10 things you thought you knew about the Romans

[Viggen]

A list at the Times

 

Here are 10 things you thought you knew about the Romans but didn

[Nephele]

Fun list, Viggen! Hah, I'll bet just about everyone here already knew this stuff. But this one got me:

 

8) WHEN THE ROMANS FINALLY DESTROYED CARTHAGE IN 146 BCE, THEY PLOUGHED SALT INTO ITS SOIL -- TO MAKE IT COMPLETELY BARREN

This is slightly trickier ground, but I know of no ancient writer who says this. It

[Lost_Warrior]

+++5) NERO FIDDLED WHILE ROME BURNED

Not if you mean that he sat around ineffectually twiddling his thumbs while the city went up in flames. Actually what Nero did was fiddle in another sense: he played the violin (or so it was said).+++

 

As the violin wasn't invented yet (was it?) I highly doubt this.

[Faustus]

A list at the Times

Here are 10 things you thought you knew about the Romans but didn

Edited May 11, 2008 by Faustus

[Faustus]

A list at the Times

10) HADRIAN BUILT HIS WALL TO KEEP THE BARBARIANS OUT OF THE PROVINCE OF BRITANNIA

Only if he was a military idiot. A good proportion of it is built only in turf anyway, which wouldn

[Ursus]

Fun list, Viggen! Hah, I'll bet just about everyone here already knew this stuff. But this one got me:

 

8) WHEN THE ROMANS FINALLY DESTROYED CARTHAGE IN 146 BCE, THEY PLOUGHED SALT INTO ITS SOIL -- TO MAKE IT COMPLETELY BARREN

This is slightly trickier ground, but I know of no ancient writer who says this. It

[Ursus]

+++5) NERO FIDDLED WHILE ROME BURNED

Not if you mean that he sat around ineffectually twiddling his thumbs while the city went up in flames. Actually what Nero did was fiddle in another sense: he played the violin (or so it was said).+++

 

As the violin wasn't invented yet (was it?) I highly doubt this.

 

 

Most likely Nero played the lyre, if he did anything.

[Gaius Octavius]

I also took for granted that ancient people were just not as tall as modern people (due to diet and such), and I was somewhat surprised to read that "the Roman inhabitants were on average a bit taller than the modern Neapolitans."

Ah, but just how tall are the modern Neapolitans, eh?

 

-- Nephele

 

Can't help you there. But, this Wednesday is Holey Sfachemes Day in Napoli.

Edited May 11, 2008 by Gaius Octavius

[Nephele]

I also took for granted that ancient people were just not as tall as modern people (due to diet and such), and I was somewhat surprised to read that "the Roman inhabitants were on average a bit taller than the modern Neapolitans."

Ah, but just how tall are the modern Neapolitans, eh?

 

-- Nephele

 

Can't help you there. But, this Wednesday is Holey Sfachemes Day in Napoli.

 

I'm sure they have good cause to celebrate. If it wasn't for sfacheme, the descendants of the ancient Romans (tall or short) wouldn't be here today.

 

-- Nephele

[Northern Neil]

A list at the Times

10) HADRIAN BUILT HIS WALL TO KEEP THE BARBARIANS OUT OF THE PROVINCE OF BRITANNIA

Only if he was a military idiot. A good proportion of it is built only in turf anyway, which wouldn

[Nephele]

Maybe we can add more to this list? How about 'The Romans threw christians to the lions in the Colloseum' or 'The Romans left Britain in 410'

 

Now that's a fun idea! Since nomenclature is my thing, I'll mention a popular misconception about Roman names, which appears to be perpetuated on a number of websites.

 

That misconception is that the praenomen "Appius" was "only used by gens Claudia." I'm quoting Wiktionary here, but there are other websites that make the same, sweeping claim.

 

While the praenomen "Appius" originated with the Claudii (being of Sabine origin) and appears to be used exclusively by the Claudii (especially during the time of the Republic), it was not really exclusive to the Claudii.

 

The praenomen "Appius" can also be found in the gentes Annia, Modia, Popidia, and Iunia. One need only check a consular list to find that one of the consuls listed for the year 108 CE was Appius Annius Trebonius Gallus.

 

-- Nephele

[Gaius Octavius]

I also took for granted that ancient people were just not as tall as modern people (due to diet and such), and I was somewhat surprised to read that "the Roman inhabitants were on average a bit taller than the modern Neapolitans."

Ah, but just how tall are the modern Neapolitans, eh?

 

-- Nephele

 

Can't help you there. But, this Wednesday is Holey Sfachemes Day in Napoli.

 

I'm sure they have good cause to celebrate. If it wasn't for sfacheme, the descendants of the ancient Romans (tall or short) wouldn't be here today.

 

-- Nephele

 

 

[ASCLEPIADES]

Maybe we can add more to this list? How about 'The Romans threw christians to the lions in the Colloseum' or 'The Romans left Britain in 410'

Even if of a quite different nature, a persistent and pernicious urban myth among us has been the fallacy that "You can't prove a negative".

 

At the risk of overstating the obvious, just check Popper.

[Maty]

>>>10) HADRIAN BUILT HIS WALL TO KEEP THE BARBARIANS OUT OF THE PROVINCE OF BRITANNIA

Only if he was a military idiot.<<<

 

Errr ... not sure about no 10. Remember, after Hadrian's wall, the Romans went and built the Antonine wall further north, so they evidently thought the thing was good for something. Let's consider how a wall works from a barbarian point of view.

 

1. Okay, here's me and my invading Pictish mates (Let's call us the Rangerii, for reasons those familiar with football in the UK will understand). We want to get over the wall and invade the south, unless we are totally demented, even for northerners, this is going to be a raid, rather than a conquest.

 

2. Arrive at wall, take a quick look at, say the ladder-building options suggested by that stand of trees there, or simply tuck in our sporrans and swarm over the thing. It's nae problem, y'ken. Mind you the Romans on the wall have seen us arrive, but being a mere garrison, back off and watch us swarm over. But the word has gone out that we are here (the wall is great for lateral communications).

 

3. Great, we've drunk gallons of wine, raped herds of cattle and sheep and are driving flocks of stolen women back to the wall. We're loaded down with looted swag. Behind us is a large and vindictive Roman army, with further forces mustering to east and west (remember those lateral communications?) and ahead of us is, er, a sodding great wall. The garrison on the wall now has just to hold us off for a matter of hours, and we are trapped. And even if we have somehow evaded a pursuing army, it takes a while to get livestock over a wall.

 

4. Best case scenario - we abandoned our booty, tucked in our sporrans and swarmed back over. Worst case scenario, we got trapped against the wall and massacred.

 

So, yup, I'd argue that the wall keeps barbarians out by removing their incentive to get in. No doubt there were beneficial side effects - population control, settlements at the main entry and exit points, etc, and these might immediately occur to a social historian rather than a military-minded emperor, but ...

[Klingan]

Good point Maty!

 

Also remember the depressing and demoralizing effect on the population when someone build a wall from the sea to the sea... It's a clear statement to all inhabitants of the area: We are here. We can build a wall from one side of the country to the other. Don't even think about it...