Faustus

I'm going to suggest an author, Bernard Lewis , and if you follow the link by clicking on his name, you will be taken to a site where you can read some comments and replies by and to Dr Lewis. Read the pertinent ones and if you find those interesting, I'd suggest that instead of doing a lot of exploration on the internet, which I'm sure is very useful, just go to your local large bookstore and take some of his books off the shelf, find a comfortable place to sit, and look through them. I discovered his work on Islam while sitting in waiting rooms, reading reviews of books in Time or Newsweek, and was moved to further reading of his work on the subject which you inquire. Titles of books can be misleading because they can be phrased in an attempt to reach a broader reading public, so don't judge a book by it's title, but more by what you find inside its pages. Here's one title and an excerpt from a New York Times review: THE CRISIS OF ISLAM (Holy War and Unholy Terror) "The Crisis of Islam is rich with the eloquence and erudition for which Lewis has become known and admired. . .[A showcase of] his knowledge of the history, historiography, jurisprudence, and customs of Islamic society in the Middle East." And on the same book, one by National Review : "Bernard Lewis is justly regarded as the world's premier living authority on the history of the Middle East and the Arab world. . . Lewis meets, with his customary excellence, the particular needs of a new generation of readers. . .[He] provides an excellent brief summary. . .with an intellectual sensitivity that makes his book a source of remarkable insights, and a joy to read.

Salve, and thanks PP. That makes total sense. Now that I have your attention I have a related question for you, or anyone who may know where to find this: I was visiting that thread looking for a version of a Roman law regarding the placement and maintenance of boundary markers in the Republic and/or Empire. This was in a thread I stumbled onto a couple of months back. The reason for my interest was because it sounded very familiar as compared to modern but somewhat archaic phraseology used in terms of boundary markers and stones and their placement and maintenance nowadays, as law requires. Faustus --------------------

In G.O.

I can understand the the pleasant old chap's need to discuss rechargeable batteries because that's a subject of vital interest. Who doesn't want to talk about the merits of rechargeable versus the regular type of battery? And a pet rat. . . everyone has one, right? So sorry for his loss, he has lots on his mind he wants to share. (For me, that follows after one of

THE COUNTRYSIDE (From: Roman Britain- ch. three) The Pavement of Floors No consideration of villas as a whole is complete without some reference to the mosaic pavements which have so often indicated their existence. The most famous and most evocative are those decorated with figure-scenes from mythology. But when an attempt is made to estimate the position of the patron in the choice of pattern, it must he borne in mind that the range of patterns available will have depended upon the pattern-book of the firm which laid the pavement. Again, the execution of the work might vary sharply according to the competence of the worker. A striking example of this is furnished by the Cirencester pavement of the Four Seasons, of which, out of three surviving, two are fashioned with sensitive grace while the third is a coarse and clumsy rendering of the same subject, wholly lacking in deftness of line or subtlety of colour-blending. Entire compositions, based upon original designs of obvious breadth or delicacy, could become mere caricatures in the hands of inexperienced or over-ambitious workmen. Such are the Wolf and Twins pavement from Aldborough, now at Kirkstall Museum, Leeds, the Venus pavement at Rudston (E. Yorks), and the Apollo and Marsyas pavement, from Lenthaya Green, Sherborne (Dorset). A comparable failure in detail marred the Horkstow pavements, though in some reproductions of lost examples the copyist must bear his share of the blame. The fact that such standards of workmanship passed muster serves as a check upon the sensibility of Romano-British patrons. It is clear that many were about as far from an appreciation of classical taste as a worker of samplers from a designer of Gobelin tapestry. What is remarkable is that they should have wanted such things at all, particularly when a rich and attractive variety of conventional patterns in abstract design was also available, which native instinct might have prompted them to choose. The choice then becomes something purposeful, as deliberate as Chaucer

What If: (one answer ~ I'm embarassed to treat a subject intended to be a light one by the poster so seriously, but the solution to the succession problem had been occupying my mind) The underlying problem of Rome, it seems to this observer, was the problem of succession, with all of its derivatives. The inability of Rome to cope with the succession problem led to perhaps 50 years of civil wars in the 3rd century A.D. This led in turn to military dominance in the system of government, and finally to (temporarily) successful emperors like Diocletian and his scheme for succession (which finally yielded a Constantine). This was partly because military solutions have the advantage of immediacy and irrefutable force in their application. Preceeding those 50 years were almost 200 years of peace in the Roman world, one of Rome

Not if one's definition of such a "marker" (as expressed in the original posting in this thread), is that it be an indication of a culture having forgotten its "history and sacred founding places." The destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem was a loss to the Jewish people, to be sure. But the physical destruction of the Temple (both times -- first by the Babylonians, and the second time by the Romans) didn't result in its ever being forgotten, as was the case of Rome's Cave of the Lupercale. In fact, the destruction has been commemorated over the generations, resulting annually in a period of intense mourning in worldwide Judaism which culminates on a day called Tisha b'Av. It's a coincidence that, both times the Temple was destroyed, it occurred on this same date -- the ninth of the month of Av (which, in the Western calendar, generally falls around the end of July to beginning of August). While it's true that "a qualitative change" (as expressed in the original posting) occurred in Judaism with the eventual disappearance of the Sadducees sect following the destruction of the Temple, the history and the Temple itself have never been forgotten. Jews have always marked the year of the Temple's destruction as a reference point for calculating dates. And, the tradition of the groom at the end of his wedding breaking a glass underfoot is meant to bring to mind the destruction of the Temple. That, even on the happiest of days -- one's wedding day -- we remember the saddest of days. -- Nephele Thanks Nephele, for re-orienting my thinking on this, and for the elegant background information on the Temple at Jerusalem. It's almost as if at the moment of discovery of our "marker"the words, "Eureka, I've found it!" would be the most appropriate thing to say, and that it would be an unexpected discovery. By that measure, perhaps, my first posting on the pagan icons found in the compost pits of modern Britain fill(ed) that bill to some degree. Valete -

I'll take your leap. My guess, though not a very educated one, is that the marker you look for is the moment when The fate of Europe ceased to be, to whatever degree, in the hands of The Emperor of Rome (west) and became more a province of the Roman Catholic Church. So then, that moment of history would begin when the people of the Roman empire became so indifferent that their allegiance became more attached to Christianity, and the possible life hereafter than the one they lived as Roman citizens. It was then that an empire could no longer by sustained, and Christianity in the entity of the R C C, as the one stable institution among the ruins, would step into the dominant role of guiding European civilization. It was Christianity and the R C C

Salve Ludovicus, That quasi-quote wouldn't have been the first time a variation of like words were spoken. The Archeologist I.A Richmond describes an equivalent gesture, not in a founding place but at the other end of the historical time-frame. The equivalent act created what have turned out to be some of the easiest of archaeological finds, freighted with the same meaning: Pagan icons and statues, Roman coins with Roman gods or Roman coins with images of Emperors 'who would be gods', thrown in the pits of outhouses (toilets) by early Christians. Not of the same importance, I admit, nor do I want to go off topic, but with the same implied message: "We'll be done with this." When dug up, they would be found buried in a sort of compostlike material.

~ ~ ~View of Bignor Villa ~ ~ ~ Artists conception of Bignor villa mentioned earlier. ~ ~ ~Mosaic Floor in Dining Suite of Bignor Villa Note the Bath Suite with the Barrel Arched Roof (in white) THE COUNTRYSIDE (From: Roman Britain- ch. three) The Development of Villas It would be difficult in the present state of knowledge to say where villa-life began to flourish on a widespread scale, but it may be recognized that in some districts its beginnings came much later than others. A remarkable case of a late start occurs in the territory of the Parisii in east Yorkshire. Here, at the excavated villas of Langton and Rudston, the agricultural ditches which mark the first phase in the history of the site are strewn with pottery belonging to the late first century A.D. In other words, they mark the new phase of activity in cultivation stimulated by the pax Romana and by the demands of taxation or levies in kind made upon an allied community by the Roman government. But the first modest buildings in the Roman manner at both sites do not come into existence until the third century A.D. This again marks the incorporation of the tribe within the newly constituted province of Britannia Inferior and the more insistent development of the natural resources within easy range of its new capital at York. But amenities can hardly be said to exist until the forth century A.D., by which time the greater insistence upon the development of local economy and the ever growing tendency to levy taxation in kind rather than in money, caused a rise in values and prices of agricultural produce and increased the wealth of farming folk. The two villas could then be furnished with mosaic pavements and bath-houses, the latter of real luxury at Rudston. Vigorous local scools of mosaic workers, copying classical models with enthusiastic infidelity, grew up to meet the demand. A house of considerable architectural pretensions at Harpham belongs to this period, though its beginnings were earlier. A second area where development came late is the north-east corner of the territory of the Brigantes,now County Durham. The villa at Old Durham has a bath-house which belongs to the fourth century A.D., and large threshing-floors of the same date. But the agricultural ditches which, as at Langton or Rudston , mark the earliest phase or activity on the site, yielded Antonine pottery. This is interesting because it marks a forward movement of Romanized property-holders in correspondence with the advance of the Roman frontier from the Tyne to the Forth. There is no indication that the Old Durham site outlasted the severe troubles of A.D. 367-9, when Hadrian

There seems to remain a lot to be found out. The domed ceilings of "caves" are generally not actual domes, nor so perfect as this appears, but oblong rounded caverns with lots of irregularities, projections, protuberances, etc. It appears likely this

Salve Doc, and thank you for clearing that up for me. Most appreciated!

It

Actually MPC, though I noted what prompted your question, if I may, I don't think the word "Psychohistorical" ever was mentioned in any of the Foundation novels, but rather the science of Psychohistory. Pshychohistory was the (mathematical) underpinning for the foundation to be set up to provide for the replacement of the fallen empire. The Galactic Empire was falling over a period of time measured in many thousands of years, and the Foundation plan to be put in place was to preserve knowledge and to save mankind and thus provide for its (the Empire

I enjoy your Blog. You have your share of Galoots around where you live, big and small.

BTW Maladict, I made that same connection at the time with Belisarius and Bel Rios in Foundation that you did. My reading was about 1957. That became part of my fascination with the series: an empire, falling, falling. . .These days I try to loan out spare copies to interest others in Rome. It's a good way to share the enthusiasm, and inspire interest from a new direction.

That could be what I was looking for, though it doesn't ring any bells. Do you have any ideas yourself? I didn't want to lean too heavily on "lancer" but that was all I found. I originally prefered a variation of Caesar as a "leader in-", but thought for the time period it was a leap. Perhaps the Illyrian name was a corruption of a Latin name, a step away, or once removed, as it were? (Aurelian was Illyrian and the son of a provincial.) Were all the rules followed for names by the provincials? My original thought though, was on the importance of names and their influence regardless of the time frame. or maybe even more so.

Salve - Names do influence us to action. How would a name do that? Perhaps by reminding us of history, of standards, of excellence, of legacy, of action . . .an encoded calling, a prophecy of expectations. Bell- (um) War (belligerant, bellicose, ie. all manner of military terms derived from) SAR-(culum) a light hoe, garden hoe, a lance SAR-isophorus a Macedonian Lancer Here is a writer and a producer of films , named Bellisario, who produces film under the name of Belisarius. The theme or genre of all of his work is military, and he does an excellent job in his work. His JAG TV series is about a Female Marine, and a Navy officer, both in the Judge Advocate General corps(military lawyers). It's an excellent, accurate, and exciting, true to life portrayal of military people. He has followed this series with NCIS which is an acronym for Naval Counter Intelligence Service, which is about the same services, with different people; military sleuth-work. I would posit that Belisarius of ancient Rome East chose his name for it's meaning or it was given to him for that very reason.

Salve - Perhaps this belongs in Nomina et Gentes but it is a Latin question. I feel I must ask as it perturbs me personally and I'm certain other viewers (at least a few) would like an explanation also. When I see the Antonia Gens, the Julia Gens, the Claudia Gens, I'm used to thinking Antonian, Julian, Claudian, etc. and in Latin I think Antonii, Julii, Claudii but these plural masculine endings are usually applied to the tribes, like the Cantii, Cornovii, Dumnonii, etc. and some seem to have feminine endings like the Belgae, the Novantae, the Selgovae. But we see the Gens with what appear to be feminine endings. This doesn't seem to fit the Roman way, so I think, perhaps, we're declining as plural endings in the neuter gender and the nominative case so as to take in the whole, neither leanig to m or f. That seems to be too fair by half. So what is the gender, the declension, the case, or what's the explanation? Faustus --------------------- If elegancy still proceedeth and English pens maintain that stream [of new words] we have of late observed to flow from many, we shall within few years be fain to learn Latin to understand English. -- Sir Thomas Browne, 1646

Excellent Find Nephele In that design of a level the skull is the plumb-bob, with the line crossing some scribed center line mark not shown in the artists depiction. But I can still see how it would function. (I've been tempted to purchase a plumb-bob-and-line called a "Plumb-Barbara", which would describe quite another side of life) That triangle, then would be set on the edge of a piece of stone or other material to be set, and would thus find level. Great Leveler indeed!

Rome