Nephele

From the article: Pope Stephen VI, the successor of Boniface, influenced by Lambert and Agiltrude, sat in judgment of Formosus in 897, in what was called the Cadaver Synod. The corpse was disinterred, clad in papal vestments, and seated on a throne to face all the charges from John VIII. The verdict was that the deceased had been unworthy of the pontificate. The Damnatio memoriae, an old judicial practice from the Ancient Rome was applied to Formosus and all his measures and acts were annulled, and the orders conferred by him were declared invalid. The papal vestments were torn from his body, the three fingers from his right hand that he had used in consecrations were cut off and the corpse was thrown into the Tiber (and later retrieved by a monk). Cooool. Your choice of screen name has earned my deepest admiration! Have an avatar, to go with your screen name! -- Nephele

Thanks for those links, Medusa! Russell Whitfield, author of the novel Gladiatrix, happens to be a member of UNRV. I'll drop him a line and direct him to your posting. I'm sure he'll be one more person interested in your group's reenactments! Also, we have UNRV member Lost_Warrior, and I know she'll enjoy this! -- Nephele

Ooo, I like that word! I'm adding it to my collection of neat-o words! Mundungus! Hahaha! -- Nephele

Formosus Viriustus, your goth anagram alias was a tough one. Here you go: Herr Demiurge Painefyre = Fred Pierre Marie Huygen Hail to you, o dark one! And here's a goofy, Asterix-style alias for you, anagrammed from your screen name: S. Furious Stormius V (Spurius Furious Stormius the Fifth) = Formosus Viriustus -- Nephele

Sure I would like to tell you more about it but actually I didn't find any section so far here on the board where I could post any gladiatorial themed thread. Maybe you could tell me where I could do so. Our historical reenactment forum is Repetere Actionem, a subforum of Gloria Exercitus. Looking forward to what you have to post -- and pictures, too, please! -- Nephele

Formosus Viriustus, you are a member of the Nerii, a gens of Umbrian origin whose nomen gentilicium was derived from the ancient Sabine name "Nero," meaning "strong and valiant." Your cognomen of "Mergus" means "seabird; gull," and is most likely a metonymic name indicating that your particular branch of the Nerii made their fortune from the sea. While serving in Rome's military, you earned for yourself the agnomen of "Harpifer." This was due to your fearsome skill with the harpe, a wicked, sickle-shaped sword that was said to have been the weapon used by Perseus when he decapitated Medusa. Your praenomen is "Decimus," customarily abbreviated as "D." Your full Roman name is: D. Nerius Mergus Harpifer = eydurmeiherrrfgeepnia -yee +uss Welcome to UNRV! -- Nephele P.S. I'll work on a gothic name for you and get back to you.

I've been waiting for our resident beer connoisseur, Moonlapse, to review it. Is this the same beer? -- Nephele

Must mention the classical pieces used as themes in at least two of the Bruce Willis Die Hard movies (I love those movies). The first Die Hard movie featured Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The second Die Hard movie featured Sibelius' Finlandia -- with an especially stirring use of the music towards the end as the nearly out-of-fuel airplanes desperately land on the impromptu runway lit up by the blazing wreckage of the villains' destroyed plane. The third and fourth Die Hard movies had brief re-caps of those classical pieces in their soundtracks. -- Nephele

Welcome, Medusa! Gladiatrix reenactment sounds intriguing! Looking forward to hearing more about it! -- Nephele

Wow! I don't think I've ever seen a performance art event that big even in New York City! And we get some pretty big ones, too, drawing in the general public. (The Antwerp train station looks a lot like our Grand Central Station.) That was so much fun to watch! -- Nephele

I'm glad you're alive, Klingan! That's very kind of you to see what you can do to help the earthquake victims there. In recognition of your kindness, and the fact that you survived the earthquake on what will perhaps be your most memorable trip to Italy, I hereby bestow upon you a new blanagrammed Roman name: P. Gargilius Turbo = atrkPi glgiKnrbo -kkn +uus The initial "P." stands for the Roman praenomen "Publius," as well as for your own, actual first name. "Gargilius" is the name of a Roman gens that gave birth to Gargilius Martialis, a historian "quoted as an authority for the private life and habits of Alexander Severus, with whom he seems to have been a contemporary." You deserve to be related to a historian, due to your scholarly travels in Italy. "Turbo" is a Roman cognomen meaning "a whirling; storm; commotion." Which, of course, marks your visit to Italy! Take care, and come home safely! -- Nephele

Ivanvs, your name was quite easy, in fact. You get a true blanagram (substituting only one letter of your name for another). You are a member of the Livia gens, "plebeian, but one of the most illustrious houses among the Roman nobility. Suetonius says (Tib. 3) that the Livii had obtained eight consulships, two censorships, three triumphs, a dictatorship, and a mastership of the horse." Your cognomen is "Pavano," derived from pavo, meaning "peacock." This was the sacred bird of the goddess Juno, and so Juno watches over your particular family branch of the Livii. Many brightly colored floor mosaics in your country villa depict images of peacocks, as well. An alternate meaning of your cognomen "Pavano" might be that your branch of the Livii hails from the city of Patavium, founded by Antenor of Troy and mentioned in Book I of Virgil's Aeneid: Antenor, from the midst of Grecian hosts, Could pass secure, and pierce th' Illyrian coasts, Where, rolling down the steep, Timavus raves And thro' nine channels disembogues his waves. At length he founded Padua's happy seat, And gave his Trojans a secure retreat; -- trans. John Dryden Today, the city of Patavium is known as Padua. Your praenomen is "Gaius," customarily abbreviated as "C." Your full Roman name is: C. Livius Pavano niavslivapocv -v +u Welcome to UNRV! -- Nephele

Aurelia, in celebration of your first UNRV published article (Plautus - adapting New Comedy for the Roman stage), I've decided to give you an anagrammed Roman name do-over. You are the well-educated daughter of Publius Orbius, a Roman jurist and near contemporary of Cicero. Cicero spoke highly of your father in his Brutus, or History of Famous Orators, stating that your father's skill in the Civil Law was equal to that of his teacher, the great advocate Titus Juventius. Your cognomen of "Capricornita" means "little Capricorn." This is an affectionate nickname bestowed upon you by your father, as you were born under the astrological sign of Capricorn. Your full Roman name is: Orbia Capricornita = pcnbiiaractorairo -- Nephele

Thanks, Aurelia! Well done! -- Nephele

You're in Hawaii?? You lucky thing! I must've missed something, as I didn't realize you were off to Hawaii! Wheeee! Have fun, Doc! -- Nephele

Didn't Klingan say he was going away for a few days? That's probably why he hasn't posted anything. Klingan posted yesterday that he was headed for Etruria, which I believe is north of Rome. So is the disaster area, in and around L'Aquila. But, yes, he did mention that he wouldn't be posting any more pictures until Thursday. Still, I'll be happier when we do hear from him, pictures or not. -- Nephele

I'm glad you're safe, Silentium! Still waiting to hear from Klingan. Klingan, because you haven't posted your daily picture from Rome today, I'm now really worrying about you. Please be safe. Any other UNRV members in the disaster area, please check in here and let us know you're okay. -- Nephele

There was a terrible earthquake in Italy today. Klingan, are you okay? Silentium, if you're out there, I'm wishing you safety, too. Thoughts of concern for all our UNRV members in the area, as well as for the citizens of L'Aquila. -- Nephele L'AQUILA, Italy

Wow, that's a lot of contributors gifting UNRV with a lot of first-class work! Thanks go to our UNRV Triumviri, for encouraging such work, and giving us all a great place to convene and share what we've got! -- Nephele

The long-awaited DVD release of Cecil B. DeMille's 1934 Cleopatra, starring Claudette Colbert, is scheduled for this Tuesday, April 7th. I'm excitedly awaiting the DVD release date of this movie (remade in 1963 with Liz Taylor in the starring role), and have already scouted out the bargains. While Amazon will be selling the DVD for $21.99, you can pick it up a bit cheaper ($21.26) from DVD Planet. Here is the original (August 17, 1934) New York Times review of this movie, by film critic Mordaunt Hall: Cecil B. De Mille, who has contributed to the screen such opulent films as "The Ten Commandments," "The King of Kings" and "The Sign of the Cross," presented last night before a specially invited gathering in the Paramount his widely heralded production, "Cleopatra." This current picture is one of the director's most ambitious spectacles. It has substantial, decorative settings, a wealth of minor properties, an imposing array of histrionic talent and an army of extras. "Cleopatra" reveals Mr. De Mille in an emphatically lavish, but nevertheless a relatively restrained mood. He may not neglect to dwell upon Cleopatra's amorous behavior and has evidently preferred that she does not overdress. But, even so, the scenes wherein she is beheld are less blatant than those he has depicted of other sorceresses in previous films. Claudette Colbert, the Poppaea of "The Sign of the Cross," is entrusted with the part of Cleopatra. She wears a dark wig and looks even more attractive than usual. She speaks her lines with the necessary confidence, whether they are concerned with love, hate or politics. When it is a matter of disposing of Pothinos with a javelin, she conducts herself with the coolness of a queen of the olden days. And when the chance is offered for a little comedy she acquits herself cleverly. Julius Caesar is portrayed by "Warren William, who shines in his r

Yep. It's still difficult to read. White print on a light blue background isn't the best choice, I think. -- Nephele

The first graphic illustration is pretty clear. (I'd settle for a small garage filled with some of those pallets...) That second graphic, though, with the small white print on light blue background, was difficult to read. I didn't have the patience to squint through it all. -- Nephele

You're very welcome! Thanks for letting me 'gram you! Ah, the perennial Gaius/Caius Gnaeus/Cnaeus question! I think that someday we're going to have to put the answer to that in a UNRV FAQ. For the meantime, this link should help you out: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?showto...amp;#entry61598 -- Nephele

Today's Doonesbury strip: -- Nephele

S.P.Q.R., you are a member of the Aemilii, one of the most ancient patrician houses at Rome. Your cognomen is "Liber," meaning "free." Your praenomen is "Gnaeus," customarily abbreviated as "Cn." Your full Roman name is: Cn. Aemilius Liber = Ilalwim Jkneirbe -kwj +cus Welcome to UNRV! -- Nephele