Pertinax

Glad someone else saw it and enjoyed it -I thought the EU came out looking even worse than usual from the comparisons made.

Salway , who I cite, refers to exactly this theory-and to my mind argues very well.

just a quick note before I go to Glannaventa -Pantagathus recommended "Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers " by Buhner to me-what a find! check this title out if you have any interest in beer/herbal medicine/ religious healing/pagan religion-they all converge in this work. Well done Pantagathus! :angel: Pantagathus splendidus est!

I'm not particularly good at this, but I can ask my Latin teacher for you(He happens to have a Ph.D. and another I know too has a Ph.D. too.) So he's very qualified to answer your questions. Thats kind of you-I know a lot of vernacular English place names , but it would be useful to step back to an earlier time .Olinacum interests me as presently the hamlet is called Elslack-the drivation is clearly visible-yet it sounds typically Lancs/Yorks border.

trying to deconstuct to its vernacular origins--eg: Vindolanda, I understand this name is said to mean "white lands" -with such a translation we have clues to how the Romans percieved the area. My immediate questions were regarding the names-Medobogdium, Alavana and Olinacum. Glannaventa I believe means "supply base /port"? Please correct if woefully wrong

the BBC have just screened this programme (first part) ,I hope members of the Forum in the Americas and Australasia will be able to see it at some time .Well made , with a light touch but with proper scholarship-contrasting the nature and desirability of Roman citizenship with the not so desirable modern European "citizenship" .The modern comparison is a very good device for explaining the great differences in administrative management and above all the extent of a a robust and precocious empire wide trade. Full marks to the BBC for once.

OVS can you help with de-constructing Roman place names?

Salway makes a useful point about the "collapse" of Gaul in relation to Germanic pressure-evidenced by a failure to rebuild many villa sites across (the somme area in particular if I remember ) the more prosperous agricultural areas.He sugggests that despite a fatally weakened military and crippled administration a semblance of Roman life continued for over half a century, as there was no general centralised perception by either citizens or aggressors that a strategic change had occured and that an active acquisitive policy could result in a drastic change of overlordship. Perhaps Britain was similarly debilitated and demoralised-we know standards of living fell badly and "sphisticated " life could not continue. perhaps those a-Viking were pushing an unlocked door. Combat technology certainly didnt move forward .Heavy raiding isnt a social takeover just an erosion of the social fabric-until someone decides they want to be king!

I have a gallery covering Eboracum in the Gallery section,I would like to point out that the Vikings were responsible for heavy de-population of the city, after its great period of wealth via continental trade (jet to Mainz and other produce to Trier, with attested items from these continental sources retrived in the City).There sems to be a very PC element about the BBcs coverage of the "transition" to Norse suzerainty.

Without looking it up, I think it was the Caelian Bread Bakers Guild. Using only real Italian grains (instead of that welfare stuff), they indeed made "True Roman bread for True Romans." thank you - your knowledge is truly omnivorous or would that be omniscient?

As Viggen strives to piece together my "report" galleries for the Wall and Vindolanda , I hope to visit Mediobogdum a sensationally remote fortlet in the heart of the Lake District. Alavana (and its museum) are also on my shopping list. Not much remains of the turf defence line into the Solway sands , but they were an integral part of the western arm of the Wall defence system with Glannaventa as the supply port.As usual if the weather holds, Mediobogdum in particular is spectacularly situated and may yield some good images. The pennine forts (in Brigantia-Brittannia Inferior) were critical in maintaining rear echelon security-but fell out of use for long periods till Severan times and late period re-occupation by Constantine.Incidents of suggested insurrection have yielded fire damage at various localities, but it is difficult to say if this is actual assault or "vandalism".Roman Britain was very stable whilst Gaul was in turmoil , and some suggest a flight of established ,prosperous citizens to Brittannia (Salway -Roman Britain, as always dry but scrupulously even handed). The fort was built between 120 -138 AD and we know that an Illyrian Vexillation was here.

Quite true ND... Quite true I was about to post the same thought. I overlooked this thread, having had private pms about "was the adoption of christianity as a state "cult"' the defining destabiliser of the Empire (in the West). It struck me reading about Julian the Apostate that ,not only was he an able soldier and administrator but nowadays would probably be feted as "tolerant".

trivia query here-what was the name of the bread company advertising "roman bread for true romans?" as announced in the Forum by Mr Mcnice?

PP I may implode if you say Kum Ba Yah again- my internal organs cant stand the stress.

The photos are very evocative

My own unease at burial re-surfaced ,literally , this week when a dig in Leicester unearthed a massive compacted deposit of the bones of many thousands of medieval dead -I tired to find a link for the site (it was mentioned in the Daily Mail mid-week) but failed. I have a great horror of some 25th Century "time team" dig displaying my femur on TV (or whatever it becomes) and remarking on how many deep wounds were visible ,doubtless from some form of gladiatorial combat (football actually) or possibly my lower mandible -and exclaiming how advanced dentistry was in such a primitive society. Fire seems clean and final .

Oh good ,I thought it was just me perplexed by his apparent umbrage at the word "heresy". Hed pmd me a couple of times and I found him courteous and amusing- and not overwhelmed with "liberalspeak" . Perhaps hell return later, perhaps it was a particularly sore point with him for some reason that didnt come out in his posts? I was under the impression that he was even older than myself so I was hoping hed stay on and make me look youthful!

Lacertus is seeking information on Borage as a beer in relation to Celtic culture, I am up to my neck in photo editing at present-and my "sacred beers" has still not arrived! I will take up this post in a day or two but if Pantagathus or AD have quick references or links please post here chaps!