Nephele

Yay, Pink Floyd. But less cryptic postings would be appreciated by all, Caesar. -- Nephele

Make that three spot-on sitcoms -- as Frasier was right up there, too. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that the Crane Boys were the screamingly hilarious epitome of excess and pretentiousness -- whether they were attending wine-tasting events, or viciously competing with each other for the coveted (and ridiculous) title of "Cork Master" in their wine club. But I loved Ab Fab, too. Every summer in NYC when we have the Gay Pride Parade, there's always at least one drag queen dressed up as Patsy, strutting his stuff down 5th Avenue. The Parade just wouldn't be right, without a Patsy. Did you catch the Ab Fab episode when Patsy and Edina come to NYC? In the scene where Edina gets her belly button pierced, that was filmed in St Mark's Place (one of my favorite areas). -- Nephele

Thanks, everyone! Ooo, it's like the party never ends here at UNRV! Wheeee! -- Nephele

Yes, that's correct, Ursus. It's an old tradition that would have been observed in the time of C. Iulius Alexander Berenicianus, as it is today. I have to say that I personally find this entire thread fascinating, not having previously been aware of any possible Jewish Roman magistrates! -- Nephele

Thank you, MPC, GPM, and Ursus. The relation between the nomen gentilicium "Licinius" and the cognomen "Licinus" is that these are two forms of the same name (possibly of Etruscan origin). Smith's Dictionary notes that the name was found throughout the cities of Latium -- Tusculum being the home of the plebeian Porcii Licini, and Lanuvium the home of the plebeian Licinii Murenae. But the name Licinius/Licinus wasn't exclusive to plebeians, as the consuls of 273 BCE and 246 BCE -- C. Fabius Licinus and M. Fabius Licinus respectively -- were both patrician. Would you know, MPC, if either of these patrician Fabian consuls had been the same sort of champions of the lower classes, as were the Licinii and L. Porcius Licinus? -- Nephele

Here's a great history book I've just finished reading: Napoleon's Privates: 2,500 Years of History Unzipped, by Tony Perrottet (HarperCollins, 2008). I absolutely could not put this book down, and neither will anyone else with a prurient interest in such fascinating historical tidbits as presented in the chapters of this book (a few of which I list below): "Standing Up in Court: The Dreaded French Impotence Trials (AD 1657)" "Sex and the Renaissance Nun (AD 1450)" "Holding Your Own at Caligula's Orgies (AD 45)" "Ancient Greek Temples of Sex (and Why They Should Be Reopened) (500 BC)" "Holy Guide to Coital Positions (AD 1215)" "How Many Love Children Did Thomas Jefferson Have with His Slaves? (AD 1802)" "Cocktails, Sodomy, and the Lash: How Lust Kept the British Empire Strong (AD 1900)" Oh, there's much, much more. Tony Perrottet is also the author of Pagan Holiday: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists (Maty, that one reminds me a bit of your own Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day), and The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games. In Napoleon's Privates, each chapter includes cited sources at the end. In fact, I've been making a list of a number of these books that the author consulted, because they sound like great further reading. Definitely, put this one on your holiday wish list! -- Nephele

I'm giving my turn to The Augusta, who has PM'ed me to tell me that she is working on a riddle now. So... Next turn is reserved for The Augusta. -- Nephele

Yes, all of the surviving gentes by the time of the Empire were showing "new" surnames in their family trees. Part of it was due to the fact that these "new" family surnames may not have been previously recorded in history, but much of it was due to the fact that the patron gentes sponsored clients who eventually assumed their patrons' nomina gentilicia, while maintaining their original names as cognomina. Plus, names from Romans' maternal sides of their families were more and more being adapted as cognomina. -- Nephele

It is. Any decent university library should have a copy. Sadly, a "common" library does not have it and my univercity days are over . A dead end... Are you familiar with WorldCat? http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1306649/editi...&referer=di Click on the link that says: "Find in other WorldCat libraries" and enter your location information in the appropriate box. If that doesn't work, your public library should be able to interloan you a copy from a university library. Not knowing where you live ("holy land"?), I am assuming that your public library can provide you with this basic service. Good luck! -- Nephele

Thank you. That's got to be an unforgettable name, all right. -- Nephele

Were the emperors Valerian and Gallienus truly Licinii? Was Egnatius their surname? This topic really deals solely with the Licinii of the Republic. By the time of the Empire, the aristocracy was playing fast and loose with the old, established customs of Roman nomenclature. Although, the cognomen "Valerianus" suggests that the emperor had been adopted into the Licinia gens, and indeed Smith's Dictionary states that the father of the emperor Valerianus had been named Valerius. But Valerianus could have just as easily been born a Licinian. After all, the emperors Vespasianus and Domitianus had been born Flavians. I suspect the surname of "Egnatius" was derived from the maternal side of the family. -- Nephele

The first half (Ben Jonson's) is easily recognizable by those who may have majored in English literature in college. You are the goddess Artemis/Diana, of course. -- Nephele

The Licinii were the most illustrious of Republican Rome's plebeian gentes, attaining the magisterial rank of consul in 364 BCE (with C. Licinius Stolo) when the patricians had formerly dominated this office. The plebeian Licinii, however, were not without their patrician connections. M

Asclepiades, if you're going to use someone else's poetry, such as Ben Jonson or others, you really ought to credit that person as the author. That's not a "game rule" or anything -- it's just that credit should be given where credit is due. -- Nephele

Thanks, CS! I'm currently working on the next one -- I'll surprise you. -- Nephele

It's a very strange little film. I can accept that this dauntless little guy figured out a way to fly (although it looked fatal, to me). But out of where in the hell did the kiwi pull that hammer and nails? Out of his ass?? GO died in September. I never met GO, although we didn't really live too far from each other (GO lived in Brooklyn). You can read about my visit to his grave in my blog. -- Nephele

I've just got to cheer for a rugby team that's named for a . Go, Kiwis!! -- Nephele

Aw... Good for you, Doc. In my rural, eastern Long Island town, our community ambulance runs a food drive. Tonight they had an ambulance, lights brightly flashing, parked outside the town's only supermarket, with a big "Fill the Ambulance with Food" sign. Last minute holiday food shoppers were coming out of the supermarket with bags of food to help fill the ambulance. My man and I made our donation, too, of course. Have a great turkey day tomorrow! -- Nephele

Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton has served as shadchen for an interesting marriage of the arts and the military, through this perspective. (I shall resist any punning on "shotgun wedding.") Thanks for the link, Ursus. -- Nephele

Y'all are doing great! You should create content blocks in your UNRV blog for your Mythteries verse. -- Nephele

LOL! Actually, there are only two Texan UNRV members celebrating a birthday today. Lucius Julius Venustinius is the former Julian the Faithful. I don't know if our Dark Techno Overlord Moonlapse is able to merge those two accounts. -- Nephele

I think it's an omen that the world is about to be plunged into utter, blackest chaos, and UNRV will rule supreme! Our Triumviri -- Viggen, Primus Pilus, and Moonlapse -- will become the Dark Overlords! Wheeee! -- Nephele

Nice one, LW! You must be Arachne, a woman turned into a spider by Athena, following their weaving contest. I waive my turn. Anyone who wants (especially anyone who hasn't yet taken a turn), feel free to jump in! -- Nephele

Note to NN, nice work on the Roman cats! Hi, Delicia. The Romans didn't have a popular flower in the same way that each U.S. State has a representative "State Flower." Instead, both the ancient Greeks and Romans tended to have a representative "deity flower" -- in that some of their gods had certain trees, plants and flowers that were associated with them. The oak was sacred to Zeus/Jupiter, the olive tree to Athena/Minerva, the laurel belonged to Apollo, the cypress and cedar to Artemis/Diana, the myrtle, anemone, rose, and myrrh tree to Aphrodite/Venus, the grape vine, ivy and fennel (in the form of a staff called the thyrsus) were symbols of Dionysus, the funereal asphodel belonged to the gods of the underworld such as Hades and Persephone, the pine tree to Pan. The Roman Catholic Church continued the tradition of associating particular trees, plants, and flowers with sacred persons in assigning such to their saints (most often based on stories that connected the saints with these plants, just as the plants sacred to the gods and goddesses became so based on stories in which they figured). On each particular saint's feast day, church altars might be decorated with the flowers or tree boughs associated with that saint. The Church also devised a "Calendar of Flowers" corresponding to their saints days calendar, and there is a specific tree, plant, or flower assigned for each day of the year. I see from your profile, Delicia, that your birthday is November 11th. That would make your natal tree the Weymouth pine (associated with 4th century St. Martin of Tours). -- Nephele

ScienceDaily (Nov. 20, 2008)