Pertinax

What a great day out with the kids. I now realise I have discovered several pyramids.They are called "rocks" in Britain.

Nay sir, the japes and capers must await the return of the wandering Bride, Claudia Prima. Yet, my old partner in Kali4kneeya, is caprificating my figs. Something tells me that you will soon force me to resurrect my 1920's encyclopaedia and/or get a copy of the O.E.D. Most trullye Sirrah you have great gravyte and bottome!

"tis most exelentte of you , doubtless merrye capers and japes will abounde

Despite the presence of numerous shapely Swedish ladies I was on balance more inclined to find the female support of TT robustly attractive, many would say a draw was therefore a fair result . I suspect Argentina versus Costa Rica will be a close fought affair given the excellent high cheekbones of many Lady fans on both sides.Spain versus The Ukraine will I think be difficult to call given a plethora of dark glossy hair on both sides of the terrace, despite splendid variations in the distribution of adipose tissue.

Beshrew me! young Lord Blackadder you are in fine fooling today! I see you blog under the influence of Bacchus and use one of the few great modern innovations-paper plates.

"he met a most wretched end before reaching the age of seventy, in a manner that befitted a son of Podaleirius; for his leg became mortified quite to the groin and was infested with maggots. It was then that his baldness was detected " oh dear.

Vital signs now visible

Horned saddle is the term you may be searching for- a well trained horseis good but more especiallythe accomplished rider can control an animal with only shift of weight and leg pressure, these photos are of 3rd C auxilliae .An experienced rider can knock a recalcitrant animal into shape very quickly (with confidence and subtlety).Reins can be of various configurations and you can of course have leg controlled reins. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=764 http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=761 http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=751 note that all weapon exercises except the spatha require both hands for execution.These re-enactors were fast and accurate. Ok these are cobby 13 hand animals but a Cataphract would upscale in weight (horse and rider) and have a heftier mount, though not perhaps the "destrier" size imagined by many.The four horned saddle seemed to provide a completely stable platform.

Both Diodorus & Strabo (probably coming from Pytheas) said that the tin merchants met the intermediaries from across the channel (Veneti & Osismii) just off shore on a specific island set aside for trade. The locals used coracles (a hide & wood boat) to get to it with their load. Do I detect echoes of the ceremonial and etiquette of the " God of Boundaries" in the nature of this particular method of exchange?

The interesting thing about the sequence that Pantagathus has posted is that the "cornish merchants" or their representatives appear to have no physical seaborne presence whatsoever, the Venetii (and associates) were the sole possible channel for products. I wonder if the whole chain is a series of strict monopolies by interset area? I note that the heavy pier installations at Poole in Dorset are attested as being from 250BC -with later Romanised overbuilding, once again quite a history of indirect (?)contact

Ok vital signs acknowledged.

Yes we see vital signs. You are functioning.

Yes Tacitus is very terse as regards Bolanus-but pacifying the tribal area , in terms of physical scale and number of opponents could not have been a simple task. The Queen's armed support seems to have been relatively limited (a bit like rescuing Mussolini from Grand Sasso!) , the tribe seems to have swung into action behind Venuntius much more wholeheartedly. Given the penetrative power of marine units I am now inclined to believe that II Adiutrix could have easily made incursions via the Solway and Tyne , and supplied and acted in concert with XX and IX units.This may have been recce only of course . Also remember that not all the Northern tribes were hostiles, clients existed here as well, with varying degrees of friendship/neutrality the Pictii and Maetae who were hostile but relatively remote.

A very short reply is-1.because a hard core of the Welsh tribes represented a non-material culture which was wholly alienated form the idea of Roman culture ie: trade and any cultural contact was irrelevant therefore the insidious grip of Roman productive wealth did not beguile them 2. Ynys Mon was the centre of the (literate and hence powerful) Druidic culture and remote from initial invasion and consolidation infrastructure3.The terrain was broken and favoured geurilla action so the desired set piece battle was difficult to achieve until the land had been subdivided by physical infrastructure 4. Until the Brigantes were wholly stable as Roman clients (hence acting as buffer state versus the various Caledonians ) the strategic position was difficult -so Cartamanduia's destabilisation of the Brigantine nation meant Rome had to deal with achieving stability in that tribal area before commiting resources to Wales.5.Until the Classis Brittania worked up to full capability in terms of fitted bases and fleet strength the deployment of coordinated marine interdiction was delayed. edit: no mercantile contact=no intelligence gathering from unarmed visitors.

"Fighting for Spain" - The reviews for this book seem to point to it being a piece of assidous scholarship, and as one reviwr I read earlier this morning says , this is a war where the losing side made most of the comment. A further pointer is that both sides were a shambles of mutually suspicious groups, as the Nationalists were less of a shambles they overcame the chaotic agglomeration of the Republicans . http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...2620765-5794332 If you require a vivid, breathing portrait of the conflict in a digestible and very readable book try this http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...2620765-5794332 it couls realisticaly be subtitled "the death of idealism"

Returning to Virgil's "731" comment earlier, I now find that the other "non-Roman" book I am reading presently "Toxin" http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...2620765-5794332 is a sobering read about public health, washing your hands, making sure sewage is disposed of and the 731 atrocities as part of the evolution of understanding bacterial poisons. There is a great deal here about population morbidity and "plagues" , historically and presently.I feel a blog may be forthcoming.Toxic warfare is of course not new , I was unaware that Hannibal had pots of poisinous snakes hurled onto the King of Pergammon's ships, but lobbing corpses of men and animals into your opponents water supply seems to be a universal and ancient art.

Urski durski , yar ing de flin de yammer yammer.

just resting brain whilst writinga review... "When Beakers Attack" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW6rPnRBWjo and Foghat! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JuM9YFqII4

AS you have been in the Ukraine, and know of their history , the film will resonate strongly.

Wine was also a quite popular export then and now. And made it as far North as Aberdeen ( as is now) amongst the Taexalli ( as then were).