Crispina

Crispina, my fellow Falco admirer, I'm afraid I have to disagree with you. I really didn't see much more gore and sex than the original series had, although I will admit that the pacing of this first episode was perhaps a bit too fast. But I think that was probably due to the writer trying to establish the storyline quickly. I can see potential for a better fleshing out (pun unintended) of the storyline in subsequent episodes. I was pleased to see just about all of the regulars from the original series back again. All in all, I think this new series got off to a good start! -- Nephele While I did appreciate the full frontal I just think the writers and director tried too hard for shock value. Plus you know I just can't accept John Hannah in the roll of Batiatus, I don't know why I just don't care for him. Maybe I just don't care for the character of Batiatus altogether. I remember I said this about the original series when it began and said I'd never watch it...well I did, but this time I'm pretty certain I won't watch GOTA.

I watched the first half of this last night. Hated it. They don't have a story anymore so they load up with gore and sex, looked like the ads I see for teenage video games.

It has a genuine wooden base too! I got a couple gift certificates for Christmas to use at the shop, and when I saw this charioteer I just had to have it. My friend who owns the shop just laughed and laughed. Hey - I like it!

Bought this today at my favorite antique shop. Must be something very special, it's heavy plastic and cost $14. Go Greens!

After watching a documentary on Herculaneum for the 10th.time, and the fact that much more of the ancient city lies beneath the modern city, I was wondering what would one expect to actually find in an ancient library? Has one ever been found? I remember the news about the burnt manuscripts being made readable, but don't remember if these were from an ancient Roman city or other.

The trailer does look pretty good. I doubt it will come to our theater, but one can hope. Do you think they will film the entire series? I mean, wouldn't they have to; or perhaps they'll squeeze everything into one movie. What about the family ring and the girl he leaves it with, hidden at the base of the tree? (I do have the right book don't I? )

"Dying Light in Corduba" - this was good. The next, "Three Hands in The Fountain", has a more contemporary feel about it -serial killer and all; but it was also pretty good. Nice descriptions of the aqueduct systems, and since I had learned more about aqueducts from some of the UNRV forum threads I could visualize the characters' romps through the tunnels,ect. better. This morning I picked up "Two for The Lions", one I'm anxious to read; Nephele mentioned this as the first book she read in the series, I think?

A very happy birthday to you and many more.

Thank you for posting the many informative links. I will have to browse them all. Years ago, I attempted to teach myself Italian, from all manner of books on Italian grammar, yes the "Learn Italian" tapes, and even an interactive software program that was great. I bought Italian newspapers at the book store, workbooks, ect. One of my favorite books was a guide to Italian slang. ha I finally got to the point I could read and write the language fairly well, but when it came to speaking I was too shy to practice in public! Anyway, I do remember most of the rules of pronunciation so that helps a little; but I realize it is not Latin.

Posting my "dumbness". But when reading novels set in Roman times, I have a hard time figuring out how to pronounce most characters' names. Some seem fairly obvious, but others look as though they could be pronounced three different ways! Are their any simple "rules" of pronunciation when it comes to proper names? or do I have to learn Latin?

Thanks for reading my post. The site mentioned is probably the best for reference. One needs to know the number of the tablet of interest, however. My post is based on tablet 154 and one must enter 154 to bring up the tablet in question. (Or, one can click on the "View all tablets" option and go through each tablet, one at a time.) http://vindolanda.cs.../TVII-2-1.shtml guy also known as gaius I remember the site you mention (and posted link to). I spent hours there one time, it was the wee hours of the morning before I realized it. Very interesting.

That will more than do - thank you very much. I'll bookmark the site.

Was a lunar eclipse ever mentioned in the writings of Roman historians? The moon turning red would have been a great mystery, how did they interpret this?

Merry Saturnalia to all of you. Eat, drink, bathe and debauch!

I wonder why it was in that particular spot? Do you suppose the head is nearby? What an amazing thing to come upon while out for a stroll.

Sounds worth more than two cents to me.

I do not know if you can access this from elsewhere but the full programme is currently available on BBC i-player until 9:59PM Tue, 21 Dec 2010 (I presume GMT but it doesn't explicity state this). This is the same documentary that I watched Monday night as part of the "When Rome Ruled" series on National Geo. I enjoyed it very much. Yes, Viggen. Wasn't that interesting? What surprised me was that all these years I've been told and read that ancient Romans exposed deformed or sickly children. The story of the twins is contrary to that idea, at least in this case. Someone actually cared for them for 11 or 12 yrs., and as the narrator mentioned it would have not been an easy thing to do. As any caregiver knows.

Ok, finished "Time to Depart". Not as good as I had hoped, in fact I found myself rushing through the last five chapters just to be done with it. But, I will say I still learned something - I always do with each book. That I can not complain about. In "Time to Depart" there was a heck of alot of stuff going on! And with my easily distracted mind, that's not a good thing. Not sure why Ms. Davis added the "skip baby", perhaps he will become an important character in future novels? As always there is a rousing ending and I do enjoy how well she writes action. Picked up the next, "A Dying Light in Corduba", and like this book right off. I've read six chapters so far.

I've suspect that all the recent programming on Pompeii may be a means of bringing more attention to the need for keeping the site from tumbling down. I certainly hope so.

Do you think so? I thought it was very good, at least they didn't do the "everyone ran to beneath the piers on the shore" scenario again. I never knew skeletons were found in homes and buildings, but why wouldn't there have been? This is the first time I've heard this information.

Thanks for posting this. Very interesting. I hope it comes to USA or at least as a download later. What a thrill to hold that jewelry, the mind just boggles imagining who the person(s) was that wore it.

"Putting the human face on things is always very interesting to me". Me too.

Someone brought this new series to my attention, and I tried to find the thread but was unable to. I was able to catch most of the first episode Sunday night about the Colosseum, and then there followed another episode about Caligula. I decided after watching awhile that there wasn't any real new info presented, but there were some interesting graphics (reconstruction of the amphitheater); didn't watch the second one on Caligula as I suspected same ole', same ole' as well. Anyone watch? Tonight's episode (9pm) deals with Pompeii, so I'll have to watch to see if and how they present any new facts. I'm sure the graphics, again, will be good. The second episode profiles Julius Caesar.