Nephele

Fun list, Viggen! Hah, I'll bet just about everyone here already knew this stuff. But this one got me:

I just now finished watching this -- what a great re-enactment! I especially liked the bit of irony at the end, where we are told that Cicero became famous from this trial and was elected consul -- four years before his "great rival" Julius Caesar made consul. (Previously, we hear the Lady Caecilia reminding Cicero that he's five years older than Caesar, and Caesar is already ahead of him politically). I wonder, too! But judging from the severity of the punishment decreed for a parricide, and the special symbolism attached to the punishment, I'd say that parricide was just so terrible and shocking a concept to the Romans that not even the fact that the father had been proscribed would have made a difference. Roman mystery novelist Steven Saylor, in his Roman Blood (which involves the story of the trial of Sextus Roscius), has Cicero describe the traditional punishment for a parricide in deliciously lurid detail: More symbolism is explained as Saylor then goes on to have Cicero describe the four different animals that get sewn up in the sack with the parricide: It just seems to me that, with such a ritualized and horrific tradition of punishment for the particular crime of parricide, that the ancient Romans would not look kindly upon any son who took advantage of a convenient proscription in order to off his father. -- Nephele

Interesting article. But even if Boris Johnson is actually a U.S. citizen, and besides the novelty of using City Hall in London as a political stepping stone, is he well enough known to the American people to inspire their voting confidence? I mean, it appears to me that the presidential election is as much a popularity contest as it is a genuine attempt to find the best possible leader for the country. If Johnson is seriously planning to launch his campaign in 2016, he at least has another eight years to work on his popularity with the American public. Perhaps a stint on Dancing with the Stars might get him some exposure. -- Nephele

I like the way you think, Kosmo. -- Nephele

Hails to a grand, modern-day builder who truly appreciates the ingenuity of the ancients. May you have a cool day, Faustus! -- Nephele

Lemme see your WAR FACE! AHHHHHHHHHH! -- Nephele

Very beautiful, as well as deadly. Should provide some nice inspiration for artists. -- Nephele

I'm more inclined to believe that Salonia's son was called M. Porcius Cato Salonianus not to mark any ignoble or anomalous origin, but rather simply to distinguish him from Cato's other son of the same name (by Cato's first wife, Licinia) who, by the way (and as I'm sure you already know), was called M. Porcius Cato Licinianus. The use of a matronymic was an Etruscan custom that later spread to Rome. The earliest recorded instance of the use of this matronymic in the form of an additional cognomen by the Romans occurs in the family of Cato, which was based in Tusculum. Though not an Etruscan city, it was thought that Tusculum had at one time been under Etruscan influence, as evidenced by the name of the city which is thought by some to have been derived from Tusci, another word for the Etruscans. But as for the marriage of Cato and Salonia, I agree with you that it was most likely an anomalous case. At the incredible age of 80 and with an already firmly established reputation behind him, what would Cato have to fear by way of any social or political censure regarding his choice of marriage? -- Nephele

It's Leach Cross, The Fighting Dentist. There's just something stereotypically hilarious about a Jewish boxer who also happened to have been a dentist. http://www.jewishboxers.com/crossstudy.html It's also kind of funny picturing Leach Cross handing someone his teeth to him -- in more ways than one. -- Nephele

One of UNRV's own members, Dr. Philip Matyszak, last year taught an online course (with college credits) offered through University of Cambridge's Institute of Continuing Education. Here's an old link to the course registration page. I don't know if Maty is still teaching this online course, but you might want to contact the Courses Registrar to find out what other tutors might be teaching online this year, if you don't mind that the course fees appear to be higher for students outside the U.K. and E.U. -- Nephele

Oh, well. I'll give her one anyway: Canadian Friend = Dafni Raindance Hmm... Maybe that's more of a hippie name? -- Nephele

If she'd like a spare ritual name (I presume she's already got one), I'm always free to see what a scramble of her name will reveal in my anagrammatical crystal ball. I like the dancing banana-man. -- Nephele

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Just the thought of a big swimming pool is tempting me to join a gym now. We've got our Long Island beaches, but there's nothing like slicing through a "clear, clean pool" (your description has me hungering for it). Best thing about a gym pool, as opposed to a hotel pool or especially a Disney World resort pool, is that it's "all adult" and you don't have to be concerned about kiddie pee in it. (Although I would still avoid the public hot tub section of the gym pool, coz you don't know what adult bodily fluids might be floating around in there.) -- Nephele

Oddly enough, me too. Because I like to control the volume we'll wait for the DVD. My bride doesn't like theatres at any rate. But . . . it would be nice to get some movie popcorn. I'm not too fond of movie palaces either, Faustus, and generally prefer to wait for the DVD. In movie palaces, I constantly find myself distracted by horrible thoughts of what might be stuck on the bottom of my movie seat. But with the discount movie tix I've been getting as an "extra" from my cable service, and the fact that there are a few movies that I just can't wait to see months later on DVD, I find myself giving in more and more and braving the booger buckets. GPM, he's only 65! Now, Sean Connery had just turned 58 when he appeared as Professor Henry Jones Senior in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and he was HOT! Hotter even (if you ask me) than he ever was in any of his Bond pictures. But you're right, Indy is a legend. The only Indy movie that ever sucked was Temple of Doom. But the other Indy movies, I give them two snaps of the bull whip and a circle 'round the archaeological dig. -- Nephele

I started watching this morning, and I already find it riveting. Have to leave the rest for later, though. Thanks for this link! -- Nephele

I'm looking forward to the new Indiana Jones movie due out in a couple of weeks. Anyone else? -- Nephele

GPM, I know you asked me this in PM, but I'll post it here for anyone else who's interested in this information. I checked Taylor's book for the information you'd wanted, but she doesn't really break down the population figures by tribes for the last century BCE that you're interested in. However, she does give a listing of the distribution of the newly enfranchised Latin colonies into the existing voting tribes, following the Social War. Here's what she gives: AEMILIA: Suessa Aurunea, site of an old Auruncan town, placed not in the Terentina, the tribe of the Aurunci, but in the tribe of neighboring Formiae; Copia and Vibo Valentia in Bruttium. ANIENSIS: Carsioli in the Aequi, whose territory was in this tribe; Ariminum in Aemilia and Cremona in the Transpadana. CLAUDIA: Luceria in Samnium. FABIA: Alba Fuccens on the border of the Aequi; Luca in Etruria. HORATIA: Venusia in Apulia and Spoletium in Umbria. LEMONIA: Bononia in Aemilia. MAECIA: Hatria in the Praetuttii; Paestum in Lucania; Brundisium in Apulia. PAPIRIA: Sutrium in Etruria; Narnia in Umbria. POBLILIA: Cales in Campania. POMPTINA: Circeii, which adjoined the tribe. ROMILIA: Sora on the border of Greater Latium. STELLATINA: Nepet in Etruria; Beneventum on the border of Samnium. TERETINA: Interamna Liernas, which adjoined this tribe. TROMENTINA: Aesernia in Samnium. VELINA: Firmum in Picenum, most of which was in the Velina; Aquileia in Istria. VOTURIA: Placentia in Aemilia. Taylor wrote: "I turn now from the most favored group, the Latin colonies, to the allies who had revolted against Rome." The following is a list I compiled from Taylor's section on the tribes assigned to Italians in the Revolt. SERGIA: "All the Marsi and the Paeligni were placed in the Sergia, in which some of the Paeligni may have been registered earlier..." ARNENSIS: "...the Frentani and the Marrucini..." QUIRINA: "The Vestini in the revolt, dwellers in villages in the region, were presumably, like the people of Pinna who were faithful to Rome, placed in the Quirina in which other peoples of the Vestini had already been enfranchised. VOLTINIA: "The Samnites were put in the Voltinia..." POMPTINA: "...the Lucanians in the Pomptina..." GALERIA: "Some of the Hirpini were placed in the Galeria, perhaps the tribe of viritane awards to Scipio's troops..." CORNELIA: "...but the people of Aeclanum, the chief town of the Hirpini, were put in the Cornelia." MENENIA: "A strip along the Campanian coast, including Pompeii, which was among the rebels, was enrolled in the Menenia, perhaps already the tribe of Salernum." CLUSTUMINA: "A number of Umbrian communities in a continous region east of the Tiber were placed in the Clustumina, extended from the southerly territory of Forum Novum which, probably with Interamna Nahars, was already in that tribe." FABIA: "...which became the tribe of Asculum Picenum..." FALERNA: "...in which Telesia was placed..." Hope that helps some. -- Nephele

I believe that those ancient Romans who subscribed to the philosophy of stoicism probably took illness (and a whole lot of other things) in their stride. But not all of the ancient Romans were stoics, so I imagine that those (especially if they happened to be of the wealthier classes and could afford self-indulgence) would have been less likely to suffer illness gracefully. Of course, the stoics were more concerned with mental, emotional, and ethical strength, than physical strength, I believe. But the term "stoic" today is generally applied to someone who toughs it out, and I can picture stoic Romans toughing out a flu bug. Hope you're feeling better, LW. -- Nephele

So you have a vendetta against Ursus. Get over it. I didn't think your "Bear" (with the obvious capitalization) references in someone else's blog here the other day were particularly clever, either. In fact, I found it sickening. -- Nephele

I'm envious of your avatars, Moon. You always have the most surreal, from plague doctor to Hieronymous Bosch, and now this classic photograph. But this latest one is your best of all. And, the bonus is that you've got that Latin title to tie in with the site -- In Voluptas Mors ("In Pleasure, Death"). High five! -- Nephele P.S. Care to tell us the story behind that photo you're now using for your personal photo?

Have a beary cool day! -- Nephele

You'll fit right in here. Hey, I've got another question for you, now. It's been a few years since I was in high school -- is there a special name for the history students? You know, like there are the goths, the jocks, the preppies, the skaters, the geeks? I know these labels are all obnoxious, but I was wondering what label history students have to endure these days. -- Nephele

Aw... That's sweet. (I really thought he was just picking his nose in that pic, as G-Man suggested.) In honor of The Augusta, I shall bestow a blanagrammed Roman name upon him: N. Lampadarius = Frank Lampard -frk +ius A "lampadarius" was a torch-bearer in ancient Rome. We can now picture Numerius Lampadarius as The Augusta's very personal attendant, carrying a torch for her. -- Nephele

How the heck did that happen? LOL! T.A., what's the deal with your avatar?? -- Nephele