Germanicus

I want to respond.....but it's not thread related. I'll just quietly hope that everyone knows the mark of a real man is actually self control.

Yeah, didn't think he'd have the guts to try it. I liked the one in Gabon I think it was where he had to ingest that foul tasting halucinogenic root for hours on end and vommitted it all up inside the tent.

Ursus said "war crimes" - meaning he doesn't really take the idea seriously - inverted commas ??? Oh my....! Whether they needed them or not Rome loved being ruled by degenerates - ever heard of the Julio Claudian Emperors ? Tiberius, Caligula, Nero - not degenerate enough for you ? I think the only point that you're making here is that YOU, don't blame Caesar for anything. Augustus proved his metal by the way he dealt with Anthony, Cleopatra and Caesarion, Caesar should have had the forsight to do the same. I admire Caesar, and agree with both PP and Ursus with regard to this matter, and their extensive posts detailing his good points, but can't help but sympathise with Catos comment :-

Just wondered if anyones seen this series of documentaries ? Bruce Parry lives with a different "Tribe" each episode. I'm really enjoying it, although wonder what the people think of him after he leaves.

Ariovistus - when you make a claim like this, it would good....and in line with forum guidlines to back it up with some examples, and even sources outlining what the "many times" were, and what you mean by "greatest loss" .Similar to your thread regarding the Roman military diet, where you claim that "all the souces say legions lived on gruel" - give us the sources or you won't be taken seriously !

That'd be one hell of a guess !! What contemporaries do you mean ?

A fancy torch (batteries inside), a penguin copy Tacitus Annals, and a gun of some description. My aim would be to set myself up as a God by predicting the future (using the annals) creating strange nightime effects to freak out the locals (with my torch). The gun would be strictly for defence.....unless they needed a demonstration of my divine power.

No so, but possibly Roman Citizens themselves were not crucified. Anyone else was fair game if a crime was committed. Ala - Pirates crucified by Julius Caesar. (not slaves, just non-citizen criminals)

I must say, I too am gagging to check out these sources Ariovistus - please post them.

Can you give us a source on this Moonlapse ?

Cato - Perhaps it would help if you gave some examples of historical Roman writings and the reasons you yourself believe them to be inaccurate ?

Correct me if I'm wrong - but cooking with alchohol burns off the actuall alchohol yes ? Like if you are making a red wine jus, you should be left with a non-alchoholic sauce with just the flavour of the wine ???

As Phil started the statement with "But I don't think" he seems to already know it's his personal opinion, it's no cheaper than anyone elses opinion is it ???

Good post Phil. I don't know of many failed plots myself, I believe both Gaius and Commodus avoided earlier attempts on their lives. Matter of fact it would seem that almost every Emperor after Augustus put someone to death for a suspected plot.

Pure invention. There was a Primagenia legion - raised by Gaius (Caligula). There's a lot of invention in Iggulden's books. Strange when there's so much more interesting, factual information on the period he chose to write about.

Laodicea ?

This whole discussion proves my point - You like what you are used to:- Statements like:- make it obvious. Distances in Australia are equally as large, but we use metric and it's dead easy to conceptualize for those that are USED TO IT. As is 173 centimetres. Give me miles and yards and feet and inches, and I'm lost. At least as Viggen mentioned, Google is my friend.

Absolutely - you've noticed the change already haven't you ? To quote Pharrell Williams of Neptunes fame - Cool is being comfortable in your own skin, so PP if you are comfortable being uncool - you're cool.

Had a good time fishing on a boat out in Port Phillip bay at the weekend, caught heaps and have been eating fish since then. Flathead is delicious and oh so versatile.

So that's where it came from, I've heard this before in reference to an embassy from M Aurelius, but had trouble finding evidence. Where did you find this reference ?

Marius certainly increased the service period, but I don't think to a standard 25 years I suspect his capite censi Legions remained under colors for as long as required. Augustus "increased" the length of service to 20 years (officially it had been only 6 prior to that) and I understand that after Augustus it became 25.

Being a metric user, it's a matter of what you're used to. I don't think one system is better. Metric seems simpler to me because I've used it all my life, it's second nature. The other system is better for the Americans for the same reason. We don't have any trouble building wooden boxes using metric.

Do you mean that the population of young men could not replenish itself in an area between enlistments ?

As this thread was inactive for a month and is now degenerating into yet another Alexander/Caesar love affair, it's locked.

Everything I can see indicates that it was most likely a game more akin to hockey - they often say it is described by Catullas. Like this one