Zeke

In the Golden Age of the Five Emperors could anyone from outside the empire just enter through its borders? Example: An Parthian Trader from Ctespoion crosses the border in Judea. Could he stay in the empie and cruise around and go to all the provinces? Were their special conditions, like registared immigrants? How were you identified as a citizen? Was their a special ring you wore? How free were you really to travel along the road if you were not a citizen of the empire.

Rameses...I don't understand what your question is. Please rephrase it.... -Zeke

Really? Thats interesting about the Olive Oil Pertinax. I am just told to ice my shin splints and hope they get better. I have even have a little bump on the side of my leg now..sticking out where my shin is. So I have switched gears from running to biking. -Zeke

Something I always wondered...how did the Roman legionaries deal with swollen soreness. With improper footwear that didn't have much support other then to keep the foot protected, I am sure the Romans had to deal with constant shins splints and sprains from overworking their muscles. Did the Romans have any knowledge of steatching? Or loosening their muscles up for the march. I run Cross Country and I have the best shoes money can buy and I still have the constant ache of shin splints...without physcial trainers, how did the Romans cope with such constant pain when on the march? -Zeke

Hey everyone...sometimes I get bored late at Night. If anyone is intresting in having a "Private meeting" with Zeke, give me a ring...its always a joy to talk about the glories of Rome and the Ancient World with educated people. IrishMcMartin@hotmail.com -Zeke

But you got to think about...that killing an animal is much more of a deeper symbolic act then lighting a few sticks of incents. You are taking life...in the name of the gods. Sacrificing something for their glory...what exacly does Incense do? THe Ancients thought of incense as a transmitter of offerings from the mortal world to the godly realm. They burnt incense so the holy smell of blood could be smelt by the nostrils of the gods. OK got to admit that the barbeque thing was a huge factor for sacrifice of animals...it fed people. But eating sacrificial meat showed a bond between the believer and the diety and this is metaphorical in itself. -Zeke

No, I don't have any clear examples, so I am going to back down there because I don't have a clear answear for that. My additude towards this topic comes from a combination of my biased beliefs as well as the opinions of others and the numerous history books I have read. What I am trying to say is this is my theory....but with no real solid proof I suppose my theory is flawed, and I admit that. It seems logical enough however that an Ahtiest would accept Christainty before Polytheism. If you fast foward to our modern day in age you will see that people are more likely to adopt a monothestic faith then a Polythestic one. There is alot of information out there on Polythestic beliefs...yet the vast majoriy of the westerns still belongs to a Monothestic Faith. I hear stories all the time about Atheists checking out all sorts of different beliefs. They ussually end up embracing Christianity because of its message and perhaps because of some sense of conformity. 98% of American Society is Christian...you feel a little out of place if you're from a minority faith. Constant persacution is something that is always on the mind as well. I, however...don't wish to be a drone worker to Consumer Christian America. Maybe its the fact that I am 17 and am trying to find myself. But I have chosen my religion of preference and it suits my needs for the time being. ANYWAY! I was drawing conclusions...but since I don't have the evidence to support the conclusions, my aplogies. All Polythestic dieties have some selfish human story releated to them. Even a god like Osiris who piously built kingdoms across the Earth had his own ambitions in mind. I believe that is what makes the Gods interesting, they have sin, they have problems, they can relate to humans in a more pratical manner. How can I relate to this Christ? He is a utopian individual with no desire. I can relate to Mars because of his virtues and vices.....Mars is cocky and boastful, and he went with a Vestal Virgin to conceive Rommulus and Remus, she was supposed to remain a virgin but he broke that law because he desired her so. At the same time Mars is still the god of the warriors and the selfless farmers of the Republic. He embodies the values of thriftyness and self substistancy, he is powerful and from his iron body (in some myths), metraphorically speaking, humans are made. Just because I say Polythestic dieties are selfish doesn't mean I think their horrible...if thats what your thinking. I think its their personality that makes them reality, that makes them more pratical for the human mind to understand. About the Bona Dea thing, I am sure she had her own issues as well. Perhaps the majority of the myths concern themselves with her goodness...but I bet you will find one where she sends her wrath down upon those who displease her. I feel comfortable making this conclusion because every myth I have read the gods have personified human characteristics both good and bad. Ancient Roman Pagans thought of early Christians as cannibals who ate the body of their god...isn't that trippy to think about? YES Primus Pilius...I should have presented more information on the subjects you just talked about. I just didn't want to sound too ranty...and I agree with you. Thank you for informing me, your right of coarse. You are correct...Osiris as well. These two deities resemble Chirst sooo much that sometimes you got to wonder how much Polythestic mythology was stolen..or should I say culturally diffused into Christian Mythology. Zeke

Mrniat Cnyucha Sbustb Work your magic Nephele.

Christianity was appealing to so called "atheists" in ancient Rome because of the fact that it is a "Love-Bombing" religion that offers a wider variety of services relating to the human physce. The Polythestic religions of ancient Rome didn't market in trying to help the invidivudal. As long as the gods were pleased with the blood of sacrifce, then the state would be prosperous and the government of Pagan Rome thought that if the state was prosperous then the people would be happy. Humans are humans and I have seen many athiests go back to being religious because they need that feeling of support. As Karl Marx said "Religion is the Opium of the people" and even non-believers need something to feel like they are not alone in this universe. It is difficult for a human being to just say... "I am alone, no magic fairy is going to help me." In the back of their mind their still hoping there is something...so the great mystery that is the human adventure will continue on after our eventual demise do to whatever illness or calamity that will eventually behallf us. The Atheists of Ancient Rome found it easier to accept a loving, caring diety then the selfish human ones that were already in place. People don't want to feel ignored, they want to be helped. Jupiter and Mars do not offer nearly as much support as the Christian God does. The lack of dogma that Polytheism has also enforced the idea among the Athiests that perhaps the whole concept of gods and goddesses was a bunch of bull* Yet the Christian God was mysterious, and was up there somewhere in the sky giving support by allowing his son to die for human sin. That concept is romantic, why wouldn't athiests see that as suppieror to the state sponsered cults of eccentric deities that were often combinded together for national purposes? Since no one ever goes into account about what this Christian God looks like or acts like...its open for more speculation, allowing for greater belief. TO THIS DAY people are still speculating Who or what god is. Paganism shuts out this idea by telling you elabrorate stories of what the gods did and how they act. The mystery is taken away...and when that mystery is gone skeptiscim developes because there is only one question left to ask..... "Is this really real?" Christians don't have to ask this question...there too busy trying to figure out what god is accually doing. On the subject of Judaism....Judaism didn't become popular because of its Nationalistic sentiments. It is a Jewish Religon, it doesn't have any plans on ever becomming anything else. Christianity has always tried to convert the world to the Kingdom of Haeven. Your right about the hostility towards Christianity in the Cities Nephele...yet Taticus doesn't record the sentiments of the country people towards Christianity. (Unless you can show me something) Perhaps it was ten times worse....Cities offered places for Christians to hide in vast populations of immigrants. Cities are known for their cosmopoltian additudes, so people are still going to move forward with the trends...it only took a few people embracing Jesus to get the cycle going. YES I TOTTALLY AGREE that Christians were hated in the begining and that they were fed to the Lions...but this only made the Christian resolve to continue on. It made them Martyrs...it allow for Priests to tell the people that these Martrys had rissen and ascended into haeven. State religious intollerance towards Christianity turn out to be the worst policy. It fed the fire so to speak. -Zeke

Atheism in ancient Rome was practiced by the philosphers of non-religious logical sects and a select few of skeptical upper class merchants and landowners. The upper class used the various Polythestic religions of the day to enforce their rule over the mob and I personally believe that most of the Emperors saw religion as foolish but useful as a way to assert their domiance over the varried populations of the empire. Philosphies such as Stoicism and Cyncism...made mentions of the varioes deities of the day, but these deities were seen as distant and not having much of an effect on the world...so in a way these philosphies embraced atheism as their officials doctrines. The atheism of the upper class stands in stark constrast to the zealousness of the simple man; especially in rural areas where the gods and spirits of nature had a particular effect on people's lives and the phenamonons that they observed. Illiteracy perhaps had a major contributing factor to this, and the philosphies that were embraced by the urban classes of the Empire essentially stayed in those urban centers. As such Christianity was able to spread better among the Athiests in the cities then the Pagans in the country. With a more friendly breeding environment, Christianity was able to spread rapidly among questing intellectuals and povery stricken slaves alike. A final note is that....the Romans are not known for their persacuttion of atheists....as long as you showed up for the sacrifice at the temples you were considered a patriotic citizen. It didn't matter whether you believed in the rituals or not. Thus allowing for considerable freedom of thought about the functions of religion. Glory be to the gods of coarse, -Zeke

My masterful essay on the Dacians? hmmm its been a long time fellow citizens. Time to dust off my typing fingers and go back to the ancient world.

Happy Birthday to me! I am now 17...I smell like a monkey...but I don't look like one yet so thats a plus 17 years of life on this planet...I feel so old. -Zeke

I don't know everyone...I thought the second season was better then the first. Its epicness was more apparent to me. But the historical inacuracies were still preety bad. SO I AM DYING TO KNOW. IS THIS THE END? FOR REAL? or is there going to be a season 3? Much apperciation, Zeke

Ok I am sure all of us have seen the last instalment of the series of Rome, where they epically make Mark Anathony die like a "True Roman." From my understanding of the guy he was a preety volupscious character, capricious, arrogant, indulgent, a heavy alcoholic, a gambaler, and a ruthless solider who didn't really care about the Republic to the slightest. He grew up in the streets of Rome to a semi-noble family and was known for his thugish ways when he was a teeanger. Latter in life to escape is mounting debt he fled to Athens and studied rhetoric. Upon returning to Rome he joined up with Caeser's Legions and made a name for himself. Today when someone mentions Marcus Antonius, images are conjured up about a man who was a dashing commander, Caeser's chief leutienant and the charming lover of Cleopatra. But is he really the man everyone potrays him to be? Or his legacy a romanticied shakesphere description. Is he a larger then life hero? Or was he just a sexually crazed coward...who did indeed betray his home land for lust? Who is the real Mark Anathony? -Zeke

Zeke (Describing George W. Bush) "In our country called America, we have this Consul sort of character who rules the excecutive branch of government, he has been put in power by the people and he goes and invades two different countries in the spand of two years. He tottally ruins the economy, gives money to farmers for doing absolutatly nothing in the province of Kansas, and seems to be hording money and not giving it to the Senate." Brutus and Cassius.... "AND YOU HAVN'T MURDERED HIM YET!