Pertinax

I have great affection for His Royal Highness, but this is tempered by the numerous madwomen who besiege me regarding the use of multiple enemas- they tend to think one per fortnight is a great idea. One per lifetime id say if the plumbing was "inefficient" and you had just suffered die off from killing multiple whipworm, ascaris and beef tapeworm infestation.

I personaly consume gin and calvados , just in case I might be getting a migraine. Re-enactors commonly suggest "lavender water" as an antiseptic for wounds , which did puzzle me as acetum would be perfect for wound cleansing and available in copious quantities (indeed its more effective than carbolic).

Well photographed and unfussy , if it becomes available in the US via downloads on google id say it was a good intro for those who havent seen the Wall.Well made with an affection for the source material.Shame it wasnt a longer program.

A brief report on "mixed grain " bread. I attempted to produce a spelt/millet/coarse buckwheat loaf, which in varying proportion appear to have been the staple grains from the late Republican era onwards. As before I used honey, a granulated yeast (though my next effort will be to use yeast from a naturally brewed beer), and coarse sea salt. The result, a dense textured but not unpleasant bread , dark coloured , and very filling. I did cheat by imagining to be a Patrician-I added a little cinnamon, very nice! If anyone requires the recipe for a bread maker pm me.

Erratum: on my part, Ploughmans Spikenard is an inula: im guilty of the ancient/modern mixup that I try to avoid! I knew AD would, when not gathering branches and roots for his modest bothy , deliver the definitive answer.

given that sea slug (and its eggs) are a great delicacy in Japan , id have to go with GO. http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...ficial%26sa%3DG

Mary Renault's "toothbrush tree" is very likely the same as gifted to myself, any Koranic scholars here will probably identify this as the "fringe tree" ( but Id be grateful for a definitive explanation ), this is what I had anticipated as the likeliest practical dental care. Germ theory is adequately explained in this wiki precis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germ_theory_of_disease but I would comment as follows the Romans did not have a germ theory but in many ways the sanitation arrangements they sought were superior to our own, namely the use of a constant flow of water through any sanitation system (rather than periodic flushing ), and a culture of personal grooming as a sine qua non of civilised behaviour. This of course was not universal . I adhere to the heretical "host resistance " theory, namely that micro-organisms are universal (for good or bad) and that the key factor is the health of the subject organism (particularly digestive robustness), if the health "threshold" is lowered then it is the job description of amoebae, flagellatae etc to seek to weaken and destroy the host organism. Germ theory is very much a conventional wisdom supporting chemical intrusion into the body. The quote from Paracelsus that "the dose makes the poison/medicine" hints at the logic that I suggest . PS my own Grandmother considered having a WC inside a house to be noxious and offensive to body and soul, I remember a girlfriend in Paris whose own Grandmother likewise suggesting that a WC should be as remote as possible from her apartment ,and if that involved three flights of stairs so much the better.Where the Romans varied with this was in the fact that they might have a loo (if wealthy) inside the house near to the kitchen-but I venture to suggest that the Roman Loo might have been a multipurpose garbage/effluent disposal unit if so situated (what better in a warm client for getting rid of those nasty chicken entrails?).

They certainly didnt have germ theory (but then again quite a few "moderns" dismiss it as simplistic tripe) , however Myrrh has always been highly regarded as a stomachic (it would kill such everyday bacteria as Gardia for example) and it is quite pleasant in small (very small) quantities. The same logic can be applied to the cinnamon abd cardommon derivatives.

Thank you GPM , the myrrh makes sense as an antibacterial, and the pumice is only an ancient version of women using "exfoliating grains" (sand) as a skin cleanser. What we need is a toothbrush of ancient provenance.

I have to say how much I enjoyed that article . I put it all down to bad digestion.

I would defer to the opinion of AD in this matter: in his work "Dangerous tastes" he refers to the Syrian Nard which is none other than Valerina officcianalis (Valerian), now I can understand this herb being used to calm the stomach if a person was coughing violently, but...we might suspect spikenard to be present because of its pleasant fragrance (this seems to be its most notable Roman provenance). Many patent cough medicines tend to have a group of effective expectorants and antimicrobials intermixed with semi-poisinous alkaloids (ipecac/cohosh/lobelia) , with a camouflaging "bouquet".Spikenard would be just such a possible bouqet, valerian would not (it stinks like old socks). Spike Lavender (L.spica) is known to have a Gallic range but is the "cheap" modern lavender.L stocheas is the true "french" lavender and as such has a modern history as a condiment and perfume.Both types must have been well known if anyone had an interest in fragrant honey. This is the quote you may have seen: "By the Greeks the name Nardus is given to Lavender, from Naarda, a city of Syria near the Euphrates, and many persons call the plant "Nard." St. Mark mentions this as Spikenard, a thing of great value.... In Pliny's time, blossoms of the Nardus sold for a hundred Roman denarii (or L.3 2s. 6d.) the pound. This Lavender or Nardus was called Asarum by the Romans, because it was not used in garlands or chaplets. It was formerly believed that the asp, a dangerous kind of viper, made Lavender its habitual place of abode, so that the plant had to be approached with great caution.'" My suggestion for spikenard rests on the fact that I can only imagine the volatile oil of lavender being used as an external remedy for breathing problems. So ...my vote is with spikenard because of its internal healing properties , given its medieval use for breathing problems and its anti microbial value Iits another cinnamon relative). AD speak to us, what is your opinion? PS Spikenard is an Inula species , like horehound a ferocious expectorant.

You are not forgotten GO ( could you ever be?), I hope to have the information for you later tomorrow. I anticipate pertinaxid maxims. Augusta : am I correct in considering a victoriatus as 3/4 denarius?

Here is an extract from a pm sent to me by The Augusta , and I would like to thank her for taking the time to put this together. I have annotated the ingredients briefly, and can see a definite logic in the formula.As you will notice , my main stumbling block is the inclusion of the rendered ash of swallows (which seems to be more of a sympathetic magicality ). (The recipes were 'published' by Marcellus Empiricus in Theodosius' time and were still held to be efficacious) Remedy for inflammation of the throat, coughs etc: (Pertinaxid comment in brackets) 2 denarii of each of the following: costus (a species of ginger, not a Roman favourite due to its fiery taste) opium (probably the sticky residue of the bulb, often chewed for severe tothache) anis (a species of cinnamon, strongly anti-microbial) aromatic rush (very likely to by a cardiac glycoside) red cassia (probably a sub species of cinnamon, known as "bastard cinnamon" from the camphor laurel, camphor being a specific for phlegm) 1 denarius of coriander (destroys E.coli bacteria) 1 victoriatus of amomum (black cardommon) 1 denarius of split alum (not the modern alum, rather a sulphate normally used in dyeing, the sulphur content would act as a purge) 5 grains the size of chickpeas from the centre of an oak apple (expectorant/purge) 2 denarii of saffron (strongly anti-microbial, and now recognised as anti tumerous) 1 victoriatus of saffron residue 1 victoriatus of myrrh (one of the best specifics for the destruction of colonising bacteria in the gums and throat) 4 denarii of Greek birthwort (named such as being a muscle relaxant) 3 denarii of cinnamon 5 denarii of the ash of baked chicks of wild swallows (hmmmm) 1 victoriatus of a grain of nard (spikenard, used in this era for wounds (like Yarrow)). All these ingredients, thoroughly ground up, are mixed with skimmed Attic honey. When there is a need to renew the medicine, a sufficient amount of the same honey is added and in that medium it is inserted into the jaws. Livia always had this ready on hand, stored in a glass vessel, for it is amazingly effective against quinsy and inflammation of the throat [A secondary comment is that , at this time, many of the ingredients would have been extraordinarily expensive, but this does not detract from the fact that if this is the Empresses' own work she was a very skilled and knowledgable plantswoman.] The Augusta continues:- Alas, the actual ingredients for her toothpaste are not given in the book, but there is another of her 'cures' for nervous tension: Salve for chills, tiredness and nervous pain and tension, which when applied in winter prevents any part of the limbs from being chilled. Livia Augusta used this: 1 sextarius of marjoram 1 sextarius of rosemary 1 lb of fenugreek 1 congium of Falernian wine 5 lbs of Venafrian oil (any sources here please, I know Horace mentions this commodity? I strongly suspect a salicylate plant (such as willow or wintergreen) as a pain reliever) Apart from the oil one should steep all the ingredients in the wine for three days, then on the fourth day mix in the oil and cook the medicine on a moderate coal, until the wine vanishes, and the next stage is to strain through two layers of linen and to add a half-pound of Pontic wax while the oil is warm. The medicine is stored in a clay or tin vessel. It is effective when rubbed gently into all the limbs. [i would want to be in charge of mixing the first formula , if I were taking it myself, as although the individual ingredients are logicallly excellent-a mistake could be "unpleasant"]. Thank you again Augusta.

Now that is a very interesting question: if you remember my review of Cruse's book on medicine , I noted that finds of Roman teeth indicated greater physical wear overall (in view of the denser, fibrous diet) but less carious and decayed teeth (no sugar save honey). I myself have been given a gift of twigs from the "toothbrush tree" (Neem) by Bengali friends , and these fibrous but (relativly) soft twigs are clean tasting and give sufficient abrasion to keep the teeth clean. http://www.neem-products.com/neem-twig.html Now, I have no indication in any text as regards toothbrushes, indeed a brush is not strictly required -reasonable friction with a finger would suffice, but I am intrigued and will delve ! and Ive shifted these posts from poison to medicine.

A splendid book review by The Augusta (Livia-First Lady of Imperial Rome) leads me to ask that Most Noble Lady if she might make some trivial items available , namely the toothpaste and cough mixture recipes of the First Lady (if the ingredients are extant)? Any remarks regarding the safety of these items will of course be ignored with Patrician disdain.

http://www.amb-cotedazur.com/Recipes%20aioli.htm le voila! This is the modern version , but its origin is classical.

For UK residents , BBC 2 on Friday of this week (at 9.00pm) will be showing a Timewatch documentary on the Wall, its construction and how the troops lived and worked. "The only Brittunculus on the Wall" was the phrase used to describe the presenter...Ill leave you to see if you get the joke.

The problem in the later phases of occupation was that all eyes were looking Eastward (with a distinct re-modelling and ref ocus of built defences), and any low level raiding into the West of the province would be an almighty nuisance , especially if it was waterborne interdiction.

Nephele , I think you are unkind to feed Jade's deriere to the poor Icey-peoples. The high lipid fat content and stupidity genes would only hasten their extinction. AA Gill wrote a penetrating piece about the show here, this is the best piece I have seen in the press: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2558005,00.html "Nothing is as indestructible as stupidity" "No-one ever lost money underestimating the taste of the general public" (PT Barnum?).

Yes you did. :bag:

I can easily answer this question for you tomorrow GO old chap, one of our employees lived in the Netherlands for many years , has a Dutch husband and is a talented cook.

Breadmaking machines require only that you add the ingredients (in a specified order) and retire to the Thermae whilst they work.

Some of you will have noticed that "Another Roman Recipe to Delight All" thread had a recent burst of life, when I decided to try out a "Roman Army Bread" recipe ( which I found on a bag of spelt flour I bought). Im well aware that I should be baking flat loaves in a field oven , or in the ash of a windblown campfire, however I prefer to use the modern medium of a breadmaking machine in case my experiments go awry and I set fire to a sizeable area of countryside. I strongly recommend trying this type of bread at least once, the difference between it and a store bought loaf is vast. Its one of those things that hints at how different everyday items might have been in reality whilst appearing to be very similar in appearence. As I commented in the thread the spelt loaf doesnt rise very much, and would actually be more favourably produced as a flat "slipper" bread.A conveniently dense and nutritious item to slip into a bread bag. The taste is excellent, theres no point in trying to describe it other than to say "rich and dense" , the opposite of a baguette id say. I have been experimenting with the breadmaker , but I havent quite hit a winning formula for a honey flavoured loaf , when I do ill post in the food thread. So far my observations are, the loaf needs a generous amount of olive oil to give sufficient moisture, dont use sugar if you can get a quality honey -failing that use a rough demerera/cane rather than white processed sugar. It is possible to let down the spelt with some wholemeal flour, (as I mentioned previously Roman bread from Late Republican times onward was a mix of grains depending on availability of stocks rather than desired recipe), this will give a bulkier loaf. Use sea salt. For an authentic taste of rustic life try some aioli as a spread -without butter unless you are a Germanic barbarian type.It goes very well with a rough country red wine. If you have never varied your bread consumption from "standard" whites I urge you to give this bread a try . In the UK as some of you know , high quality spelt loaves can be bought (at some cost) from Booth's Supermarket chain.

Indeed it does, and there is a lot of statistical analysis as well. This is the volume I am packing for my next trip to Pompeii-it will be a big help in notation of images . If you are unable to get a copy pm me before the UK meet and ill bring it along. If anyone is interested in decorative finishes , I also made reference in my blog to the pigmentation hierarchies prevalent within the relevant time frame (0 AD-79 AD).

I find that we have two congruent threads with material relevant to both: please scroll backwards to retrieve mor data. Members will note my suggested reading "Houses and Society in Pompeii" as a useful source regarding style, layout and the possible interrelationship of servile/dominant quarters.