DDickey

Obama didn't sell out. He's finally showing his true colors. Despite popular opinion, and the thread of his official narrator, he is an old-fashioned politician playing old-fashioned politics. He's running as the Anti-Bush, anti-Republican, and that is it. His official narrative sells the idea that he's different and unique, but he's not. Every thing he has done so far is by-the-book. This obsessive cult of personality surrounding him worries me. No one should be given serious consideration for the highest elected office in this country based soley on popularity. Who is the man? What does he believe? What does he stand for? Do you know? Does anyone know? Does he know? I have a question I ask Obama followers, and it's one that hasn't elicited a response: Can you say one positive thing and Barack Obama, as a politician, that in no way, shape, or form references George Bush or the Republicans? Ask someone that. They'll struggle to give you a response.

Thanks for the enquiry! I've asked the publishers about this, but am still awaiting a reply. When it comes, i'll let you know. In the meantime, I found this: Belisarius US?. Is that what you were looking for? Cheers! Cool. Thanks a lot. I'm definitely interested in it.

What program does one need to listen to this? Log onto the link given in Aesclepiades' third post on this thread. Then click on 'Listen Live'. Once the next window comes up, scroll down the list of programmes and click on 'In Our Time'. That should do it - If you have not already got it, you may need 'quicktime for windows' to run this. Thank you! But while I was at work, I found it on iTunes and downloaded it there.

What program does one need to listen to this?

Is this coming to America? I couldn't find it on Amazon's US page.

But it doesn

I'm interested in reading about Justinian and I was wondering if anyone could help me in naming our primary sources on him. Thanks.

Well, to an extent, I suppose, that's true. But Plutarch says many men saw piracy as a legitimate enterprise through which they could fulfill their ambitions. As for comparisons to modern groups, I would hesitate in drawing such lines between the present and the past.

I'm finishing Nero by Michael Grant and The Roman Art of War Under the Republic by F.E. Adcock. When I finish those I plan on attacking Gaius Marius: A Political Biography by Richard J. Evans, a book I've long wanted to read; I just got my hands of it for fairly cheap and I'm eager to read it.

Sorry to veer off course, here, but that is a myth.

My interest in Rome is largely in the Republican era, but I have long been interested in Nero. However, it seems to me that he is largely misrepresented. Granted, his reign was colorful and sometimes appalling, but what interests me is how well he seemed to govern the Empire for the most part. Equally interesting is his disdain for violent death--its seems the only time he killed was when he feared for himself in someway. It just seems to me that he was a much more complex person than is given credit.

They're all gone.

Have fun with that. His logic is ... interesting. I don't think it's a strong criticism of Dawkins.

Link

There are a couple books I'd like to buy, but I'm short on cash, so I was wondering if anyone's interested in buying Caesar Against Rome: The Great Roman Civil War by Ramon L. Jimenez. It retails for $86.95, but I'm willing to sell it for $50.00. It's never been read and the dust jacket only is slightly dinged up on the bottom. PM me if anyone is interested.

Is anyone familiar with the various books on the Roman Army produced by Osprey Publishing? I'm interested in a few, but they're costly. One book, running 48 pages, retails for 17.95. Are they worth it?

I recently read The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard J. Evans. It was a truly fantastic and fascinating account, and I seriously need to find the time to read book two. And I just finished Julius Caesar by Philip Freemen, a book I felt was extremely unsatisfying.

Great book. I've read it twice now. It's a big monster of a book, and I keep it beside my computer for easy access. I do think it's a good introduction to the ancient world--from everything from Alexander the Great to Polytheism--but I've avoided deep considerations of the conclusions Ferguson drew. I'm actually surprised to see it reviewed here--it's one of those books I thought sufficiently obscure. Great pick! I'm eager to see what you review next.

That's a good one. I hadn't thought of it. Kudos.

All of the gaps were filled in largely with Old Testament prophecy. The four gospels, which were written between 30 and 60 years after Jesus' death, go out of their way to squeeze old Testament myths into Jesus' story. A good example is Jesus' birth in Bethelem. Mighty contrivances were made in order to present him as having been born there, contrivances that aren't factually accurate or make little sense--like the absurd notion in "Luke" that Augustus had ordered an empire-wide census, and, as part of that census, everyone in the empire had to return to the land of their ancestors in order to participate in the census; so, according to "Luke," Joseph and Mary returned to Bethelem, which was where Joseph's ancenstors were from, ancenstors from a thousand years previous.

This may be a little silly, but I thought I'd ask it anyway: If you could somehow magically get your hands on an ancient book that now no longer exists, which would you want to read? For my money, I'd love to read three things: Sulla's autobiography; Polybius' missing work on dictators; and Appian's missing history of Egypt.

. I'm assuming this guy is a fundamentalist Christian trying to prove that the world is only 6,000 years old. Still, it's worth a watch because it's both infuriating and hilarious. It's particularly worth watching about 5 minutes in, when he talks about Julius Caesar. . Infuriating, I tell you.

Yeah, I've looked into myself and it's legitimate. I'm seriously considering doing it. My only concern is their history class is broad; I would like to focus on ancient history.

Can anyone point me to a scholarly book or article about education during the Republic, especially during the period 170-140 BC? Thanks.

I agree. Some of the most interesting early Christian theological ideas can be found in the so-called apocryphal literature