Everyday modern things that might impress an ancient Roman

[GhostOfClayton]

I ended up using a box of Swan Vesta matches in the story.

 

Story? Do tell.

 

what are pogs??

 

Artimi. where have you been? I can tell that you (a) weren't a child in the 1990s, and (b.) don't have children/grandchildren that were children in the 1990s. Alternatively, you must live the life of a hermit on an atoll somewhere. Or possibly Wales.

 

They were a craze that kids pestered their parents to death for money just to buy. Massively overpriced small coloured discs. They wanted them because their peers had them, and for no other reason. We're a crazy, mixed-up species!

Edited November 6, 2010 by GhostOfClayton

[Trethiwr]

Circular discs of cardboard with a huge variety of coloured pictures on them. Derived from milk bottle tops of a bygone age (source wikipedia ) and also closely connected with a Passion-fruit, Orange, and Guava drink from Hawaii.

Children collect them and trade them and play a game involving making stacks of them and knocking the stacks down.

They had they commercial heyday in the 90s

The vast majority are cardboard but you can also get heavier ones in plastic and I think even metal but I am getting into conjecture now.

I am too old to have played with them and my kids are too young to have got into them in a big way as well.

[Trethiwr]

I ended up using a box of Swan Vesta matches in the story.

Story? Do tell.

 

I have been writing a story for my eight year old son.

His class are doing Romans in Britain. Since we live in London they are focussing on Londinium and are currently concentrating their research around the 2nd century when as I understand it Londinium took over from Camulodunum as the main city. This would be around the time of Antoninus or thereabouts.

 

So my main character is David about ten years old who lives in East London and is a bit bored with history except when it deals with weapons and warfare when he perks up.

 

There is an earthquake (apparently London is overdue an earthquake) and a big crack appears in the school wall. While everyone else's attention is diverted David crawls through the crack and finds himself, not in the neighbouring garden but, in a field ancient walled city to the west.

 

He then meets another boy his own age and they have some adventures.

My main objective was to create a story which entertains a primary school aged child but at the same time includes as much genuine historical fact as I could shoehorn in.

 

The hardest part was getting around his total lack of Latin.

I hope I have got the balance right.

 

Interestingly I worte them making a school visit to the Museum of London and guess what?

My son came home with a letter of consent,

for... a school trip to the Museum of London!

[Late Emperor]

Since they were a militaristic culture, then I think that a gun or a rifle would REALLY impress a roman guy.

 

Focusing on a small thing that a casual time traveller could have in his pockets, I think that a multi-function swiss knife would impress them too.

[Late Emperor]

Another one: a banknote.

 

At first my roman interlocutor would look at it as a worthless piece of colored paper but once I'd explain him that where I come from, we use it as money...he would probably find it one of the funniest thing he has never heard.

Edited November 8, 2010 by Late Emperor

[Artimi]

I finally searched for pogs.

 

 

this one of the sites I found:)

 

Bad fads

[GhostOfClayton]

Focusing on a small thing that a casual time traveller could have in his pockets, I think that a multi-function swiss knife would impress them too.

 

. . . and as if by magic, this thread appears.

[Trethiwr]

That's pretty amazing.

If the Greeks didn't think of it then the Romans pretty much covered the rest.

 

I made the mistake of following that bad fads links and surfing a bit there.

Found myself looking at Op-Yops a toy from 1968 that I remember playing with as a child.

They are selling them again but $6 EACH. Ridiculous.

 

In my story I had my main character trade some marbles in Londinium then, later, back in our own time an archaeologist finds a necklace made to a Roman design but using what are clearly modern marbles. The archaeologist is accused of a fraud and gets very annoyed.

 

Maybe someone made a multi tool implement to look like it was Roman, then went back in time and left it where he knew it would be well preserved.

[GhostOfClayton]

Maybe someone made a multi tool implement to look like it was Roman, then went back in time and left it where he knew it would be well preserved.

 

If we could do that, it would make 'Time Team' a really interesting programme.

[Trethiwr]

Maybe someone made a multi tool implement to look like it was Roman, then went back in time and left it where he knew it would be well preserved.

 

If we could do that, it would make 'Time Team' a really interesting programme.

 

"Its day three here at Wallsend and up until now we haven't found anything, but just now Phil has made an extraordinary find, tell us about it Phil."

"Well its a Roman amphora from the second century and it was still sealed. We've opened it to see what's in there and there is a Silva compass, Ordinance Survey map EX043 of Hadrian's Wall , a Swiss Army knife, and a bar of Kendal Mint Cake!"

"So its a high status object then?"

"Oh yes, probably a religious artefact."

"What do you think Carenza?"

"I think its April the first and someone is taking the p***."

[GhostOfClayton]

"Its day three here at Wallsend and up until now we haven't found anything, but just now Phil has made an extraordinary find, tell us about it Phil."

"Well its a Roman amphora from the second century and it was still sealed. We've opened it to see what's in there and there is a Silva compass, Ordinance Survey map EX043 of Hadrian's Wall , a Swiss Army knife, and a bar of Kendal Mint Cake!"

"So its a high status object then?"

"Oh yes, probably a religious artefact."

"What do you think Carenza?"

"I think its April the first and someone is taking the p***."

 

LOL.

 

I certainly feel pretty religious towards Ordance Survey Explorer Maps, but the frequenters of this forum tend not to be fellow O.S.ophiles. Fortunately, there are plenty of fora out there that cater for us!

[Trethiwr]

I just spent over a minute trying to remember if FORA was animals or plants!!

I love an ordnance survey map.

There's something the Romans would have gone crazy for, a decent relief map. And a modern theodolite!!

[Melvadius]

Door knobs?? Really?

I presume you mean specifically ones which turned the latch as well as acting as a handle.

I mean there have to have been handles on doors since doors were invented.

 

Interesting fact.

The front door of Ten Downing Street, in London has NO handle or anything on the outside. If everybody went out and shut the door it would be impossible to get back in.

(Although I presume they would have a difficult job shutting it in the first place.)

 

You obviously never saw the episode of Yes Prime Minister entitled The Key

 

BTW why did you include a group of musicians in your list?

[Trethiwr]

 

You obviously never saw the episode of Yes Prime Minister entitled The Key

 

BTW why did you include a group of musicians in your list?

 

I love Yes Prime Minister, but the key referred to was a key for an adjoining door from the Cabinet office to Number 10.

(The two are actually part of separate buildings which were interconnected post construction.)

Sir Humphrey then attempts to get in from the garden but since all the windows are alarmed he ends up being grabbed by the fuzz!

(Special branch to be specific)

 

Group of musicians?? The Pogs perhaps? famous for their songs Wild Thing and Love is all Around?

[Late Emperor]

Focusing on a small thing that a casual time traveller could have in his pockets, I think that a multi-function swiss knife would impress them too.

 

. . . and as if by magic, this thread appears.

 

 

I guess my swiss knife would not impress them.

 

I will take a bar of soap with me: that will impress the romans for sure.

Edited November 9, 2010 by Late Emperor