Nephele

Welcome, Kyle! Glad you gave up lurking and decided to jump right in! -- Nephele

Caldrail, this is intriguing

While I don't know of any specific Roman name meaning "the one who was born with hatred", I can suggest a likely creation, using the suffix "-genus". An example would be the name of L. Cornelius Scipio Asiagenus, with his agnomen meaning "born in Asia". So, presumably, your cognomen/agonomen meaning "born with hatred" might be: Odiogenus (feminine form: Odiogena). A name with such a meaning of dishonor, though, doesn't sound a likely cognomen or agnomen that a Roman might adopt for himself, even given the seemingly pejorative nature of many of the existing Roman cognomina. And, yes, "odio" is the ablative of "odium". -- Nephele

Thanks for that glimpse into the past, through your translation of that ancient papyrus, Maty! Only... the date you gave for that letter from Hilarion to Alis of 1 BCE... Surely that wasn't during the time of the Roman Republic, was it? Professor H. Bennett (whom I quoted previously in this thread) made the case that, while infant exposure was recorded as a common practice in ancient Greece (and referred to in Greek plays adapted by the Romans), it was not a common practice in Rome itself during the time of the Republic. I'd be interested if you or anyone has since (Bennett's article was written in 1923) found an example to disprove Bennett's statement. -- Nephele

There's an entire section in The Sirens of Surrentum where FG lists ten poisonous plants, their descriptions, uses, poisonous parts, symptoms caused, and antidote. It's cooool. (And, I wish I'd had Locusta as a teacher when I was a little kid. She's FUN! Heheh.) -- Nephele

Picture the happy Roman family piling into their late model chariot for a diverting highway cruise-ifixion... -- Nephele

Cleopatra, you are a member of the gens Aternia -- belonging to the plebian aristocracy, as one of your ancestors, Aulus Aternius Varrus Fontinalis, was a Republican era Roman consul. Your cognomen of "Ros" (meaning "dew") poetically suggests that you are as fresh and sweetly perfumed as the morning dew. Your full Roman name is: Aternia Ros ATNDSRAERO -d +i Welcome to UNRV! -- Nephele

UNRV's own Roman Empire wall map is pretty close (year 117) -- only out by 37 years! http://www.unrv.com/roman-map-for-sale.php -- Nephele

Great suggestions, Ursus. For Greek social life and customs, I'll just add to the list a book by the author of my old favorite, A Day in Old Rome. And that's A Day in Old Athens: A Picture of Athenian Life, by William Stearns Davis [Professor of Ancient History at the University of Minnesota] (New York: Allyn and Bacon, 1914). This book describes "what an intelligent person would see and hear in ancient Athens, if by some legerdemain he were translated to the fourth century B.C. and conducted about the city under competent guidance." You can download this book for free at Project Gutenberg -- Nephele

What a wonderful letter! My condolences to you, on the loss of your old friend. This made me smile: "I've just reread this and there's a lot in here that could hang me, so don't spread it around." Wouldn't Mac laugh, to see how you've "spread it around," knowing there's nothing the army can do to him now? -- Nephele

"Vincere" means "to win" ^^ "wolf" in Latin is LUPUS. To Ginevra's helpful suggestions, I'll just add one more, to fill your request, Vincere, for a Roman name that suggests "joker, trickery". And that would be the cognomen: "Stellio". Literally, it means "a newt", but figuratively, it means "a crafty fellow". -- Nephele

Perhaps because it's been my good fortune to personally know some outstanding scientists of unquestionable integrity (whose names I won't drop here), that I'm somewhat saddened by suggestions that the lure of grants -- somewhat like medieval church indulgences -- might seduce most men and women of science towards academic dishonesty. And, while I can't claim to know Michael Shermer personally (although I wish I could), it is perhaps because I've read his books Why People Believe Weird Things and Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design, and because we actually have a mutual friend who, like Dr. Shermer, has been an invited guest to JREF's annual The Amaz!ng Meetings in Las Vegas, that, if the gentleman says he has abandoned his former environmental skepticism and now believes that there may be reason for concern about global warming, well, I'm inclined to listen. I haven't yet made up my own mind regarding the subject, and so I have no interest in persuading anyone here as to whether global warming should or should not be a genuine concern. Nor have I any interest in being persuaded one way or the other by anyone here. But I'll weigh in all arguments, nevertheless, and I'll most certainly read one or two of those books cited by Michael Shermer in his article for Scientific American magazine. DecimusCaesar, that's too bad you missed out on getting that last copy of Diamond's Collapse. Sounds like you didn't do at all badly in finding Pryor's Britain BC, though. -- Nephele

Thanks, Flavia! And, thanks for that sneak preview into the family history of Captain Gaius Flavius Geminus! I see you used an actual cognomen -- "Salinator" -- to describe the occupation of the Captain's grandfather. I love your clever use of Roman names in your books, which often describe the attributes of the various characters -- actual cognomina such as "Dives" for a wealthy character, and "Praeco" for a town crier. In fact, I have to admit that, due to my interest in Roman names, I immediately figured out who the villain was in one of your books (where his name was a major clue). Many people want to know the meaning of their own names, which often leads them to a curiosity about the meanings of the names of others. And, often, an interest in the meaning of names leads to an interest in etymology and language. What a wonderful incentive you've provided in your books, Caroline, for young readers to delve further into learning the Latin language through their curiosity in the names you give to your characters! -- Nephele

For everyone's information, the July/August 2007 issue of Archaeology magazine (on sale now in Borders Books & Music stores) has a feature article presenting both sides of the debate on whether Romulus and Remus actually existed. You can read an abstract of the article by clicking on the link below: Origins of Rome: Is the Legend of Romulus True? -- Nephele

You

Martial, Liber de Spectaculis, XXIX "The life and fate of Verus is the basis of the BBC documentary drama Colosseum - Rome's Arena of Death (2004)." -- Nephele

Thanks, Pan and MPC. The articles were pretty comprehensive, but Professor Coulter doesn't provide a list, per se. You have to read through the articles to pick out the dates of each Sibylline Book consultation. With nearly each citation of an instance in which the Sibylline Books were consulted, Professor Coulter (of Mt. Holyoke College and past president of the American Philological Association) shows how the Sibylline Books were not only used to introduce innovations in Roman religious practice, but were also used as a "kind of racket" (her description) for manipulating public opinion and political action, and especially for obstructing certain action (as in the case of Q. Marcius Rex and his plans for building the Aqua Marcia). -- Nephele

What an interesting topic! You've inspired me, MPC, to do a bit of research. And so I dug up a couple of old academic articles (from 1950) by Cornelia C. Coulter, that were published in The Classical Journal. Professor Coulter's thesis was that, over time, the Roman consultation of the Sibylline Books had become somewhat of a racket, for whenever government officials desired to pass some new measure that required public support. You can read more about it in Coulter's "Transfiguration of the Sibyl", The Classical Journal, Vol 46, Nos. 2 and 3 (Nov. and Dec. 1950). But for now I'll just post the Sibylline consultations noted by Professor Coulter which don't appear in that Wikipedia article: Citing Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Professor Coulter states that the first recorded consultation of the Sibylline Books (after the expulsion of the Tarquins) was due to a serious shortage of food preceding a war against King Porsenna of Clusium and his allies. The dictator Postumius, before setting out to war, ordered the consultation, and it was decided that the deities Demeter, Dionysus, and Kore first had to be propitiated. After vowing to dedicate a temple to them along with yearly sacrifices, the famine was averted and Postumius was victorious in his war. "The temple was dedicated in 493 [bCE] to the three gods, under the names of the native deities with whom they were equated (Ceres, Liber, and Libera), and a Greek-speaking priestess was brought to Rome from Southern Italy to take charge of their worship." The next time the Books were consulted was in 461 BCE, following a number of ill omens that in turn followed the introduction of a bill by one of the tribunes to curtail the tyranny of the consuls. "The duumviri opened the Sacred Books, and found there a prophecy of danger 'from the gathering together of people of foreign birth,' which might lead to 'an attack on the highest places of the city and consequent bloodshed.' Various warnings were issued to the people, among others, 'that they should refrain from seditious agitation.'" Livy reported that the tribunes charged that this consultation and interpretation of the Sibylline Books was done so as to prevent the passage of the law they had proposed. Also reported by Livy... Another early consultation of the Sibylline Books was in 399 BCE, in response to a pestilence, which resulted in the institution of the lectisternium, a Greek rite which was new to Rome. (Since the article I linked is in Wikipedia, I'm surprised that this isn't cross-referenced in the Wikipedia article which lists the consultations of the Sibylline Books). In 144 BCE, as reported by Frontinus, the Sibylline Books were apparently used to block the efforts of Quintus Marcius Rex, the praetor urbanus at the time, from improving the city of Rome's water supply. Two aqueducts were in need of repair, which Marcius not only saw to, but he also planned a new aqueduct to be named after himself -- the Aqua Marcia. The decemviri consulted the Books and "discovered" that "it was not right (fas) that the Aqua Marcia...should be brought to the Capitoline." Other Sibylline Book consultations reported by Professor Coulter in her article appear to coincide with the Wikipedia list, so I won't bother to list them here. -- Nephele

There's delightful goofiness, too, in the books, Primus -- but even the goofiness is edifying. Wait till your son gets to the bit about sponge sticks, and what the ancient Romans used them for. -- Nephele

You may fall for Apollo, but I

Vincere, you are a member of the gens Decia, which included both plebian and patrician members, and a number of Decii served as consuls of Rome. The Decii were a family "that was renowned for sacrificing themselves on the battlefield for Rome." Your cognomen is "Veter", meaning "ancient; of long standing," further emphasizing your family's veteran status as Roman citizens. Your praenomen is Gnaeus, abbreviated as "Cn." Your full Roman name is... Cn. Decius Veter recnnvcedetki (-nk +us) Welcome to UNRV! -- Nephele

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6712&hl=

From Axis History Forums: "Viribus unitis means with united powers and was motto of Austria Hungary. (The flagship of

I know! That was the fun of Xena. I have a male friend who was totally besotted with Lucy Lawless, and I think I made his year when I scored front row seats for us to see Lucy perform live on Broadway in Grease. When Lucy came to the edge of the stage, we could look straight up and see her knickers. My friend's eyes were, like, shooting out of their sockets (BA-ZING!), while his tongue rolled out onto his lap. You guys are so funny. Buffy rocked, too. You know, one of our newest members here at UNRV -- Flavia Gemina -- has appeared in a few Buffy episodes. -- Nephele

Wasn't the origin of the Minotaur due to a coupling of a bull and a queen? And that bull wasn't even a disguised god! A certain Nephele from Greek myth was said to have been the mother of the race of Centaurs, although it's difficult to figure that one out, as it was a male of the two-legged variety -- a man named Ixion -- with whom she had intercourse. The only explanation I can think of for Nephele's horse-children being the result, must have been due to her and Ixion having had a stable relationship. -- Nephele