Nephele

Olives are wonderful. You can take two and put them over your closed eyelids (be sure to squeeze your brow and cheek muscles to hold the olives in place), then pretend they're your eyeballs and pop them out one after the other and eat them. This has an especially satisfying effect when you're seated at a formal dinner and the dining partner you've been paired with for the evening is boring the crap out of you. -- Nephele

Uva Taminia... Not a bad name, actually, to give one's infant daughter. Interesting herbology lesson, as always, Pertinax! -- Nephele

No, but if you want to tally them all up, be my guest. -- Nephele

G-Manicus, you are a member of the Menenia gens, "a very ancient and illustrious patrician house at Rome..." Although Smith's states that the only recorded cognomen of the Menenii was "Lanatus", you actually possess the cognomen of "Gregariollus". This, however, was not your cognomen at birth, but rather was bestowed upon you as your childhood nickname, due to the fact that you played at being a stern little soldier while all your other playmates were busy pretending to be little senators. "Gregariollus", meaning "little soldier", comes from miles gregarius (an army term for a regular foot soldier). Your praenomen is "Decimus", abbreviated as "D." Your full Roman name is: D. Menenius Gregariollus = wngriymegiolldaeehrny -hwyy +usus Welcome to UNRV! -- Nephele

Elfers, you are a member of the Verii, a proud gens which claimed as one of its members a freedman -- Verius (alternately, Verrius) Flaccus, a historian, lexicographer, and poet, who also tutored the grandsons of Augustus Caesar. However, your branch of the Verii constitute the black sheep of the family, as your cognomen of "Ater" literally means "black". Your praenomen is "Kaeso", abbreviated as "K." Your full Roman name is: K. Verius Ater = kvkarteseir -k +u Welcome to UNRV! -- Nephele

If the 'law of nations' was "the greatest bequest of Rome to modern civilization", it seems worthwhile to discover in detail what exactly was bequeathed to us. This is worth following up. I thought so, too. But, unfortunately, I haven't been able to find anything specific on the jus (or, ius) gentium, such as a list of actual, instituted laws in their original wording. Perhaps the reason for this can be found in an article titled "The Relationship of Jewish to Roman Law" by the late rabbi, librarian, and legal scholar, Boaz Cohen (for The Jewish Quarterly Review, April, 1944), in which Cohen wrote: "...the jus gentium never became a fixed or a fundamental part of Roman law, nevertheless it influenced subconsciously the legal thinking of its great jurists." Cohen does explain in his article (citing references) that, after the subjugation of Judaea by Rome, Jewish and Roman tribunals had concurrent jurisdiction in civil matters. Although the rabbis would censure those Jews who carried their disputes to the Roman judges for settlement. But if one of the litigants were a Roman citizen, then the matter would necessarily have to be brought before a Roman judiciary. Surprisingly, Cohen states that it was neither Roman nor Judaic law which exerted the greatest influence in the area, but rather "the Greco-Egyptian Volksrecht of the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire." It's an interesting article, published in two separate issues of The Jewish Quarterly Review, and brought to my mind your earlier comment in a different topic on this board, MPC: "Do you really assume that by virtue of being born a Jew, admiration of Rome was impossible? I think we have here on this board many living counter-examples!" (count me in). Rabbi Boaz Cohen also expresses his admiration of Roman law in the following summation: "Before concluding, let us note a striking contrast between Jewish and Roman law. The Romans were the only people of antiquity who disentangled completely their civil law from all their religious precepts in historical times... The Jews did not make this distinction. Perhaps the Greeks did not either... Now it was the total separation of the civil from the religious law that greatly facilitated the reception of Roman jurisprudence by the peoples of Europe in the Middle Ages." -- Nephele

Wow, I wish we all lived closer. I serve close to period foods at my celebrations, but I've always wanted to have a real feast, complete with couches and dancers, like in I Claudius. Maybe I should plan one and see who I can get to come! If you're anywhere on the East Coast, U.S.A., you can count me in! I'll bring some friends -- and a bottle of vino! The Imperium organizer asked participants to kick in some money to help pay for the dinner, so if you might want to consider that. Otherwise, you could make it a "potluck" Roman feast. Which might even be more fun -- with everyone bringing their own, creative culinary contribution to the feast. -- Nephele

I'm not into online gaming enough to offer any helpful suggestions for your computer, Ursus, but I quite like the idea of real-life role-playing, as was done a few years back by some UCLA folks for their game "Imperium" -- a sort of improvisational theater thing. They each created their characters (consisting of Roman Aristocrats, Visiting Dignitaries, and Slaves) prior to the start of the game, and then role-played from 7pm until midnight. During the game, "an authentic Roman feast (based on Apicius's The Art of Cooking)" was served. (Do I sense Pertinax salivating out there?) Now, that's my kind of game! Wouldn't it be neat if a bunch of us could get together and do something like that? I've already got my ivy wreath to wear! -- Nephele

Welcome back, VTC! Well, I'm going to be "1" this Friday. -- Nephele

So, you've moved to Australia now? Yes, it can be devastating, leaving all your friends and everything that's familiar behind. One great thing about Internet message boards like UNRV (among a lot of great things) is that you've always got familiar folks here to come "home" to and converse with, no matter where you are in the world. Keep working on that book of yours, VTC! I'm glad you decided to pick up with it where you left off. -- Nephele

What a neat observation, Faustus! Who knows whether our names have any influence on us, although it's fun to make those sorts of connections. I don't know whether Dr. Jason Ur is of Jewish descent but, if he is, then his last name of "Ur" would be a Hebrew name meaning "flame" or "light". Dr. Jason Ur could then be viewed as a metaphorical bright flame or light in the world of anthropology. So, the name works well on that level, too. Great article, Viggen. -- Nephele

You're welcome -- I knew that stopper would be well employed at your place. -- Nephele

There are lots of extras in the second season DVD set. As with the first season, there's the "All Roads Lead to Rome" feature, by which you can watch the series with explanatory subtitles. Then (reading off the back of my box), there's also: A Tale of Two Romes - "Ancient Rome was two different cities for two different classes. See how the patricians and the plebs differed in all matters, from jobs to recreation to religion." The Making of Rome, Season II - "Take a tour of the production of the epic series, from costumes to sets to special effects -- plus a detailed look at the Battle of Philippi." The Rise of Octavian: Rome's First Emperor - "The larger-than-life story of the cunning boy who became the most powerful man in Rome." Antony & Cleopatra - "A revealing look at one of the most famous love affairs of all time." Plus "Five revealing audio commentaries with cast and crew." Not to mention the nifty little bottle stopper that came with the DVD sets when they were first released. -- Nephele

Huh, it's you Italians who have the legendary Roman noses. As the 19th century poet, F.C. Husenbeth penned (or, rather, punned)... O nose, I am as proud of thee As any mountain of its snows; I gaze on thee, and feel that pride A Roman knows. -- Nephele

Yah, that's me, the brunette chick in the background of that poster, with the blonde chick trying to hold me back. "SEE...! The man in the iron mask! The rescue of a love slave! The infamous leopard-men! An Emperor's evil orgies!" Oh mama. Bring on the popcorn! -- Nephele

A Roman gens could consist of both patrician and plebian branches (disntinguished by the cognomen), as was the case with not only the Cornelia gens, but also the Antonia gens and Manlia gens, to name a couple. Smith's lists the cognomina of the Cornelia gens, indicating which were patrician (Arvina, Blasio, Cethegus, etc.) and which were plebian (Balbus and Gallus). Of course, Dolabella had been born into a patrician branch of the Cornelii. But, as frankq quoted from the Italian Wikipedia, he had himself adopted into a plebian gens in order to stand for the tribunate in 48 BCE (which is verified in an article I found by John H. Collins in an issue of The Classical Journal). -- Nephele

New York Times. This paper hath a pleasant seat; the reviews Nimbly and sweetly recommend themselves Unto our gentle senses. That does sound interesting! Thanks--I love P&T's Showtime series, Bulls*t. Their Vegas show is pretty neat, too. And Teller's (the shorter, quieter one of the pair) New York Times book reviews, articles, and NPR broadcast appearances are always erudite and fascinating. -- Nephele

Il Figlio di Spartacus ("The Son of Spartacus"), from the Internet Movie Database. With that hunka burning chunk of man, Steve Reeves, no less. -- Nephele

Who could forget Mr. Mojo Risin'? Who not only appears in the Doors' 1971 song "L.A. Woman," but also happens to be an anagram alias of Jim Morrison. So, Harmonicus, where's your name scramble? Do you want to be hippified? -- Nephele

Welcome, Faustus! Although, we've already become acquainted in PM (and I owe you a return letter). I'm sure you'll find a welcoming "home" here at UNRV! -- Nephele

Say, from whence you owe this strange intelligence? If the play's the thing, then let me, New Yorker, give you but one reason to visit New Jersey next year. For, by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes -- to the Two River Theater Co. in Red Bank, New Jersey! MACBETH: January 15 - February 3, 2008 "Obie and Emmy Award-winner Teller (of Penn & Teller) teams with TRTC Artistic Director Aaron Posner to reimagine Macbeth as a startling, supernatural horror show. Bloody, chilling, and hallucinatory, it will draw you inside the twisted minds of the theater's most celebrated husband-and-wife murder team. A breathtaking grand guignol take on Shakespeare's darkest tragedy." "Teller is an extraordinary magician...the sort of magician who can invent shadows."

This seems like a reasonable conjecture, but where it gets tricky is in the treatment of traders, colonists, and visitors to Judaea. There were at least three Roman colonies in or on the border of Judaea--Caesarea, Ptolemais (modern-day Acre), and Aelia Capitolina. Were the residents of these colonies under Roman law or under Judaean law? Also, what of the neighbors of Judaea when visiting Judaea? In Samaria, there was Flavia Neapolis (present-day Nablus)--under whose juridiction would these Samaritans fall? And (most perplexing to me) why would a Nazarene--who as a resident of Galilee was not part of the Roman province of Judaea--be subject to the authority of a Judaean governor? It might be argued that Nazarene Jews visiting Jerusalem were subject to local laws, but then would the same apply to visitors from Berytus and Bostra as well? A good point. I did managed to dig up an article titled "How Rome Governed the Provinces," by Professor W.C. Morey of the Univeristy of Rochester, which was published in the July, 1893 issue of The Biblical World. Professor Morey states that Roman governance granted a gradation of privileges among the provincial towns, depending on their loyalty to Rome and whether they existed as colonies (a body of Roman citizens sent into the province) or municipia (a body of provincials admitted into the state): "But the two terms were sometimes interchangeable, and the same constitutional form characterized them both." More importantly, some towns "possessed the full Roman franchise," whereas others "possessed only the Latin right of commercium." Examples which Professor Morey gives of towns possessing the full Roman franchise are Alexandria, Troas, Antioch in Pisidia, and Philippi. These cities possessed the right to pass their own municipal laws, levy their own taxes, and administer justice under their own charter. A further distinction was made between those non-Roman towns that did not possess the full Roman franchise. Some were deemed civitates liberae ("free") whereas others were deemed civitates stipendiariae ("tributary"). Examples of civitates liberae, which were permitted to retain their own government, were the Syrian Antioch, Tyre, Tarsus, Rhodes, Thessalonica, Athens, and nearly all the cities of Greece. The large majority of non-Roman towns were civitates stipendiariae, which meant that "while they were generally permitted to retain their own internal government and laws, they were obliged to bear the chief burdens of the Roman rule." Chief among those burdens, appears to have been the collection of taxes and other tribute for Rome, which would have been the main concern of the Roman governor above and beyond involvement in any perceived, petty internal affairs of the province's locals. As for how traders, colonists, and visitors to Judaea might have been treated, as well as those neighbors of Judaea upon visiting the province, it would appear that they would fall under what Professor Morey refers to as "jus gentium, the Roman 'law of nations,' that law which was higher than the law of any single community." Professor Morey describes this universal law as being in large part an outgrowth of Rome's provincial system, "the most important element of Roman jurisprudence and also the greatest bequest of Rome to modern civilization." -- Nephele

'Blessed are the cheesmakers.' Indeed. Blessed are the cheesemakers, for they shall be called the children of Gouda. -- Nephele

What an interesting topic. I suppose that the Roman magistrate in charge would defer to the locals in most situations, so that there might not be a conflict that could result in local unrest. Unrest which could then cause embarrassment to the current reigning Roman magistrate, thereby making him look as though he didn't have matters under control. Which, I should think, could lead to serious repercussions for Rome's middle managers, from the balebos in Rome. In Michael Grant's The Jews in the Roman World, Grant relates (quoting Josephus) the mistakes made by Pontius Pilate upon assuming his new role as governor of Judaea. One such mistake occurred when Pilate brought his army from Caesarea Maritima for winter quartering in the city of Jerusalsem, and he had them carry military standards that bore the image of the emperor -- graven images that offended the sensibilities of Jerusalem's religious population. Adding insult to injury, Pilate then had these standards set up on the Antonia fortress, where the high-priestly garments were also being kept. Pilate was following military protocol, which would be the new law of the land -- but this was in violation of the local religious laws. In response to this, hordes of the Jewish people followed Pilate to his residence and lay down on the ground, refusing to budge, for five days and nights. Michael Grant states that this was the first recorded example of civil disobedience. And, as a result, Pilate eventually backed down. Since it was the Roman governor's job to maintain order, I think it would probably have exacerbated the problem if he had simply ordered his troops to start hacking to bits the disobedient citizenry. It seems that, in many cases, it would be more expedient simply to mollify the masses. Perhaps the same slack was cut the locals in situations where the local laws permitted behavior that was not permitted by Roman law, provided that behavior affected only the locals and not any Roman citizens? I may be wrong, but I can't imagine the Romans in foreign provinces overly concerning themselves should the locals decide to stone one of their own for blasphemy, so long as it didn't affect any Romans. -- Nephele

JEHOVAH! *ducks and runs* -- Nephele