Pertinax

Any brassica My Fair Lady!

Most kind :notworthy: Your compliments make the endeavour worthwhile.

I return from a fruitful photo sweep of the site of this "behind the Wall" strategic fort excavation. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1412 Corstopitum is a Stanegate (strategic crosss country road) installation, pre-dating Hadrian's Wall but repeatedly rebuilt as a crucial supply depot and major civilian settlement. Only a fraction of the site has been excavated , but we see that there are some impressive items in the museum , and some worthwhile remains on site.The attested extent of the base and its vicus amount to approx 30 acres, from aerial photographic analysis -so what we have displayed at the existing site is a fraction of the developed area. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1411 The fort evolved from early wooden construction to later stone re-build , via considerable growth and re-planning/rebuilding , to finally function as a strategic HQ for Severus in his Caledonian campaigns. I know that Augustus is pressing on with his work regarding the Wall Forts and associated defences, though he is a little pressed for time at present . I will give a revised blog linkage to his excellent site when He has had sufficient breathing space to build gallery and information areas. Here we have the underground strong room where the Soldiers pay was kept. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1409 The site has some excellent granary foundations , including a mullioned vent duct still in situ ( I must get out more , musnt I?) , and the remains of a public fountain .The dressed rustic style masonry on view shows the quality required for important tactical buildings http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1410 http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1408 The Stanegate ran through the early Fort site, later becoming enclosed by the rebuilt and enlarged Fort. There are some thought ful presentations of Roman deities in the Museum area , in particualr a small portable shrine to Thrice Blessed Hermes: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1396 The Great Lady is not forgotten: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1398 We see Minerva (left) aiding Herakles in his great labours: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1397 Offsite I have a monster upload of images: http://triclinium.spaces.live.com/ I should add that we now have a nice congruity of museum and re-enactment, as LEG II AVG were an early garisson unit at this site, so if you scroll back down the blog you will see them as late Claudian (onwards) troops in this very locality.

Does the "moveability " of the feast offer any clues? Easter is not restricted to certain defined calendrical dates , but rather within a range of possible dates. Certainly we have shallow roots visible to some festivals (in terms of active subsumming of a "Pagan" festival), Lughansa /Harvest Festival certainly fits Phil's suggestion regarding Pope Gregory. Which immediatley gives me an excuse to unleash some Celtic recipes:Colcannon shows that the Hibernii wouldnt have suffered lead poisoning:- http://www.celticspirit.org/lughnasadh.htm

"A whole bunch of Emperors nobody really cared about" Very funny indeed.

Germ theory rears its very ugly head right here: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1407 from the er, fascinating, display at the Roman Bath Museum in York.

A sound enough suggestion FC. If you are up for it, feel free to start a thread. Or anyone on any subject for that matter. I did try! http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2951

Eh tu Brute? I rather think that is why so many people have developed apoplexy over this particular "dynamic hypothetical interface". Seriously: please avoid "matches" that have no congruity in terms of epoch or proximity.As has been said Phalanx versus Legion is acceptable for debate . ps: I see Brutus is in Birthday mood!

That brings up the issue for me of Pullo's brain surgery. They portray Pullo strapped down and being operated on with no anesthetic. I once read that as early as Alexander, Greek and Persian armies knew about chewing an opium bulb before an operation. Which is correct? The convention in the HBO scene is that Henbane has been used-the Opium skins are more related to dentistry, my answer would be that a surgeon/dentist would use whatever was appropriate to the monetary capabilities of his client. The Roman "problem" is effective local analgesics, so chewed poppy is acceptable either as a local or general medicine-but the surgeon had better understand where the poppy was from given the severe variation iin chemical effectivness from "Nile Delta to Londinium" (my own rule of thumb). Henbane is commoner and easier to grow, and it is very potent even in a damp climate ( chew too many seeds in Britain and you will die). My suggestion is that Greek/Eastern armies would have slightly better access to more potent strains of Poppy-Andrew Dalby may well wish to opinionate on my statement. Datura is a commonplace from N Africa ( as understood in Roman terms). The HBO compromise seems reasonable, Vorenus is a Plebian but not poor-the Doctor seems well educated, his disquisition on pus from the wound is apposite and the suggested sympathetic sacrifice is reasonable. Post Scriptum: I might amalgamate this with the main HBO "veracity thread" to keep things neat.

Excellent news, Longbow will risk domestic wrath to join us on the Saturday of the meeting! I have been over to York today ( I have actually visited Corbridge on the Wall, and dropped off at York on the way back) to check locations/posible speaking "spots"/facilities. I will drop a few photos into my "Eboracvm" gallery to update you all.

Opium is the only "substance abuse" we see in the series (if we are excluding Pullo's wine drinking), henbane being the only other narcotic mentioned in a medical context.If you check my henbane notes on this link you will see how confusion might arise if one were unaware of the history of tobacco. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=220 http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=528 Poppy notes here: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=393 My personal opinion would be that perhaps Datura strammonium would have been a possible "commonplace" alternative as a burnt inhalant-army medics certainly knew of it , and it was a commonplace herb aroud the Med.(pre-Islamic Arabia) http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=180

They have been found in many votive deposits throughout Roman Europe as well. Perhaps sticking it into the cracks of the houses was a bit more Egyptian. As I have yet to watch the commentaries, did they have anything to say about this? Yes there is a very specific reference.Lindsay Duncan said she enjoyed the Cursing very much.

Thank you, I like to keep the Blog Romano centric , but if you have raiders in the neighbourhood its best to photograph them.

The curse tablets are actual Egyptian survivals, but , given the Roman predilection for the wholesome acculturation of deities/ceremonies from the wide world they are not out of kilter. The form of words used by Servillia is an existing curse formula from the Roman epoch, so the two were put together and I dont think the "creative licence" detracts from the efect of the percieved reality of the ceremony.

Overlooked your post Antiochus, dont worry I forsee an avalanche of images. They may be a bit blurry , as I have concerns regarding sobriety of the Meeting. Yes it will be the first get together of any members, I hope , eventually we can have a major meeting in Italy itself-but this is just a dream at present.

I will have to take the precaution of moving this topic to the Hora Postilliae, so we dont get mixed up on time frames relevant to the Roman world....but please continue the thread....

The Rubicon itself was not said to have been of any great physical size, rather a well known legal boundary.Its actual stream bed is unknown today, so the small stream may not have been inacurrate.

Ive just got a copy of Pompeii as well-do you wish to review it Decimus or should I put it on my list? However "Food processing " is the book for me! Oh dear look at the price.

For once I report to you on a non-Roman event. There was a small Norse re-enactment unit attached to a larger Civil War (English) event nearby , so I went in search of interesting items and weapons . There was a selection of goods and weapons on show. I have firstly, posted a Northman in general undress with everyday kit , were he to fight a padded jerkin would be neded under a coat of chain mail.This is a man of high status and thus his equipment is of superior finish. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1388 Secondly we see detail of his high quality ornamentation (from a Norwegian find). http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1390 Thirdly we see the small "pocket version" general use scramseaxe, this version not being the more familiar "broken backed" design. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1395 In this image the use of the small axe to hamstring (or seek other peripheral weak points ) is demonstrated, note that the man nearest the camera is carrying a full fighting seax.This figure is also kitted with a very high quality helmet. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1391 Image six , the familiar double edged longsword for hacking.This is a wealthy warrior, the helmet is of the best quality.A lot of low status men would have had to risk fighting bareheaded and getting a "pommelling" with the butt of the longsword. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1394 Image seven, a less familiar single edged Norwegian blade.This is another copy from a norse hoard. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1393 Image eight,the heavy Dane axe of the Norse and the Huscarl ,Anglo-Saxon Hearth troops.Capable of cutting through horse and man.The specialised weapon of the best troops. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1387 Finally an axe fight (though not in full armour). http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1386 The object is to maim by cutting through the collar bone , or seek out peripheral targets such as the hamstrings. My main observation here is one I have considerd in the "Celtic Swords" section, individuals and retinues of powerful Jarls had good weapons and an organised/dedicated fighting band, however the commonplace warrior had little enough equipment and protective gear.One cannot help but feel a retrograde step has been taken watching the , therefore needful, emphasis on "individual" combat technique. I do not discount the skaldaberg as a steady shield wall strategy , but the swine array seems merely to be a re-invention of roman assault tactics. There is an off site upload here as usual , with a few more shots of ephemera.(the gallery is "The Vikings!" http://triclinium.spaces.live.com/ post scriptum! A rather fine shield painting: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1389

Dont forget becoming a soldier, in the Dominate (for a plebian) enhanced life expectancy over that of a civilian.

There is a sort of ancient/modern balance to be considered here as LW points out: much harder "physical" times/simpler diet/social inequality of medicinal care (but more restricted range of medicaments) versus (in general terms) cheap de-natured foods (with corn starch, stabilisers etc) / over medication (antibiotics) and constant medical intervention/ environmental toxicity. Just a few items on either side of the balance, I think there are probably hundreds more: I suggest that the dietary factor is our greatest downfall, how I wish we had any sort of reliable information regarding morbidity in the ancient world (one immediatley suspects a much lower incidence of bowel cancer).

Firstly commenting on Viggen's arrival into the world: had our Imperator been of a similar exalted rank or merely a Knight then I suggest that quality midewifery would have seen him stand a good chance of arriving in good shape. Soranus wrote a major work on Gynaecology, which by great forune has survived to our day. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gynaecology-Soranu...TF8&s=books It is not a naive work and it lays great stress on skill, cleanliness and attention to detail.A "woman of skill" could well have determined a breach presentation. The range of sophisticated (and highly refined) instrumentation available to a knowledgable practitioner was wide. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=925 notice that this instrument is actually superior to many modern standard units. Had He been lower born then I would be more sceptical. Appendicitis is still a killer , a poor physician can misdiagnose and the patient is in jeopardy. Antibiotic use and (clean) blood transfussion change the general odds in the patients favour. Pneumonothorax is very tricky , Viggen are you by any chance tall and thin( or were at that time!). Myself: I would probably not have had childhood asthma or hayfever (the latter is essentially a product of an excessively starch based diet and underventilated living space (it didnt exist before 1880)), as I would have been eating porridge and outdoors all the time. Asthma tends to hit those who drink cows milk (and eat cheese) , the Romans shunned milk as a barbarian abomination. Teeth: ill go with modern dentistry as long as no mercury amalgam is used, but as Cruse remarked in "Roman Medicine" the Romans teeth were more heavily worn but less carious than ours, however novocaine is a steadier analgesic than chewing poppy skin pulp. Malaria and Plague would be the things Id fear in those times, indeed (personally) I think the plagues that afflicted the Empire were critical in its long term downfall. Caldrail's limp would probably be unremarkable in Civilian life, though given the military's "leg stretching" tactic after a bone trauma wound , it might have stood a chance of repair in a younger man with very heavy wet bone mass and muscle tissue: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=898 :stretcher: Youve started me off now!

There's a 'Eagle of the Ninth series' ? One based on the novel? I had no idea! When was it made? There was , and it was excellent, but that was 30 years ago and no trace survives.It is one of the main reasons I am here as a Romanophile.

Out of morbid curiosity I suppose.

We are going to the right place, even the curators fight each other: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770 We do have a guest list WW , but we are still waiting for other members to say yay or nay.