Pertinax

aha-I have the very video in which a Pertimaxus would be de-rigeur! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MboyUrh5qKw

The Surena (the general in question) is said to have been outraged that a man would start a war simply for profit alone. The choice of death was as a punishment for veniality and a lack of honourable intent.

"men packed closely together have no room for fighting" , maybe we have a clue here as regards why a few Legionaries could "run down" a much larger non-Roman army. Especially as this remark is prefaced by "nothing has proved to be of greater service [as regards] keeping position".

That is a tough one to call, the process of infeudation of land holdings was thoroughly consolidated by them as an instrument of political/military dominance .In the sense that the feudal landholding tenures (in relation to tenant service ) became efficiently systemised, then this unpopular action was a profoundly dynamic impetus toward nationhood. Doesnt mean anyone liked them much though, the Harrying of the North was a thorough "crush, kill and destroy" progrom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Harrying_of_the_North I think the bad press was well deserved. Longbow is the man to speak on this subject, he is a great student of this era.The White Tower was a symbol of terror and physical domination, im sure you know that it was an incomplete project for a long period. http://www.timeref.com/whttwr3d.htm

Most of the medical work that I have mentioned , in various threads , is related to combat medicine as practiced after the impetus given to it by Augustus. The materia medica (blog/gallery) are more universal spanning Hellenistic and Celtiberian worlds also , over a much wider time frame. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...um&album=12 Most re-enactments are 1st to 3rd C AD , so any materials are most likely to be later period work. What sort of wound do we have from a gladius? If you have been stabbed (as you should have been) then perhaps your chance of survival is very low ? We know the killing effectiveness of the short sword was unmatched till the machinegun arrived on the battlefield so perhaps we should theorise very heavy proportianate fatalities from body wounds. From slash wounds , I assume we have a predominance of calf and peripheral limb damage -deep, possibly like our friend here: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=898 but more likely transverse cuts. Would we have to deal with anything different to a post republican battlefield? I particularly mean in relation to internicine strife.

That suffices for me to revert to Pertimaxus.

Britain as a conceptual racial or national identity had no existence until the province came under Roman sway. The Gallic reality was of a Gallic/belgic hegeomony with tribal suzerainty imposed by the appropriate senior noble (male or female) exercising power withourt reference to the "Ocean" as barrier nor with any reference to any existing internal tribal dispositions. Prsonal , local power was all. The Norman invasion was versus a roughly hewn nation state , though the Normans themselves are probably the best example of the early foundation of Nation States as "modern" political entities (Sicily, Principalty of Antioch for example). Surely Victorian attitudes saw the concept of "Imperium" as a moral concept ( the "Rule of Law") and as any dynasty does, seek to legitimise by precedent .

Notice please , Gaius of brooklynsaxmundhame, that Neuilly Prat is the Vermouth I suggest not the louche "martini" Tell me citizens , should it be Pertimaxus or Pertimaximus? What is more pleasing to your educated ear?

This is good , as the liver is the seat of the soul.So I am told.

I wish to offer a soothing balm to all this gender related japesomeness. Here is my cocktail recipe for an improved Bison Grass Martini. Indeed I name it the "Pertimaxus" 1 measure of Bison Grass Vodka (or Navy strength Plymouth gin) http://www.bisonbrandvodka.net/ http://www.plymouthgin.com/ 2 measures extra dry martini or Neuilly Prat (my preference) 1 measure Duchy original Ginger Tonic (2 if you are a rough tough sea dog sort of person) Ice and Tonic Water to taste...not diet tonic Drink two of same in good company and all perplexities will be resolved.

I was sceptical myself, but I posted this because it is the only "immediate " method of pulling an injured man back. Otherwise I assume to cover the injured you must advance over them and cover them with your shields. I also have to say that the scabbard strap would have to be tough as hell, for the obvious reason that in a fight you would surely exert (unintentionally) a tremendous pull on the strap.Would this stabilise a unit or hold its front line back I wonder?

I add this post as a "possible" scenario , rather than something evidential. One of the interesting snippets that has come out of the commentary extras on HBO Rome is as regards the fight scene in episode 1 ( meant to be a holding action near Alesia). The historical advisor to the production unit posits the idea that Republican soldiers held the scabbard strap ( across the body) of the man in front of them as a means of casualty retrieval. If the man in front was hit ,you hauled him back and stepped forward. Difficult in a scrap id say , and does the casualty get trodden on by his pals? Thought id mention this as the fight scene is well choreographed but that might be the most appropriate word for the action sequence.

Add-ons to the first 5 discs also include a breakdown , in detail, of the "gladiator" sequence ("Thirteenth!") and Caesars Triumph. Disc 6 is a special of extras : actors boot camp, sets, wardrobe. A feature on Roman life (everyday life in the City)- and a picture gallery. edit: The Roman Life extra is a 30 minute meditation on "were they like us or not?" , a constant theme underlying many debates in the various Forii here. One of the most useful remarks in attempting to achieve a Roman world "mind set" is the constant reminder that (this crucial period of the Triumvirate ) is wholly outside of any Judaeo-Christian moral framework. This is almost platitudinous but it bears repeating. The rejoinder is , religion was everywhere in daily life and the activities of the state, but "Liberal Morality" as we understand it did not exist. Ok I know its just a tv entertainment , but having listened to Heller and his historical advisors , I dont doubt it is also a sincere attempt to make the place and things as accurate as can be, and a valiant attempt to re-create a different moral universe.

So Bacchus is our Deity then , not Venus?

The Museum of Yorkshire is said to be the best collection of Roman artefacts in Britain : http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=581 and the general ambience is pleasant: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=272

Now I understand. Mrs D and I have been speaking different languages all these years. Mrs P and I communicate by a system of grunts and shrugs .

also included: a charachter summary, which I havent seen on the HBO website (20 minutes long and very "light and fluffy"). Bruno Heller has a voiceover commentary as well, I am going to re-watch the first episode with that playing tonight.

There is an "all roads lead to Rome" historical extras interactive menu, this points out snippets of interesting info during the episodes -nothing too taxing but some nice little tidbits.

Why not give us a "short" review of it , when youve finished? You could drop it into the Libri thread.

Alas! I feel your pain. Ok twenty minutes into the first episode , and I ask why on earth did anyone bother to cut out the "politics" from this episode ? The charachters (Cato, Pompey, Cicero) are already given much fuller personalities by the inclusion of a few deleted scenes, and the dialogue in the deleted (edited) scenes is impressively non-hammy .

A lovely quote from Carcopino (Daily Life) , "That those who consumed wines blended with resin and pitch pine neat(which could be quite a range of resinous saps) , were considered abnormal and vicious , a mark for the contumely"(Martial I believe) . He further suggests a minimun one third water to wine, as a "seemly" proportion.

The Box is here! I am frantically ripping it apart in the manner of Homer Simpson. Ive already broken two teeth. Very nicely packaged! updates on extras as I progress through the box!

My First Series box set is on its way!