Caldrail brings back the panther a deal for the Nubian could still be done.....

From my safe vantage point behind the pillar I notice the arm slowly advancing along NN's lower arm and wonder who this could be!! I have heard many tales of ill goings on in this household and deals of a rather ropey nature. I try to get a better view and trip over the darned panther which looks at me with those eyes that say 'That's the third time tonight someone's done that!!'. I spill my drink and head off for another and am accosted in the doorway leding to the impluvium. I know not who this is as I am struck unconcious by a blow to the head. Was this meant for me? Or has there been a terrible mistake as it was meant for another? I barely hear the screams of shock and terror butI am safely carried back into the party where everyone is nervously looking around to see what has happened and who the culprit was. The communist leader is immediately under suspicion and Caldrail summonses his rather brutish slave to take of him. Sadly the barrier is not strong enough to hold the leader when pushed against it and he falls to a rather crushing death at the foot of the hillside. There's a hush then much rejoicing as the rest of the communist party get up in disgust and walk out. I am coming round quickly and am able to rejoin the revelry where a fresh drink is handed to me and the panther shows his toothy grin!!

A fascinating topic this one. While my interests in Roman History are wide and varied I do not profess to have too many in this period sadly. Once I found that the Castle Keep in Newcastle Upon Tyne, built by the Normans, had been built using stone from the Roman fort of Pons Aelius I went off these guys!!! Oh...by the way NN... love the hair-do's!!!

OK folks... here it is... the long awaited itinerary for the UK Hadrian's Wall meeting in September..... Preliminary guidelines for UK Forum Meeting

Evocative indeed Pertinax!! This is one of the finest stretches of the Wall but notthe only one obviously. It affords great views, excellent examples of stone cutting and many more features besides. If this doesn't entice folk to come along to this meet then nothing will!! Anyway, I post this small bit here to forewarn everyone, as Neil has, that I will be posting an itinerary here in the next couple of hours so pop back for loads of information. Neil and I will be making several requests of everyone that hopefully will meet with approval from you all. There will be a lot to digest from this so please take time to read through it, maybe even more than once, so you get the full gist of what is a relatively longish post. As has been stated we had a meeting, NN, Augusta, Flavia (my good lady wife) and myself, up on Hadrian's Wall yesterday (May 28) which was very successful in that we virtually agreed the itinerary straight away with some minor tinkering for weather conditions etc. So do pop back and read it through and be prepared for early commitments to be made. I'll put the 'finishing touches' to it and post as soon as possible.

I don't particularly think the Romans had racism on thier minds as we see it today. It has already been poited out above that they dealt with things in a different mindset. When I look back at things like this and see all the ideas coming through about how they dsliked the Greeks and of course the barbarians of any culture I see it a differentway from the 'racism' point of view. When it comes down to it the Romans couldn't really care less about colour. Some abuses may have been dished out on a minor scale but these were not, surely, widespread enough to warrant any real mention in their histories. I also look on the north south divide, if you like, with a different viewpoint. It is generally accepted that to the south and east lived the more knowledgable folk and to the north and west lived the barbarians. Now while that is quite a general view it will suffice for this comment. When Rome encountered these peoples they would firstly wonder which way they could utilise the people to get the maximum output and profit from them. If the culture was 'civilised' they would ultimately rule over them in a totally different way to those of the 'barbarian' way of life. Looking at the classes in Roman society one sees that anyone who lives by a sword - gladiators for example - are deemed low in life and class and are not given any form of acceptance in 'society' whereas those who were a tad more 'civilised' would have a better chance of being integrated into the Roman way and higher classes. There is little or no profit to be gained by Rome taking barbarians for anything else other than the arena to entertain the masses or slavery. If they progressed from that into freedmen/women then so be it. However, they still had little to offer and were still 'shunned'. On the other hand, the more civil societies would be integrated and used for commercial profit while allowing those they ruled to make their own profit where they could. Just as long as the tribute flowed into Rome and the province was at peace then Rome allowed it to flourish. A barbarian state was more likely to be crushed first and utilised in a different way afterward. So, while that is a very general view, it is one I do believe in. Rome used its power, influence, enemies and its own people to maximise profit and wealth for Rome alone. If you got rich whilst helping them out then fine. But I do think strong parallels can be drawn from the Roman citizenry to those on a more world wide stage where the way of life you led dictated to how you were ultimatley accepted or rejected by Rome. So those, as I stated above, with a sword, would be treated as low class, those with a book (scroll!!) would be deemed as educated and therefore high class. The same rule would follow for all those in between. I know this may read different to some of you but I hope I have made my point as clear as I can. The big issue in Rome to me was not racism but slavery. Once you were deemed to be of a particular class that's all that mattered. Everything else followed from there.

On the contrary Nephele. Caldrail sees the adoring panther and drops to his knees placing the sword firmly at the feet of the panther and begins a ritual of worship! AC sees this as an opportunity to rid himself of the leash and drops it quietly beside the panther who looks a tad bemused at Caldrail and his strange antics. Maybe it's wondering whether to bite his head off... but then thinks if he is subserviant then he can get free meals and pandered to all the time. So the panther merely lies down and pretends to be 'lost'. AC goes off with his dutiful but masterful wife for this fine beverage offered to him. He casually struts to the centre of the floor and awaits quiet before declaring the party get started. Many drinks begin to flow from their vessels to their wine swilling owners mouths and merry is made. Much light is made of Caldrail and his new play thing... the panther stays cool!!

And in the meantime AC will remain hidden behind the pillar pondering his next move... Will he get an invite from the hosts to join in this most merry of habnabs? Or will he be left in the cold to shiver and freeze although it's nice and warm outside? It's not easy being an emperor....