Nephele

Hey, G.O., you've gotta take the bad with the good. So, are you saying that you're a Penguin? Pick an animal, already! -- Nephele

I don't know what his status in Kazakhstan is, but if romanian autorithies find him he is going to spend some time in a computer free enviroment. It's a Borat reference. Isn't the DVD out now? Borat? You mean that famous succes movie that was partially shot in Romania? Never heard of it! Yep, the DVD came out last Tuesday in the U.S. Kosmo, have you ever been to Glod? -- Nephele

Yay, our first pinniped! Kosmo, I've added you to the comparative round-up near the bottom of Page 2 of this thread. Have also added additional descriptions for all of our UNRV animals. -- Nephele

I agree, Posca needs a straight man (no pun intended), and Octavian could serve the purpose, as his character in Rome is temptingly humorless. While we're on the subject of Posca, just have to comment on his name, which I think was aptly chosen by the series' writers: "Posca, vinegar mixed with water, was the common drink of the lower orders among the Romans, as of soldiers when on service." (ref. Smith's) An acerbic drink to name an acerbic wit. Perfect for Posca! -- Nephele

"Posca, the Man Behind Julius!" oh sorry that was the King of Bythinia. I think Posca's marriage to Jocasta may have quenched any rumors about him being "the Man Behind Julius" (or vice versa). Although, for a time there, I was wondering about their relationship. I'm definitely with Ursus on this, regarding Posca deserving his own series. What a brilliant character! If he'd had as many scenes as some of the others in Rome, he'd easily be my favorite character. Maybe I'll just edit together all the Posca scenes from the series, and put them on a disc of their own -- then I'll have my own HBO's Posca. Yah! Okay, somebody please indulge me here -- what's your favorite Posca scene? Mine is from the first season episode, "The Ram Has Touched the Wall", in which Caesar is discussing something with Posca, and Posca tells Caesar that, while his decision is a brave one, it's not a very wise one. Caesar thinks he's putting Posca in his place when he smugly shoots back: "They say that slaves talk of bravery as fish talk of flying." Posca replies with deliberate irony: "They say that, do they? How very witty of them." Posca: 1, Caesar: 0. -- Nephele

Bripus, I think you put an extra "p" in your scramble by mistake... Your praenomen is "Agrippa" (abbreviated as "Agrip."). Although nowadays we see this name as a cognomen in Rome, it was originally a praenomen. You were given this name because you were a breech birth (the name meaning "born feet first".) Your nomen is "Varenus" (a variant of HBO Rome's "Vorenus"). Your cognomen of "Denter" means "toothy" -- as your ancestors were noted for their wolfish grin, which they've passed down to you. Your full Roman name is... Agrip. Varenus Denter -- Nephele

I was pleased to see Posca get a babe, even if it was Jocasta. I like Posca. -- Nephele

I love the beautiful Elvish names Tolkien created, with the melodic Welsh sound to them. I once tried anagramming Elvish names for people, but it was pretty difficult, as I wasn't all that familiar with the formation of Tolkien's names at the time and I wanted the anagrammed names at least to have a semblance of authenticity. There are various elements that go into the creation of an Elvish name, and I was doing better with Quenyan than with Tolkien's other languages. I may take it up again someday, and launch a "Your Hidden Elvish Name" over in the Hora Postilla Thermae forum. -- Nephele

Hahahahaha! You devil -- you nailed it! -- Nephele

Thank you, DoL, for your comments and analysis of LsF. I may be wrong, but I don't think the author of that piece was saying that there seems to be no reason for gender inflexion as it is in Latin, so much as he was questioning why LsF purports to be gender-free, yet still retains the appearance of gender inflexion. I have to admit that I find LsF to be contradictory in that regard, with the phrase: "Cervisia es bono" looking just plain wrong. Of course there's a reason for gender inflexion, conjugations, and so on in language, and you've done an excellent and scholarly job in making that case. But auxiliary languages such as Esperanto, Ido, Interlingua, LsF, etc. were designed by idealists for simplicity in international communication. As I'm sure you already know, an auxiliary language's purpose isn't to replace one's existing language, it's only to serve as a bridge between two people when neither one speaks the other's primary language. The quicker the auxiliary language can be learned, the quicker the bridge can be built. At least, that's the intention. From personal experience, I can't say that even Esperanto, by far the most successful of the auxiliary languages, serves the purpose for which it was originally intended. Most of the people I've encountered who had in interest in learning Esperanto also had an interest in (and aptitude for) learning other languages as well -- thereby negating the need for this bridge language. Esperanto is also something with which I amuse myself, much the same way that I amuse myself with anagrams. (I'm equally intrigued with the created languages of J.R.R. Tolkien.) I suspect that the vast majority of other Esperanto speakers out there are playing around with the language for pretty much the same reasons as I am. -- Nephele

Since auxiliary languages (such as Esperanto) have always interested me, and with this being a board dedicated to all things Roman, I was wondering whether anyone here has ever dabbled in Latino sine Flexione? It seems that, with merely a Latin dictionary in hand and an understanding of the simple system of rules for LsF, one can let fly with the following useful phrases (taken from the website): Da ad me cervisia. Give me the beer. Da ad me hoc cervisia. Give me this beer. Da ad me illo cervisia. Give me that beer. Da ad me uno cervisia. Give me a beer. Da ad me illo meo cervisia. Give me that beer of mine. Da ad me uno meo cervisia. Give me one of my beers. Cervisia es bono. Beer is good. Hoc cervisia es bono. This beer is good. Might Latino sine Flexione have some usefulness -- if not as an international language, then for entertainment purposes as an easy-to-learn and amusing faux Latin for folks interested in ancient Rome? -- Nephele

I've really got to pick up some of your books, Andrew Dalby. (I'm embarrassed to say I haven't yet read any of them. But then, I'm still new around here.) I'm curious. Have you ever tried dining on locusts -- for research, or because they looked appetizing, or just on a dare? As for the medicinal uses of sugar that MPC brought up... The ancient Greek and Roman physicians believed that the human body was governed by the Four Humors. While it was the Greek physician Galen who, in the 2nd century C.E., developed these ideas into his theory of the Four Temperaments, I'm guessing that Galen's use of sugar for medicinal purposes by that time may have been based on the teachings of those physicians who had preceded him. Regarding Galen's use of sugar, I found the following written by Mark Grant for the British Journal of Educational Studies (March, 1999), titled "Steiner and the Humours: The Survival of Ancient Greek Science": "[Galen held] that a manifestation of melancholy in children was connected with some irregularity in the function of the liver. Sugar and sweet things could be prescribed to help normalise the function of the liver. With sanguine children a diet and a reduction in the consumption of sweet things was useful, since any abnormality was caused by an irregularity in the activity of the liver in respect of the secretion of gall." So it would seem that the ancients might have used sugar as a means of balancing the humors within a patient. -- Nephele

Yep! Josef Dzhugashvili renamed himself "Josef Stalin" to imply he was a "Man of Steel". And Adolf Hitler was said to have identified with Nietzsche's

Lol, that literally means "The Above Man." My best would be "Homo Adamantis"--> Man of Steel. You can replace Homo with Vir if you don't want a homo in it. Which is precisely why superhomo is the logical choice. The Latin word super is a cognate of the German word

I can't find where anyone says this. There's an article that appears on various websites, which states that Caligula "would end up hating this name, but he also hated the name 'Gaius'." The article gives numerous primary sources, but doesn't make clear precisely which source (if any of these) was used for this information. Here's one site where this article appears. Unfortunately, the article isn't footnoted and, as with a lot of info found on the 'net, may be questionable. If no one here has managed to find the primary source for this information about Caligula having hated his name, then I would certainly question the information in that article. -- Nephele

In country of Kazakhstan, this Vlauduz is great hero! He fool many peoples on the eBay to show what big khram he has. He is, how you say?, big eBay rapist! High five!

Nito farvos! -- Nephele

Only reask that you put it side by side with Wildcat as she acepted many aspects there as well. Done! (I'm starting to feel like a zoo-keeper.) -- Nephele

Considering that filmmaker Jacobovici is claiming that an ossuary of James (missing from the tomb since 1980) is in the possession of a slippery Israeli antiques dealer named Oded Golan (who was arrested along with his cohorts and charged in an Israeli court not only for running a forgery ring but for forging the name of "James" on that ossuary), inclines me towards skepticism regarding the "Jesus Tomb". -- Nephele Edited out comment that might provoke a "slip into the danger of using this thread to discuss the internal veracity of Christianity or any other religion." as per Ursus' admonition.

Asking the opinion of one's mate is the most judicious means of breaking an animal personality tie. I've revised your animal, Pantagathus, in the comparative round-up posted above. Have also added roman wargamer to the menagerie. -- Nephele

Ciggies are stinky. Feel better. -- Nephele

Okay, here's the comparative round-up. I took the summaries for the animal personalities from the website: Ursus: Elephant Big, strong, intelligent and uncompromising. Males are usually aggressive, females are nurturing and natural leaders. Large Helpful Spiritual Principled Intelligent Protective Noble Temperamental Pompous Grandiose Gaius Octavius: Beaver If rodent personalities were rated by their busy and determined demeanors -- the beaver would surely be their king. Small to medium Reliable Ethical Dedicated Punctual Judgmental Miserly Predictable Self absorbed Nephele Carnalis: Bat As an airborne creature, the bat has disassociated itself from the predictable mannerisms of its mammalian cousins and the resulting internal conflict causes the erratic behavior that characterizes its enigmatic persona. Small to medium Artistic Sensitive Philosophical Intuitive Reflective Aloof Unpredictable Unemotional Flighty The Augusta: Bat As an airborne creature, the bat has disassociated itself from the predictable mannerisms of its mammalian cousins and the resulting internal conflict causes the erratic behavior that characterizes its enigmatic persona. Small to medium Artistic Sensitive Philosophical Intuitive Reflective Aloof Unpredictable Unemotional Flighty Pertinax: Rooster or Weasel Roosters are those talented, creative, but somewhat eccentric people who make life interesting for the rest of us. They are artistic, creative, and sophisticated with a thorough knowledge of fine wines, cooking, writing, theater and painting. Original Persistent Fashionable Creative Audacious Opportunistic Brooding Grandiose Perfectionist Flashy (Rooster) Weasels are related to badgers and skunks and are suave and disarmingly charming. With quick minds and lithe physiques, they appear to be promising companions but have a Machiavellian streaks that underscore their personalities. Small-medium Attractive Sexy Mischievous Flirtatious Self-aggrandizing Conceited Unreliable Untrustworthy (Weasel) Pantagathus: Otter or Wildcat Otters are petite, engaging creatures overflowing with positive energy. Intelligent and bright, they are also popular and eminently lovable. Displaying the highly developed social skills that typify the small carnivores, otters mix easily with a wide range of animal personalities. Smallish Fun-loving Cute Communicative Unassuming Appealing Blunt Cautious Finicky Frugal Impatient (Otter) With their well-deserved reputations as creatures of comfort, wildcats jealously guard their independence while indulging in the finer things in life. Attractive, solitary, creative, and curious, these individuals are quite happy to observe the world from a distance. Small to medium size Attractive Spiritual Curious Sexy Autonomous Self-indulgent Fickle Brooding Unpredictable Uncommitted (Wild Cat) docoflove1974: Fox Appealing and cerebral, the fox is a close relative of both the wolf and dog personalities -- displaying the typical canine qualities of loyalty, passion and creativity. Small to medium size Autonomous Generous Creative Flirtatious Passionate Sanctimonious Impatient Procrastinating Gaius Paulinus Maximus: Wild Dog All those who meet the wild dog are struck by its energetic, demonstrative and restless behavior. It differs from its canine cousins, being physically more powerful than the domestic dog and its social structure differs dramatically from the lone wolf. Medium sized Reliable Charitable Popular Principled Loyal Hyper Restless Wild M. Porcius Cato: Fox or Rooster Appealing and cerebral, the fox is a close relative of both the wolf and dog personalities -- displaying the typical canine qualities of loyalty, passion and creativity. Small to medium size Autonomous Generous Creative Flirtatious Passionate Sanctimonious Impatient Procrastinating (Fox) Roosters are those talented, creative, but somewhat eccentric people who make life interesting for the rest of us. They are artistic, creative, and sophisticated with a thorough knowledge of fine wines, cooking, writing, theater and painting. Original Persistent Fashionable Creative Audacious Opportunistic Brooding Grandiose Perfectionist Flashy (Rooster) Jasminia: Wild Cat, Fox or Swan With their well-deserved reputations as creatures of comfort, wildcats jealously guard their independence while indulging in the finer things in life. Attractive, solitary, creative, and curious, these individuals are quite happy to observe the world from a distance. Small to medium size Attractive Spiritual Curious Sexy Autonomous Self-indulgent Fickle Brooding Unpredictable Uncommitted (Wild Cat) Appealing and cerebral, the fox is a close relative of both the wolf and dog personalities -- displaying the typical canine qualities of loyalty, passion and creativity. Small to medium size Autonomous Generous Creative Flirtatious Passionate Sanctimonious Impatient Procrastinating (Fox) Swans have always been venerated for their elegant grace and gentle beauty. So it's little surprise that they attract such admiration as they sail serenely through life. Princess Diana was one, displaying both its grace and flighty characteristics. Beautiful Sophisticated Idealistic Attentive Gentle Understanding Elusive Flighty Uneven Snooty Inscrutable (Swan) Moonlapse: Fox Appealing and cerebral, the fox is a close relative of both the wolf and dog personalities -- displaying the typical canine qualities of loyalty, passion and creativity. Small to medium size Autonomous Generous Creative Flirtatious Passionate Sanctimonious Impatient Procrastinating roman wargamer: Fox Appealing and cerebral, the fox is a close relative of both the wolf and dog personalities -- displaying the typical canine qualities of loyalty, passion and creativity. Small to medium size Autonomous Generous Creative Flirtatious Passionate Sanctimonious Impatient Procrastinating Kosmo: Walrus These superficially benign individuals are usually easy to recognize. When you think of walruses, think of those large people sunning their perfectly rounded bellies at the beach. Or just think of Wilford Brimley. Large size Methodical Carefree Loyal Happy-go-lucky Sloppy Complacent Cantankerous Lazy Irreverent Divi Filius: Mountain Goat This enigmatic creature stands out from the crowd with its unique combination of alertness, generosity and unassuming charm. But the mountain goat is a loner -- an edgy, introverted soul. Average size Dexterous Creative Reflective Spiritual Nimble Independent Unsociable Fidgety Neurotic Stubborn Julius Ratus: Owl The owl is the tranquil face of the bird personalities. A creature of great integrity, its quiet serene demeanor accords it an air of mystery and diffidence. But like all birds, it has a penchant for remaining above the fray of life on the ground. Contemplative Eloquent Sober Principled Sincere Verbose Preachy Sanctimonious Overly conservative Anybody else want to join the menagerie? -- Nephele

Rolling On The Floor Licking My (Angle Side Side) Off! I just saw this! MUCH better definition! -- Nephele

Sorry! It means Rolling On The Floor Laughing My A$$ Off -- Nephele

T.A., Thanks for that Livia assessment! Here's your daughter's dark, goth name: xnleadaar tkoses = Alexsa Darkstone I'm not sure. Sometimes with these drop-down menus, the selection will change by itself if you don't click on the screen to "set" it. I'd try it again. ************************************ GPM, ROTFLMAO! ************************************* MPC, that was a magnificent assessment of your historical namesake! Looks like you nailed him. Thanks for playing! -- Nephele