Favonius Cornelius

By SHAWN POGATCHNIK Associated Press Writer DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) -- Irish archaeologists Tuesday heralded the discovery of an ancient book of psalms by a construction worker who spotted something while driving the shovel of his backhoe into a bog. The approximately 20-page book has been dated to the years 800-1000. Trinity College manuscripts expert Bernard Meehan said it was the first discovery of an Irish early medieval document in two centuries. "This is really a miracle find," said Pat Wallace, director of the National Museum of Ireland, which has the book stored in refrigeration and facing years of painstaking analysis before being put on public display. "There's two sets of odds that make this discovery really way out. First of all, it's unlikely that something this fragile could survive buried in a bog at all, and then for it to be unearthed and spotted before it was destroyed is incalculably more amazing." WVEC

Oh wow...that is a damn good question about the salt, and my lack of knowledge on it is juicy (sometimes it seems like we've discussed everything, then a tasty morsel like this pops up). I'll have to do digging on salt, or hopefully someone around here knows more? Cato I agree with you. Actually when I say used as currency, I do not mean it was used in necessarily so direct a way. For instance, the doctor would probably indeed be paid in currency and little else. However local taxes could be have been offset or paid in full by agricultural product. Two neighbors could barter their products for things they need. Also a town could fulfill its quota to the province in the same way, and a governor of a province could make up for a lack of tax or just replace said tax with agricultural goods. Any of these levels could accept agricultural produce, then resell it for actual coin. In the end, the flow of agriculture was the beating heart of the Roman economy one way or another. EDIT: Heh just realized, as a Quaestor I guess discussion on economic topics is fitting.

I was kind of hoping I could bait one of you into doing so.

I agree with the reasons you fellow provide for using the wedge under these circumstances: But therein lay still my uncertainty, because outnumbered Roman legions fighting against a disorganized barbarian foe is rather common, and yet the standard line formation is still the formation of choice. I suppose one other factor is the terrain. The Roman commander choose his spot well, for it channeled all the Iceni forward right into the toothy maw of the Roman line. Perhaps also the caliber of the general is a factor. A wedge position is something more advanced, it probably takes a capable leader to correctly pull it off and convince his outnumbered men to adopt it. Gaius Suetonius Paulinus had a rich military background.

I'm planning on getting NWN2 so I'll be sure to check this out.

In this situation, apparently the wedge worked well for the Romans. This was an uncommon tactical formation when you think of their many other battles. Why did it work so well here specifically?

Well...for the record Saddam did pay out large sums of money to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers back in the day.

Wow its been a while eh? Finally I have a break from both RV and work to be as bad as I want to be. Well, tonight I drank the best of both Italy and Japan to come to this conclusion: watch Conan the Barbarian. No really, I bet it's been a while right? Just trust me. This is what adventure was founded upon.

That'll be the day that I die as the song goes.

"Our beloved UNRV, is in the hands of madmen...."

I know exactly what you mean my friend. But you have to admit, military accomplishment was a vital part of earning the votes. Or at least even seeing military action in any form. I bet you yourself could come up with many instances of combat for combat's sake. If money was the key goal, there was (often) better ways of getting it.

We recently reviewed a list of countries, which supply oil to the United States. A vast majority comes from around home, and yet you would have me believe that Chinese oil gained from Southeast Asia and the Middle East influences our prices? Really, all I need to do is point out the incredible profits made by the oil empires to prove my price gouging point. If oil was so scarce, should they not be hurting? This is the problem with allowing public control of a natural resource: it gets gouged. Now when you have the government in the hands of the same companies you make a bad situation even worse. They're an oligarchy. They cooperate so they all can reap in the rewards, and people like you buy into it. The execs walk away with billions, you and I begin to take our bike to work. Ya, I agree a lot of conspiracy nuts out there. 1000 times more folks out there who gullibly believe everything they are told and think everyone plays by the rules like good folk and there isn't a corrupt soul in the world, particularly if they are businessmen. For some capitalism is like a religion that can't go wrong. Clearly, automobile consumption takes a huge chunk of the use of oil, enough to do something about it. There are many facets to such a thing. For instance China as you say is a busting new market for oil use and automobiles. That's a huge profit to be made so long as they keep consuming oil, but what if electric cars were not difficult to make? Surely a pollution ridden country like China would do what it could to launch into the modern age on the right foot? Make electric cars mandatory? Why should the car companies cooperate? Plenty of plastics go into cars, oils as well. A steep rise in the price of gas and all of these has an effect on vehicle purchases. It is easy to see how both industries must cooperate to survive and prosper. Oil has every bit to do with auto companies just like paper production companies would have plenty to do with logging and paper recycling.

Hm, gold certainly matters, but I think Romans did conquer even more for glory. In the Republic there was no better way to get the vote than prove yourself a conquering hero, and many did just that, even if it were a matter of quashing some poor tribe in the mountains of Hispania. In the empire too you see some emperors willing to launch war for glory in itself: Claudius and Britannia, Agrippa and Caledonia. Trajan and Dacia?

It pains me to even respond to such patent rubbish, but oil companies obviously do not own and control the United States (they don't even own a single railroad in the US, let alone the whole country). If they really did own the US, however, they wouldn't have such a hard time getting the rights to drill in ANWR, off California and Florida, and to build new oil refineries. Obviously they do lobby for these policies, just as many lobby against them, and sometimes they convince legislators and sometimes they don't. BTW, I don't own a piece of the oil industry, but I'm all for their freedom to aggressively seek new sources of oil, and I know I'm not alone in this opinion. You might not like the fact that the oil companies have their supporters, but let's not pretend that their only support comes from their employees. Certainly, there are shades of gray in this. They are not ALL powerful, not even a Caesar in Rome was all powerful, but the last 6 years show in vivid detail their consideable influence. I've known the cost of gas since the early 90s, and from then to 2000 the price of gas raised at most 30-50 cents. In a few years time it has jumped almost $2. That is deliberate price gouging at the cost of the entire nation, and by extention the world. THAT is power. I am firmly convinced that the technology for electric automobiles is existant, and I am firmly convinced it does not get a chance to get out by deliberate suppression. As for their supporters, I am sure they have people in their ring. After all they have quite an extensive spin publicity machine in effect, trying to prove to the world that their CO2 emmisions are good for the earth, and the Northern Passage is their gift to humanity. Aw come on friend! Pretend you are on the senate floor debating the prorogation of Caesar's consulship.

Interesting concept this. I wonder if we should also have two presidents?

Yes I'm well aware of this... US oil imports My point was that with the availability of more oil sources, or the development of alternative fuels, without oil as an export product the stability of the middle east could be even more unpredictable than it currently is. Perhaps the lack of said product would reduce foriegn interest in their government operations thereby reducing tension, but its difficult to see that happening considering the Israel factor. A bit more worrisome to me than some of the banter going on here about George W Bush (considering he won't be in office in 2 years anyway). By the way, it matters not at all that we don't get a ton of oil from Iraq or the middle east right now. Everyone knows the limited supply of oil, and adventurism in obtaining more is a long term goal of the oil conglomerates which own and control the United States.

Heh ya, you guys need to get rid of the anarchist fringe folks and you might have something. As far as the Dems leaving to the left, I don't see that much. If anything the Democratic party has made a number of concessions and will have to make more in 2008.

I think it would have been possible for the Iceni to have gone about it with more intelligence, but their defeat probably had to do with the nature of the rebellion itself. This rebellion was not an organized affair, it was not the declared war of a king, it was more of a mob movement from start to finish. I think any command structure was loose at best, and not even on par with what the Iceni could have accomplished if their rebellion was something more 'officially' started and organized, even if they were smelly barbarians.

I'm really hoping that some of what I see here is a joke. Lets get some things straight. The president taking actions to secure the protection of the people is certainly an expectation. Saddam Hussain needed to be removed. Terrorists are bad and are a threat. Iran and North Korea have bad governments. Doesn

Heh, I just watched 'Best of Both Worlds' last night.

By HANNAH NORTHEY Associated Press Writer ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Over the centuries, they withstood the forces of wind, water and earthquakes. Today, Greece's two main ancient theaters face new threats: high heels and chewing gum. Culture Ministry officials said their decision to close the outdoor Herod Atticus and Epidaurus theaters in August was forced by the need for urgent repairs, with the strain of nightly performances threatening to worsen damage. Associated Press

Primus Pilus recently used the exquisite phrase "cavorting with actors" (Lucius Verus) , as the sine qua non of debauched vileness. This reminded me very much of my late Father's most extreme epiphet , when outraged beyond the limits of dignity he would expostulate " damned nancy!" . This was not a phrase meant to make a suggestion relating to certain "tendencies and lewd entertainments " rather a condemnation of complaisant political posturing. Carcapino tells us:that street corner pantomines in the 1st C AD became vilely debased, titillating audiences with lewd gesture and expostulation,in Macaris and Canace Nero deigned to play the incestuous sister of the female lead. I think also a part of the Roman distance to the acting profession was the process of public displays of personal emotion or the make-believe, very low on the list of things to do for the stoic man filled with dignitas.

Chaeonian Guard- The Chaeonian Guard was formed from one of the three tribes in the Epirus region and served as a personal guard to Pyrrhus. Their function was flexible depending on what was needed: they could take up pike and form a Macedonian phalanx, or if speed and maneuverability were desired, more commonly they could take on a more classical phalanx form with shorter spears. Typical armament would include a hoplites full set of heavy armor, with cuirass, helmet, greaves and shield. Armed with a short sword and a pike or javelins and a spear. Next: The Persian phalanx at the Battle of Issus

OOo neat now I am a Quaestor. I claim Syria provincia. Ought to be an outrageous amount of cash to graft, sexy eastern slave girls and not much worry of barbarian incursion.

I see, the gospel of Caesar shall not be questioned. Sigh. Isn't it possible that Napoleon has something interesting to observe that you might have missed? If Caesar had a commentary on Alexander, wouldn't you want to read it? I'm not doubting that Napoleon might have interesting observations, I'm just responding to the idea that his Briton invasion was a falure, when indeed the invasion achieved the objectives I believe Caesar had.