Pertinax

I would like to suggest that Roman latrines were cleaner than ours-in a permanent Fort/settlement, they always had all available used running water moving through them at all times

Makes sense-because until the 3rd C AD we have no indication of any British unit on the Wall (and that is a Staffs/Cheshire outfit), all the Britons that we are aware of are outshipped to Gaul .Indeed the only time we seem to have attested British presence we have suggestions of collusion with tthe locals ( very late 390 AD ish).Also the obvious policy on Auxilliae is "send em elsewhere to test loyalty" , the Sarmatiae for example -long way from Dacia (and beyond) to Bremetennacum. If recruitment is envisaged then thats fair enough, the whole history of the wall is mostly "bushfire" policing without major conflict-though three such "wars" do occur from 120 to 420.Seems very reasonable to employ the troublesome local louts and ship em out to the Rhine! Thanks for checking that over AD. edit: British units seem to have been "irregular" in nature ,where attested-thoug I hesitate to suggest all of them were for certain.

The re-enactors were quite a bunch, very friendly and keen to share knowledge. They also presented a sight that many will consider strange, their ages-many were "grizzled veterans" but that added to the event , it was easier to see "old sweats" with missing teeth and not so athletic builds -we know Germanicus had to quell revolts by men who showed him toothless gums and old injuries. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=759 http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=758 They also had the wiley disarming charm of old soldies,indeed some of them were old soldiers! Interestingly the Centurion of Deva Victrix had been brought up in Deva (Chester) and had handled a Gladius and Scutum since childhood. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=754 The mounted Auxilliae had an air of lofty disdain for the foot soldiers , and I detected that this was reciprocated, the usual inter service rivalry made flesh two thousand years on. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=760 I actually felt a sharp pang of reality as the mounted men told the foot soldiers to move aside as they entered the arena, it was perfectly reasonable as the horses needed the space , but it had a real hint of class difference in its delivery. Im sure it was totally unintentional, but it was also most revealing. The main photo upload is enormous ,so it will have to be off site especially as this is only the first such event im covering this summer.We have a day at Bremetennacum, another at Skipton and a Roman Day at York. LEG VIII AUG album now in my msn blog http://spaces.msn.com/Triclinium/PersonalSpace/ I would like to ask members to visit Northern Neil's clever little models of Turret and Milecastle construction , these are very good "imaginings", its possible that some fort/fortlet towers were even taller than the one shown, but I suspect this was more likely to be at the "premier" forts -the totally lost Axelodunum (Stanwix-THE premier posting on the Wall) and Arbeia as a large logistical support/fleet base. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=765

Thank you Phil for posting that whilst I was off board. AD if you scroll down my blog entries to "Garrison Life at Vindolanda" Birley , in the book of that name mentions the "discovery" of the word in the tablets. He cant make out if its a general diminutive or not but its apparent context may be in relation to training auxilliae/irregulars, as the context is an "official" communique.I have posted links to the tablet site-with your language skills you might be able to make out what is actually being said.

After all the gluttony in this thread I bring you a digestive : http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=762 to restore your jaded gut and palate. In the East Anise was formerly used with other spices in part payment of taxes. 'Ye pay tithe of Mint, Anise and Cummin,' we read in the 23rd chapter of St. Matthew, but some authorities state that Anise is an incorrect rendering and should have been translated 'Dill.' In Virgil's time, Anise was used as a spice. Mustacae, a spiced cake of the Romans introduced at the end of a rich meal, to prevent indigestion, consisted of meal, with Anise, Cummin and other aromatics. Such a cake was sometimes brought in at the end of a marriage feast, and is, perhaps, the origin of our spiced wedding cake. I also understand that the Romans chewed Anise in the morning to freshen the breath-and then rinsed with wine! They also rubbed it into their faces in an early attempt at non-surgical facelifting.I might also add that epilepsy ,that most nervewrackingly divine of conditions was (hopefully) allayed by smearing infants with anise paste. AD may know some more on this-I understand the paste mixed with (bay leaves?) other herbs was used as a vomit inducing emetic?

So that is what we would call the "festival of the green drake / grey drake" that you (and the ancient fisherman are emulating).

The cononundrum might be-cheap food and chemical medicine =more people , more people =greater generatable profits but de-natured foods and non-satisfying homogenised "lives" . So why do you need "more" people raised on poor nutrients and doubtful medical ethics ? Western Liberalism is silent on the Malthusian nature of psychological overpopulation, if all lives are valuable why now do so many live utterly de-natured lives? . This is of course ,as you point out , swamping the planet with blandness. Oh no are we becoming materialistic historians of a certain Historic School?

How silly, robots don't exist... Are you by any chance Keyser Soze?

The insurance is very tempting, especially if Moonlapse is now past the blueprint stage with his death dealing automaton.

absolutely!

Ri-man looks a bit like a well known killer cyborg we discussed previously.

If you drink a good french red where a beet crop has been used as "manure", that would be as beneficial and virtuous.I strongly advise you to try this procedure as well as the omelette.

"they devoted themselves on the other hand to all sorts of pursuits which in the days of the Republic men had jealously reserved for themseleves" "with spear in hand and breasts exposed (they) take to pig-sticking" I quote from that amusing passage.

I have two tasks to complete for the site, the report on the re-enactment at Banna Fort (Birdoswald) on Hadrian's Wall and my review of the Roman Navy in Britain. Here is the first part of the first of those tasks: Firstly the weather was good enough , though too blustry for the hawking display to proceed. In attendance were LEGIO VIII Augusta http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=749 I have a lot more to post here and off site on the MSN blog but that will be in a few days time.You can see the attention to detail and authenticity is good, (pale British legs cant be avoided). Also present were Deva Victrix an educational/tour type unit also immersed in accuracy http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=754 And Roma Antiqua , who re-create civilian life, militray units and gladiator school. http://www.roma-antiqua.co.uk/index.htm English Heritage sent their Falconry Master but the weather was against him. The good thing about these events is that ,although you may have a conceptual grasp of say weapon use or armour fitting, 5 minutes dispels any innacurate pre-conceptions. At random , foot archers can only loose off a limited number of volleys at an approaching "tortoise" and if its windy not many hit even such a large target. Sleeping in a tent with your mess mates leaves older Legionaries prefering to use a sleeping bag in a car-as was noted "all night we have snoring, belching , the passing of wind and constant visits to the latrine", perhaps something you tend not to think about in any detail . The mounted Auxilliae are terrifying , even just a couple of them were a splendid site with billowing capes and an ability to use sword, kontos or bow you would need steady nerves to face a skirmishing asault by a group of them.On which point a horse archer needs to get in quite close to hit a target so some auxiliary light infantry as a screen are a must to repell them,along with your own light horse. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=750 I can understand why so many armies wouldnt take the psychological leap of faith from horse to tank now, the live animal is so splendid, granted that AFVs are fearsome but , what I can only describe as a sort of primordial wildness , attaches to cavalry. VIII Augusta ran through the usual defensive/offensive tactics ,using latin commands,and they explained rank and insignia and also the role and nature of the Auxilliae.I watched them drilling for a couple of hours before the display and that was very evocative, they were muffled up in cloaks with full kit slogging through mud and repeating the exercises ad nauseum. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=756 The blustry weather meant that the Roman kitchen was a very stressful place for the cook-lighting a fire was a real problem. An excellent day out ,with several more such to follow in the "summer " months. More information to follow and the majority of the images will be available on my MSN blog in the future (plenty of detailed equipment shots for example).