Nephele

What brought you to DC, GPM? Had you been to the US before? Anyway, I hope I can set aside enough time to tour Georgetown. I'm thinking that at least one full day will be taken up with the Smithsonian, and I was also hoping to get out to the National Zoo. I hear they have red wolves there, and they're extremely rare -- with only about 300 still in existence. I think the National Zoo also has the rare clouded leopards, which I've read are the closest living relative to the prehistoric saber-tooth cat, because of the length of their incisors. I've never seen a clouded leopard, so I've got to check this out. Those are definitely on my "must see" list! Thanks, Ursus! -- Nephele

Romulus Ganon, you are a member of the Aemilia gens, one of the most ancient patrician houses at Rome. Your cognomen of "Lacer" (meaning "wounded; lacerated") was earned by you on the battlefield and you proudly bear it today, along with your battle scars. Your praenomen of "Lucius" is customarily abbreviated as "L." Your full Roman name is: L. Aemilius Lacer = lemrhlzaealicb -bhz +ius Welcome to UNRV! -- Nephele

Lore Sj

Thanks, MPC and Faustus! I'm arriving the morning of Thursday, July 3rd, and leaving Sunday night, July 6th. So, MPC, you lived in DC? I checked out the Washington Metro Transit Authority's homepage to try to figure out what might be their equivalent of a NYC Metro card. Any suggestions? I've also got a subway map, and it looks like I'll have pretty easy access from my hotel to the orange and blue lines through the Federal Center station, and the blue, yellow, orange and green lines through L'Enfant Plaza station. The paddle boat sounds like fun, Faustus! I'll have a partner to pedal with. Speaking of fun on the water, I noticed that there are some rather pricey 4th of July fireworks cruises you can book, with "dinner and entertainment". Is that the best way to see the fireworks -- or would reserving a table at a rooftop restaurant be a better choice? I'm kind of more inclined towards a quiet meal at a rooftop restaurant, than a noisy party boat (or braving the crowds on the Mall), but I've no idea which restaurants might be good choices for both a lovely meal and a lovely view of the fireworks. Any suggestions? Anyone? I think I may be walking distance to that? My hotel is on E, between 3rd and 4th. 75 cents a night is a pretty sweet deal -- but I've got you beat, haha! I'm staying for free at a Marriott, thanks to my Visa Card credits. Gotta love those Marriott hotels -- finding a Book of Mormon alongside the usual Bible in my room always cracks me up. -- Nephele

I've decided to celebrate this coming 4th of July weekend in our nation's capital. I'll be taking Amtrak from NYC and I've already reserved a room in a hotel that's only a couple of blocks from a Metro station. So, anywhere the subways go, I'll be going. Can anybody here suggest "must see" things/events? The Smithsonian Museum and Library of Congress are already high up on my list, but any suggestions, tips, etc. from anyone here who's been to Washington, D.C. will be gratefully appreciated. Thanks in advance! -- Nephele

is your stand "as a result of having been granted citizenship under the Constitutio Antoniniana" is enough as citizen to become prefecti? how about the Roman cursus honorum tradition? that dictate the nobiles young sons upward mobility in military and political ladder. to be a 500 men cavalry officer as prefecti, you must be a noble patres or plebes. where did your citizen get his nobiles?, to become prefecti. roman wargamer, I was addressing your assertion that the Syrian soldier in question had been "adopted into a noble family." I gave you evidence, based on the soldier's name, that this was most likely not the case. I repeat, Roman adoption did not work the way you imagine. Apparently, quite a few things about the ancient Romans did not quite work the way you imagine. In fact, the vast majority of your postings on this board are either incorrect or downright absurd, as other UNRV members have attempted to point out to you time and again. Regarding what you appear to be expressing here, I believe Northern Neil has already addressed that: I wonder why you persist, roman wargamer, because you clearly are not impressing anyone here. In addition, every topic into which you have sailed eventually turns into a repetitively tiresome and long-winded headbutting match, which adds little to the forum on the whole. It seems to me that to refrain from responding further to your postings may be a prudent conservation of otherwise wasted energy. Try to have a cool day, roman wargamer. -- Nephele

There's a rather obvious difference between that "Tetris the Movie Trailer" you linked, and the new Indiana Jones movie. That "Tetris the Movie Trailer" is quite a clever parody of the enduring old video game obsession. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, on the other hand, uses dumb sight gags (see my spoilers above, particularly relating to groundhogs or prairie dogs or whatever those hand-puppet things were) and cornball schmaltz (particularly for the movie's final scene -- again, see my spoilers above) to tell a story that lacks the wit of a parody (if the intent of the movie was to be a parody of the Indy legend). Furthermore, Crystal Light -- oops, I mean Crystal Skull -- really doesn't even pay a particularly decent homage to '50s movies (if that was the intent of the movie, as well). But, hey, if it floats your amphibious vehicle over not one, not two, but three misplaced Peruvian waterfalls, then enjoy. -- Nephele

True. But do we have reason to believe that the rulers of ancient Mycenae married their sisters? I absolutely agree, and would love to see more evidence of women having held a greater role in ancient civilization. Such evidence has been found from time to time. But I'd also hate to see any credibility for such a position possibly damaged by inconclusive evidence being offered up as "proof" that all previous notions were wrong. -- Nephele

Hold on a minute... Professor Terry Brown of Manchester University is saying that everything previously thought about women's status in ancient Greece is now wrong, based on his discovery that mitochondrial DNA, extracted from the remains of a man and a woman discovered in the same "richly endowed grave", shows that the woman was not the ruler's wife but rather his sister? Does the fact that an ancient Grecian power-broker found buried with his sister really prove that men and women of his era might have been "of equal status and had equal power" -- considering that there might have been another reason for the sister to have been buried with him? And, wouldn't more evidence, than that found from a single pair of remains, be required to come to such a conclusion about women's status in ancient Greece? -- Nephele

The tarantula came along after the fridge scene. They must have cut it out... Damn! -- Nephele

The nuclear bomb radiation-produced giant tarantula and fifty-foot woman were missing. And, while Natasha was minus her Boris, it was easy to guess who Moose and Squirrel were. -- Nephele

Yep, you are quite right, it was silly to ridiculous extremes - not to mention a couple of dozen heavily armed soviets on U.S. territory, in an era in which they wouldn't have had a prayer. But, as Lucius says, it was good clean family fun. After reading MPC's posting about the article from Archaeology magazine titled "The True Legend of the Crystal Skull", I thought, going in to see the new Indiana Jones movie, that there was so much they could do with that legend. But the movie was just a re-hashing of used themes, with goddamn tossed into the mix, for crapsake. It had none of the wit of the first and third Indy movies (which, yes, were silly, too, but at least they were fun silly, and cleverly done). I've got nothing against "good, clean family fun." I just protest the belief that "good, clean family fun" has to entail dumb movies. It doesn't. I'm going to use the board's spoiler feature here, to post my major complaints about this latest Indiana Jones movie. If you want to read the spoilers, you'll have to click the "reply" button to this posting.

I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie today... It was horribly silly. NN, c'mon, you've got to agree -- the origin of the "crystal skull"? That whole bit near the end with the ____ and the _____ whirling around? (I won't give away any spoilers). I mean, c'mon. Too silly even for fun. -- Nephele

Yep, I'd seen Xenophon's Cinegetica,, but decided to limit my listing to Roman writers. Here's an on-line translation of Xenophon's Cinegetica by H. G. Dakyns. Dakyns also offers up English translations of the dogs' Greek names, in list format. (Scroll down to VII). Interesting how both Xenophon and Columella gave the same advice, regarding the naming of dogs -- that the dogs should be given names that are short, so that they might recognize their names more quickly and obey when called. -- Nephele

I agree. I still have to read that article by Foster that Maty cited, as I see I can access it through my library's JSTOR account. As for Forster's quotation on Herodotus and Xerxes' use of dogs... Yes (as you pointed out), I suppose the inclusion of the Indian dogs along with what appears to be a military inventory (which also includes cooking women, beasts of draught and burden, etc.) doesn't conclusively indicate that the dogs were used for warfare. I wonder, though, why Herodotus would have made a point of stating that these were specifically Indian dogs, a breed noted for ferocity (believed by Pliny to have been cross-bred with tigers)? I can see how the conclusion might be drawn that they were used for battle, but I'm thinking (and I presume you are, too) that they were more likely used for guard purposes (which is what dogs do best, after all). -- Nephele

being adopted by the nobiles Roman family, as heir will suffice to inherit legally all the privelege of his adoptor. is one of the lex or legal way, to climb the Roman cursus honorum in your lifetime. It is highly unlikely that the Syrian in question had been adopted into a noble Roman family. Roman adoptions didn't quite work that way. Plus, if the tombstone quoted by Northern Neil dates from the 3rd century onwards, the name of the Syrian in question -- "M. Aurelius Alexander" -- indicates that, far from having been "adopted" into a noble Roman family, he (or an earlier family member) received that Roman name as a result of having been granted citizenship under the Constitutio Antoniniana, when freeborn subjects throughout the Roman empire adopted the nomen gentilicium of "Aurelius" out of gratitude to the emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. -- Nephele hello Nephele of course, all answer to that kind of question shall be doubtful, even the best theory answer. but adoption by plebian is the best place to begin as prefecti. Again, Roman adoption did not quite work the way you imagine. -- Nephele

Heh, that was my quote I'd found from Pliny, that G-Man was re-quoting. However, I did caution in a later posting that perhaps we can't always rely on Pliny, as Pliny did also write about a particularly ferocious breed of dog from the near East that was supposedly cross-bred with tigers. Which, of course, we know isn't possible. Maty above seems to have covered the question, though. -- Nephele

Heh, still looks to me like he's digging on her. -- Nephele

Yes, of course. Sorry, MPC. I do know your stand on this mess, and I was mostly venting over Anne Applebaum's stand -- or rather, her "non stand," as I don't remember her offering any solutions of her own, in that critical piece of hers I'd read elsewhere. I don't mean this as an entire criticism of her, because I do think she's a smart woman. But, am I wrong in presuming that merely maintaining a base in the region would mean a reduction of troops in the region on the whole? If so, Anne Applebaum would seem to be opposed to this as well, as she has otherwise stated that this sort of withdrawal would not, in her opinion, be "effective." -- Nephele

being adopted by the nobiles Roman family, as heir will suffice to inherit legally all the privelege of his adoptor. is one of the lex or legal way, to climb the Roman cursus honorum in your lifetime. It is highly unlikely that the Syrian in question had been adopted into a noble Roman family. Roman adoptions didn't quite work that way. Plus, if the tombstone quoted by Northern Neil dates from the 3rd century onwards, the name of the Syrian in question -- "M. Aurelius Alexander" -- indicates that, far from having been "adopted" into a noble Roman family, he (or an earlier family member) received that Roman name as a result of having been granted citizenship under the Constitutio Antoniniana, when freeborn subjects throughout the Roman empire adopted the nomen gentilicium of "Aurelius" out of gratitude to the emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. -- Nephele

I'm still laughing from picturing our Primus Pilus as a wee lad on his elementary school's stage, playing a Roman legionary and stabbing Jesus with his "spear of destiny." -- Nephele

Moon, the book is new and I haven't read it, and haven't checked to see if we already have it in my library. I'll be at the Strand this afternoon and may pick up a review copy at half-price. I see from the Strand's website that they may also still have some advance, uncorrected proofs of the book. MPC, what you say does make a lot of sense. But the manner in which our nation is conducting this war is wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm speaking on behalf of the service members who are being sent back for a second and third tour of duty, who shouldn't be going back at all. I know of one personally who shouldn't be there, and he's back there right now. We've got an unprecedented number of service members -- "about one in every five troops" -- having suffered a traumatic brain injury, let alone the numbers (which include the young man I know) who are suffering from untreated post-traumatic stress and being sent back to Iraq. If you believe the findings of the RAND study (and the Pentagon officials themselves accept those findings), then (quoting from the news article I linked) "about an estimated 320,000 service members have suffered TBIs...The full societal cost of a mild case of brain trauma can reach $32,000 per year, including treatment expenses, the patient's lost productivity and the value of caregiving by family members, the Rand study said. The annual figure for a moderate-to-severe case ranges from $268,000 to more than $408,000." Quoting directly from the RAND study: "Since October 2001, approximately 1.64 million U.S. troops have deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF; Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF;Iraq)...Assuming that the prevalence found in this study is representative of the 1.64 million servicemembers who had been deployed for OEF/OIF as of October 2007, we estimate that approximately 300,000 individuals currently suffer from PTSD or major depression and that 320,000 individuals experienced a probable TBI during deployment. About one-third of those previously deployed have at least one of these three conditions, and about 5 percent report symptoms of all three." Okay, so war is hell and that's the price one pays. Understood. But I'd like to know how these past five years of War in Iraq (with no apparent end in sight) have affected our volunteer reserves -- anybody have any recruitment statistics? What happens when we find ourselves having to defend our own nation? -- Nephele

"Human Smoke, in other words, is not a conscientious pacifist tract. It is not a clever contribution to today's debate on warfare, and it does not add anything to what we know about World War II. It is a cheerful contribution to the movement against scholarship..." Well said, Anne. We see this "movement against scholarship" in many places -- with speculation, unfounded opinion and pop psychology too often taking the place of genuine research. But I have to say that, on the issue of the War in Iraq, I don't agree with Anne Applebaum's view (expressed elsewhere in a Washington Post piece) that a call for pulling the troops out of Iraq is some form of "hypocrisy" because she imagines that we'll all be clamoring to rush back again later should any ethnic cleansing start. Maybe things will get worse in Iraq if we leave, or maybe things will just stay the same. Maybe even the Iraqis will be glad to see the back of us, I don't know. What I do know is this: After 5 years of this mess and the loss of more than 4,000 U.S. lives over there, I can't see the American people clamoring for any return to Iraq, should somebody new in the White House next year decide to bring the troops home. -- Nephele