Marcus Caelius

I'd also suggest a somewhat different approach, especially since you specified "light" reading. You might want to take a look at some of the series fiction set in Rome, for a more recreational sojourn with the topic, as well as to develop some general ambience. John Maddox Roberts and Steven Saylor have series that are roughly contemprary, set from just before the Rubicon to ( I assume, neither has progressed that far) just before Teutoberger Wald. Lindsay Davis set her series a bit later, during the reign of Vespasian, and I would also recommend her novel about the rise of Vespasian, "The Course of Honor." Of these three, Davis' books probably do the worst job of giving you an authentic ambiance, but are the most fun. Each novel explores a different aspect of the Roman world; "Silver Pigs," for example, is set in the tin mines of Britain, while "A Hand in the Fountain" is centered on the water supply and acqueduct system, and "Last Act in Palmyra" puts the hero and his family in an acting troupe wandering around Judea.

Why don't I just send you my credit card?

That must be one hell of a frame! I went back to Michaels (that's where I had purchased the frame for $15) and they mounted the map for $30. It wouldn't fit back into the frame, afterwards, so I stuck a couple of acrylic hangers on the back and put some old poster frame pieces on to protect the edges. Looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. Now, if I can just talk you (or whomever) into doing a contemporary city map.

[slap self on forehead] Aarrggghhh! There's a Michaels 45 minutes from here! What did it cost?

I've also noticed the reflective surface of the glass makes it a bit difficult to read, so I think I'll move it over to a standard poster frame, without any plexiglas. BTW, I used to be a photographer a couple of lifetimes ago, so have some experience mounting photos, although nothing that large. Well, if worse comes to worse, I buy another copy of the map (it's that good that I wouldn't mind the extra expense).

Got a slight problem with the map. The paper is thin enough that, even in a good-quality frame, it's developing "waves" under its own weight. I'm going to have to find some photographic mounting paper and try to mount the map to some posterboard or something.

I think you misunderstand, and I think you've missed a point or two. First, he used to have a website called "theforgottenknowledge.com," but I just took a look and couldn't find it.* Anyway, he's not claiming that one man could have built or did build Stonehenge, or that it was built all at once; he's claiming it's not as difficult as most people think. Also, he's come up with a "portable road" that allows one man to roll several-hundred-pound weights; by extension, this would allow several men to roll several-thousand-pound weights (which would be hard on the stones over long distances, but might be useful for getting around or over obstacles). *Found it! The name is "theforgottentechnology.com". It might help if I get the name right. Anyway, be sure to run your mouse cursor over everything on the screen; it's not always intuitive on that site, what constitutes a link. Using his method, he's now singlehandedly moving and erecting 20,000-pound blocks of concrete.

Yup. Analyzing photographs solely from verbal descriptions is, well, just plain silly.

I disagree. While there would be differences, of course, I believe the difference between, say, modern America and South African bushmen is far, far greater. After all, we're talking about a human society, here, not something on Zeta Reticulae, and humans are humans. Rome was a different society, yes, but the temporal distance is no more "distorting" than would be a geographic distance and, after all, Roman society was the ancestor of our own. The differences are magnified by the similarties. So what? I must first caution you that you've struck a nerve. I, myself, am a non-believer, and I quarrel with the idea that you must be a believer of any sort in order to have an ethical, moral or social referent. As to Christianity "ameliorating" Roman society, I believe it is not too far-fetched to argue that Christianity was responsible for destroying that part of the Roman ethos that made possible the very construction and maintenance of society. In short, I hold that Christianity destroyed the Roman spirit and turned the people into something the Founders would have scorned, and maybe even something the Founders would have conquered. Getting back to Christianity, the early Church had no problem with slavery. I believe it's in Philemon where Paul urges a slave to return to his master and render faithful service. If slavery dehumanizes, the early Christians were just as dehumanized as were the Romans (given later developments, maybe they were even more dehumanized). No more so than in 19th century western United States, or in any other society that has not had access to late 20th century medicine. ...has been the norm throughout history and, when numbers are taken into account worldwide, may still be the norm. Shocked and scandalized, yes, but no more than the Victorians would be shocked and scandalized by us. And understanding would occur to anyone who actually sat and studied the differences.

That's why I'm interested in the vector map and CorelDraw.

I finally went with this one. It banner-prints out nicely onto 9 pages which, if carefully trimmed and assembled, makes a rather nice map that can be made to fit into a 22" x 28" standard poster frame, and is fairly easy to read. I'm still wondering about the vector map (see my earlier posts), and have set my daughter-in-law (a graphics designer) to work on the problem.

Thanks, but I already knew about those. Looks like I've pretty much mined all the internet has to offer on the subject. Anyway, I'd like to hear some opinions on the Ancient Rome Vector Map . Does it look like it might be worth getting CorelDraw, so I can use the map? I've been thinking about getting a graphics program, but CorelDraw is just a tad pricey (but cheaper than Adobe Illustrator).

Sounds like you're vastly further along than I am. Still, this is what I've got so far, that is easily available: This is a very basic map of the Seven Hills, with descriptions of who/what was on each. This is the computerized Ancient Rome Vector Map I mentioned. I think it would be the most useful, but between it and CorelDraw the total price could be $200 or so. For the really dedicated, there's the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, starting at $375. Then, there's this one by W. B. Clarke. You can purchase a poster/print for $225, although there's a copy floating around online that you can download for free. I just now discovered this series of maps, that may be the most useful of all.

Yes, you do feel like a tourist. I do wish it had a better map, and the author judges the inhabitants according to modern morality, reflecting on the brutality of the games and such, rather than attempting to depict the Roman attitude. Still, I guess that would be an accurate depiction if you really were a modern tourist who had gone back in a time machine.

I have Caesar IV loaded on my not-quite-year-old laptop, and and it does seem rather "resource intensive." Mouse control is just barely possible, a symptom I associate with being right at the sys requirement borderline. It's bad enough that I haven't even thought of starting a game. CivRome, OTOH, runs like a charm, even though there are a few bugs (a patch is coming "real soon now"), and is close enough to Caesar III that I wonder about copyright issues. Of the three Rome citybuilders now out, CivRome is definitely the pick of the lot.

I've just ordered the Empire Wall Map, but I've been looking for a decent city map for years. I've found a couple of possibilities online, but they're a tad pricey. There's also a very nice computerized map available, with ~25 layers, for $35, but I would first have to buy CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator which, again, raises the price out of reasonable limits for what I want. Essentially, I'm looking for a good companion for the various Roman murder mystery series I like to read, as well as something considerably better than what's in front of the book, "A Walk Through Ancient Rome." Any help appreciated. ETA: I'm at work right now, so can't post links to what I've found online.