Pertinax

there is an existing thread "story wise I dont care much for Gladiator but.." in this forum, perhaps these two should be wedded together?

The Chinese experiments in controlling and brainwashing American POWs in Korea add further weight to MPCs remarks- if I recall they found that by removing an "active" element from the captured men (roughly 10% if I recall) the remaining prisoners were rendered most docile and controllable. Add to this the commonplace that in combat a few combatants do the majority of killing ( have a loook at Dave Grossman's books-On Killing is an excellent social commentary on violence in civilian and military contexts) though many men are prepared to risk their necks (but not kill if it can be avoided). and I remember Jung dividing human groups into three: one third conformable to any given status quo (accepting the rationale of any imposed dogma):one third conformable but not engaged ( dont care what dogma is promulgated but conform to survive) : active adults ( actual mature individuals capable of change, adaptation and with an ability to act!).

As your Herbalist I advise ........a course of leeches. Uhg, I hate leaches and worms. What phobia is that called again. Scared of creepy crawlers. were you thinking of arachnaphobia? that only covers stuff clinging to the light shade. Entomophobia otherwise for all insects.

As your Herbalist I advise ........a course of leeches.

The herb from which Absinthe is made .As a medicine it is excellent,strongly anthelmintic ( worm killer) and choleretic (bile stimulant) amongst other virtues. Thujone though (a volatile oil from the plant ) is a nasty hallucogen and is addictive-hence the problems suffered in 19th Century France.If the thujone is removed though the virtues of the medicine remain. I understand that ,like quassia , the wood was used for bowls and drinking vessels thereby flavouring and influencing whatever was consumed ( and keeping the drinker tapeworm free).I have an old print image in the Gallery now, but will search for a fresh plant in spring. Dont try making Absinthe at home as the Thujone will make you feel :bag: "agoraphobic"-you will have a fear of the market/meeting place Southerwood is the actual Italian/Spanish herb (A abrotanum) , Dioscorides said if taken in wine this would repel venomous creatures and insects- he was certainly right as regards a lot of insect pests. The germans used it as a wound dressing. Mugwort (A vulgaris ) is a common British herb formerly used for menstrual problems but currently unfashionable. Thujone appears to affect the same nerve receptors that tetrahydrocannabinols (dope as the Fabulous Furry Freak brotherrs would say) hit, so in a person with a predisposition to "melancholia" this could trigger depressive or paranoid behavioural traits. I suggest that it is the variation in quantity of thujone that causes the problem-a plant can have nearly 35% thujone content as a volatile oil-so if you get a full strength dose from a fresh plant it could knock your socks off, the dried herb would be far less of a problem and as Pantagathus rightly notes, a lot of alcohol is needed to macerate the plant ,so you have quite a cocktail. The plant contains azulenes,sesquiterpine lactones, acetylenes (in the root-and they can cause problems as well),Phenolic acids and Lignans.In a dethujoned fluid extract you would use maybe 6ml per day for an adult male-mixed with walnut hull and golden seal ,to kill any unwanted intestinal visitor stone dead in short order. Culpepper quotes Dioscorides in his suggestion that "Southerwood mixed with old salad oil will restore hair loss" Ill bet Pliny has something to say about that. note:I was intrigued by Pantagathus' remark about Van Gogh eating his paints-dont do it! Cadmium-carcinogen,Cobalt-arsenous elements,White-lead, and I see that Turpentine was used to administer drugs intravenously Oh yes and blue-prussic acid, very poisinous.More Brassica needed. If however you are considering a pre-combat woad body paint and malachite hair dye please try this useful link-but remember dont grow this stuff unless you are prepared to dig it up, it grows like crazy.Interestingly woad is also a good external salve for wounds( too toxic for internal use-most blue things are)so we have ritual display and pre-combat wound salve in one. http://my.net-link.net/~rowan/crafts/woad/...hat%20Is%20Woad

I had a long time interest in Rome, but Gladiator re-awakened that interest with a vengance, it was Quintus and Proximo who really made me think twice-Quintus because the charachter made me look at Marcus Aurelius' works again and Proximo because he seemed to be Roman in a living ,lusty way.Quintus is a stoic-he doesnt get it right first time because he doesnt know of the treachery of Commodus, but he comes good when its needed,not giving a sword to Commodus could have been his death ,but he didnt hesitate when he had seen the truth of the situation.I know the historical reality of the episode is unreal but I thought the idea illustrated the Stoic soldier excellently.Proximo was wonderful,venial, equivocal, human but he gave up his life without hesitation when presented with a choice between right and wrong, maybe he was an epicurean? MPC said before this was Rome without biblical overtones ,and we saw Maximus as a man of action and reflection, he considered the Gods. Also this movie was very modern in its look at crowds devouring free bread and entertainment, is this not TV and fast food? are you not Entertained?

Unless he was cheap and you wanted a good death ? In which case he'd probably bite your ankles

Kevin McKidd also makes an appearence (Vorenus).

Chimera -lion,snake and goat combined with incendiary capability. One of the most ancient of mythological creatures.

The Damnatio is entertaining if you want to see how medieval minds set punishment to percieved sin

just dropping by before the feast of Sol Invictus kicks off! Health and prosperity to all!