Nephele

Presumably the same way that non-Roman-born gentiles became citizens. Through manumission would be one way, and there were Jewish slaves in early Rome. Or through service to Rome and additionally by becoming a client of an influential Roman. Didn't the Jewish historian Josephus (a.k.a. Titus Flavius Josephus) eventually gain his Roman citizenship by such means -- adopting the praenomen and gens name of his Roman patron Titus Flavius Vespasianus and using his original, Latinized name, Josephus, as his cognomen (as was customary)? -- Nephele

Your statement seems to imply that it was not a 'Jewish' thing. Can you say why the praetor did this? The reason given was: "for attempting to corrupt Roman customs". The reference source is Valerius Maximus, but I don't have it handy at present to verify that. I'll check into it further, as I'm thinking of putting together something on the Jews in ancient Rome. -- Nephele

We know that a large Jewish community lived in Rome as early as the second century BCE, although in 139 BCE the praetor Hispanus issued a decree expelling all Jews who were not also Roman citizens. I think somebody commented in one of the topics on HBO

Don't forget used book stores; they might have piles of books on the subject. I don't know if you're familiar with AbeBooks.com but you can get a used copy of Ostrogosky's book in good condition for as little as $8.50. Check it out: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResu...p;y=10&x=42 I get a lot of bargains on used and out-of-print books from AbeBooks. I highly recommend them. -- Nephele

Mosquito, you belong to the Alfia gens, the same noble gens to which belonged C. Alfius Avitus, a Tribune of the People who was a supporter of Caesar, Pompeius, and Crassus (ref. T. S. R. Broughton's Magistrates of the Roman Republic). Your praenomen is "Cnaeus" (which you may choose to abbreviate as "Cn"). Your cognomen is "Aper", meaning "wild boar" -- a legion standard revered by your military family. Cnaeus Alfius Aper (aflRa aSnzpeskizc -kzz +euu) -- Nephele

Thanks for the promotion and the move! I like it here in the Colosseum

Salve, Mosquito! Male or female? I see you've taken my suggestion for "Posnania, Polonia"! Looking good! -- Nephele

While I like

Votadini, you're far too noble to have been a dung-collector or pig-poke. And I've far too much free time this evening, so I thought I'd work on your scramble some more to amuse myself. As a result, I came up with some better blanagrams for you. Better, in that I've used fewer letter substitutions for these. You are now quite wealthy. In fact, you're a member of the Maelia gens, the "richest plebian gens of the equestrian order, shortly after the time of the decemvirate." C. Maelius Hermes Maior (slmjacerimaerolmhie -jl +us) Or, if you prefer, you can have any of these names: L. Maecius Hermes Maior (-jl +us) C. Mallius Hermes Maior (-ej +us) C. Laelius Hermes Maior (-jm +us) L. Caelius Hermes Maior (-jm +us) And none of them are privy polishers! Have fun! -- Nephele

Cac! Ah well. You get what you pay for... -- Nephele

You can download them in English translation as a free etext from the Project Gutenberg website: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11080 http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11080/11080-8.txt -- Nephele P.S. to Cato: Thanks for the historical background on Cicero!

plato told him:he couldn't believe it(jesus told him;he wouldn't believe it)lao tsze certainly told him,and general (yes mam) sherman; and even (believe it or not)you told him:i told him;we told him (he didn't believe it,no sir)it took a nipponized bit of the old sixth avenue el:in the top of his head:to tell him -- e.e. cummings (1944)

If you looked carefully at next week's preview after the show, it doesn't look like Atia actually died from the poisoning. I suppose we are making a presumption based on the historical chronology that she should be dead soon. You are right though... we obviously don't know yet how she will die in the show. I sincerely hope Atia manages to survive last Sunday's episode. Otherwise the delicious conflict between her and Servilia will be gone, and that would be very sad. I can only imagine how an actual attempt on Atia's life this time (instead of mere threats) might escalate matters between her and Servilia, and I'm shivering with glee. Plus, Atia would have to be terribly peeved with her son yet again, for having put a stop to her preemptory strike against Servilia at the party for Cleopatra (in the previous week's episode). But all good things must come to an end. Are we now towards the end of 44 BCE and just entering 43? (I'm guessing the year by Cicero's Philippics). Atia's time is running out. *sniffle* I'll bet The Augusta will sacrifice a whole pot roast to the gods in gratitude. -- Nephele

The truth is revealed by the power of the ANAGRAM! Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda = "Alas! Sure is Jim Jones dude." -- Nephele

Ha! You can't sell me -- I've got an ironclad manumission contract! -- Nephele

The news never reached the House of Lycus! We courtesans are kept pretty busy, you know! I did tell him where to get his Roman name. <=== clicky on the link. -- Nephele

Like "Brookfordshiresexingham" helps? :wub: I think Mosquito should put "Posnania, Polonia" in his profile identification. And get a Roman name for himself, too! Salve, welcome, Mosquito! -- Nephele

One dancing courtesan for the party, coming right up. -- Nephele

Shark ain't that bad! Also some restaurant's "scallops' are shark meat... Yup! When your sea and bay scallops are all the same size, they have been stamped out of shark fin. Same prices though. Most people don't know what they are eating or drinking anyway. I didn

Not only are sharks not kosher to eat, that particular shark doesn't look very appetizing to me. -- Nephele

Thanks for that article, Cato.

votadini, you didn't say whether male or female, so I had a peek in your profile. Nice picture! (Both of you and the statue.) You are a soldier, conscripted from a northern tribe in the province of Britannia. Having proven your mettle, you were adopted into the notable Aelia gens (the same gens which adopted the Etrurian soldier known as Sejanus, who became a favorite of the Emperor Tiberius). For your Roman name you have taken the name of your adoptive gens, as is customary, and for your cognomen you have taken the nickname given to you by your fellow soldiers -- Hercules -- in recognition of your almost demi-godlike strength and ferocity on the battlefield. The agnomen of "Maior" is to distinguish you from another, younger Hercules (Aelius Hercules Minor) in the company, who has modeled himself after you in admiration. Frequently, you find this younger soldier's copycat devotion to be more annoying than flattering, which serves as a source of amusement for your fellow soldiers. Aelius Hercules Maior (slmjacerimaerolmhie -mjm +uus) -- Nephele

Pertinax, you're right. A far better use for Jade Goody in aiding the plight of the Eskimos would be to strap her to a dog sled to serve as a crash test dummy. -- Nephele

From all the photographs of various impluvia I've seen, they don't appear to be very deep -- practically wading pools, in fact. I could be wrong, but I don't imagine that there might have been too much difficulty in cleaning them, other than the fact that I suppose slaves would periodically have to scoop out stagnant water. As caldrail has already pointed out, the slaves would have been quartered away from the family's rooms. I have a wonderful little book that I believe is now out of print, titled A Day in Old Rome by William Stearns Davis (Biblo and Tannen, 1972) that goes into a lot of detail regarding Roman day-to-day life. In the chapter titled "Roman Homes" there's a section devoted to the slaves' quarters, stating that the family slaves slept "in the very cramped barracks of the second story, a section of which looks down from an upper tier of columns above the court of the peristylium... For the slaves there is extremely little accommodation; any kind of a sleeping pocket, very truly called a 'cell' (cella) will answer, where a stool, a blanket, and a thin mat on the floor suffice for all save the upper servants." Can't help with any information about any wide use of wooden partitions in Roman houses. But I do recommend this book by the late professor William Stearns Davis of the University of Minnesota, for an interesting and detailed look into Roman daily life in the year 134 C.E. -- Nephele