DecimusCaesar

Interesting article Polecat. It's a shame that the news agency didn't post a picture of the coin. It looks like they could get a lot of money if they manage to sell it off.

Is this a new edition of the atlas book that was published in the seventies or is it a new book completly? Sounds very interesting, I might give it a look.

Great picture DV, keep up the good work! I have noticed that you use Republican legionnaires of the later era (around Caesar's age) rather than the Hastati, Principes, Triarii and Velites that would have been in use during the Punic wars. Here is an illustration: I will also quote General J.F.C Fuller on classical Roman siege warfare: "In a classical siege the normal procedure was as follows: first, a line of investment, or of contravallation, was drawn round the city in order to cut its garrison off from relief and supply. Next, were it likely that the enemy would attempt to relieve it, the line of contravellation was encompassed by a second line which faced outwards; it was called the line of circumvellation, and its purpose was to protect the besiegers. When those lines had been duf, the points of assault were selected and the method of attack agreed. Should it be to tunnel a breach, lines of mantlets were pushed forward , under cover of which archers were assembled to fire at the defenders at the walls. Next, under their coverring fire, chains of penthouses were advanced in order to establish secure forward communications; simultaneously movable towers and a mound were built, and lastly the battering rams were emplaced." Then again, J.F.C Fuller was describing classical Roman siege warfare, and perhaps Carthage was an exception. The onagers in the picture had been in use since Hellenistic times. I don't know if the ballistae were in use at this time, so I might have to check that up. Good luck with your picture, it is very good, even the sketch is of a very high quality.

I believe that many of the early archaeologists showed an intrest in the middle east, so that they could prove that the Biblical stories actaullu took place. It is, in some ways, no differant to Heinrich Schliemann searching for the city of Troy, when most only believed it to be a Greek Myth. Where does the line between extravagant archaeology and pseudoarchaeology begin? Perhaps many thought that Schliemann was mad to hunt for Troy, but then again it really is mad to claim that the Trojan Wars were fought between the Celts of Britain and then brought to Greece by Minoan traders.

Wonderful links Palimpsest; tahnk you! The Byzantium: Faith and power exhibit and the Oxford school of Byzantine studies are very interesting.

Vopattes, I apologise, as I didn't realise at the time that you wanted information about cannibalism in pre-imperial times. Tacitus wrote about events in the first century, so it's off by a bit. I don't know about the Romans, but Herodotus said that the Massagetae tribe were cannibalistic, and that they ate members of their own tribe that would reach a certain age.

While searching on the internet, I have come across numerous stuff that could only be described as 'pseudohistory'. Whether it's the 'Ancient astronauts' of Von Daniken, or Afrocentrism or even those who claim that the Trojan Wars took place in Britain. Some are mildly strange, such as the idea that the Chinese discovered America in 1421, to the truly bizzare, like the New Chronology hypothesis (I believe that some of these topics have been brought up before). Why is it that these ideas are so popular? The New Chronolgy books have sold over 3 million copies for instance, while many books speak about the mysticism of the Knights Templar (they were, satanists, aliens, descendants of Christ etc). Should the historical community ignore them; listen to what these 'scholars' have to say, or what? Do some of these ideas present the same problem to history as a few bizzare ideas do for science? (Intelligent design for example?) Is the historical community being undermined and destroyed in an onslaught of false information and ideas, or are these just stuff we should shrug our shoulders at and laugh? Or is there something more dark and sinister in their ideas, such as the Holocaust deniers? What is your opinion?

I have heard of this tale as well, didn't the Egyptian Magi also claim with his dying breath that his yet unborn son would one day conquer the world? Or am I mixing this up with another legend?

It's good to see that there are plenty of people with an intrest in Byzantium. I believe that 4,000 people attended a Byzantine conference in Paris, at one time. I wonder, how many would attend a Roman conference? Thanks for posting the pictures Palimpsest!

They sound interesting. I have always wondered how ancient myths reflected each other in different cultures. I have read in Peter Berresford Ellis' book that there are many similarities between Celtic mythology and Hindu tales. Is this true, or are we venturing into pseudo-history?

Thanks for the info Marcus. I had read the review that Davis wrote for the Ancient Rome (BBC documentary) and I was curious about her work. I am sure that eview has been posted up in the Colosseum at one time or another.

Will they be released on the BBC and HBO at the same time? After all, they didn't do that with the first series, so I think it's unlikely they will do it again.

I was reading Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe: Volume 2 at one time and Tiberius wasn't given a good portrayl exactly... You might want to check it out one time.

Perhaps the prescence of the Romans in Mesopotamia wasn't that small. For instance, one of the best sites that has yeilded Roman military artefacts is Dura Europus in Iraq.

I am very confused about how the monument came to be destroyed. I remember it was once stated that Alexander the Great caused partial damage to the structure at one time, yet I have never read of this in any other biography on Alexander. Perhaps one person got it mixed up with the tale of the burning of the palace at Persepolis. Either way, how was is that the structure came to be destroyed? (I know that earthquakes destroyed the Colossus, Mausoleum and that the Pharos collapsed into the sea in Alexandria. Was there a similar fate for this wonder?)

Zeus is similar to the Christian God in other ways. In the old myths, he is more agressive and thunderous, a god which orders Prometheus to be punished for helping mankind. A bit similar to the God of the old Testament, who orders others to kill on his behalf. Yet in the new Testament, God is kind and benevolent towards others who disagree with him. His son preaches forgiveness etc. In this way he is similar to Zeus as described in the passage posted by Pantagathus. I am not saying that they are both the same or that one was based on the other. Yet, there are strange similarities in their attitudes. Once angry and judgemental in the old descriptions, then benevolent in the newer ones.

I can't help you with finding a cheap copy of the book, but the excerpt you put up, reminds me of a passage from The 18th Century Japanese martial manual; "Hagakure" which gives tips on how to cover the mouths when rude samurai wanted to yawn in front of their superiors. It was definately more socially unacceptable in the past, than it is today.

My first thought when I saw it was; that it's just another Myspace. I wish I could create my own webpage... One that doesn't constrict you to writing a few short sentences. I took a course in Information Technology at school, where they were suppose to show us how to do it, but they never did.

Welcome to the boards Aelia! Hopefully, we won't have long to go till the next series is released. Here's hoping that it will live up to the first series. It would be even better if they surpassed it.

I remember reading in Tacitus's Agricola that a few Roman Legionaires resorted to Cannibalism after being stranded at sea. He says: "Though often succesful, the raiders were sometimes driven off; and in the end they were so near starvation that they began to eat one another; first they picked the weakest, then they drew the lots. In this fashion they sailed around Northern Britain; then they lost their ships through bad seamanship, were taken for pirates, and were cut off first by the Suebi and then the Frisii. Some were sold as slaves and passed from hand to hand till they reached our bank of the Rhine, where they gained notoriety by teling the story of their Wonderful Adventure..." These men were from the Cohort of the Usipi that had been enrolled in Germany and brought to fight in the campaign in Britain. They killed their Centurion and a few other trainers, when they set off to sea.