Pertinax

Prescription follows: Jacuzzi and sauna , light sleep. 1.butter glazed baby asparagus 2.soup of lamb's kidneys 3.sauted veal with light nochhi verde 4.profiteroles 5.a selection of cheeses, celery hearts and oat biscuits. Dry Martini, Pertimaxus, A smokey Claret . Monbazillac. Retire.

This is one topic area that has been covered many times. Perhaps the Hora Postillia would be the best place for a topic that swamps all other attempts to discuss historical milieu?

Mastic also has the virtue of destroying Campylobacter pylori bacteria: http://www.emedicine.com/med/byname/campyl...-infections.htm So this would be a virtuous activity. The Island of Chios being the epicentre of Mastic as a medicinal aid.

Back to toothbrushes, I know many of you await with bated breath any information on how Titus Pullo took care of his dentition. Here are some hints of what might have been used, the source is a later Islamic work (often the route by which Greek and Roman medicinal works have survived , or been quoted and reinterpreted) : the modern text is "Natural Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet" , a reinterprative guide to excerpts from "The Book of the Provisions of the Hereafter" by Iman Ibn Qayylm Al-Jawzlyya (1292-1350 CE). [id like to thank Fahim Allam for this kind gift ]. Ibn Qayylm has a section on "flossing" , and he names several plants as being of benefit to dental health, I suggest that these notes give a hint as to the folkloric wisdom of the African and Eastern provinces: "best when using a (small) branch of an unpollinated female date tree , a milfoil tree, (Yarrow once again friends, the Roman wound salve used abundantly , also called The Centurions Herb) http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=217 a Zakkoum oil tree (elaeagnus angustifolia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus among others" So could it be that Yarrow was Pullo's toothbrush? Its common enough and was well known for its healing properties.

Dont forget that the excellent site relating to the whole of the Wall is available via this link: http://hadrians-wall.info/hadrianswall/segedunum/index.htm whilst it is still "under construction" I hope UNRV members might drop in . NNs work is directly related to the key site of Segedunum at the Eastern extremity of the Wall which is the focal point for ACs efforts.

Quite, what if it was in effect a "war grave" and other people were cremated not inhumated?

They would also ,apparently "get Neolithic on yo ass" http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770

Top notch-and stop blushing!

Vylle and Detefftable Heryse! He is the manyfestte personne off SATANE and alle hys Famyliyares andde Sucubbye. I muffte indeede gette medyevalle on yo ass! Wythhe a greatte BURNYNGE and SCOURGYNGGE off unbyleverse. Do I make myself clear?

Yeah, send them to me and I'll send 'em to him. I'm his local collection agent. Do you have the European Tithing Franchise? Can I send grain and beer? Wasnt it Calvin and Klein ? Burn Him.

OK, Longbow cant be with us on the day-Shortbow will be arriving just that very weekend! So congratulations to him , and well see him next time around. Those arriving on the Friday night , ahead of the "main " days , please pm me your mobile numbers so I can track you down if you are new to York. Dont bother with a car if you can make it by train, a car is no use in Town and the centre is fairly compact.

I knew it: "The right lobe of a vulture's lungs, attached to the body in the skin of a crane, acts powerfully as a stimulant upon males: an effect equally produced by taking the yolks of five pigeons' eggs, in honey, mixed with one denarius of hog's lard; sparrows, or eggs of sparrows, with the food; or by wearing the right testicle of a cock, attached to the body in a ram's skin". Pliny NH ch 49 "a singular thing, too, is what is told about the ashes of a spotted lizard--if indeed it is true--to the effect that, wrapped in linen and held in the left hand, they act as an aphrodisiac, while, on the contrary, if they are transferred to the right, they will take effect as an antaphrodisiac." Therefore be careful with that lizard ash , dont just pick it up off the bathroom table without thinking.

Tut tut, Pliny advises to use the "Xiphion" (or at least its aerial parts) (Iris graminea) http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...ficial%26sa%3DG Crethmos -wild Nard! Of which we have spoken. "The following substances act as aphrodisiacs--the flesh of river-snails, preserved in salt and given to drink in wine; the erythinus taken as food; the liver of the frog called "diopetes" or "calamites" attached to the body in a small piece of crane's skin; the eye-tooth of a crocodile, attached to the arm; the hippocampus; and the sinews of a bramble-frog, worn as an amulet upon the right arm. A bramble-frog, attached to the body in a piece of fresh sheep-skin, effectually puts an end to love". just be careful where you stick that crane's skin. however Pliny wishes us all to restrain our ardour thus: "Nymphea heraclia (White water lily), acts most powerfully as an ant aphrodisiac; the same too if taken once every forty days in drink. Taken in drink fasting, or eaten with the food, it effectually prevents the recurrence of libidinous dreams. The root too, used in the form of a liniment and applied to the generative organs, not only represses all prurient desires, but arrests the seminal secretions as well; for which reason, it is said to have a tendency to make flesh and to improve the voice".

Longbow sent me a piece written by re-enactor horsemen, the interesting thing as regards this debate is that the advice in that letter was as regards how very easy it is to maim a horse , even with a blunt pole. The letter gives detailed advice to "saxons" who have to "die" in a "norman" charge ,all efforts are directed to avoiding the horses and removing any ground obstacles (or becoming one such) , apparently a heavy wooden pole pushed into the chest of a moving animal is quite enough to kill it outright. So close contact cavalry versus heavy missile fire would seem to be a situation to be avoided.

I am looking forward to seeing this new season , as every one seems quite enlivened by it. I have one pressing question..is the Newsreader still declaiming in the Forum?

A couple of thoughts. The Sybil falls into the category of "Professional" seer , the utterances being produced by an established "career analyst" via a process of narcotic enhancement ( be it laurel leaf or distillate/beverage). Nowadays a range of people might fulfill this task in different cultural ecosystems ( shaman, psychotherapist, priest, charismatic tribal leader). The Sybil is a definite , sacred , direct (if you ignore the term "sybelline") routing of the Divine into the physical world. The Catholic Church seems to have quite a range of "ordinary" persons , over many years ,afflicted with visions/stigmata which have been interpreted (or projected ) as being of profound religious significance, indeed the "dullness" of the recipient of this "gift" seems to be a significant factor in the establishment of bona fides in the popular eye.Perhaps we should conjecture on the role of Messianic "end time" religious behaviour versus the Gods as guiding/influencing powers with a possible direct input into a persons life and there expectations.In this instance the subject is a sort of accidental channel for a greater power that is difficult to interpret , and uncomfortable for an established religious hierarchy to assimilate.

Isn't that the same Julia who was eventually exiled by Augustus for her ungovernable sexual appetites? Perhaps 'mirth' was the nearest Mrs Grieve felt she should go towards 'nymphomania'. I have noted that elecampane root is one of the products that sells particularly well at the big herbal store at Athens central market. As for me, I've always wondered whether I suffer from passions of the hucklebone. Mrs Grieve is rather Victorian in her description of the libidinous humours.This all makes me rather nervous about the root being used as a subsistence food in remote Hibernian communities. Your hucklebone is ,I think ,connected to your leg bone, so you are right to be afflicted by disquiet. A sturdy dose of Vitex agnus castus should calm any upwelling passions in this "seat" of troubles, (chasteberry being its common English name from its use as a monastic "food adittive"). Galen insists that the "seminal humors" be healthily discharged from the body as frequently as reasonably possible, to maintain vigour and mental clarity. Ibn Sinna is in accord with his teachings, and I find whilst perusing a modern Islamic medicinal text that this is suggested as being the most effective and virtuous activity for the health (within the legal framework of marriage of course), Galen being quoted directly ! So given Galen's ethnic origins I perceive an excellent symmetry in Inula's Attic popularity.

I dont claim this is a True Roman bread for True Romans, but it perhaps hints at what your teeth and digestive organs would have been up against. Being heretical Ive used a breadmaker, and as these machines require exact measurements here they are: this is for a one and a half pound mixed grain loaf 2 tbsp of olive oil 2.5 tbsp of demerea sugar or 3 tbsp of a wildflower honey (Borage is excellent but appears to be a Brigantine speciality, manuka or heather would be ok) 1.25 tsp sea salt 3 cups flour ( each brand of machine comes with a standard "cup"), an admixture of the following seems to work fine spelt, buckwheat, malted wholegrain, rye or indeed potato flour. I used the first three in equal proportions and they turned out fine.Rye doesnt rise too well, indeed spelt might get you worried if you arent used to it). .75 tsp yeast one barnyard egg again the machine will have its own time setting for the weight.A modern cheat would be to add 100mg of vit c.

I have no deep seated objection to fragrant smelling re-enactors. I did mention the Inula species (above) as well known ancient (and modern ) medicaments , the following extract from Grieve (after Culpepper) hints at a wide range of uses , though today it is mainly used as part of cough medicine formulae: "Inula, the Latin classical name for the plant, is considered to be a corruption of the Greek word Helenion which in its Latinized form, Helenium, is also now applied to the same species. There are many fables about the origin of this name. Gerard tells us: 'It took the name Helenium of Helena, wife of Menelaus, who had her hands full of it when Paris stole her away into Phrygia.' Another legend states that it sprang from her tears: another that Helen first used it against venomous bites; a fourth, that it took the name from the island Helena, where the best plants grew. Vegetius Renatus about the beginning of the fifth century, calls it Inula campana, and St. Isidore, in the beginning of the seventh, names it Inula, adding 'quam Alam rustici vocant.' By the mediaeval writers it was often written Enula. Elecampane is a corruption of the ante-Linnaean name Enula campana, so called from its growing wild in Campania.(Thats a rather prosaic touch is it not?) The herb is of ancient medicinal repute, having been described by Dioscorides and Pliny. An old Latin distich celebrates its virtues: Enula campana reddit praecordia sana (Elecampane will the spirits sustain). 'Julia Augustus,' said Pliny, 'let no day pass without eating some of the roots of Enula, considered to help digestion and cause mirth.' The monks equally esteemed it as a cordial. Pliny affirmed that the root 'being chewed fasting, doth fasten the teeth,' and Galen that 'It is good for passions of the hucklebone called sciatica." The actual chemical activity of the species is from its sesquiterpene lactones, being anti-inflammatory, anti protozoal and antimicrobial. A useful range of properties , feverfew and absinthum share this range of chemical actions. PS Allen and Hatfield suggest that the plant is (in ethnobotanical terms) one of the great healing plants of antiquity that has slipped into semi-oblivion; they also note its use as a subsistence level food in early Christian Ireland -I thought using Arum starch as a bread (when Caesar's men were starving in the stand-off with Pompey) was pretty grim but this is a real macrobiotic slimming diet.

I would have been happy to see more on the construction techniques, indeed that would probably merit a program to itself. Anyway it looked nice, that has convinced me to take a trip up there to get some more "dawn mist" shots.

Did you use the "navy strength" gin?