Primus Pilus

By the Imperial period, auxilia was very much a 'regular' part of the Legion. They were paid and funded by the Empire. If I recall correctly, auxilia were paid half the standard of the a full legionary.

Fourteen Saxon graves have been unearthed by workmen enhancing the area around Romsey Abbey. But road chiefs say the unexpected and important find should not delay the enhancement of the historic area. The Saxon remains were discovered at Church Place - close to the main gates to the Norman building. Hampshire County Council is working closely with the borough's heritage officer Frank Green and Southampton City Council's excavation unit to remove, analyse and log the finds. I nitial investigations of the 14 graves, suggest the remains are those of townspeople from the late-Saxon period. From Romsey Advertiser

A STRETCH of Hadrian's Wall discovered beneath a building site is to remain hidden from view under a four-storey hotel. The 15 metres of Roman remnants, preserved 3.5m below ground level, were found by developers building flats in Melbourne Street, Newcastle, prompting the city council to carry out an archaeological study. The stretch is also three metres beneath land earmarked for a 120-bed hotel development. The council has decided it would be too costly to display the ancient structure and has opted to refill the site. But they will place a plaque nearby telling passers-by what lies beneath their feet and say the wall will be preserved in case future generations want to dig it up. From This is the Tyneside

MILAN (Reuters) - Milan opened the gates to its ancient amphitheater on Monday but there was little for visitors to the 2,000-year-old ruin to see. Hidden behind modern buildings in the center of Italy's financial capital, the gray stone foundations of a few walls are all that remain of the huge oval-shaped amphitheater where gladiators and wild animals once fought to the death. Archaeologists say the arena, built in the first century, was only slightly smaller than Rome's Colosseum. It once boasted 40-meter (130 feet) walls crowned with columns that towered over the outskirts of ancient Milan but was largely destroyed in wars about 500 years later. Local authorities proudly announced the new historical site. Unlike many Italian cities, Milan is home to only a handful of landmarks, chief among them its Gothic cathedral and the La Scala opera house. From Yahoo

Loyd Grossman, chairman of the 24 Hour Museum and the Campaign for Museums launched the major new Anglo-Saxon and Viking Gallery at Norwich Castle on July 6. The

Don't do any of that stuff personally Zeke. I believe Ursus may have some more insight on the religious aspect of things.

When the Roman Empire got tired of pirates terrorizing shipping lanes and nearly bringing the known world's trade to a halt, it went after them hard. Roman general Pompey reportedly took just 40 days to locate and wipe out the ships and crews that were preying on shipping. It has taken much, much longer for modern scientists to again find the pirates of the eastern Mediterranean. Cheryl Ward, an anthropology professor at Florida State University, hopes she's on the verge of locating some of the pirate ships that were a thorn in the side of the Romans 2,100 years ago... From the San Diego Union Tribune

You are quite welcome. I'll try to do an actual review in the near future, as well. And thanks for dropping by

Well, technically no, but a Consular Legatus, serving as a provincial governor, could be in overall command of several legions.

From my persepctive, I much prefer games that are more authentic. I think it adds to feel, especially for a historically related one. Regardless, here are some suggestions... though a time period would help. I'm assuming it is based during the Republic for now... Military Positions: Legion Ranks Your best bet is probably, in order from lowest to highest... Auxilia (non citizen troops, such as Syrian archers or Germanic Cavalry in service to Rome. Not quite mercenaries really, but similar enough. Legionary (really a Milites, but obviously Legionary is more recognizable) Centurion (officer) Legate (General) Political Positions: This depends on what you are looking for of course as there are Senatorial positions and Equite ones. I'll stick with the Senate related Lowest to highest: Senator Quaestor Praetor Consul More reference... Magistrates, Cursus Honorum Social Positions... Now this is tougher, because I really don't know what you're looking for here. Actual titles and roles and general classifications? Here are some ideas though not be taken in any particular order as of yet... Tribune of the Plebes (a representative of the citizen assemblies which can be quite powerful, though actually a political position) Equite (the Roman knight class, required a certain level of wealth to be classified as such) Augur ( a religious role, people who predicted and translated natural events and what they meant) Pontifex Maximus (chief priest of the Roman religion) Patrician (a social or economic status representing heritage related directly to a "founding father") Plebeian (a social or economic status representing the common class) Those are just some basic ideas. Will be glad to help further if I just get a bit more detail from ya

Trapani, Italy, 3 July - "It is natural and clear that the Roman rostrum like many archaeological artefacts that are brought up from the Egades Sea can only find a place in the same islands. The Florio establishment is being restored, and is the natural site for the Roman rostrum." Thus said Undersecretary for the Interior, Antonio d'Ali', who has acted in the recovery, announced last Wednesday of the powerful bronze 'goat' lost by a Roman boat during a battle fought against the Carthaginians in the First Punic War. Only one similar item has been previously found in the Mediterranean. D'Ali' recalled that the centre will house a restoration workshop and research laboratory for relics from the sea. He said that he understood that everyone wanted it, but that this was the best place to house it. From Italy Online

Nicosia - American archaeologists diving for Roman artefacts off a packed swimmers' beach in Cyprus found live munitions dating from World War 2 instead, authorities said on Tuesday. British bomb disposal experts were called in to destroy the device found a few metres away from the shore of a beach neighbouring a British military base on the southern coast of the island... From IOL Discovery

ATHENS In the good old days of the ancient Games, Olympia was the honorable playground of noble athletes, a theater of sacred peace, fair play and somber processions among white marble temples, right? Wrong. The ancient Games were loud, smelly, sometimes scandalous, every bit as political as their modern counterparts and once even saw a full-scale battle in the middle of a boxing match. "The games of antiquity were not the hallowed celebrations of amateur athletics which we are often led to believe," said David Gilman Romano, adjunct professor of classics at the University of Pennsylvania. "The ancient Games were in many ways very much like the modern Olympics: intrinsically political, nationalistic and commercial." "The games of antiquity were not the hallowed celebrations of amateur athletics which we are often led to believe," said David Gilman Romano, adjunct professor of classics at the University of Pennsylvania. "The ancient Games were in many ways very much like the modern Olympics: intrinsically political, nationalistic and commercial." From International Herald Tribune

FINDS

But perhaps Alexander would've never risen to power in Macedonia and Greek/Hellene influence may have been less than it turned out to be. But I digress...

For Reference... Roman Mythology My favorite are the Dia Lucrii... the gods of profit =P Actually if I had to pick one, I think it would be Vulcan - God of Fire, Blacksmiths and Craftsmanship. Sort of a working man's deity I suppose.

Thanks Ursus and welcome!

Also would go for Athens. Athens was the cultural center of the world for several millenia, including during the Roman Empire. Militarily they could be quite impressive as well. An interesting history 'what if?' would be: What if Sparta and Athens had maintained cooperative relations instead of being rivals. Who knows how far or how long Greek culture and power would've dominated.

True, true, I suppose I am simplifying it too much.

I don't think I'd call it communism. While some similarities exist to a communal environment, wouldn't pre-history people be classified as living within family groups/clans? These groups would aways have a patriarch or matriarch, I'm sure. Mind you, my knowledge of pre-historic human society is limited to 15th hand knowledge of some theory passed down by a procession of anthropologists, biologists, historians and some plain old scientists Going farther, even more in-depth clan and tribal societies would still have chiefs or elders. Still I suppose nearly all members of the society functioned within essentially the same existance. I suppose it depends on how strictly we classify communism. Would the best hunter of the group keeping the best meat, or trophies to symbolize his kills, (thereby recognizing his individual effort) still be considered communist?

Spartan commander was Xanthippus.

No, they were involved in Tunes, in North Africa, c. 255 BC and were likely involved in several battles in Sicily under Hamilcar. The bulf of the Spartan force likely stayed in Africa, fighting the Numidians.

No, Sparta was involved in the First Punic War as a mercenary army. During the Second Punic War, hostility broke out between Philip of Macedonia and Rome. The Macedonian Wars had nothing to do with Sparta. The Spartan mercenaries revolted after the close of the First Punic War, and Carthage was hard pressed to put them down. Under Hannibal's father, Hamilcar, Carthage finally succeeded after several years. In the meantime, Rome took Sardinia and Corsica from Carthage, fueling the fire for the Second Punic War.

The military ranks remained, for the most part, unchanged throughout the history of the empire. There were some adjustments to the command structure with the change from the maniple to the cohort under Gaius Marius, and some in the late empire, but for all practical purposes the ranks remained relatively the same throughout. Check this out for the Legionary command structure... Legion Ranks

Personally I prefer a dictatorship or monarchy, with me in charge =P