Legio XX Valeria Victrix

Well, village massacres certainly did continue but everything else you point out there is correct. I was simply pointing out that Christianity did little to curb cruel and thoughtless violence. I have no doubt that there were people in such times who displayed good will and compasionate kindness to their fellow man, but it is kind of funny that those running the Church was often the last group of people which did just that. I was raised in a Christian Family and while I commend basic Christian principles like any normal person does as well as hold in great reverence in respect the great Pope John Paul II. Their almost unbroken span of crimes and follies spanning the last 2,000 years cause me to criticize them indefinatley. No organisation is perfect but lets be honest, some Popes/cardinals/bishops have gone down in history alongside the worst men who ever lived. So its not Christianity which I 'm having a go at, its some of those that were supposadly 'running' it. I've unintentionally turned this into a rant. Sorry. Well, thanks for clearing that up Hamilcar. By the way I am interested in learning more about the Arab massacre you mentioned. Could you fill me up on that one?

I would like to recommend a few books for anyone interested in St.Paul and his hellenizing influence on the religion "founded" by Jesus. "The Mythmaker" by Haim Maccoby. "The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception" by Baigent and Leigh. "James the brother of Jesus" by Robert Eisenman. I also want to add something to what imaginifer said. Rabbi Gamaliel could not have been Paul's teacher in spite of what Paul says. Paul had not reached maturity when Gamaliel died, and the latter did not teach prepubescent adolescents, his audience was strictly adult.

Actually, don't misunderstand me. I don't want to imply that the Byzantines were model Christians. I am just saying that a lot of institutionalized brutal practices of the Roman Empire (gladiator games, massacre of inhabitants in captured towns, e.t.c) disappeared, or almost disappeared, with the rise of Christianity. I'm not Christian myself but I am trying to look at things objectively. The examples you quoted, Hamilcar, are very valid but then, which Kingdom or Empire did not have a residue of cruelty?

Well, we can guarantee everyone here is equally addicted in some form or another... so no worries on that front Thank you Primus Pilus, that makes me feel a lot better!

Also I would like to add that we are exaggerating the effects of Christianity on the Romans' fighting spirit. Wasn't the Byzantine Empire Christian? We have to admit that it fielded a very effective fighting force for centuries after the collapse of the West. Were the Crusaders not Christian? Look at their reputation as fighters. If anything Christianity took the edge off the disgusting cruelty that the Romans were wont to exhibit throughout their history. Too bad it didn't do the same for the Crusaders.

I'd be careful about saying that. Trajan, Septimus Severus, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius were all "provincials". Some of them did grow up in Italian colonies but there is no guarantee they were of pure Italian stock. The great Stilicho was a Vandal.

Hello. The Republican era legionaries used psyche up methods before a battle more often than legionaries of the Principate. One form was to hit the hasta against the scutum. After increasing contact with Germanic tribes, Roman soldiers relied more and more on the barratus which was a type of mumbling roar that increased in crescendo to a very high pitch. It is not clear whether the Romans actually did this because they found this intimidated their German enemies or because the later Principate army had large numbers of soldiers recruited in Germany who were simply carrying on an ancient tribal custom.

My favourite modern historian is Adrian Goldsworthy. Classical - no one in particular.

Ave. I have been interested in History since the age of 8. Now I am 39. I am so addicted to the stuff people get fed up with me, but I cannot help it. Greetings to everone.