BBC-Scotland: Rome's Final Frontier

[guy]

This is an interesting program dealing with Rome's often violent interactions with Scotland.

 

The program poses an interesting question: "In the end, how should we assess Rome's influence on Scotland? ...a force for aggression and a force for change. A golden opportunity and a mortal danger. Two sides of the same coin."

 

This program uses numismatic evidence to shed light on Scotland's complicated relationship with Rome.

 

 

 

guy alos known as gaius

[GhostOfClayton]

This is a top notch documentary. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Guy. Makes me worry what will become of BBC Scotland when that country withdraws from the UK - they've produced some very good television over the years.

 

I just wish the Scottish Archaeology professor presenting the programme wouldn't walk along the top of the very fragile relic that is Hadrian's Wall. He wouldn't be very happy if I stomped up and down on the Stone of Scone (though, historically, that's been a very English thing to do - what do they expect if they name their most symbolic and precious historical artefacts after a bun!)

[caesar novus]

GORGEOUS visuals, FASCINATING facts, but tiresome victimology spin. Maybe the noble caledonians themselves invaded as genocidal brutes in earlier years, and with less to offer than the Romans. Well, I don't want to diss whoever made the Scottish enlightenment possible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Enlightenment

I too wondered if such high technical documentary standards can be maintained if it will be paid for by local ratepayers absent English taxpayers and dwindling north sea oil. The US History channels and even BBC America standards plummet lower every year due to mass-market and price pressure.

 

At least the professor didn't actually touch the morocco woodwork he was pointing out, and used gloves for things he touched (probably regulations, but often ignored by tv hosts). Whenever there was an absence of info, he chronically speculated Rome doing evil and Caledonians as hapless victims... rarely symbiosis.  Maybe the wall was to prevent freeloading of Roman benefits without paying the price by way of taxes and obligations. However, a tentative frontier of Roman society maybe didn't provide many blessings unless it had stabilized more.  Endurance of a plucky underdog makes an appealing foundation myth for a country I suppose, but insurgencies only work when you stay too primitive to develop ripe targets.

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

Great and interesting show !

 

Just as a note : the piece from the Rabat museum is bronze, I took a picture of it in 2008 : https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ww5tJRkGcf0/TB-m5pj5jyI/AAAAAAAAhUw/JcbWF6lrdOg/w649-h865-no/P1020155.JPG 

[Crispina]

Enjoyed this very much. Thanks for posting it here.

[caesar novus]

US History channels and even BBC America standards plummet lower every year due to mass-market and price pressure.

 

Well, here is a decent recent History Channel doc on Caligula... they seemed to use good judgment in choosing among less sensational explanations. Only marred by the usual over dramatic recreations, they had a few good site visits (be ready to pause because it goes away fast), and best of all had reasonable hosts. A few quirky greybeards and some younger presentable hipsters, all seeming to give plausible academic views. At least I was lulled into liking "Caligula: 1400 days of terror"

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZT6LVwZlQyU