Favonius Cornelius

There were men as rich (or richer) than these two (e.g., Lucullus), and it did them little good. It also wasn't Pompey's money that got him the lex Gabinia; it was the short-sightedness of the Popular Assembly. Not all men are as ambitious as some, it just takes one eventually to show how the system is actually weak. In fact Lucullus is remarkable in the Roman world for being so capable and not continuing the political game at all after securing his riches. You're probably right, lex Gabinia did not come about by any riches by Pompey (though the spreading around of favors behind the scenes is hard to know in Roman history in general), but there are many aspects to a rise to power. Coupled to that increasing theme of centralized wealth is increasingly centralized power and fame too. As the empire grew, the republic failed to adopt to the nature of things and limit what men could do and have. When you consider of the balance of the early city republic (say 300-220) to the late republic, there is no compare.

They could probably have spared some of those 17 legions, but not all legions necessarily are fight worthy (looks good on paper...er papyrus), and a bulk would still be needed to stand down the Parthians under any situation.

Well, what about these men led to their being able to violate the constitutional norm? I think it's possible to say the money of Crassus and Pompey, and where did they get that from?

On the other hand, a healthy Republic would probably not have the ability to let generals march around the world with vast legions for decades either, nor let them keep the vast sums gained from such adventurism. Republics of the past kept this in check, but the later Republic could not. Also, even if one can truly put aside all talk of small landholders etc, you still have to account for the nearness of the Gracchan and Sullan strife, which was of a nature and challenge I think different from classic Republican organization. When you kill off that many nobles in front of the eyes of the people certainly it has some sort of effect on the Roman consciousness.

It is possible for a populares dictator to be supportive of the people's needs, and through it gain personal power. Clearly as seen in the Roman epic, many Emperors were far better to the people than most ages of Optimate supremacy. Of course, many were also much worse, but the possibility of that definition exists.

Not to mention the effects of the Heinz family catsup conspiracy and the 2004 election...

Indeed they rose a bit as predicted, but I would have expected more. Of course, there is that little thing of the Democrats holding congress right now. Where the situation as it was before November after the elections, I would predict a larger gradual rise. Precipitous rises during curious times are too obvious. Better to have a precipitous rise during a time when the national consciousness is more united than election times. Like Memorial Day for instance. MUhaha! Looking at Cato's chart, it seems there is plenty of room for manipulation speculation. The more stark changes in price for this year as opposed to last seem suspicious, and after they changed they remained stably high. It does not take a lot of gouging to earn the oil block a whole lot of money. Every penny translates into billions. 2005-2006 was a better time for oil than 2006-2007 when outrage has been highest. It was the last chance to gouge and so you see a long standing high price from May to just before November. In the end, politics must be attended to even if a lost cause, and so the drop occurred well before election time with a few weeks to convince the voters all is well. Sure there is a seasonal pattern, and I was wrong about the extent of the flux you might see, but I think that chart tells a tale nonetheless. There are bigger pictures as well, as in the price of oil from pre-Bush to today, that seems a much larger jump than the gradual rise from previous decades. Much more so, such that the rise of China and India does not well account for since they get most of their oil as they always have from southeast Asia. My next prediction: prices will indeed rise in May, but nothing like 2006, more like 2005.

Very interesting. Any speculation or actual knowledge on how or why those patterns became used in those areas? People's outside the empire increasingly became used in the legions toward the end, is it possible to see this nationality in the insignia? Also can anyone notice these insignia on later nations etc?

It's possible that some family might have adopted an insignia of some sort on a situational basis, but I think you'll find that the vast majority of identification for families involved simply stamping the name on whatever object, be it a milestone on a built road, the amorphae of a wine producer, the election plates of a candidate etc.

By TOBY STERLING Associated Press Writer AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- Archaeologists in the Netherlands have uncovered what they believe is part of the military road Roman soldiers patrolled nearly 2,000 years ago while guarding against hostile Germanic tribes at the Roman Empire's northern boundary. Known in Latin as the "limes," the road was in use from roughly A.D. 50 to A.D. 350, before it fell into disrepair and eventually disappeared underground, said archaeologist Wilfried Hessing, who is leading the excavations in Houten, about 30 miles southeast of Amsterdam. (AP)

Even in those times much of the military population was landed was it not? Add to that the lack of a long history of military adventurism (200-43BC), and you do not have a recipe for military revolt at all. The soldiers would never stand for it, there wouldn't be the resources for it either.

If anyone thinks that repeating a mantra daily will instill loyalty in a nation, they've got another thing coming. In my opinion, all this is just another one of those old world traditions that do not mean anything in reality except for those who like it. So enforcing it, especially with the great waster known as 'religion,' does nothing but waste time and resource. My views of America have nothing to do with my gradeschool experiences.

Man another birthday? Hah, I'll drink some wine in your honor Pertinax as soon as the phlegm clears.

Happy b-day Lact you UNRV old timer.

Gosh, it's really too bad Bush's October suprise did not have much effect.

I'm not sure what the national averages are, but I like to keep track of my corner Shell station as a general indication. For unleaded in the past month or more it has been +- 1 cent from $3.30 Yesterday went to $3.33, today $3.39 .....

Breibart/AFP Swedish experts have confirmed the finding of over 1,000 Viking-era silver coins after their chance discovery by two brothers on the Swedish island of Gotland. The treasure was believed to have been buried in the 10th century and weighed about 3 kilos (7 pounds), local curator Majvor Ostergren told the TT news agency. Edvin Sandborg, 20, and his 17-year-old brother Arvid dug up more than 100 coins on Monday last week, while helping their neighbour with his garden. "Completely by accident I found an Arabic silver coin that's about 1,100 years old," Edvin Sandborg told TT.

OH, lol duh. Well, Moon got his present then.

Hmm...I made a happy birthday post last night of a 'mooning,' either I didn't hit the post button or the censor came along.

Happy birthday 'Moon.' http://www.noriaga.com/version1/pics/messe...t01/mooning.jpg

I thought drinking games come with some sort of forced imbibing penalty with failure? Sounds like a lot of wasted wine to me!

Well, if there is some alternative to investing the centralized wealth of the few into the greater population with the objective of preparing it to tackle the new emerging economy, then I am all ears. The fold difference of total worker compensation in benifits, stock options and salery between the average worker and the CEO in America: 1980 ~80 times, 2003 ~300 times, 2006 ~420 times. Does that really sound fair and balanced to anyone?

That's a pretty defeatest attitude about it all. I don't understand why some folks in general have this morbid fear of taxation. It seems irrational to me, because for every economic level, a raise of something like 0.25% of income would not be noticed, and yet it would lead to a great amount of money which could be well applied. Sure government always has a certain degree of waste, but what company does not also have the same? You have to trust SOMEONE's political agenda. What is the alternative, letting the rest of the world dictate the living standard of Americans, or letting the magic hands of capatalism fix everything (it wont). Moonlapse and I talked about this before. Capatalism is the ultimate form we know of, but it cannot exist well without recalibrations from time to time, because eventually money and power always eventually becomes too focused to the detriment of the nation as a whole.

Estate tax, from which a lot of money can be gained, which the rich only have an interest in suppressing. Also while tax cuts are equal, the ratio of expendible income is not. Higher taxes mean little actually to the middle class but a lot to the rich, especially if the tax percentage is higher for the rich (as it should be, considering they have a bigger interest in maintaining the status quo). Its about policy and how that money is spent. Improving infrastructure, investing in technology and education would be great things in improving economy for long term goals and security. The current trend of hacking away all such spending, suppressing technology and R&D, and waging a useless war costing hundreds of billions of dollars, does not secure the future. It does win elections however with the proper amount of spin and money.

Is the middle class in America dying? Are tax cuts for the rich and a culture of second class citizen labor a recipe for America's future? Has America's Middle Class Has Become Globalization's Loser?