WotWotius

I am ashamed to find all these picture amusing...

Yes, the role of the speech is to capture the essence of it orator. Although they were obviously based on truth, the subtle changes the original speeches went through over the years meant that the historians of old would have to fill in plenty of gaps. In saying 'Speeches in the texts of old are almost certainly a fabrication mustered up by the imagination of their authors...' I did not mean that they were completely fanciful -- despite their shortcomings, most of the ancient sources contain a large element of truth -- I meant that the text of the speeches was probably made-up, but the characters and the event with which they deal were not.

Knidos.

Yes, but most of the speeches found in the works of the Roman historians (Livy in particular) are either pre-battle speeches, and by you assessment almost certainly an invention, or part of political debates from a time in Roman history that is so archaic it is borderline fantasy (for example the trial of Horatius in the early books of Livy). Further, the speeches to which you refer seem were more spare in number than you imply. Private speeches, for example, were the type of rhetoric favoured by Tacitus the Annals. Almost all of them dealt with the day-to-day political asides of the Imperial Palace, and therefore were not recorded - and therefore it would not be too much of a rash accusation to say that most of these speeches were made-up.

Anywhere responsible for creating Lucky Charms (the greatest cereal in existence) should be commended full-heartedly!

Speeches in the texts of old are almost certainly a fabrication mustered up by the imagination of their authors. There is, however, some degree of necessity in them. Firstly, and most obviously, they lay out the reasons for the conflict between two clearly different forces (for example, two nations before a battle). They additionally emphasis the fact that, through the author's classical education (history was not written by just anybody then; it was a privilege reserved for the elite), he was not ignorant of the opinions of those with whom he disagreed

Did any American channel show the USA Vs. England game?

Does anybody know where I might be able to obtain a cheap copy Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War?

Have a good one.

No. Yes.

To use a slightly less jazz-oriented word

Caesarea Maritima?

I would agree with this comment, in that she was under quite a bit of pressure...no matter how much you practice and relax before going before people, sometimes you just flub up. For some stupid reason yesterday, I kept saying that France conquered and controlled France and then Italy in 1066, yet I would catch myself and say England! I couldn't believe that I did it not once, not twice, but three times! I was exhausted, true, but still...I know better! But there really is an issue with geography in this country--I can say this. This summer, when I asked my Spanish class to write a guided essay (one which I provide a series of questions, and in answering the questions they create an essay) about a fictitious trip they took to South America, I had an appalling set of answers; at least 75% put a wrong answer. Some said they went to Mexico...I didn't like the answer, but at least they kept it within Latin America. Some said New Jersey...Some said Hawaii...Some said Spain. AND THERE'S A BLEEDING MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA IN THE CLASSROOM FOR THEM TO LOOK AT!!!!! I know at least 2 people did look at the map, because they said they went to "La Republica Argentine"...it's the typo that's on the map (it should be "La Republica Argentina"). But, seriously...I dug into them big time. At least some people just said that they went to South America, not specifying where...I told them that they should be better than that, but at least they didn't go off topic. I was seriously offended...and even my brother, who is not a geography/history buff, could still name a few South American countries off the top of his head. Unreal! If you get access to the Jay Leno show, he does (or did) a regular series called "Jaywalking," where he went out to the streets of Los Angeles and polled people on basic questions. It was unreal how many people couldn't name the flipping capital of California (Sacramento) nor of the country. They kept saying that LA was the capital of the state, and New York was the capital of the country! I even met some people in South Dakota who asked me if England was near China!!!!!!!! One even asked me if London housed the Eiffel Tower!!!!! :disgust: :disgust:

If it were me visiting Rome, I would pace over the same ground as the great poets of old (including Horace and Virgil themselves) in the Auditorium of Maecenas: It is not really a new exhibition, but a relatively unknown site (in terms of tourists anyway) and definitely worth a visit.

Ergot poisoning is also found in prehistoric studies; the most famous example being Tollund Man., who may have ingested it as some form of sacrificial right.

I would sign up for this, but I am doing a module in my third year that is practically identical.

Already exists. See list here. Yes, but as a document that is essentially a journal

How about Lucullus?

York?

Indeed it is.

After speaking to quite a few in South Dakota, I was shocked to hear that so few knew of any British sitcoms other that Benny Hill and Mr Bean.

It really warms me to hear an American say that.

No, think bigger.

Upon reading this article by the BBC, I grew rather confused about the ins-and-outs of Late Roman, or early Christian inhumation. Was, for example, burial within the city walls still illegal during this period?