Nephele

Thank you! This is very true, and this accounts for the vast variety of cognomina -- both of Latin and foreign origin (particularly after the era of the Republic) -- which we find accompanying the more familiar nomina gentilicia. For the purpose of my Surnames series, I have limited the cognomina for each gens to those possessed by magistrates of Rome's era of the Republic. The few notable, non-magisterial exceptions, which I've chosen to include, are also limited to the era of the Republic. I don't agree that all of the names of the magistrates of the early 5th century are complete "nonsense," as that's a rather sweeping statement to make. There may have been some truth-stretching. However, to quote M

Yes! There was an entire episode devoted to underground Edinburgh! It was fascinating! If only I'd known about this, when I visited Edinburgh a few years ago. *sigh* -- Nephele

The Sempronii Atratini (the only patrician branch of the otherwise plebeian Sempronii) were among the earliest of Rome's founding fathers, for scarcely a dozen years had passed since the founding of the Roman Republic by the time a member of this family was made consul (in 497 BCE). But the patrician Sempronii Atratini of the earliest years of the Republic vanished after the 5th century BCE, and the first plebeian Sempronius to attain the consulship (in 304 BCE) was Publius Sempronius Sophus. ...read the full article of Surnames of the Sempronii

While I've only ever had the opportunity to visit some Roman sites in Great Britain, I'm still hoping to someday manage a trip to the Eternal City. I guess television documentaries will have to suffice for now, but my preference will always be to experience these wonderful sites first-hand. Having said that, I want to mention one teevee documentary-type series which has given me quite a few ideas about places to visit, which I wouldn't ordinarily have considered. The series is called Cities of the Underworld, and I've watched Season One on DVD (it aired here in the States on The History Channel). The series shows the often-missed archeological sites that exist beneath the cities of the world -- many of these sites being places that aren't normally open to tourists at all because of the danger involved underground. So, not only has this incredible series given me some ideas about mysterious realms to someday visit (at least, those that the public can legally access), but this series is also valuable for showing those mysterious underground sites that require special permission to see -- permission which the ordinary tourist might not be able to get. -- Nephele

Nicely put, Ursus. As one who used to be a moderator for three different Satanism/occult discussion boards at various times, and who has Satanist acquaintances off-line as well, I concur with most of what you wrote here. There, my dark secret is out -- although I am not a member of any Satanist organization, nor am I an occultist. By the same token, I've been a contributing member of a high-profile strippers' forum, too, and I'm not a stripper. There are those who are, although you will find a vast number of goths who prefer to disassociate themselves from anything to do with Satanism. On the other hand, British journalist Gavin Baddeley, who is highly placed in the Church of Satan (and who was a contributing member of one of my old Satanism discussion boards), happens to be the author of Goth Chic: A Connoisseur's Guide to Dark Culture. It should be noted that members of the Church of Satan do not recognize other Satanist organizations, including the so-called Luciferians. -- Nephele

I'd go for the bad boy neighbor, and State Department be damned. Not that I'm the self-destructive sort who is only attracted to "bad boys" (and I don't think you are, either). It's just that your intelligent, witty, bad boy neighbor seems a whole lot more appealing than that insecure twit who said his date with you "wasn't going well" after you casually mentioned your college work. -- Nephele

Birthday hails to you, DC! May you have the best of birthdays! -- Nephele

Black leather anything is great, but black leather knee-high boots are especially fine. Can you get away with black leather thigh-high boots for school, oh Rhozabel Samhainheart? -- Nephele

Thanks, DC! I don't know of any detailed account of the autopsy from any primary sources, but if someone can find something, I'd love to read it! All I'm aware of is the single line that Antistius got in Suetonius' Life of Julius Caesar (translated by Rolfe): "And of so many wounds none turned out to be mortal, in the opinion of the physician Antistius, except the second one in the breast." (82.3) The play is based around that reference -- with the second wound (the fatal sword wound) being the most significant in the murder "mystery." -- Nephele

Thanks, Maty and MPC! Maty: Too funny! I don't know whether the play's artistic director is aware of Plutarch's (?) account of Caesar dying at the feet of Pompey's statue -- and whether that feminine statue used on stage was deliberate! I hadn't noticed that, myself -- but leave it to you, Maty, to notice! I'll have to drop the director a line and ask him. MPC: In the play, it was Marcus Antonius who commissioned the autopsy. No wax effigy of Caesar was depicted -- the dummy Caesar used in the staging was supposed to represent Caesar's actual corpse, as it was quite bloody. And no other famous Romans made an appearance in the play. I've mailed you a playbill. -- Nephele

Here's one for you. -- Nephele

Saturday afternoon I went to see a performance of Christopher Boal's 23 Knives at The Clurman Theatre (in Theatre Row on 42nd Street). It was the final day for the play's run in New York and, while I chatted a bit after the play with artistic director Eric Parness, I neglected to ask whether the play might be going on to other cities. I was mostly interested in seeing a copy of the script, which hasn't yet been published. Below is a picture of the stage (which I took from my third row seat before the performance began). Caesar's covered corpse lay on the stage in a pool of blood, awaiting the players. A couple of small splatters of blood appear on the statue in the background, but none on the walls. Plot points, all, in the murder "mystery" to be solved. I found myself agreeing with the New York Times theater reviewer who wrote that the play begins slowly. However, once having reached its stride, I found the play's progress both interesting and enjoyable. The character of the quack physician, Antistius, was convincing (and somewhat deliciously macabre), as he studiously worked at inserting small flags, dagger, and sword into the various wounds on the bloodied corpse of Caesar, to arrive at his conclusions regarding Caesar's assassin(s). While the character of Antistius' wise-cracking slave/sidekick/friend, Janus, had a believable and touching pathos about him, his occasional campiness reminded me a bit too much of Alan Sues (he even looked a bit like Alan Sues of his Laugh-In days, and I don't know whether that was intentional). Nevertheless, I think Janus had some of the best lines in the play, in which many thought-provoking lines dealt with the reality of what we call "truth." At one point, Janus says: "Slaves understand a truth about life that no one does." Antistius asks: "And what's that?" Janus responds: "You're never safe." Janus' prescience in that spoken line is sadly made apparent towards the end of the play. The humor in the play was mostly witty, but there were at least a couple of lines that made me cringe: "What the fatui?!" and "I suppose I will be famous... get my quarter-turn of the dial." Those lines would have been amusing in an episode of Up Pompeii, but they tended to sound a bit silly and unnecessarily anachronistic here. In answer to MPC's question: "Do they really think that 23 knife wounds implies 23 knives??"... Well, apparently "23 knife wounds" implied: Perhaps as many as 22 knives -- and definitely one sword. And it appeared (from Antistius' conclusions) that it was this single sword wound -- from a soldier's sword -- which dealt the fatal blow to Caesar. A conclusion to which Marcus Antonius (perhaps a bit too vehemently to escape suspicion) responded: "In Caesar's Rome, my Rome, a soldier's sword would never do this!" Spoiler alert! -- Nephele

It's amusing, but not at all surprising that a 4th century Roman saint (who was also one of those bishops mentioned by gentleexit) might have the name of "Lucifer," considering that Lucifer was a Roman cognomen. The Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum contains 53 freeborn Roman men, 6 slaves/freedmen, and 9 Christian men with the name of "Lucifer." There are also to be found in the CIL 15 freeborn Roman women, 2 slaves/freedwomen, and 3 Christian women with the feminine form of this name: "Lucifra." (source: Iiro Kajanto, The Latin Cognomina). -- Nephele

"I am Dark Lord and I am naked under my cape! Mother sends me outdoors to poop! Don't watch, or I'll cut you bad with my sword!"

She told police that "in a desperate attempt" to get him to leave her alone, she had e-mailed him that she was a member of an elite vampire hunter society and that continuing their relationship would put him in danger. I think they should get both 44-year-old Sharkey and his teenage ex-girlfriend on The Jerry Springer Show. I'd give the ex-girlfriend a sharpened stake, to make it interesting. Call the episode: "Vampire Sexual Predators and the Teens Who Love Them." Here's a pic I found of Sharkey (in his Mom's backyard?): It's that Ren Faire cape that really makes him look badass. -- Nephele

In that case, here's another name choice for your not-so-evil friend: V. Latinius = tvajliusn -i +j "V." is an abbreviation for the praenomen "Vibius." -- Nephele

Ah, Inkubus Sukkubus... Since we've taken this a bit off-topic, if you want to continue this discussion, we can go to my blog. LW, I've credited you there with having inspired my latest goth-a-gramming entry. -- Nephele

lost legion23, here are your friends: Friend #1 is a member of the Centenia gens, which also gave birth to that brave but ill-fated military commander Marcus Centenius Penula, whose army was defeated by Hannibal at the Battle of Silarus in 212 BCE. Your friend's cognomen is "Tallio," meaning "retaliation." His praenomen is "Titus," customarily abbreviated as "T." His full Roman name is: T. Centenius Tallio = eekihttsaclontln -hk +iu Friend #2 is a member of the Vatinia gens, which also gave birth to that shady magistrate of the last days of the Republic -- Publius Vatinius -- who was described by Cicero as being one of the greatest villains that ever lived. Your friend doesn't have a cognomen (not all Roman citizens did), and your friend's praenomen is "Lucius," customarily abbreviated as "L." His full Roman name is: L. Vatinius = tvajliusn -j +i -- Nephele

I'm still rather partial to Cajun Horsehaunch Malt. Whoa.... -- Nephele

It's hard to know exactly what the hell (pun intended) they believe, as you ask two or three different groups of Luciferians and you can get two or three different answers. The Luciferians I knew did equate Lucifer with Satan -- they sort of reinvented Satan as a benevolent god and "light-bringer" to mankind. I always (privately) called them "Christian Satanists" -- because of their warm, fuzzy view of Lucifer/Satan. -- Nephele P.S. I just had a look at Aradia: The Gospel of the Witches again, and I see that Lucifer is mentioned in the very first chapter: Diana greatly loved her brother Lucifer, the god of the Sun and of the Moon, the god of Light (Splendor), who was so proud of his beauty, and who for his pride was driven from Paradise. Diana had by, her brother a daughter, to whom they gave the name of Aradia [i.e. Herodias].

In the Hebrew bible (Yisheyah 14:12), though, your Lucifer is called "Heylel ben Shachar" ("shining son of the morning"). And I believe the reference is to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon -- not to any Roman deity. (I'm not a bible scholar, either, but I am familiar with the Jewish bible. ) Just something else to add regarding Lucifer: Modern-day Luciferianism is an offshoot of modern-day Satanism. One major difference between the two being that the theistic Luciferians view Satan/Lucifer as an actual, benevolent god. Whereas the atheistic Church of Satan views Satan as merely an archetype representing human will, passion, etc. Lost Warrior, here's a link to Charles G. Leland's 1899 work titled Aradia: or, the Gospel of the Witches: http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/aradia/index.htm If I'm remembering correctly, you'll find one legend of Lucifer in there, referring to Lucifer as being the brother of Diana, according to this old sect of Italian witchcraft. But it's been a long time since I read this, so I suggest you check it out for yourself. -- Nephele

Almost as scary as helplessly watching an impending collision with your car, is wondering whether the other driver has insurance. Glad you're okay. -- Nephele

You really need to visit my city, MPC. I've already ordered tickets. (For a mere $18 per ticket, who could resist?) I'll be going not this Saturday, but next. I'll also snag an extra playbill for you again, MPC. Ha! Good question! -- Nephele

Thanks for two more intriguing theater recommendations, MPC! I had taken your recommendation and gone to see Conversations in Tusculum last spring, and I was not disappointed, as you can see by my review here. -- Nephele EDIT: I just now saw those links, PP. Yikes. Although, I imagine our MPC would approve of similarly "icing" Caesar.

Congratulations, Sonic! Is this your first published book? I see that your publisher, Pen and Sword, puts out a lot of military history books! I'll be sure to purchase a copy of your book for my library! -- Nephele