Melvadius

Not a question as such but I would like to add my thanks for the thoughtful and inciteful answers we have received to what turned out to be a slightly suprisingly wide range of questions.

The simple answer is that a major issue as far as Northern Europe is concerned was that the Romans preferred to make use of linear natural barriers as part of their limes/ frontier. In Britain Hadrian's Wall was the most successful making use of raised land even cliffs for much of its route while both the Rhine and Danube rivers formed an even more formidable barrier and major component of the limes across most of mainland Europe. Placing defences on such borders allowed the steady development of towns within Gaul which was away from direct threats while most of Germania either was not under direct Roman rule or if it was was always under constant threat from across the border so couldn't develop in the same way. This meant that they could not provide the necessary income for individuals to effectively 'pay their way' into the Roman elite.

More likely the UK press are 'in a snit' because it is several years since a British Museum won it. Last time was for the British Galleries in the V&A in 2003 so any true Romanophile has got to be congratulating this years winner.

An interesting (single deposition) coin hoard has been discovered during excavations near to the Roman circus at Colchester as been reported on BBC news here.

We've debated 'authenticity' in the bible several times on various threads here before and this article fits in with my memory of some of what has been said before. I am sure we will debate this point again but unfortuantely for detailed discussion the article doesn't make clear which 'version' of the bible was used as the basis of the comparisons, since there are significant differences between ancient and modern translations let alone the number of fragmentary and more or less complete early copies in various ancient languages There seems to be a suggestion in the article that the promary source may have been Greek as it refers to Greek sentence structure, while the Catholic Herald is probably correct to cite 'oral tradition' as 'possibly' explaining some of the differences noted. Personally I would also have considered the possibility of someone using the services of a skilled scribe to do their writing for them as another possibility for differences in writing style even if not outright forgery. Might be interesting to get feedback from someone who has actually read the book.

Well since most academics believe that the Carthaginians used a now lost sub-species of elephant about the size of Indian elephants not being African forest elephants shouldn't be a problem although I am not sure if there is any evidence they ever ran to three men howdah's plus mahout. Otherwise the website itself generally looks attractive. BTW I would have recommended Carthage Must Be Destroyed by Richard Miles for your reading list if you hadn't already written the book.

Nothing really suprising here but bad marks for Myth No 1 - 'Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned'. OK they note that Nero was highly unlikely to have been in Rome during the great fire but totally miss the point that a 'fiddle' (basically a violin but strung differently) is a relatively modern musical instrument dating in its modern form only from about 16th century. If anything he would have used a lyre

I can not comment on comparisons with Napoleonic armies and I always get nervous when anyone ignores the Chinese capabilities in the same period - a possibly apocrophyl tale of one extra brick being built as a reserve for a major fortification on the Great Wall spring to mind. However as far as Roman logistics are concerned there are a number of indications that it could be fairly formidable given the Romans had a noticeable effect on both livestock breeding and the spread of some forms of agriculture along the northern limes.

If you aren't trying to check references, don't mind images fairly randomly scattered through a book it is a good/ easy read. I indicated my reservations in the review but should emphase it does have several worthwhile things to say, drawing together a lot of recent thinking into one place.

Jason try here: Waterstones Or Amazon Kindle edition

I suspect Europe but possibly neither France or Germany.

I get the feeling that there is more to this report reported in La Gazzeta Del Mezzogiorno than has actually been said as I know the chief archaeologist named in it has been excavating at Lamta since at least the early 1990's and has previously discovered several Punic period cemetaries there as well as numerous Roman buildings such as these. I am sure that there are also several Roman period cemetaries which have previously been excavated in other parts of Tunisia if not in Lamta so I am uncertain about the 'unique' aspect of this announcement and the emphasis placed on cremation into the third century unless it overturns previous theories about Roman funerary practices in the area. Edit - to add to the confusion I have just double checked and found the index which proves that 'Ben' co-authored a report on the 1990 rescue excavation of a Roman cemetary in Lamta which ocured in 1990 so I really would like to know more aboout the unique character of this cemetary compared ot that one. One thing I am certain of is that having met Ben whatever hen said has not been fully reported or at best has been mistranslated.

This is a topic which crops up from time to time on the site so you may wish to also check out 'Joining a Legion which is a closely allied but more general question.

You may have noticed the sea in the background so think of military site near the 'Shore'

In those immortal words "Brave decision ....". Have you seriously considered what umpteen million squadrons of midges would take that as? To paraphrase Geoff Hamilton's classic skit referring to cabbage white butterflies and a field of brassica - an invitation to "Eat 'of' Gaius Paulinus Maximus'!"

Given that on average there appears to have been around 1600 magnitude 5+ earthquakes each year since 1970 possibly not that much of a 'crackpot' prediction as to date - location however is an entirely different matter. What I am certain of is that vulcanologist and geologists specialising in trying to predict the when and where of earthquakes or eruptions are probably not at all happy about the press interest in so specific a 'wrong' prediction. They have gotten it wrong all too often themselves by either being too cautious or too enthusiastic in the past so that in the few instances now where they can start to give predictions with a reasonable degree of certainty and advance notice too many people will ignore their warnings.

I know how attached people can get of their vehicles, even if no longer fit to drive you still have a 'relationship' with them, so I am sorry for your loss. When we had a vehicle wrecked in a car accident and were waiting for the claim against the offending driver to get settled we actually had a label fixed to the vehicle from the local council warning it would be removed if not repaired - even though it was off the road in a driveway. I suppose if that happened in your area some kindly passing soul may have decided it was fun to remove the label. So would it worthwhile contacting the council, just in case, to see if that may have happened? Then again the thief options does seem highly probable from what you have said about your area - are spares in demand for that make of vehicle?

I suppose it could be her training and experience as a Vet rather than a historian or archaeologist coming to the fore as some of what she has apparently said aligns well with more recent research and thoughts about the period. However, there is always the slight suspicion with articles like this that they have been cut about a bit by the journalist writing them so may not necessarily reflect what was originally intended by the author. I must admit I did wonder about her 'academic' as opposed to 'novelistic' credentials when I saw her speaking on the recent Time Team special Boudicca's Lost Tribes. She spoke well but there seemed a some small but significant knowledge of what is now 'known fact' about the period missing.

While broadly correct do not forget that it was common for aspiring leaders settingout on the military path to read 'military' text books, hich although they have not generally survived in any great detail apart from notably Frontinus 'Strategems' we know existed. They also would probably have had some training from their elders who had done their own period of service whether formally or not either directly or informally including when they went to the baths or just exercised. Have you got a source for the death statistics? Otherwise you have made some good general points on how life in the military in the period MAY have been perceived but I would pick up on one of them in particular This comment probably rings bells for many who served in the military until very recently and possibly even today - I know that in the Great War my grandfather was moved around several times and often didn't know specifically where he was going until after they arrived. Simlarly my father was put on a troop ship in southern England during WW2 which was overloaded and had to decant 1000 men at the first stop in South Africa after which he and the rest of the men affected didn't know where they would end up - it all depended on the first ship which arrived with extra space. These sort of SNAFU's will have occured in most military organisations in antiquity not necessarily more so in the Roman period since transport may have been lost or misplaced even if the men in charge knew where they were going in more than the broad terms of 'thataway'. On a more general point we are drifting away from the original contention which has already been decided that relatively few Roman soldiers would have suffered from the same type of PTSD as experienced in more recent times when soldiers have suffered constant bombardment from high explosive devices or a constant threat of booby traps. Put simply the range of pressures experienced in both periods have relatively few specific similarities although the general military experience depending on which specific situatuion you are discussing does provide some congruent details.

Doubly welcome for introducing yourself with a couple of reviews of old favourites - I really must get around to re-reading them some time.

Have you got the 'full' reply box open if not and you used the 'fast reply' option you may need to click one of the buttons at the bottom of the screen and then you should get the 'attachments' options.

Looks like a good basic site which can be expanded as you write more articles/ books. Presumably you will be able to add in a 'news' sections about book signings/ personal appearances etc to go with your request for a multi-millionaire to support your reference book purchases - a man with his own personal copy of The Theodosian Code - I am envious

Not if you have certain military related books - the church is more than a bit of a giveaway

One of two etc relate to: Senior co-emperor with his junior Lucius Verus, author of his 'Meditations', one of the five 'Good' emperors, succeded by his son Commodus. Original statue in the Bardo so I will update this message with a full picture/ link later on. Correct, over to you

I'll sit this one out but - hint we are back in the East of England again