Ingsoc

Messalina and Claudius son Brittanicus.

I actually saw the civil war as a result of the old arguments, that existed since the colonies were freed from Britain, about whatever they should be the United States or the States United. if you look back to American history you will see that this arguments inside the union was allways present and what brought it into open was the radicalization of the South-North rivalry in the years leading to the war.

Happy Birthday! * Here is my humble gift *

After Alexander the Great Hellenism began to penetrate to the culture of the occupied people, the Phoenicians was the most hellenized nation in the east since they had close contact with the Greeks centuries before the Macedonian invasion.

Sorry but I have to disagree, to me Caesar is extremly overrated: I don't think that his conquest of Gaul produce much good for Rome, after all what could Rome really get from a bunch of primitves Gauls? As a politician Caesar was a utter faliure, unlike Augustus, he didn't know how to appease the senate and kept insulting them (even when this wasn't necessary) and thus inflame the opposition to his rule. and while he himself was relatively moderate no doubt that his destruction of the Roman republicanic system and one man rule set the foundation to the rise of tyrants like Caligula and Domitianus.

I actually thought that the original novel was great, I hope that they manage not to ruin it.

Mine: 1. Claudius 2. Hadrian 3. Julius Caesar

The sons of senators were equestrian.

"The following year C

Romulus wasn't exaclty an historical figure.

The deification of Roman emperors were common but only after death (in the east they were consider even in life) Julius Caesar was the first person who were deified in Roman history, what intresting about his deification is that it's was initiate by the people and only after were adopted by politicians like Pseudo-Marius and Octavius.

You seem to be right about the adoption as a political tool use by the imperial family (for example Claudius had his daughter adopted out of the family so she could be married to Nero) but it's seem that adoption of females began at the time of the repulic. "And so died Tiberius, in the seventy eighth year of his age. Nero was his father, and he was on both sides descended from the Claudian house, though his mother passed by adoption, first into the Livian, then into the Julian family." (Tacitus, Annals, 6.51) Obiviously Livia first adoption happend in the time of the republic.

Happy B-day!

You could download the audio version of I Claudius from E-Mule.

I don't think such a law would prevent a power struggle, even ancient monarchies like the Ptolemaic and Seleucid had power struggles for the throne. Also many of those struggles were due to the fact that there wasn't any male descendance availiable from the imperial family to assume the throne (like after the death of Nero).

The purpose of the adoption practise was to provide male heirs so families wouldn't be extinct, but what was the purpose of the adoption of women?

I doubt that any Romans could hear Paulus, at the time most of the mission was directed toward "god fearer" people who adopted the Jewish monotheism but didn't fully convert into Judaism.

Usually the position of a tribune was reserved for Roman of equestrian rank, the most that a common soldier could rise to is a Centurian rank. Military service wasn't mandatory at the time, however you would have to serve in the military in you desire a pubkic life.

Cesarion was the son Julius Caesar and as such a was a threat to Octavian, whose entire political career was base on the fact who was adopted by his great uncle. Antyllus was put to death beacause he grew up with Antonius and groomed as his heir while Iulius was brought up by Octavia most of his life and as such might be consider as her son. Cleopatra and Antonius children probably weren't consider Romans and as such they could be spared, it's also importand to remember that the civil war against Antonius was allways presented as a war against Egypt and Cleopatra and it's may be another factor in Octavian decision to spare some of Antonius children.

By their nature military organisation are conservative and tend to continue with what method that brought them victory hence Augustus saved the navy that give him victories over Sexstus Pompius and Marcus Antonius but in reallty the navy was much greater that Rome needed, for example Nero saw no problem to recriut two legions from the navy in the begining of the revolt against his rule since the navy wasn't that usefull.

You're still into Revisionist history Cato? I thought you'd grow out of it eventually. It doesn't matter how Tacitus or some delusional people in Rome felt about Augustus; what matters are the results. Under the great Emperor Augustus, Rome grew out of the petty politics that plagued the late Republic era, and flourished into the greatest empires ever known. Augustus' reign and adminstrative skills triggered the most prosperous era in Roman history, and there is nothing Tacitus can say to alter that. It's still doesn't contradict the fact that some people wasn't satisfied from the autocratic rules of the princeps.

In fiction I'm mostly reading the Disc World serie by Terry Pratchett.

On what do you base your opinion that he had Asperger's Syndrome? There is a good article by Ernestine Leon which conclude that Claudius phsical condition was due to cerebral palsy.

What help to narrow it down is the historical evidence, for example if you know of an historical figure call David and know that his father name Joseph and that he live during the 1st century in Jerusalem, etc., than it's likely that if you find a grave in Jerusalem from the 1st century who bear the name David son of Joseph you could associate the grave with the historical figure in great confidence.

The fragment is lomger than just themention of Varus, it's about ten lines and mostly mention Agrippa powers, an English translation can be found at Robert K. Sherk, The Roman Empire: Augustus to Hadrian, pp. 24-25 (PM me if you having trouble finding the book). Sorry to bump the thread, but I manage to find an online translation of the text: http://www.umich.edu/~classics/programs/cl...yl/db/H003.html thought I prefer Sherk translation.