Nephele

Events for the months of September and October. SEPTEMBER 2 44 BCE - The first of Cicero's Philippics (oratorical attacks) on Mark Antony. He will make 14 of them over the next several months. 31 BCE - Final war of the Roman Republic: Battle of Actium - Off the western coast of Greece, forces of Octavian defeat troops under Mark Antony and Cleopatra. 421 - Death of Constantius III, Roman Emperor SEPTEMBER 3 36 BCE - In the battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius, son of Pompey, thus ending Pompeian resistance to the Second Triumvirate. SEPTEMBER 4 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself King of Italy. SEPTEMBER 7 355 - Death of Claudius Silvanus, Roman usurper SEPTEMBER 9 214 - Birth of Aurelian, Roman Emperor (d. 275) 384 - Birth of Flavius Honorius, Roman Emperor (d. 423) SEPTEMBER 11 9 - Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends. SEPTEMBER 13 509 BCE - The temple of Jupiter on Rome's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September. 122 - The building of Hadrian's Wall begins. 81 - Death of Titus, Roman emperor (b. 39) SEPTEMBER 16 16 - Birth of Drusilla, daughter of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder (d. 38) 96 - Death of Domitian, Roman Emperor (b. 51) 307 - Murder of Flavius Valerius Severus, deposed Roman Emperor SEPTEMBER 17 64 - Birth of Julia Flavia, daughter of Roman Emperor Titus; lover of Domitian. SEPTEMBER 18 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated. 324 - Constantine the Great decisively defeats Licinius in the Battle of Chrysopolis, establishing Constantine's sole control over the Roman Empire. 53 - Birth of Trajan, Roman Emperor (d. 117) 96 - Death of Domitian, Roman Emperor (b. 51) SEPTEMBER 19 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. 86 - Birth of Antoninus Pius, Roman Emperor (d. 161) SEPTEMBER 20 451 - The Battle of Chalons, in North Eastern France. Flavius Aetius' victory over Attila the Hun in a day of combat, considered and believed to be the largest battle in the ancient world. SEPTEMBER 21 454 - Roman Emperor Valentinian III assassinates Roman general A

Events for the months of June, July and August. JUNE 1 193 - Assassination of Marcus Severus Didius Julianus, Roman Emperor (b. 133) JUNE 2 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks. JUNE 3 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Rome at the head of a group of gladiators. JUNE 5 70 - Titus and his Roman legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem JUNE 8 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 218 - Death of Macrinus, Roman Emperor JUNE 9 68 - Roman Emperor Nero commits suicide, imploring his secretary Epaphroditus to slit his throat to evade a Senate-imposed death by flogging. 62 - Death of Claudia Octavia, wife of Nero (b. 40) JUNE 22 168 BCE - Battle of Pydna: Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus defeat and capture Macedonian King Perseus, ending the Third Macedonian War 79 - Death of Vespasian, Roman Emperor (b. 9) JUNE 26 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. General Jovian is proclaimed Emperor by the troops on the battlefield. JUNE 30 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the usurper Magnentius, in Rome. JULY 1 251 - The battle of Abrittus is won by Goths against Romans. Roman Emperors Decius (b. 207) and Herennius Etruscus (b. ca. 227) are killed. JULY 2 419 - Birth of Valentinian III, Roman Emperor (d. 455) JULY 3 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. JULY 9 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed emperor of the Western Roman Empire. JULY 10 48 BCE - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. 138 - Death of Hadrian, Roman Emperor (b. 76) JULY 11 472 - Death of Anthemius, Emperor of the Western Roman Empire JULY 12 100 BCE - Birth of Julius Caesar, Roman military and political leader (d. 44 BCE) (born July 12 or 13) JULY 13 100 BCE - Birth of Julius Caesar, Roman military and political leader (d. 44 BCE) (born either July 12 or July 13) 40 AD - Birth of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, Roman Governor of Britain (d. 93 AD) JULY 18 390 BCE - Roman-Gaulish Wars: Battle of the Allia - A Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, leading to the subsequent sacking of Rome. 64 - Great fire of Rome: A fire begins to burn in the merchant area of Rome and soon burns completely out of control while Emperor Nero reportedly plays his lyre and sings while watching the blaze from a safe distance. JULY 25 306 - Constantine I proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops. 306 - Death of Constantius Chlorus, Roman Emperor (b. 250) JULY 29 238 - Death of Pupienus, Roman Emperor 238 - Death of Balbinus, Roman Emperor JULY 31 30 BCE - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian's forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide. AUGUST 1 33 BCE - Octavian (later known as Augustus) enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Republic. 10 BCE - Birth of Claudius, Roman Emperor (d. 54) 126 - Birth of Pertinax, Roman Emperor (d. 193) AUGUST 2 216 BCE - Second Punic War: Battle of Cannae - The Carthaginian army lead by Hannibal defeats a numerically superior Roman army under command of consuls Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro. AUGUST 3 8 - Roman Empire general Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. AUGUST 4 70 - The destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. Note: Wikipedia also gives August 11th for this date. In the Jewish calendar, the date is Tisha b'Av (the 9th of the month of Av). AUGUST 7 317 - Birth of Constantius II, Roman emperor (d. 361) 461 - Assassination of Majorian, Roman Emperor (b. 420) AUGUST 9 48 BCE - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey flees to Egypt. 378 - Gothic War: Battle of Adrianople - A large Roman army led by Emperor Valens is defeated by the Visigoths in present-day Turkey. Valens is killed along with over half of his army. 117 - Death of Trajan, Roman Emperor (b. 53) AUGUST 11 70 - The Second Temple is destroyed by the Roman army in Jerusalem. Note: Wikipedia also gives August 4th for this date. In the Jewish calendar, the date is Tisha b'Av (the 9th of the month of Av). 355 - Claudius Silvanus, accused of treason, proclaims himself Roman Emperor against Constantius II. 353 - Death of Magnentius, Roman usurper AUGUST 12 30 BCE - Cleopatra commits suicide after her defeat and Mark Antony's defeat at the battle of Actium. AUGUST 15 423 - Death of Flavius Honorius, Western Roman Emperor (b. 384) AUGUST 18 293 BCE - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus was founded, starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. 353 - Death of Decentius, Roman usurper 472 - Death of Ricimer, Roman general AUGUST 19 43 BCE - Octavian, later known as Augustus, compels the senate to elect him Consul. 14 - Death of Augustus, Roman Emperor (b. 63 BCE) AUGUST 22 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. 476 - Odoacer is named Rex Italiae by his troops. 408 - Death of Stilicho, Roman general (b. 359) AUGUST 23 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring, on the feast day of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. 93 - Death of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, Roman Governor of Britain (b. 40) AUGUST 24 49 BCE - Julius Caesar's general Gaius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River by the Numidians under Attius Varus and King Juba of Numidia. Curio commits suicide to avoid capture. 79 - Mount Vesuvius erupts. The cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae are buried in volcanic ash. 79 - Death of Pliny the Elder, Roman writer and naturalist (b. 23) AUGUST 25 383 - Death of Gratian, Roman Emperor AUGUST 26 55 BCE - Julius Caesar invades Britain. AUGUST 27 410 - Visigothic sack of Rome ends after three days. AUGUST 28 475 - The Roman general Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his capital of Ravenna and appoints his own son Romulus Augustus in his place. 388 - Death of Magnus Maximus, Roman usurper AUGUST 31 12 - Birth of Gaius Caligula, Roman Emperor (d. 41) 161 - Birth of Commodus, Roman Emperor (d. 192) -- Nephele

I'll continue with the list because, frankly, I'm enjoying this. Just pick and choose which dates you feel are most useful for the Calendar. I noticed that both February 17th and 19th are given for the same event: 197 "Battle of Lugdunum - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats and kills his rival Clodius Albinus, securing full control over the Empire." Is this an error on the part of Wikipedia, or is there some debate as to this actual date? Events for the months of March, April and May. MARCH 1 86 BCE - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army, enters in Athens, removing the tyrant Aristion who was supported by troops of Mithridates VI of Pontus. 286 - Roman Emperor Diocletian raises Maximian to the rank of Caesar. 293 - Roman Emperors Diocletian and Maximian appoint Constantius Chlorus and Galerius as Caesares, thus beginning the Tetrarchy. 317 - Crispus and Constantine II, sons of Roman Emperor Constantine I, and Licinius iunior, son of Emperor Licinius, are made Caesares MARCH 4 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title princeps iuventutis (head of the youth). MARCH 5 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90,000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a campaign which will bring about his own death. MARCH 7 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, an unprecedented political arrangement in the Roman Empire. 321 - Roman Emperor Constantine I decrees that the dies Solis Invicti (sun-day) is the day of rest in the Empire. 189 - Birth of Publius Septimius Geta, Roman Emperor (d. 211) 161 - Death of Antoninus Pius, Roman Emperor (b. 86) MARCH 10 241 BCE - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet; end of First Punic War. MARCH 11 222 - Death of Elagabalus, Roman Emperor 222 - Death of Julia Soaemias, mother of Elagabalus (b. 180) MARCH 15 44 BCE - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March. MARCH 16 37 - Death of Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar, Roman Emperor (b. 46 BCE) 455 - Death of Valentinian III, Roman Emperor (b. 419) MARCH 17 45 BCE - In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda. 45 BCE - Death of Titus Labienus, Roman leader 45 BCE - Death of Gnaeus Pompeius, the Younger, Roman general 180 - Death of Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor (b. 121) MARCH 18 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius' will and proclaims Caligula emperor. MARCH 20 43 BCE - Birth of Ovid, Roman poet (d. 17) MARCH 22 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperors. MARCH 28 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. 193 - Roman Emperor Pertinax is assassinated by Praetorian Guards, who then sell the throne in an auction to Didius Julianus. 364 - Roman Emperor Valentinian I appoints his brother Flavius Valens co-emperor. MARCH 31 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Maximian. 250 - Birth of Constantius Chlorus, Roman Emperor (d. 306) APRIL 2 68 - Galba, governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Roman emperors begun with Julius Caesar and Augustus. APRIL 4 186 - Birth of Caracalla, Roman emperor (d. 217) APRIL 6 402 - Stilicho stymies the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia. APRIL 8 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is assassinated (and succeeded) by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus. APRIL 9 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans). APRIL 11 146 - Birth of Septimius Severus (d. 211) APRIL 12 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire 65 - Death of Seneca the Younger, Roman philosopher, statesman and dramatist 238 - Death of Gordian I, Roman Emperor (suicide) 238 - Death of Gordian II, heir to the Roman Empire (killed in battle) APRIL 14 43 BCE - Battle of Forum Gallorum. Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Mutina, defeats the forces of the consul Pansa, who is killed. 69 - Vitellius, commander of the Rhine armies, defeats Emperor Otho in the Battle of Bedriacum and seizes the throne. APRIL 16 73 - Masada, a Jewish fortress, falls to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the Jewish Revolt. 69 - Death of Otho, Roman Emperor (b. 32) APRIL 17 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. APRIL 21 753 BCE - Romulus and Remus found Rome (traditional). 43 BCE - Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Although Antony fails to capture Mutina, Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly afterwards. APRIL 22 455 - Death of Petronius Maximus, Roman Emperor APRIL 23 215 BCE - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene. APRIL 25 32 - Birth of Marcus Salvius Otho, Roman Emperor (d. 69) APRIL 26 121 - Birth of Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor (d. 180) APRIL 30 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule. 65 - Death of Lucan, Roman poet (b. 39) MAY 1 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. MAY 5 311 - Death of Galerius, Roman Emperor MAY 22 337 - Death of Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor (b. 272) MAY 24 15 BCE - Birth of Julius Caesar Germanicus, Roman commander (d. 19) MAY 27 366 - Death of Procopius, Roman usurper (b. 326) MAY 29 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Sassanid capital, but is unable to take the city. -- Nephele

Here are some dates in Roman history for the months of January and February, gleaned from Wikipedia (where Wikipedia cites the following sources: The BBC's "On This Day" and The New York Times' "On This Day." (This list includes birth dates and death dates of prominent Romans.) JANUARY 1 153 BCE - Roman consuls begin their year in office. 45 BCE - The Julian calendar takes effect for the first time. 404 - The last known gladiator competition in Rome takes place. JANUARY 2 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire. JANUARY 3 106 BCE - The birth of Cicero, Roman statesman and philosopher (d. 43 BCE) JANUARY 4 46 BCE - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. JANUARY 10 49 BCE - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. JANUARY 13 86 BCE - The death of Gaius Marius, Roman general and politician (b. 157 BCE) JANUARY 14 83 BCE - The birth of Marcus Antonius, Roman politician (d. 30 BCE) JANUARY 15 69 - Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, but only rules for three months before committing suicide. 69 - The death of Galba, Roman Emperor (b. 3 BCE) JANUARY 16 27 BCE - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. JANUARY 17 38 BCE - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 395 - The death of Theodosius I, Roman Emperor JANUARY 18 350 - General Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans, proclaims himself Emperor. 52 BCE - The death of Publius Clodius Pulcher (murdered) 350 - The death of Constans, Roman Emperor, (b. 320) JANUARY 20 225 - The birth of Gordian III, Roman Emperor (d. 244) JANUARY 23 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor. JANUARY 24 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula) (b. 12), known for his eccentricity and cruel despotism, is assassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guards. Claudius succeeds his nephew. 76 - The birth of Hadrian, Roman Emperor (d. 138) JANUARY 25 41 - After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate. JANUARY 27 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva 98 - Death of Nerva, Roman Emperor (b. 35) JANUARY 30 133 - The birth of Marcus Severus Didius Julianus, Roman Emperor (d. 193) FEBRUARY 4 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies, leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons, Caracalla and Geta. 362 - Roman Emperor Julian promulgates an edict that recognizes equal rights to all the religions in the Roman Empire. FEBRUARY 6 46 BCE - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio and Juba at Thapsus. FEBRUARY 8 421 - Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. FEBRUARY 12 55 - Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman Emperorship, dies under mysterious curcimstances in Rome, and later Emperor Nero rises to the throne. FEBRUARY 17 197 - Battle of Lugdunum - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats and kills his rival Clodius Albinus, securing full control over the Empire. 364 - The death of Jovian, Roman Emperor FEBRUARY 19 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies. 197 - The death of Clodius Albinus, Roman governor of Britain FEBRUARY 25 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor. FEBRUARY 26 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Roman Emperor. FEBRUARY 27 272 - The birth of Constantine I, Roman emperor (d. 337) FEBRUARY 28 364 - Valentinian I is elevated as Roman Emperor. -- Nephele

I have to admit that I've never really had a good look at our Calendar feature on the board. It seems it could do with some additions. Any chance those Roman festival dates compiled by Ursus might be added to the Calendar? -- Nephele

Saphira, you are a descendant of a Roman magistrate named Lucius Fulcinnius, who served under Metellus Numidicus (leader of the conservative faction of the Roman senate), and who was elected Quaestor in 148 B.C.E. As such, you bear the proud nomen gentilicium of "Fulcinnia." Your feminine cognomen of "Herenna" is of Oscan origin, having been derived from the Oscan verb herio, meaning "to wish." Your full Roman name is: Fulcinnia Herenna = Jcenhiinlfnaernd -dj +au Welcome to UNRV! -- Nephele

You'll want to check out Book 11, Chapter 3, of Quintilian'sInstitutio Oratoria (click on linked title for an online English translation). Here you will find instructions from Rome's famous 1st century C.E. rhetorician on what sort of hand gestures, body language, etc. should be used in the art of public speaking, and how other famous ancient rhetoricians employed these very specific gestures. -- Nephele

"Stop imbibing of wine, whisky, and beer - while posting to UNRV." Happy New Year to you, G.O. -- Nephele

Dol, what better way to ring in the new year than to celebrate your birthday! And I've found a dancing toga baby just for you! Yah, I know those dancing babies are creepy, but at least this one's Roman-themed. (Or, the 2008 New Year Baby, take your pick!) Have a cool day, Dol! And a happy and prosperous New Year! -- Nephele

Considering that the Romans relied a lot on the Greeks' medical expertise, I would suggest consulting the ancient Greek medical texts. And, if you check out the footnotes at that link I gave, you'll see references to Hippocrates, Aristotle, and Galen. I dunno about "grouchy women." All this stuff still sounds like super-powers, to me. Like Wonder Woman, or Supergirl! I think it would be funny, LW, if you were to change the personal statement under that blade-wielding personal photo in your profile to read: "Able to blunt cold steel with a single glance!" It'd be even funnier if you could get Andrew Dalby to translate that into Latin for you. -- Nephele

Hahahaha! I wonder, too! Plus, that steel-blunting ability with just a mere look sounds kind of like a super-power, to me. Picture a warrior woman whose own steel is perhaps impervious to such a glance (through some kind of feminine self-immunizing ritual or something) and she'd be a formidable foe against any male opponent's own steel! -- Nephele

Whatever Roman women used in order to deal with their monthly cycles, you can bet they most likely didn't treat it casually. And I somehow doubt that Roman women carried on their usual day-to-day household activities or agricultural activities (for rural dwellers) during the time they were menstruating -- not because of personal discomfit but most likely because of prevailing superstition. At least, one might draw this conclusion from the writing of Pliny the Elder in his Natural History (translation by Bostock and Riley): "It would indeed be a difficult matter to find anything which is productive of more marvellous effects than the menstrual discharge. On the approach of a woman in this state, must will become sour, seeds which are touched by her become sterile, grafts wither away, garden plants are parched up, and the fruit will fall from the tree beneath which she sits. Her very look, even, will dim the brightness of mirrors, blunt the edge of steel, and take away the polish from ivory. A swarm of bees, if looked upon by her, will die immediately; brass and iron will instantly become rusty, and emit an offensive odour; while dogs which may have tasted of the matter so discharged are seized with madness, and their bite is venomous and incurable." The belief alone that a menstruating woman's "very look, even, will...blunt the edge of steel" suggests to me that menstruating camp followers perhaps might not have always been appreciated by the Roman legions, and perhaps might even have been temporarily banned from the camp when menstruating (if not banned from the camp for other reasons). -- Nephele

Here's a picture I took last spring on opening day at NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art's new Greek & Roman Wing. This circa 1st-2nd century CE Roman bed used to be on display in the museum's Roman bedroom exhibit for many years, but was moved to this glass case with the opening of the new wing. The change in the Roman bedroom exhibit was my only disappointment with the new wing, as the Roman bedroom always used to be my favorite exhibit at the Met. They still have the frescoed walls of the Roman bedroom on display -- it just seems so bare to me now, without the furniture in it. I also always thought that bed was a bit too narrow for my idea of comfort. -- Nephele

It would be interesting if anyone can pinpoint an ancient source indicating that sometimes young male slaves were kept merely for show, but I doubt such was the case. To quote Professor John R. Clarke, author of Roman Sex: "Considering that a beautiful boy or girl slave cost about as much as a Mercedes, not to have intercourse with your slave would be like buying a Mercedes and never driving it." -- Nephele

Beautiful ring! Wear it proudly! -- Nephele

There is the strix, a kind of ancient Roman vampire -- only more monstrous in that it preys on children. My interest in the strix was inspired by a 2005 thread that I'd found, in which Ursus wrote: So I assume this is the root of the word "stregheria," the word for supposedly Medieval Italian witchcraft? (The Italian word strega, meaning "witch," is derived from the Latin strix.) One of my favorite ancient Romans, Ovid, describes the striges in Book XI of his Fasti (in the section for the Kalends of June, translation by James G. Frazer): "There are greedy birds, not those that cheated Phineus' maw of its repast, though from those they are descended. Big is their head, goggle their eyes, their beaks are formed for rapine, their feathers blotched with grey, their claws fitted with hooks. They fly by night and attack nurseless children, and defile their bodies, snatched from their cradles. They are said to rend the flesh of sucklings with their beaks, and their throats are full of the blood which they have drunk. Screech-owl is their name, but the reason of the name is that they are wont to screech horribly by night." Ovid then goes on to relate an incident in which a child had been attacked by the striges, and the charm, sacrifice, and incantation used to protect the child against further attack: "Whether, therefore, they are born birds, or are made such by enchantment and are nothing but beldames transformed into fowls by a Marsian spell, they came into the chambers of Proca. In the chambers Proca, a child five days old, was a fresh prey for the birds. They sucked his infant breast with greedy tongues, and the poor child squalled and craved help. Alarmed by the cry of her fosterling, the nurse ran to him and found his cheeks scored by their rigid claws. What was she to do? The colour of the child's face was like the common hue of late leaves nipped by an early frost. She went to Crana

Can you scan in a pic of the alexandrite ring, please? Thanks! I like alexandrite! -- Nephele

Octavia, you may already know about Talking Books for the blind, but if you're not signed up, check with your local public library. Talking Books can be borrowed and mailed directly to your home for free. A librarian at your local public library can find out for you if Procopius' works have been made available in audio format. -- Nephele

Hey, great find! I see from their 2008 Reading Calendar that June 4th and 18th are reserved for a discussion of Ovid's works. I might drop in for that one. Especially if they include Charles Martin's wonderful new translation of Metamorphoses. -- Nephele

In true Bell, Book & Candle style, I shall most likely be spending Christmas as I do every year -- somewhere in NYC that's open Christmas Day. (No Zodiac Club, though, *sigh*). I'm considering the Angelika Film Center in SoHo, and catching the Dec. 25th opening of Persepolis. With maybe lunch first uptown at O'Neals' (they have a special Christmas menu featuring rack of lamb, mmmm!). Merry Giftmas, everyone! -- Nephele

No, I don't believe that retirement was ever compulsory. Although 30 years was the "contract period" so to speak, apparently some Vestals chose to remain Vestals their entire lifetime. -- Nephele

Hahahaha! That kicks ass! Or, should I say, kicks onager? Happy holiday backatcha! Thanks for the great art! -- Nephele

I've been a DW fan for a long time, through an intimate association with someone who's written a number of the DW television novelisations and original stories. There's one original story in the "New Series Adventures" that has been written by Jacqueline Rayner, titled The Stone Rose, which finds the Doctor (David Tennant) and his companion, Rose, in Rome in the time of the Emperor Hadrian. I haven't read it, myself, so can't really tell you much about it. -- Nephele

Was Cthulhu chained up in the Arkham gladiator dungeon? Coz, that would've been coooool. Nah. Not really. -- Nephele

You might find yourself written up in history as an early celebrity stalker! Seriously, I like your idea of just wandering around and observing things. Because, if one could go back in history specifically to witness some momentous event (even if it might have turned out to be a let-down, as you suggest), one's attention might be so concentrated on watching expectantly for that event to happen (so as not to miss it!), that one might thereby miss a lot of other interesting things going on around oneself. -- Nephele