Vipsania

Professor Mayor, Thank you so much for the answer and thank you also for choosing my question. I look forward to reading your book! Vipsania

Professor Mayor, Why is it that the Goddess Nemesis is sometimes portrayed as a gryphon?

I would think that oiling and scraping combined with a visit to each bath (tepidarium-->caldarium-->tepidarium-->frigidarium) would serve in ridding one of most of the dirt and foul odors. However, I doubt that ancient Romans smelled as fresh as we do today after a bath with modern soaps. I am sure there was a reason that Marcus Agrippa built his thermae and provided for free access to Roman citizens, other than Augustan propaganda -- Romans no doubt smelled foul.

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 Those temples are very Greek in appearance, not surprisingly. I will add Paestum to my list of must see locations. Thank you!

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. I did not. I took the Circumvesuviana back and forth from Sorrento to Naples, but I do think that Opilontis is a stop on the route. So is the neighborhood more "rough looking" than Ercolano? I know that the posts I read prior to my trip said to stay on the main street that leads to Herculaneum, so I complied. I did not make it to Stabiae either. Just not enough time.

The very last Roman site that I visited was Herculaneum in April of this year. Of course on this latest trip I visited Pompeii, but to be honest, I found Herculaneum to be more interesting and mysterious. Ostia Antica still remains my favorite site due to the freedom one has in walking the grounds and contemplating life as a Roman some 2,000 years ago.

I don't care much for post-Republican Rome. Post Carthage and pre-Sulla/Marius, I would have lived in Rome on the Mons Palatinus from about October until March or April, then Surrentum and Capri in late spring and summer. I need to socialize and Rome would have been the place!

I love gladiators! Especially the Myrmillo!!

That is the longest Ebay advert I have ever seen. It is quite strange, but if one is a practitioner of the dark arts, I guess it makes sense.

Hi Nephele, Thank you for the warm welcome to UNRV. This is my scrambled name: tiarce vtesa brcuh I am curious to see what you come up with. Vipsania