P.Clodius

Dyrracium, Alesia, Syracuse, Jerusalem, all classic sieges with their own story to tell. I love reading about them all because it's where the strength of Roman character/resolve shines through! The bottom line, if you were besieged by the Romans it was just a matter of time before you were the victim of the sack of your city (due to your own stuborness/ignorance), or sold into slavery.

I would have labeled Caesar trying to gain power, not as hell bent on bringing him down as the Boni, but instead wanted to talk some sense into him.

Haha, Ursus finaly unveils his populares self. Welcome fellow scum, you earned free bread, and lifetime membership to a guild of your choice.

Great post Silentium. Can we count on you to give us further updates like this one?

Well we can Monday morning quarterback all we want but there was a grander picture. Ancient and some modern historians have condemed the actions of Caesar as selfish but Caesar was more than Caesar. He had made himself through his legislative and military agendas the defacto leader of the popularist cause. A fact that after his death the Populares ceased to exist and became the Caesarian movement.

He had every reason to cross the Rubicon. His political enemies would not have been satisfied utill his execution had been carried out.

Fatboy, how similar is Irish celtic to Scotish and Welsh? And how similar are those to that which would have been spoken by the Galic tribes?

Goldsworthy rules too. But I notice when posting about Scipio there's alway the negative element in responses. The author doesn't idealize Scipio, he attempts to expain the genius of his campaigns in relation to modern military concepts. LH was trying to communicate with his peers in Sandhurst and other military colleges when he wrote this. Gen Patton was a great fan of Scipio. There's nothing indecisive about crushing an enemy army.

I was re reading "Scipio Africanus, Greater Than Napoleon" over the weekend. Scipio is the most underrated general of the ancient times. Illipa, the Carthaginians lost more men than the Romans did at Cannae. They deployed 70,000 of whom only 6,000 escaped. He operated under the principle of never use the same tactics twice and subsequently never lost a battle. It would have been very interesting to see the outcome of a Scipio/Caesar confrontation.

There was also another position occupied by an ex PP Evocati. Forgot what he was called but I think he was permenantly attached to the Praetorium.

Brooklyn, NY. Born in UK

I love Roman history because it is fascinating. "Past is prologue". Don't ask me who said that but I feel it to be relevant to my particular time in history. This is a mind boggling concept when you think about it. No other culture is so distant and yet so near to our own (particularly the United States), than Ancient Roman.

Wow, this is more complicated than I thought

What does the H in HS standfor when refering to Sesterces?

Yes we need it. WE WILL ANGLISIZE THE ENTIRE WORLD!!! MUHAAAAAA

All hail Ursus the Great! I don't know about you guys but I enjoy reading his posts. They're obviously well researched and written. Encore!!

There was an English Civil War though, you've heard of Oliver Cromwell, The New Modell Army and the Roundheads, right? FYI, Cromwell was Englands only flirt with dictatorship!!

Despite the fact Britain doesn't want it. It preferes sucking up to the EU.

I would interview Ti Gracchus to findout what motivates him, demagoguery (with a view to future positions/appointments), or genuine concern!

I am both English and American and I can tell you the English Civil War doesn't figure too much as part of everyday conversation. But of course important results were accrued from it one of which is the political supremacy of the House of Commons. The American Civil War was an important event and most people deem it to be a war of race/equality when it was far from such. It was a war purely about $$$$, the south being the breadbasket of the US at the time could not be aloud to leave the Union. It was the first war where the industrial might of one contender was a key factor in winning. It was also the first war (in the modern era) that war was waged against the civilian populus, with them being seen as a legitimate target. As for Rome, well Ursus nailed it on the head. The closing of the Gates to the Temple of Janus was a major political coup for Augustus. Truly he deserved the title.

So Cleopatra was Selucid not Ptolomaic?

Sry, will do!

Well you need to digitize the vids and make them downloadable

WTF!! Anyone would think that Gibraltar was Spanish. Who are they to go throwing their weight around like this?

Nope, and if he did he'd have lost!