Primus Pilus

I'm an ISTJ or ESTJ. (Took it twice with different results.) Reading the descriptions I think I do have traits of both.

I assume it will be on the BBC, but I really don't know how these joint productions work. Was 'Band of Brothers' aired on the BBC? If so, then I assume 'Rome' will be as well.

As for sexual depravity, yes there are murals of orgies, sexually suggestive images and the like, but I think for the most part Rome was outwardly far more conservative. (Here I go again) I think the great bulk of propoganda involving the Romans comes from later Christian teachings, trying to push their own moralistic code on the masses. Own way to do it, was to bash the status quo. By describing the aritocratic pagans as sexual monsters, they could more readily appeal to the masses who frowned on ridiculous behavior. As for the pornography... well we sure have a ton of it today. I know that I am fairly conservative and don't know anyone personally who engages in 'extreme' behavior. Yet, 2,000 years from now, we could guarantee that our own moralistic code as a western society, including surviving images of modern *or*, will be discussed in depth.

Pompeii's numbers are a preserved inscription. Other statistics, of which these are just a small representation are available in numerous forms. These in particular come from 'Greek and Roman Slavery' by Thomas Wiedemann. (assuming I remember correctly).

The topic is despised because it is pure specualtion with no way to prove a theory. It's basically alot of puffing up whichever side is preferred.

We discussed it a bit in this thread

The price for a male slave in Rome at the time of Augustus has been quoted at 500 denarii. A female could go for as much as 6,000 denarii. One recorded price in Pompeii at 79 AD indicates that a slave sold for 2,500 sestertii or 625 denarii.

This might be more of an indication of Caesar's personal dignity than any love for his first wife, Cornelia, but his refusal to divorce the daughter of Cinna at the order of Sulla has the makings of a classic romance story.

LOL, silly bastards! But thanks just the same. Actually, since we 'own' the site, we want people to enjoy it. Wouldn't do much good if we were doing stuff to drive people away. Eventually, as the site continues to grow, we'll add some actual mods.

Yes, that's correct, or can be abbreviated to Legio.

The topic that refuses to die... just keep it civil and the thread can continue, but I do have an itchy lock finger

Would be interesting to see your refinements Zeke. I guess that's the nice thing about such an old, diverse and ungoverned religion, you are allowed the personal freedom to define it within your own belief system.

LOL, sorry Zeke, it's unfortunately quite expensive to print print maps that big (24 x 36"). To print one, most shops want at least $60, so we had to print alot more than we needed to make it cost effective... and well, with postage and poster tubes, and the cash we laid out, we needed to charge a higher price. Anyway, I look forward to your entry, and want to encourage anyone and everyone to try as well.

Its a pretty common misconception really, that Hellenistic power, was long gone by the time of the Romans. Consider that while the Romans were expanding in Italy, Alexander was conquering the eastern world.

The HBO/BBC Rome show hasn't aired yet. It won't until late summer, 2005 if I remember right. Nobody knows if it will be any good, but both networks are generally well respected for their original series productions. And as far as 'reality' shows go... they are getting more and more ridiculous every day. Hopefully they die off soon.

I've read Suetonius a few times and don't recall him ever saying that Caligula specifically killed 160,000 people. There are many references to all sorts of atrocities, but never an exact number that I recall. Keep in mind too that Suetonius is widely considered among the least accurate of some already fairly poor choices.

I've maintained here and in other discussions outside this forum that the Adrianople defeat was the defeat that eventually cost Rome the west. (Of course a victory only would've delayed the inevitable, but there was no chance after Adrianople, IMO) Still I don't think Valens was the 'worst' general, that defeat was really a sign of the times. Maximus and Caepio at Aurasio is a classic example of complete blundering incompetence all in the name of ego and personal glory. Of course, this situation was brought on by two competing Legates. Perhaps had they been singly in complete command, things may have turned out differently, but of course we will never know. With that being said, its difficult to go against Varus as the worst commander. Obviously he was duped into the ambush, but part of a commander's job is to understand who the enemy is. Varus did attempt to save his army and didn't necessarily fold under the pressure, if the few ancient accounts can be beleived, but he certainly was inadequate for the job. Like already said, the Teutoburg disaster had far reaching consequences. If not for his successes under Sulla and even against Spartacus, I might put Crassus in the worst commander position. Not only was his strategy of marching straight through deeply hostile territory a foolish one, but his battlefield tactics reeked of incopetence as well. After the death of his son, reports indicate that he completely lost it, effectively leaving his army without a commander.

Well tradition suggests that Rome was founded as a city in 753 BC, even though there is archaeological evidence to support an earlier founding. Still assuming 753 BC is semi accurate, Rome went through many phases of construction. Some of the most massive building projects relate entirely to the breakdown of the Republican system. As the Republic started to crumble, the great imperators, and other political hopefuls, used public works improvements to increase their influence and popularity. Suetonius quoted Augustus as saying 'that he found Rome a city of brick, and left it a city of marble.' Augustus and the Empire. Massive building projects continued throughout the imperial period. Some example: The Colosseum by Vespasian and Titus, 70's-80's AD Arch of Titus 81 AD The Markets of Trajan 100 - 112 AD Trajan's Column The Pantheon rebuilt by Hadrian 120's AD The Temple of Venus under Hadrian 120's - 130's AD Arch of Severus 205 AD Baths of Caracalla 212 AD Essentially to answer your question... aside from the Colosseum, it would generally take until the era of Caesar and Augustus to get to the Rome we know from the movies. So approximately 700 to 750 years.

Livy on Cincinnatus @ Perseus Project

Indeed, in my opinion, it wasn't only a historical mess, it wasn't even entertaining. Braveheart, despite more moderate distortions of history, was at least highly entertaining. The same can be said of Gladiator. One thing that I find often is that the British seem to really dislike Braveheart. Is it simply because its anti-English? Or is it more reflective of Mel Gibson and his later horrible history bastard... the Patriot? Which I, even as an American, found offensive. However, just because a movie may be anti-establishment, 'Dances With Wolves' from an American perspective comes to mind, I can still appreciate it. I found that film, despite some of its messaging, to be a wonderful representation of pre-American expansion. What I'm saying is.. I love that movie and don't care that my side is depicted as the bad guy. Is Braveheart taken more personally in Britain, or do people really thinks its too much of a historical sham?

As my wife said after reading it... 'it's not terrible' LOL thanks dear. I also want to personally thank Spartacus for several prize contributions... 2 coins and 2 books, and essentially for coming up with the idea in the first place. I just hope we get enough entries so we can give all this stuff away.

my sample entry.. judges can't enter Marcus woke in a blurry fog, head spinning and stomach churning. The dream of blooming heather, rolling hills and the scents of spring, replaced with something

UNRV.com is excited to announce a 'Creative Writing Contest' for Roman era related short stories. There is no reason for the contest other than to promote literature, especially as it relates to historical fiction. The contest entry period begins February 17, 2005 with submissions required before March 9, 2005. Entries should be emailed to primuspilus@unrv.com, and must include the writer's name. (Address and additional information will only be required for the presentation of prizes, if applicable). 1 prize per participant, but multiple entries are allowed. The rules are fairly simple. The concept is 'A Day in the Life of Roman Britain, circa 180 AD.' This rather generic term should NOT be taken literally. Your story can have anything to do with life in Roman Britain in 180 AD, and doesn't need to describe a single day. The story can relate to a Roman Legionary (as in my own example provided below), a Celtic villager going fishing, the building of a road, Pictish raiders advancing on Hadrian's Wall, a servant maiden in a large Roman villa or anything that could possibly happen in Roman Britain at that point in history. The story should be between 500 and 1,500 words (roughly, about a single typed page) and in English (use of foreign terms for coloration are encouraged, however). Proper spelling (English or American, no preference), grammar and punctuation may make the difference between prize placement, (so try to use spellcheckers) but for the most part we will be very lenient, and don't want to discourage entries from those who aren't native English speakers. Submitting a story automatically grants UNRV.com the right to publicly display winning entries either on our forum at www.unrv.com/forum/index.php, on individual web pages within unrv.com, and/or at www.roma-victor.com The stories will be judged by the unrv team members, known commonly as Primuspilus (me), Viggen and Moonlapse. They will be judged primarily on literary excellence (essentially meaning, 'Is it a good story') which will be arbitrarily decided by the judges. However, if there is a 'photo finish' we may put the stories in question up for a vote by the joint communities of unrv.com and roma-victor.com to give a final stamp of approval. Prizes 1st prize: First choice of the following books: 1.

Yes, unfortunately, the number of auxilia is not completely known.

Thank you Zeke, excellent stuff, sorry I hadn't noticed this earlier I don't see any mention of the falx, which of course was not only a distinctive weapon for the Dacians, but had a significant impact on legionary gear.