Primus Pilus

Hey, Ursus, speaking of that Apollo post you made, would you mind if we linked a page to our god Chart?

A legendary collection of gold objects from ancient Troy that was seized by Soviet troops in Berlin in 1945 should become Russian government property, a top cultural official said in an interview published on Saturday. Anatoly Vilkov, deputy chief of the Russian agency that preserves the nation's cultural legacy, stopped short of ruling out the possibility the objects could return under certain conditions. The gold collection - named after Hermann Schliemann, the amateur German archaeologist who excavated it - will be made Russian federal property after it is inventoried, Vilkov said, according to Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper. The gold then could be exhibited in Germany.... Full Article @ IOL

Archaeologists have been left mystified by the discovery of 36 decapitated bodies, it was revealed today. Experts from the York Archaeological Trust unearthed the skeletons of 49 young men and seven children at a Roman cemetery they discovered in The Mount area of the city. But they were stunned to find that most of the men had had their heads chopped off, while another was bound with iron shackles.... Full article @ The Scotsman

At No. 8 Al-Alfi Street downtown last week, the scene was more bustling than usual. A large number of police officers, archaeologists and journalists were on hand as a huge cache of artefacts -- hidden since 1971 -- finally saw the light again. The collection includes a number of anthropoid sarcophagi, painted mummy masks, Ancient Egyptian ushabti figurines (wooden statuettes), limestone reliefs, necklaces, amulets, and scarabs, as well as a group of Graeco-Roman statues, Islamic vessels, clay chandeliers and coloured textiles.... Full article @ Al Ahram Weekly

Agreed, Belog. I highly doubt that the use of the word 'Rus' by Sarmatians in Britain can be attested in any way. It was just for flavor. Btw, welcome to our forum

Spying is as old as civilization and organized government. The intelligence network of Rome and other powers may have been less 'organized' and official than they are today, but they certainly were wide spread.

Yes, I meant uniform as an entire military. One particular legion in Germania was very likely to be similarly equipped between soldiers. Another legion in Syria may have a completely different style (ie hamata vs. segmentata) but most of the legion would be equipped with the same gear.

Ebay is 'safe' if you use the reputable dealers. I am really interested in military diplomas, but there are tons of fakes.

Without Augustus, the 'Empire' would've continued to unravel into split factions and petty kingdoms (in my opinion). By virtue of restoring the empire, alone, he stands as the greatest. Adding in his many social, legal and military reforms, as well as building projects and advancement of the arts, there is no contest. I am, however, a great admire of Vespasian. He re-established solid imperial control in the waning days of the Julio Claudians, and before the system could truly devolve.

Unfortunately, most people, including historians, would never place the entire blame on a single event. Each is a problem unto itself or may be a symptom of some other ill, but they collectively destroyed the western administrative system. I can't pick a single event even for the sake of argument, knowing that each played its own role. History may have been different even with mild alterations to any or each.

Egypt's Queen Cleopatra showed how to woo members of the opposite sex with it, the French may have perfected it, but it is the Cypriots who can now lay claim to the world's oldest perfumery. Nestled among the overgrown weeds on a Cypriot hillside offering stunning views of the Mediterranean, is a pit containing circular imprints which held perfume jars which Italian archaeologists believe is the oldest source of the multi-billion industry of today.... Full Article @ Reuters UK

I'm sure the guys at RAT can help.

Certainly a change in tribal warfare tactics would've been beneficial to them, but it was generally the way that the Celts fought their wars. I don't blame Boudica or the Iceni, they were just tactically inferior to the Roman legions. Had they beaten one legion in open battle though... who knows how the rebellion could've spread.

Welcome back Kama.. don't be a stranger eh.

Only if you allow yourself to be defined by it For me atheist means: One who doesn't believe in a higher power, fate, or clearly defined life after death. Simply, I don't know what may be 'out there' and don't claim to.

Just a coin collector here. I browse VCoins often. Its a collection of many ancient coin dealers.

I can't judge it on its own merits, I haven't read it and won't for the purpose of discovering religious truth. (Though I likely will for entertainment value). I'm an atheist. I don't believe that Caesar was Christ or that Jesus was Christ. I do however, like to discuss the creation of the Christian story and where it came from. This subject provides one interesting tangent in that discussion.

Interesting test, but it doesnt have anything to do with Caesar as Jesus. #1 and #2 are completely subjective. Caesar was absorbed with the concept of his own dignity and achievement. Ponitifex Maximus was a piece of that puzzle, but also among the first of his political achievements. He certainly didn't rest upon the vaunted laurels of being a religious leader. Had this been the most revered achievement he could've retired from additional political advancement at the age of 36. We know he didn't do that and certainly used the position politically against the Boni. #2 depends completely on what you call a private army. That term is very difficult to establish in the turmoil of the late Republic. One could argue that since the reforms of Marius, all armies were private, until the establishment of the Principate.

The gold of the ancient Macedonians still gleams on the soldiers

I personally see alot of potential in the concept. The Jesus 'myth' as I call it, is a collection of thousands of stories rolled into one massive religious juggernaut. Certainly some of the early foundation may have come from the popularity of Caesar. Since I haven't read the book its hard for me to pass judgement, but what is the actual premise, that Caesar was Christ or that the story of Jesus was just taken and altered from Caesar? I'd scoff at version 1, but version 2 makes at least arguable sense to me. However, even as an atheist I do somehow think there was a historical Jesus.

Sorry Morgan, I missed this post earlier. This might help forum romanum

I merged two similar topics into one, and did some creative editing to eliminate some bad vibes floating around. Let's stick to what we do best... discussing history, culture and everything related to it! Thanks all!

Of course, these are all generalizations, and while there are some truths with any generalizations, there are a thousand differences between each member of any particular 'personality' group.

I just think the general topic of ancient history draws alot of atheists. When I really first started discussing history openingly, and how religion applies, I was surprised by how many people seemed to be atheists. However, there certainly are alot of Christian scholars so it must just be the company that I keep. For some reason though, the internet makes atheism seem a majority, when it most assuredly isn't.

Interesting ideas Ursus. I think we'll do that once Viggen is back online. He's just about to start a major move so won't be around for a couple of weeks, and I don't dare risk doing it myself. Unless you'd prefer to have the entire forum destroyed and rebuilt.