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Interesting Italian Metal: guy also known as gaius

But, if I had to guess the reason, it must be because IIII was conceptually more... basic: I would imagine that such a basic numeral evolved more slowly than other ones, especially if the bars still kept an intuitive meaning, like fingers or sticks. If you consider longer numerals, you can see the reason for it was needed to make them visually simpler: not so for IIII. You may be correct. Think about it: One finger is one...three fingers are three, four fingers are four. Looking at the hand, when counting the thumb for five, the fourth finger and the thumb form a "V." I know that sounds ridiculous, but it might have helped younger Ancient Romans remember their Roman numerals. guy also known as gaius

Thank you for responding to my post. I think the other examples are a lot more common than "IV." Here is an example of XXXIIX for thirty-eight (I think): Tiberius,

On a numismatic forum, the point was made that "IIII" was used for the number four instead of "IV," even on more modern coins. The following has been suggested by several people:

The Changing Popularity and Reputations of Roman Emperors in Ancient Rome Today, the Emperor Claudius is thought to be one of the better, more effective emperors. He certainly is now held in higher esteem than the psychopaths Caligula and Commodus. Perhaps, however, this viewpoint was not always shared in Ancient Rome. Here is an article about an interesting collection of coins by Trajan Decius (ruled AD 249-251) commemorating his most worthy predecessors. This article makes me reconsider the various emperors

Unfortunately, this is one of the few sites Roman sites I get to visit these days. guy also known as gaius

Here's a (virtual) tour of Ancient Rome: guy also known as gaius

Sounds like a wonderful trip. I was in Rome seven years ago and my only regret was that I didn't take a tour to see Rome at night. (I was jet lagged from my flight from California and too tired from my walking during the day.) With any kind of planning, most sites could be seen independently without a formal tour. A tour bus, however, might be worth a treat to see Rome after dark. The city lights up so majestically. The Ancient, Renaissance, and Modern monuments and architecture come alive as the night lights reflect off the water, marble, streets, and ancient concrete. Good times. guy also known as gaius

This sculpture (in the British museum) was once thought to be from the ruins of the palace of Antoninus Pius. This statue was found near Civita Lavinia (modern Lanuzio) in Lazio, Italy and is dated from the second century AD of the Roman Empire.

Addendum (an interesting aside): I usually try to approach these subjects with a modicum of scientific rigor. I was surprised (and possibly disappointed) to learn that the modern greyhound is probably not related to the hounds found in Ancient Egypt.: http://www.greyhoundinfo.org/?page_id=22 http://www.greyhoundhaven.com/aboutgreyhounds.htm Therefore, our lovable greyhounds are not of Ancient Egyptian origin. Rather, these beautiful animals are of Celtic origin, if the DNA evidence is to be believed. There is no reason to believe, therefore, that the greyhounds of Ancient Rome were imported from Cleopatra's Egypt. guy also known as gaius

Wow. I'm sorry I missed this post earlier. I love greyhounds (and the related Whippets). They are my favorite breed of dogs. Ovid (43 BCE to AD 17), in his Metamorposes, made reference to greyhounds. http://hompi.sogang.ac.kr/anthony/Classics/OvidDaphne.htm Julius Caesar and Cleopatra had their affair in 48 BCE, only a few years before this quote. I am confident that Cleopatra did not introduce the breed to the Romans since the breed was relatively common during the time of Ovid. Since I can't find an original reference of Cleopatra's giving Caesar greyhound pups, I think this may be apocryphal. l will keep searching, however. I love those greyhounds (and whippets), though. guy also known as gaius

Great link, Auris. Thank you. There have long been two gaps in my knowledge to the better understanding of Ancient Roman history: Latin and Ancient Roman numismatics. Over the last several years I've worked hard to learn about Ancient Roman numismatics (although I don't collect coins). Learning Latin, however, has been a real struggle. I function very well in Spanish, using it nearly daily at work for more than twenty years. My Italian, another Latin-derived language, is more than adequate to communicate with my relatives in Italy on a regular basis. Learning Latin, however, has been a nearly impossible task. I lose my motivation as soon as I hear Latin, Maybe my brain has ossified. Maybe Latin is so foreign to my ears. I would much rather review my Dutch (a far more guttural and harsh-sounding language) before my next trip to the Netherlands than review my Latin so I can speak Latin with...no one. At least when I practice my Dutch, I can annoy my Dutch friends and...I can pretend I am speaking the tongue of some Ancient Germanic Batavian tribe. guy also known as gaius

Very thought-provoking post. From Wikipedia: Approximate distribution of languages in Iron Age Italy during the 6th century BCE. I always found the Oscan language to be interesting. If I remember correctly, it was used on the coinage of the rebels during the Social War (91

First, welcome to UNRV. Although most of us are not coin collectors (myself included!), I think it is important to study and appreciate numismatic material to gain a deeper inside into the daily life and economics of Ancient Rome. Many of the great books on Ancient Roman numismatics are expensive and not always user friendly. Doug Smith, an excellent teacher on Ancient numismatics, lists his favorite books here: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/book.html#cat Here is respected numismatic author David Sear's recommendations: http://www.davidrsear.com/academy/general_works.html That said, there are so many excellent sites on Ancient numismatics on the web, why bother? For the novice as well as the more experienced numismatic student, Doug Smith's own web site is a place worth starting: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/ Here is a web site that is helpful to any student of Ancient numismatics. I've frequently researched the site when writing about Ancient Roman numismatics: http://wildwinds.com/coins/index.html If you must spend money, however, a nice introduction is Wayne G. Sayles' Ancient Coin Collecting III : The Roman World--Politics and Propaganda. Seriously, though, research the web at the above sites and other links listed on this subforum. Although I have found many books invaluable for my reasearch into Ancient numismatics, most the information can be found from the web in a sometimes easier-to-read and always free source. guy also known as gaius

Thank you for reading my response. I also thought about sponsorship by the rich elites (thus, free admission) to many public spectacles (including gladiatorial events). I agree that these would be free. I think admission to the baths required a nominal fee. I also suspect that there was some non-sponsored events (sports and theatrical) that would have required some sort of fee Although many things would have been subsidized by the state (e.g; grain) or sponsored by rich elites (gladiator fights), it's hard to believe that there weren't events or performances that required some sort of fee, however small. Remember, Rome had a million inhabitants. I don't think the rich elites could have payed for all the entertainment needs. I also doubt much bartering was going on in brothels. Haggling, yes. Bartering, unlikely. In answer to the original question: Money, therefore, was an important means of exchange. guy also known as gaius .

Coin from 154 BC: C Scribonius Denarius. 154 BC. Roma right / Dioscuri galloping right, SCR below. Scribonia 1, Syd 380. http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear5/s0079.html Although many prices were probably haggled between individuals, there were probably "set prices" for many public activities: admission to a theater, sport events, etc. guy also known as gaius

I have great respect for Mary Beard and I appreciate anyone who challenges long-held, historical dogma. That said

Here is someone's paper on Suetonius' possibly biased assessment of Nero in comparison to Vespasian. (To see the link, refresh the page.) http://www.academia.edu/1526168/Comparisons_and_contrasts_the_reigns_of_the_emperors_Nero_and_Vespasian_as_presented_in_the_imperial_biographies_of_Suetonius guy also known as gaius ?

This is an interesting program dealing with Rome's often violent interactions with Scotland. The program poses an interesting question: "In the end, how should we assess Rome's influence on Scotland? ...a force for aggression and a force for change. A golden opportunity and a mortal danger. Two sides of the same coin." This program uses numismatic evidence to shed light on Scotland's complicated relationship with Rome. guy alos known as gaius

Although I read and contribute at a few coins sites, I am most fascinated by the daily webposts from the diary of Samuel Pepys: http://www.pepysdiary.com/ Samuel Pepys was an English naval administrator, rogue, and diarist from the late 1600s. He observed firsthand the English restoration of Charles II, the great plaque of 1665, the great fire of London 1666, and the Dutch defeat of the English fleet at Medway in 1667. We should do something like that here at UNRV. guy also known as gaius

Although Suetonius wrote during the time of Hadrian (one of the adoptive emperors from the Nerva-Antonine dynasty), he is thought to be a Flavian apologist, with especially good things to be said about the Flavian emperor Vespasian. There is no doubt where Suetonius stands on Vespasian, setting the tone from the very first sentence about his reign: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Vespasian*.html He is somewhat unfair to Nero, who will forever live in infamy. guy also known as gaius

Thanks for trying! It comes up on the PC, although the image smaller than usual. I hope the "upper management" addresses this glitch. guy also known as gaius

Here's an interesting set of animated videos that are a nice intro to Ancient Roman Society. Any opinions? guy also know as gaius

Just a test: