GhostOfClayton

In theory, the iPad's aGPS should be capable of the same kind of accuracy as all but miltary GPS devices. In fact, in the Bay of Naples area, aGPS may just have the edge of your actual, bog standard, run-of-the-mill 'unassisted' GPS device (but only just). That said, it is very, very, very dependant on the software app that takes the data from the aGPS hardware, processes it, and shows it to you. Here, is where your skepticism would be well-founded indeed. It's barely 10 minutes since iPad was launched, and to develop a sufficiently sophisticated application in that time would be a lot to ask, especially for such a non-commercial, cash-strapped market as archeologists.

What we need is some kind of expert plant biologist (anyone know one). From the physical description of Silphium, the nearest surviving relative could be identified. There's your homework. That said, I remain pretty skeptical about accepting any one given folklore-based medicinal property of a plant where it can no longer be proven. That isn't denying some properties are based in fact, (aspirin is a fine example) but we can't take a particular stated medicinal property of Silphium (e.g. natural contraception) and surmise the existence of the plant from a similar property of a near relative. Terribly unscientific. PS This is my 100th post. What will my new status be? I can't wait to find out.

Naive, ameteur question, but doesn't iPad have "aGPS" on board? Wouldn't that help?

Ah . . . It's Horace !

Have a look (listen to) this website: http://webcast.berkeley.edu/course_details.php?seriesid=1906978539 The lectures on 4/23 and 4/25 would probably best answer your questions. But don't tell anybody about this resource . . . I've been using it to make myself sound cleverer than I actually am in front of the other forum members!

1st. Quintus Horatius Flaccus - At the risk of showing a chink of weakness before my fellow forum members, I really don't know who this chap is. Wikipedia beckons! =2nd. Claudius - Much admired by me. I have "I Claudius" on DVD, so I shall watch it again. =2nd. Hadrianus - This chap was my prediction. Certainly had some traits that I admire, but attempted religious genocide wasn't one of them. =2nd. Livius - I don't see it. In his writing, Livy seemed to have a tendency to go on . . and on . . and on . . and on . . and on. I, on the other hand . . ?

I refer you (I'm very much afraid) to my answer to your jails question. Again, there is a little about policing somewhere among the many episodes if you watch with 'All Roads lead to Rome' turned on. The period seems about right. On the up side - you will learn lots of new and interesting Roman facts with which to impress your family and friends. Take it with a pinch of salt, though. I think the historical advisor was a guy called Jonathan Stamp, and although he is undoubtedly a very brilliant and well educated man, some of the facts mentioned are just plain wrong. Happy viewing.

I'm aware this isn't the answer you wanted. Do you have HBO Rome on DVD? If so, watch the episode where Titus Pullo is thrown in jail for murder, but with the 'All Roads lead to Rome' feature turned on. It gives some basic information that should provide you with a good starting point for research. What you really don't want to know, is that jails are mentioned somewhere else as well, in either Series 1 or Series 2 (All Roads Lead to Rome turned on). I think it was before the Titus Pullo in jail episode, but I can't be sure..

This DVD looks almost suspiciously cheap. Has anybody got/seen it? Worth getting/watching?

Was this the one with Michael Sheen as Nero? The one from the "Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire" series? If so, I very much agree with your comments. It's one of several from that series that I have swilling about on the innards of my HDD TV box thingie, and have never got round to putting on DVD. If anyone fancies a copy, PM me and I'll sort you one out.

Good tip, Klingan. Sadly, I ran out of time, so didn't get to Stabiae. I should say what other visits I did manage while I was in the area: Pompeii Herculanium Oplontis Salerno (some good Roman bits 'n' bobs) Paestum - Good bus ride away, but almost as much of a highlight as Pompeii or Herculaneum. Two of the three Temples at Paestum

Wow, I'd forgotten I'd set that little conundrum. The source was discussed in some length in this thread, so it's not much of a secret anymore. In fact, I seem to remember that it was won with almost indecent speed by Nephele. She won a guided tour of the Roman sites in Provence. Really! Ask her if you don't believe me. With it now being a bit of an open secret, I've had to downgrade the prize to a guided tour of the Roman sites in Lincoln. In fact, I'd cheerfully show any UNRVian round the Roman sites of Lincoln, so it isn't much of a prize, really. It's just my way of giving something back. I think it's wonderful to be part of group of people that have favourite classical-era Germanic tribes . . . and I genuinely say that that with all respect and sincerity.

There should be less pedant's in the world.

You raise a good point, Kosmo. Cleopatra has always been portraiyed as a stunner (I'll go with Amanda Barrie in Carry on Cleo as my favourite, how about you?), but on the coins . . . well, she was no Theda Bara, put it like that. Maybe tastes have changed. Hang on a minute . . . I've just realised where Nephele got her avatar from. How dim have I been?

Did you know that London Underground employ "Fluffers"? It's the nick-name given to the small army of cleaners that head off down the tunnels every night (after the trains have stopped running, obviously) to pick up the debris and detritus of the day. It turns out that most of this consists of human hair - hence the name. No, really, they do!

From an author's point of view, I think you may have struck gold with the Christian / Pagan Sun God subject. Any Pagan v Christian theme really seems to catch the punters' imaginations. When I do the Hadrian's Wall tour, I usually choose the Mithraeum at Procolitia to give clients a little lecture on Roman Religion in general, but focusing on how Christian worship evolved from Pagan worship, (he says . . . like he's some sort of expert). There are more questions/discussions following that one than any othe lecture I give. Aurellian tortured many Christians to death in some pretty horrible ways. More grist for the author's mill. Even a faily intelectual readership is more bloodthirsty than it cares to admit. Apparently, one chritian legion was decimated, and then decimated again, and then put to death as a whole. And remember, religious intrigue and political scheming were not the two seperate issues they are in secular western societies of today. It would have been difficult to separate the two. Attitudes towards non-Italians in positions of power? I'll leave that one for more expert contributors than me. I would've thought that by that time it wouldn't have been an issue, but I can't really say. Did Aurellian purge the guard to cover up his role in a murder? Other emperors did similar things . . . and you are allowed to play fast and loose with history to a certain degree. A list of authors who also played fast & loose with history would include Suetonius, Tacitus, Cassius Dio, Livy, etc., etc.

I can't let you get away without Roman specifics Christina. I would be neglecting my duties.

While you were in the area, did you visit the 'Villa Poppea' at Oplontis? I would urge anyone visiting the Pompeii/Herculaneum area to allow time in their itinerary to visit, even if you have to forego the statuary trip up the volcano. One word of warning, you have to walk through quite a rough looking area from the car park to the villa, so watch your valuables.

Good news story. I ordered "Lustrum" by Robert Harris on Audiobook from Amazon. When it arrived yesterday, it had a little voucher in it for a free audiobook from a company called Audible.co.uk. The catch, you had to set up an account (including your credit card details), download the book, and then cancel the account (if you wanted to, obviously). Failure to cancel the account would lead to them charging your card about

Have we talked about the Ninth before in this Forum? They seem to have been quite busy around the Empire after their mysterious disappearence from Britannia. Though in fairness to Rosemary Sutcliff, these finds long post-date her excellent novel. I've also heard quite convincing arguments that they used Carlisle as a Legionary HQ. Slightly off-topic but if you look up the Audiobook for The Eagle Of The Ninth on play.com, it has a really interesting picture on the cover.

Yes . . . I've fallen into my own trap there. Saying that the reasons were many and varied, and then blaming the economy (almost in the same breath). Basically, the economy was bucking like a bronco on-and-off from (arguably) the back end of the 2nd century, but the Western Empire still steamrollered on without too much bother.

The idea of him being Aurelian's grandson is very good, but would it leave you much in the way of wiggle-room for interesting plot devices? I'm not all that convinced that the Emperor's granson would need much in the way of influential backscratching on his behalf to get him into the Praetorians. Especially if Aurellian benefited by having a trusted family member looking out for him. If that was not the case, you would have to fill out a whole back story for his ancestors, as their successes and failures would have greatly effected how he is viewed by his peers, and also how he views himself. If his ancestry had achieved great things, the same would be expected of him, but he would also have been indoctrinated with very cocky self belief. Perhaps to add to his struggle against terrible odds his family would have originated quite low in the social classes - maybe his father was a "Homo Novus". He would have been much less respected, but would still have been able to grease the wheels with money and favour. So, if not the Emperor's family, what class is Primus Messenius Rapax exactly? This would have affected his rank in the Praetorian guard (presumably Tribune - the son of any quality family would have been on the Cursus Honorum). Even if he starts as a pleb he can still go places - look at Lucius Vorenus in HBO Rome. Also, you need a love interest. If he's any kind of Patrician class, his marriage would have been a political one, allowing him to take other lovers - plenty to go at story-wise there, especially if one of them was part of the Imperial family. If he's a tribune, and he's travelling around the empire, then it wasn't unusual for kidnappings to happen. Ceasar's experience with the pirates springs to mind. Some things there to think about.

Sadly, it seems to be only available as a Region 1. Shame, it looks like just the sort of thing I'd have liked on my DVD shelf. You'll have to let us know what you think, Ursus.

. . . and even as far back as Hadrian. In effectively halting further conquest, he put a stop to the steady inflow of wealth (and particulalry precious metals) that had been happening thus far. This had been doing a fine job of keeping the lid on the kind of inflationary pressures that continued to dog the Empire's economy thereafter. At the end of the day, it would be great to point at one discreet decision and blame it, but the reasons for the fall of the Western Empire are many, varied, and complex. It wouldn't be beyond the knowledge of this forum's contributors to find a way to blame Augustus. (There's a challenge!)

I'm making an assumption that you've taken the opprtunity to stop off at Piercebridge on your way up/down. If not, wait for a sunny day, and do so. Some good excavations are on display.