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Food for Thought

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Pigment Hierarchies In The Roman World

I have been delving through this work   http://www.amazon.co.uk/Society-Pompeii-He...8&s=gateway being a great lover of Pompeii and Herculaneum. As far as the social hierarchy of houses and their internal layouts go I have started a thread here: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?showto...amp;#entry43683 the changing styles of layout and decoration ,are intimate to the social upheavals of the period from the late Republic to approximately the death of Pliny The Elder. Indeed Pliny is a direct commentator on those very styles most acessible to himself in the city of Pompeii.   What is further interesting is the hierarchy of colours used by the aspiring Patron or Freedman in his home.The cost of pigments being the socially determining factor. Firstly, the most basic colouration is a limewash white, this is the very least that could be applied to a room-though a grand house might contain basic rooms with such colouration. Cinnabar Red is the first major step into a luxurious environment, a painting contractor would charge a client directly for use of such a pigment (it is a sulphide of Mercury , HgS and associated with volcanic regions). http://www.galleries.com/minerals/sulfides...ar/cinnabar.htm Yellow ochre is another attested pigment , derived from clays and used as a general panel colour for rooms to be used for conspicuous display, as an iron oxide this will not have been rare ( rusty nails would do) but a consistent pure colour would need effort and application http://webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/over...ellowochre.html http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=449   Then we ascend to blue , from lapis lazuli, very expensive and used only for the most exquisite of decorations: here we have the pigments displayed in the palette of the late , great John Davis of LEG II AVG http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=907 http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/lapis.html   Finally black, was the colour for the grandest of state rooms, this may seem quite a strange circumstance to the modern historian, its weighty profundity is the key to its popularity in Roman sensibilities.This would be "bone black" or a high quality charcoal made from ivory (or possibly other dense bones), hence its inordinate cost. edit note: no plant or animal will actually yield a true black , so the secret is in the mechanism of preparation with the blackest yielding items.   I must also offer one decorative motif that relates to specific servile areas of the house , especially where the house is not of the highest class( where physical separation would be near total) that is the device of zebra striped panels as a stark emblem contrasted with sumptuous decoration elsewhere. http://www.uwm.edu/Course/mythology/0900/1501.jpg   A final item that must be mentioned is this , the division/colouration is not an artifice relating to privacy, indeed as far as I can see privacy is minimal ( I assume previous mention of the lack of Roman body shame is relevant here) however access to the intimate councils of the Paterfamilias is crucial. So all of this artifice is as regards degrees of intimacy of patronage , not zones of privacy within a building .An important clue here is that , if one stands in the entrance hall of many of the Pompeiian houses -you can see right to the very heart of the house with the Paterfamilias framed in his "seat of power" , though you might not be able to physically reach him if your status was too low, more clienti than amici...

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Hemlock and Tobacco

Hemlock was the poison used to execute Socrates for corrupting youth and neglecting the Gods...it contains two poisonous alkaloids coniine and coniceine (the plant is named Conium maculatum). These block the transmission of nerve impulses which cause death by failure of respiration (ie: one ceases to try to breathe). The actual execution (as described by Plato) has the executioner examining the victims legs and feet , pressing them to see if the sensation is lost in these extremities , the numbness that Socrates felt traveled slowly up his body (which became cold to touch) and as it made toward his heart he expired.   http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=854   A similar plant is Water Hemlock which contains cicutoxin (the plant is Cicuta maculatum which I have seen growing abundantly near Mediobogdum) , the root resembles a turnip and if partly ingested is fatal in at least 30 percent of cases.The action is one of violent seizures affecting the spine and brain.   A further related toxin is nicotine from tobacco.This is very similar to coniine and it is the essential addictive element that draws smokers.In sensory terms the initial ingestion causes euphoria and nerve stimulation, thence desensitisation and depression.The leaves were originally "tobago" possibly first found by Columbus and brought by Raleigh from America to England.Nicotine is from the name Jean Nicot de Villemain an explore who sent seeds of the plant back to Europe in the 16th C.Nicotine is very toxic and can be used as a potent insecticide , indeed two drops of the pure substance dropped on to a small mammals tongue (a dog for example ) will kill outright.So an addiction to nicotine is actually related to the ingestion of the Athenian state poison .   Of course the Roman soldier in Africa and the Syrian provinces might well have known this plant as anaesthesia and recreational adjunct: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimsonweed       ref Timbrell "The Poison Paradox".

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Passum

As many of you will be aware , I am trying to recreate the appropraite "medium" for appropriate herbal medicines as used in the Roman world. Andrew Dalby was kind enough to suggest that a species of cheap Malaga would be a good approximation, in terms of palate and (probably) appropriate quality for usage by the rough soldiery. As we have discussed in the forum various common medicines were stored in amphorae , with the herb macerated in a wine base. This form of storage is still , in essence, the format of modern herbal tinctures , certainly the maceration process would be understood by a Roman commercial producer.   I got hold of Sally Grainger's "Cooking Apicius" which is a practical Roman cookery guide .   http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1903018...ay&v=glance   certainly the recipes we have tried so far have been a success.   In this little volume there are notes on Passum as a dessert wine ie: a raisin wine made with grapes allowed to shrivel on the vine (or dried on rush matting). Grainger suggests "Malaga Dulce" , though I assume this would be too "sophisticated" for the hoi polloi."Muscat of Samos" also gets a mention from Greece.It just so happens that these people...   http://www.stickytoffeepudding.co.uk/   have a "pudding wine" which seems to fit the bill quite nicely.It happens to be an Aussie sweet raisin wine, and I have a bottle right here. I suspect two of the main "cough" syrup herbs will be masked by the sweetness of the wine, elecampagne and horehound (both attested as found in amphorae in Britain).I hope to now produce a "real" medicine that wont kill any re-enactors. If you require a recipe for this excellent pudding , here is another local one (ignore the margarine! use butter): http://www.sugarvine.com/recipes/recipes_details.asp?dish=47 or http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database...pud_67654.shtml   If by any chance you are unfamiliar with Mr Dalby's excellent site may I link you thus:   http://perso.orange.fr/dalby/ephemeris/arc...2/entry_88.html   by way of a splendid quotation...

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Poisons, Dandruff And Baldness

"those who have swallowed quicksilver find a remedy in lard. Poisons-especially henbane, mistletoe,hemlock, sea-hare , and others-are neutralised by drinking ass's milk. "   "Bear-grease mixed with laudunum and maidenhair, prevents baldness and cures mange and thin eyebrows if compounded with lamp -black from lamp wicks.Mixed with wine bear grease is a cure for dandruff" (complex fatty acid/lettuce/maidenhair/carbon -q a mix)   Pliny might be a bit shaky in this area so dont shoot any bears,and certainly avoid drinking mercury ,the Maidenhair fern is certainly a good digestive aid and kidney tonic/gall bladder cleanser.. Henbane is a tricky plant, certainly the Romans used it for anasthesia (tropane alkoloids) but the Egyptian variety is much more potent than other species-so ift depends where the herb was supplied from. Mistletoe is a European parasite with a potent mythical background,it is a cardiac tonic but it requires only a very low dosage - it can be violently purgative.This was the sacred herb of the Druids, a protection from all Evil-and it survives with us today in Xmas wreaths, so positioned to ward off malign influences at the solstice.   Like Poppaea you can bathe in ass's milk, though not for your skin-but to draw large roundworms out -hence I wondered if Cleopatra knew this trick as the Egyptians were keen on purging, and must have suffered with helminth infestation.   Apollonius says that scraping a sore tooth and gums with the tooth of a man who has met a violent death is highly effective. Again avoid this one I think.Clove oil will help though.     Foreign Beer Update:- and as promised-this evening we consumed-Duchesse De bourgogne (west flanders not Ned Flanders ), Cuvee Des Trolls (Scalsis), and Chimay (Blond), and Orval (Trappist). Pantagathus did you get that?

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Plague and Rye

"Plague" as an event in altering the possible course of history looms large in the Roman and Medieval Worlds. Elsewhere on this blog and in the Forum discussion has occurred touching "what the plagues might have been?"That is can we be sure that bubonic plague is the identifiable catastrophic disease? The short answer is no we cant. Bubonic plague might well be a co-factor in a given incidence of plague, a taker of life and a causative factor in economic ruin , but certain other possibilities suggest themselves to us.   Several factors suggest that in the medieval plague two morbid strains of disease were immanent, namely the very visible bubonic element (gross lymphatic swellings in particular) from which some persons survived ; and a further pneumonia like respiratory infection which was possibly co-terminus with the buboes (and possibly not) but nearly always fatal.Hence we might have the appearence of death from an ostentatiously visible disease actually caused by another invisible vector.   One of the most widespread and easily percieved toxins in nature is Ergot of Rye (actually a resting stage in the life of Claviceps purperea )It is actually a sclerotium ie: a dormant hibernating form.As many of you will know the ergot replaces individual ears of rye and was for most of history not recognised as being a separate biological entity(1850 in fact). One may find ergot everywhere, there are more than 30 species afflicting grasses and there are a lot of grasses! All these species form mycotoxins(as all poisinous fungii), but they dont normally get into the food chain at all. So far so good , what of LSD you ask then ? Well lysergic acid amides can be produced from ergot along with ergotamine and ergocristine, ergot as such holds no "true" LSD but can nevertheless trigger hallucinatory convulsions.   Regrettably happy hippy trips can also be partner to gangrenous ergotism from direct ergot consumption.Ergonovine another ergot product may cause spontaneous abortion (either by accident or design) and also is highly toxic to nursing infants , indeed skilled Germanic Midwives used it from the 16C to ease labour though obviously dosage calculation had to be most exacting. Matossian of the Maryland University has done extensive demographic work into the Medieval era : http://www.hulford.co.uk/ergot.html   but her findings resonate justifiably to earlier time frames.Ergot produces upward of twenty different alkaloids in different mycotoxinal mixes, infecting host populations in different ways.Given that such a large ,but variable ,range of toxins might be produced by a common, but unrecognised , fungus can we interpret any historical patterns where populations have been weakened (and left in a "morbid" state ) where advetitious infections could thus have been rendered far deadlier ?   Anthropologist James Woods has argued that the Black Death was not in fact bubonic plague, on statistical grounds.The mortality rate recorded from Parish registers shows a 45 fold increase in morbidity, a factor way in excess of the known fatality rate for Plague. Even if the disease had hit a non-immune population the death rate is colossal.Modern plague (and we must infer from the modern as best we can) reaches a high morbidity in the rat population before it spills over into the human sphere.Modern epidemics are always preceeded by a noticeable die off of rodents, and the Black Death attracts no such commentary (and I would be pleased to hear if someone can find any source commenting on the like regarding the Plague of Justinian).Clue patterns are reflected geographically also. cold dry areas tend to be immune.The geographic spread of the Black Death also appears to follow a dissemination pattern in relation to transportation routes.According to Woods the Bubonic Plague can only be reliably identified as late as the early 19th C, the original "Black Death" was a massive killer with a very patchy morbidity distribution...so were those who died actually weakened by some underlying common factor? Hence I offer you immunosuppression by mytotoxins on the commenest of foods...rye. Ergot tends to flourish in damp conditions and the modern disaster of 1666 followed two apallingly wet winters.   So could the early Classical Era plagues be of multiple causation? We have 1. a staple crop(s) subject to various forms of (sometime) toxic parisitism 2. Poor weather , ie: damp winter in a warmish climate 3. Poor storage (ie: partial fermentation). 3. A heavy reliance on the affected crops as a staple for the poor 4. Immune system suppression on a wide scale, spontaneous abortion, infant deaths via toxin ingestion 5. Viral infection from a previously isolated source on top of (4) above ....heavy morbidity.   Food (or mycotoxin) for thought.   ref: Macinnis "The Killer Bean of Calabar" http://www.amazon.co.uk/Killer-Bean-Calaba...5251&sr=8-1 an excellent ripping yarn collection for the toxophagus.   PS: I was just perusing some toxicology notes regarding the Justinian "episode" and the "episode" was not a single event rather a series of diminishing epidemics spread over a period of (at least ) 100 years starting in 541 CE , this "ripple effect" is evident in all major outbreaks of "Plague" .Epidemologists suggest that the arrival of the second major event (1340 CE ) echoed on for a 300 year epoch of "plagues". Both these episodes profoundly changing social, religious and demographic dynamics.   Lax "Toxin" OUP refers.

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Roman Bread

Some of you will have noticed that "Another Roman Recipe to Delight All" thread had a recent burst of life, when I decided to try out a "Roman Army Bread" recipe ( which I found on a bag of spelt flour I bought). Im well aware that I should be baking flat loaves in a field oven , or in the ash of a windblown campfire, however I prefer to use the modern medium of a breadmaking machine in case my experiments go awry and I set fire to a sizeable area of countryside.   I strongly recommend trying this type of bread at least once, the difference between it and a store bought loaf is vast. Its one of those things that hints at how different everyday items might have been in reality whilst appearing to be very similar in appearence. As I commented in the thread the spelt loaf doesnt rise very much, and would actually be more favourably produced as a flat "slipper" bread.A conveniently dense and nutritious item to slip into a bread bag. The taste is excellent, theres no point in trying to describe it other than to say "rich and dense" , the opposite of a baguette id say.   I have been experimenting with the breadmaker , but I havent quite hit a winning formula for a honey flavoured loaf , when I do ill post in the food thread. So far my observations are, the loaf needs a generous amount of olive oil to give sufficient moisture, dont use sugar if you can get a quality honey -failing that use a rough demerera/cane rather than white processed sugar. It is possible to let down the spelt with some wholemeal flour, (as I mentioned previously Roman bread from Late Republican times onward was a mix of grains depending on availability of stocks rather than desired recipe), this will give a bulkier loaf. Use sea salt. For an authentic taste of rustic life try some aioli as a spread -without butter unless you are a Germanic barbarian type.It goes very well with a rough country red wine.   If you have never varied your bread consumption from "standard" whites I urge you to give this bread a try . In the UK as some of you know , high quality spelt loaves can be bought (at some cost) from Booth's Supermarket chain.

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Greek Fire and re-usable laxatives.

I have encountered a case today of a person suffering systemic poisoning by antimony trisulphide. This is fairly unusual , but not impluasible as he has been working with heavy machine bearings which contain an alloy of antimony .Antimony has a very strange history as a medicine, a cosmetic , part of a weapon system and a medieval re-usable laxative. Antimony is toxic if one has more than 100 milligrams in the body, indeed 2 mg is the norm for an adult. Rather unfortunately it has had a long vogue as a medication, and indeed in some modern contexts is used in the eye as a granular powder by certain devout Muslims emulating the Prophet (I am told that its stings unpleasantly).   It is not a true metal rather a metalloid and its sister element is our old friend arsenic, but unlike arsenic it is not easily lost from the body.Antimony converts to a far more deadly gaseous form , stibine (a hydride of antimony, SbH3).Dioscorides was familiar with the sulfide stibi as it was then known , which was used for skin complaints and burns. The vogue for medication gathered pace in the 16th C , doctors and vets using it abundantly as an antimony salt of tartaric acid ..inducing instant vomiting and purging "ill humors" from the body At this time wine was often left overnight in an antimony receptacle to achieve a similar purpose.It is suggested that Mozart died (or hastened his own end) by being fond of using antimony tartrate , his death throes being identical to those caused by antimony poisoning.   Stibinite (the sulphide mineral compound) was used by the Ancient Egyptians as mascara, kohl being the term you may well be familiar with, and the pigment "Naples yellow" made well into the 20th C is from the same mineral base (if precipitated out of solution the mineral is orange red rather than black as the natural mineral).   So how does Greek Fire get into the equation? The suggestion is that , given the impossibility of extinguishing this ordnance once the siphons had launched it, that the possible admixture was crude oil , stibinite and saltpetere. This mix is highly flammable and cannot be extinguished with water.Once stibinite ignites it produces a great deal of heat. We cannot know the recipe as, of course, divulgence meant death. In modern warfare oddly enough the sulfide is used in paints to reflect infrared , so your camo paint contains antimony.   And the laxatives? In the middle ages antimony metal pills were sold as "re-usable" pills..the constipated person swallowed one (about pea size) vomited and otherwise discharged effluvia, and the pill was retrived from said discharge for future use.It is said that such pills were passed down from generation to generation...

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Poisons

I was just adding the Convolvulus (Morning Glory) entry to my Herbal album in the gallery and I realised that I have now managed to present a passable Toxicological catalogue.   May I regale you with the basic categories of plant toxins: 1. Inebriants-exciting cerebral functions, cause loss of co-ordination, deep sleep or fatal coma may follow. 2.Deliriant- spectral illusions and deliriousness: thirst often a direct side effect:may lead to paralysis. 3.Convulsivant-Intermittent spasms(head toward feet),Death from exhaustion . 4. Depressant-vertigo,nausea ,vomiting.May cause asphyxiation 5.Irritant-burning pain,throat /stomach.Death by convulsive systemic shock. 6.Asthenic-numbness ,delirium ,fainting.   so if anyone tells you that plant folklore is rubbish ask them where they imagine strychnine comes from! (answer amongst several-St Ignatius's Beam from the Phillipines). Its very odd that people have forgotten that plant medicine was the only medicine for most of human history.   You will also see that the healing properties of some of the semi-toxic plants have been recognised by healers for millenia, and that the healing/toxicity depends on the part of the plant,how its processed and at what time of year it is harvested,and the experience of the healer.   Take care out there!   note:replaced "medieval hall" pic in Eboracvm gallery with superior shot.

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Toxin (Part 1).

Several members of the Forum have a well developed (and probably deeply unhealthy) interest in a number of plant toxins used in the ancient world, (sometimes for medicine, other times for the removal of offensive relatives/political opponents).Here I offer a small guide to some common toxic principles (having previously blogged on the main toxic categories.   Aconite: two plants actually have this name (daisy and buttercup families respectivley), the name is used to refer to the alkaloid derived from the buttercup (monkshood/wolfbane).   Agaric: 1. a fairly harmless tree fungus 2.fly agaric a deadly mushroom   Alkaloid A nitrogen base compound (usually biologically active), an anti herbivore grazing "countermeasure" (includes morphine, nicotine, hyoscyamine,ephedrine, strychnine, atropene...good thing we arent herbivores)   Antimony Toxic heavy metal   Arsenic ditto, usually the oxide -used to be a common cosmetic, (a lot of dead husbands in Napoli ring a bell?).   Belladonna :atropine, overtaxes the cardio system.   Calabar bean: "ordeal bean" of Africa , a type of pea contains the deadly phyto stigmine.   Cantharides: aka Spanish Fly -provoker of uncontrollable lust and deadly poison: macerated pre-bruised beetle in chloroform (Pantagathus would you imagine anyone starting that formula from scratch? :pimp: Weird City.   Cardiac glycosides: steroid compounds that damage heart and kidneys , another anti-ruminant countermeasure.   Colocynth :the bitter apple of Palestine , a specific for malaria but take care!   Cyanide: hydrogen cyanide (prussic acid) essentially stops oxygen transmission from the blood to the cells-hence proving fatal . Zyklon B was a derivitive.   only A to C so far -any fatalities in the Senate during Saturnalia and I will be most suspicious.

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Toxin (Part 3).

What better time of year to add another toxicological entry?   Nicotine: alkaloid insecticidal chemical, can be toxic if ingested through the skin or inhaled.   Ordeal bean (Physostigma venemosum) a member of the pea family, a west African native.One quarter bean can be fatal to an adult.   Oxygen: poisinous to anerobic bacteria Which is why exposing a gangrenous wound to the air (ie: oxygen) helps the cleansing of that wound. Essential to metabolism -many poisons work by impeding its progress to our blood.Botox is of course a derivative of Clostridium botulinum a virulent anerobic bacteria which is now routinely pumped into womens faces, killing the surrounding flesh and relaxing frown lines (leaving neat pockets of anerobic hapiness).   Quinine: very poisinous in a large dose, anti malarial in a controlled one.   Ricin: castor oil seed cake residue -only a few seeds are needed to kill.   Rotenone: a pesticide made from the root of Jamaica dogwood (fish poison tree) .   Strychnine: from the dried ripe Nux vomica seed.   Wormwood: atremisia, which kills helminths (human intestinal/encysted worms).   Thats it for the abbreviated glossary, I hope to add some notes on the historical use of these items particularly in relation to the classical world.

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Uva Taminia

One theme that runs through my blog is the appearence of things in the modern world that were well known in antiquity , but are almost forgotten today. Black Bryony (Tammus communis) is in glorious fruiting condition ,prompted by the warm weather as Britain enjoys a very belated indian summer. This is the plant known to Pliny (The Elder, as usual), as Uva Tamina.   If you had been a wealthy person suffering from gout, chilblains or ulcerated legs in Pliny's day, the macerated sap of this plant would have been applied to the seat of your discomfort.The berries act as a strong emetic , a child could die from eating them. The juice from the root mixed with a little wine was used as cure or palliative for gravel, however as regular readers will not be surprised to hear , an overdose results in an agonising death due to the steroidal glycosides it contains. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1923   Nearby the Bryony I found the Dead Yellow Nettle (called dead as the leaf does not sting ), Pliny recommends this as a cure for scrofula , and rightly so , European peasants have known of this property for centuries , the plant is full of vitamin c and the poor used to scour the hedgerows for early growth to add to a dull winter diet . It is still possible to buy a strong Nettle beer in Britain which is a good digestive aid for an acidic stomach or for constant gastric bloating , though I should warn against excessive use as the beer does produce "a stronng wyndde".   Here is a local recipe for the beer if you must tempt fate.   900g (2lb) Young Nettle Tops 4.5lt (8 pints) Water 450g (1lb) Demerara Sugar 2 Lemons 25g (1 oz) Cream of Tartar 15g (

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Materia Medica -umbelliferae

The Carrot family provided several very interesting medicinal/culinary/deadly umbelliferous herbs to the Ancient World , and if you are careful to look them out nowadays, they are still so available. The main thing is not to get the culinary gems (Candied Angelica) mixed up with the State Poisons (Hemlock and Waterdropwort) or the top notch wound salve (Yarrow).   There are also quite a number of not so useful members of the group and one notable outsider (Valerian) that have a superficially similar appearence .So getting a correct ID is most important.   Yarrow (Achillea millefollium) is the Roman wound salve par excellence, also called the Centurions Herb, Soldiers Herb, Knights Millefoil or nosebleed. It is suggested that the Romans brought this plant to Britain and encouraged its cultivation wherever they settled for any time . It is useful as a medicine and as a dressing.Thujones, lactones and flavinoids abound in its complex make up.The Redcoats took it to N America as I think I have mentioned before. The frond/fern like new growths are the key to identification. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=853 http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=827   Hemlock (Conium maculatum) is the Greek state poison. This is the herb that was given to Socrates after he was condemned to death.Its height and the purple blotches on its stem are keys to ID.Proximity to water is common so if in doubt about a plant near a stream-dont chew it! Hemlock was used in Anglo-Saxon medicine, and is mentioned as early as the tenth century in English Herbals. The name Hemlock is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words hem (border, shore) and le

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Legio Secvnda Augusta Revisited.

The weather in Britain never fails to amaze, last weekend the LEG II got a thorough soaking at Bremetenacvm, and have had to work all week at drying and reparing kit, but today a slave had to make rounds with water for the troops who were sweltering in their armour.   So the Legion was at Gargrave, nearest therefore to Olinacvm on the road from Bremetenacvm to Eboracvm.   There is evidence of a substantial villa adjacent to the village http://www.outofoblivion.org.uk/record.asp?id=240   The Legion had its supporting civilian units and , on this ocassion in adittion , the midwife, the fast food outlet and more dangerous than either of these , the gladiator school.   The medical tent had a greater array of instruments due to the presence of the midwife, and I will give detailed information in the Roman Medicine thread in due course.   I had particularly set out to get shots of the cataract surgical tools which are a faithful copy of a Mediterranean find, interestingly, as regards all the various pieces on display , all the British and Gallic finds tend to be heavier and more simply constructed -the nearer to Rome the fancier and finer in construction. The catarct tool is very simple and would have been deployed quickly and effectivley by a skilled Doctor, the cataract is cut into with a very fine point and the rear tube is drawn out (like a fountain pen) to produce a small vacuum thus drawing the excised tissue away from the eye. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?&a...=si&img=919   The midwife is ,in reality,a contemporary midwife and we discussed Roman birth control and infanticide, she was of the opinion that birth control was predominantly dealt with by infanticide or abortion , though herbal medication and sympathetic magic were also involved: here we see the specialised tool for extraction of an unwanted infant from the womb, often mistaken for forceps these are a much smaller and heavier instrument .I do note that Pliny recommends "fat from the loins of a hyaena" which will bring an immediate resolutuion to difficult labour. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?&a...=si&img=920 The array of items also included trephanation tools, catheters (male and female -beautifully made to a top class finish) and small bone saws for amputation.The equipment for the extraction of opiate latex from the popppy seed head is exactly the same then as now, a very hot deeply bowled spoon.Here is the best surviving midwifery text available. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0801843...ce&n=266239 The gladiator school was a well equipped hut , I can do no better than illustrate its excellent selection of weaponry and equipment http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=918 http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=922 and I was able to have a long chat about shield grips and weapon usage (in general not just in the arena) which was very informative .And here is one of its fearsome inhabitants: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=921   So an informative excursion.   AS usual upload off site of approx 50 images here in LEG II AVG gallery http://triclinium.spaces.msn.com/

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Corstopitum (corbridge)

I return from a fruitful photo sweep of the site of this "behind the Wall" strategic fort excavation. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1412   Corstopitum is a Stanegate (strategic crosss country road) installation, pre-dating Hadrian's Wall but repeatedly rebuilt as a crucial supply depot and major civilian settlement. Only a fraction of the site has been excavated , but we see that there are some impressive items in the museum , and some worthwhile remains on site.The attested extent of the base and its vicus amount to approx 30 acres, from aerial photographic analysis -so what we have displayed at the existing site is a fraction of the developed area. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1411   The fort evolved from early wooden construction to later stone re-build , via considerable growth and re-planning/rebuilding , to finally function as a strategic HQ for Severus in his Caledonian campaigns.   I know that Augustus is pressing on with his work regarding the Wall Forts and associated defences, though he is a little pressed for time at present . I will give a revised blog linkage to his excellent site when He has had sufficient breathing space to build gallery and information areas. Here we have the underground strong room where the Soldiers pay was kept. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1409 The site has some excellent granary foundations , including a mullioned vent duct still in situ ( I must get out more , musnt I?) , and the remains of a public fountain .The dressed rustic style masonry on view shows the quality required for important tactical buildings http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1410 http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1408 The Stanegate ran through the early Fort site, later becoming enclosed by the rebuilt and enlarged Fort.   There are some thought ful presentations of Roman deities in the Museum area , in particualr a small portable shrine to Thrice Blessed Hermes: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1396   The Great Lady is not forgotten: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1398 We see Minerva (left) aiding Herakles in his great labours: http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1397 Offsite I have a monster upload of images: http://triclinium.spaces.live.com/   I should add that we now have a nice congruity of museum and re-enactment, as LEG II AVG were an early garisson unit at this site, so if you scroll back down the blog you will see them as late Claudian (onwards) troops in this very locality.

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Sacred Druidic Herbs and Asprin

As I move about the countryside , I find that my mind occupies two different temporal co-ordinates; the present and sometime circa 50 BCE to 125CE . These function as two fixed points between which strange things seem to happen as regards the flow and movement of medical thought, Great modern "discoveries" turn out to be not quite as modern nor undiscovered as first appears. The form and consistency of pre-prepared medicaments has certainly improved apace, but the mis-use and overuse of these same goods by industrialised and post-industrial populations seems to know no bounds.   I was examining some mature Hemlock which is (after a very wet summer) in a particularly ripe and robust condition, likewise the very ancient horsetail fern (a very primitive plant and a useful if slightly dangerous source of the mineral silica). However the one herb that has flourished mightily in the damp "meadowy" conditions has been Filipendula ulmaria or Spirea ulmaria. This is an attractive plant known commonly as Meadowsweet which , in the Middle Ages was very popular as a house rush (ie: as disposable flooring , to be swept up and burnt along with food scraps , fleas and the like when its fragrance faded). It was one of the sacred Druidic herbs along with water mint and vervain (mistletoe and the oak occupy a rather more specialised niche in the Druidic canon). The Druids were aware of the curative power of the plant , the active principle being salyciylic acid (amongst others, but that predominates) which Hoffman of the Bayer chemical company synthesised into acetylsalicylic acid in 1897. Hoffman decided to call his new product Asprin after jumbling the older latin name "Spirea" . If you are familiar with the product "Germaline" you would recognise the smell and taste of Meadowsweet..because they are the same thing. "http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1864 And I add this quote especially for Lost Warrior: "Magical Uses: used in divination, and in spells and charms for peace, happiness, love. It was a sacred herb of the Druids. Fresh meadowsweet should be arranged on the the altar when mixing love charms or performing love spells. Strew around the house for love and peace. At Lammas garlands of meadowsweet are worn to join with the essence of the Goddess"   I think that altogether has more romance than taking an asprin.   Post Scriptum: on the subject of Thin Ladies in 1694 from ther Ladyys Dictionary.. "Thin women are scragged, sad-looking and not comely".

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Deva (chester)

A rapid scouting trip to check out this pivotal city in the conquest of Britain , both as a Legionary base and a port for the Classis. The sudden onset of bad weather drove me off site , but I was able to get a few useful shots for our information.   http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1055   The amphitheatre project continues, the dig is well underway and here is the official site:   http://www.chester.gov.uk/amphitheatre/index.html   as can be seen this is the largest uncovered such in the UK.Please look at the downloadable newsletter, I was particularly interested to see the wide range of foods that were eaten!   I also examined the "Roman Garden" , essentially a pleasant area where many small scale roman finds have been recycled in an area below the city wall.A hypocaust has been "rebuilt" , to give a good approximation of the shape of the real thing.   http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1056   The City is notable for its preservation of Tudor buildings also.   http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1057   A truncated visit , but I will try again!   This is rather a useful British History source, here I cite the chronology of occupation for Deva..Which neatly ties in my friends at LEG II AVG as representatives of the founding Legion. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=19183#s2

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Gaius Octavius

A name to strike dread into the heart of many UNRV posters. Not as you may assume the Queen of Bythinia , rather we are talking downtown Bronx and Queens. Some recent members will not be aware of the dread shadow that this name casts over such a staid and scholarly forum , a man capable of posts varying from DaDa-ist "happenings" to "stream of consciousness" psychadelica. If Sigmund Freud had a darkest fear I suggest it would be Gaius Octavius, dressed as a giant chicken, perching on the headboard of his bed. It is my joyful obligation to relate that , although not amongst us here , GO is still amongst us , we can but hope that he will unleash his diabolical wit and bizzare emoticon fuelled expressionism onto the heads of the unsuspecting public soon. Hail Gaius!

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Plague and Rats (Plague and Rye redux).

Primus Pilus kindly sent me a copy of "Justinian's flea"   http://www.amazon.co.uk/Justinians-Flea-Pl...2722&sr=8-1   Which I intend to review in full shortly.I have however been receiving pms from forum members regarding both the Antonine and Justinian episodes, and I now wish to give a short summary of additional information regarding possible causation. Of the fascinating transformation of Yersinia psuedotubercolosis into Y.pestis (the actual "plague") I will leave you to discover from the book , save to mention that bacteria are (unknowingly) smart , and they will achieve their mission!   My previous blog entry ""Plague and Rye" (just scroll back a little way) expounds on the plausibility of Ergot of Rye predisposing a population to auto immune deficiency , thence making any aggressive viral incomer more effective in its epidemic effects (or indeed tipping gross morbidity into epidemic status). Ergotism flourishes when grain suffers a cool damp summer, and is compounded by poor storage (lack of ventilation) and processing of infected grain. Remember that Ergot was not even recognised as a parasitic fungus till very late in the history of cereal production.   The vectors that brought the Justinian episode to a head are quite remarkable, but most crucially the enabling factor that lead to a "critical mass" of black rats as the instruments of contagion was cool, damp, summer weather. So ergotism and rat population both thrive in such circumstances, an unhappy coincidence especially as they are also related to the storage of grain in proximity to population centres. Most unhappy indeed because humans are not actually the desired host for the parasite flea, the rat is its most desired target .The flea that hosts Y pestis is Xenopsylla cheopsis, and was so chosen because it is easily blocked by pathogenic bacteria, ie: it fails to digest harvested blood, goes into a biting frenzy and dies.this is of course the desired vector operating most efficiently from the Y pestis point of view, propogating its sisters in the medium of rat blood.   Not any old rat of course but particularly Rattus norvegicus (black) as opposed to Rattus rattus (brown).Now R norvegicus hitched its way from India with ocean traffic delivering pepper, but its favourite food is grain, and it does not care to move far in search of it (being a coastal type) , so a comfortable grain ship moving from Egypt to Byzantium was in essence a mobile home with all mod cons.Now X cheopsis didnt originally care for R norvegicus, it actually jumped ship from the egyptian nilotic rat for reasons unknown (tasted sour perhaps?).The chain of causation grows ever more complex.   The problem for humans is if a very abundant rat population is parasitised by the flea containing the plague bacterian, and it is too efficient in killing its hosts The flea is fooled into thinking it is starving by action of the plague bacteria, (a coagulant in its gut does not allow it to digest harvested blood). the flea is impelled to bite more to seek blood .This is fine if the biting is just done to rats, they are smitten with plague,( they die-that being the apotheosis of the bacterian), but not until the fleas have also breed to maintain a reservoir of the virus.Sadly when rat populations hit demographic peaks, having an abundant supply of grain in a concentrated area (Byzantium say) , fleas can then "jump off" searching for hosts and land on (and bite) humans. This is the only method of contagion , one cannot cough bubonic plague onto another human for example. So a huge die off of infected rats leaves humans grossly susceptible to contagion, if weakened by ergot poisoning the fatality rate exceeds the basic likely plague fatality rates considerably.   The book itself is not just about this episode, though the impact of the Justinian plague on the course of world history is enormous.   Post Scriptum: The three versions of the plague depend on how it affects a person: Bubonic plague is the most common form and results in flu-like symptoms and the swelling of lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin into large, painful cysts called buboes.That is the form that the event in Justinians reign took. Pneumonic plague is the least common but most dangerous form of plague. In this form of pneumonia, plague bacterium gets into the lungs of the victim, causing the coughing up of bloody sputum. Septicaemic plague occurs primarily as a secondary disease, Gage says, when pneumonic or bubonic plague is left untreated and the bacterium gets into the victim

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Wormwood

The herb from which Absinthe is made .As a medicine it is excellent,strongly anthelmintic ( worm killer) and choleretic (bile stimulant) amongst other virtues. Thujone though (a volatile oil from the plant ) is a nasty hallucogen and is addictive-hence the problems suffered in 19th Century France.If the thujone is removed though the virtues of the medicine remain. I understand that ,like quassia , the wood was used for bowls and drinking vessels thereby flavouring and influencing whatever was consumed ( and keeping the drinker tapeworm free).I have an old print image in the Gallery now, but will search for a fresh plant in spring. Dont try making Absinthe at home as the Thujone will make you feel :bag: "agoraphobic"-you will have a fear of the market/meeting place   Southerwood is the actual Italian/Spanish herb (A abrotanum) , Dioscorides said if taken in wine this would repel venomous creatures and insects- he was certainly right as regards a lot of insect pests. The germans used it as a wound dressing. Mugwort (A vulgaris ) is a common British herb formerly used for menstrual problems but currently unfashionable.   Thujone appears to affect the same nerve receptors that tetrahydrocannabinols (dope as the Fabulous Furry Freak brotherrs would say) hit, so in a person with a predisposition to "melancholia" this could trigger depressive or paranoid behavioural traits. I suggest that it is the variation in quantity of thujone that causes the problem-a plant can have nearly 35% thujone content as a volatile oil-so if you get a full strength dose from a fresh plant it could knock your socks off, the dried herb would be far less of a problem and as Pantagathus rightly notes, a lot of alcohol is needed to macerate the plant ,so you have quite a cocktail. The plant contains azulenes,sesquiterpine lactones, acetylenes (in the root-and they can cause problems as well),Phenolic acids and Lignans.In a dethujoned fluid extract you would use maybe 6ml per day for an adult male-mixed with walnut hull and golden seal ,to kill any unwanted intestinal visitor stone dead in short order.   Culpepper quotes Dioscorides in his suggestion that "Southerwood mixed with old salad oil will restore hair loss" Ill bet Pliny has something to say about that.   note:I was intrigued by Pantagathus' remark about Van Gogh eating his paints-dont do it! Cadmium-carcinogen,Cobalt-arsenous elements,White-lead, and I see that Turpentine was used to administer drugs intravenously Oh yes and blue-prussic acid, very poisinous.More Brassica needed.   If however you are considering a pre-combat woad body paint and malachite hair dye please try this useful link-but remember dont grow this stuff unless you are prepared to dig it up, it grows like crazy.Interestingly woad is also a good external salve for wounds( too toxic for internal use-most blue things are)so we have ritual display and pre-combat wound salve in one. http://my.net-link.net/~rowan/crafts/woad/...hat%20Is%20Woad

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Eheu! Galleria Squalidus Est

This does not mean squalid as in "profane or unseemly", rather "untidy or unkempt." If my meaning is defective im sure I will be corrected.And I mean My entries not the gallery as a whole! My intention within the Roman Herbal Gallery is to present a dual image of any significant "ancient" herb. As can be seen from the previous classification entry, I am making a basic attempt at catalouging plants used by Greek, Roman, Celtiberian and Medieval societies. Different plants have varied significance between people and places and fashion was (and still is a key issue). Some plants have remained in cultivation but the usage has changed dramatically ,some have culture specific uses unknown to other users. There are gaps I wish to cover in time, Woad requires a special cultural investigation and pharmacological detailing; Borage (Starflower) was and has again become an important plant. Frankincensce , cloves , nettle, horehound, Liquorice havent had a mention yet and need to be covered.   My goal is 1. a reasonable quality image of the subject plant in full bloom 2. an historical plate as a botanical specimen. 3 . in certain circumstances a use specific illustration (Pictish body art for example).   The present gallery has grown piecemeal as images have presented themselves , hence the title of the blog. I am hoping when I attempt the Hadrian's Wall Gallery to organise "by milecastle" ie :numerically, the Herbal will need to be less "organic" ( ) .   If I can then get the blog entry "Roman Herbal" into shape we should have a handy little reference.

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Legio Viii And Deva Victrix (part One) Intro

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).

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Combat Wounds And Medication

The scenario is , you are on patrol 135 AD (or thereabouts) , you are an experienced mounted Auxiliary trooper with 15years service under your belt including a couple of pitched battles and some skirmishing and policing scuffles.Youve picked up a leg wound whilst intercepting some customs dodgers just north of Hadrian's Wall, nasty gash from a spear into the muscle of the calf. You are trained to report in with wounds at the double as no one wants experienced men sitting around gossiping in the Fort hospital .Its late Autumn so the Medicus has no fresh medicines available , but he knows how to deal with the situation. Firstly you have to hobble into the medical block, the wound will be cleaned out with lavender water (a strong solution , not a women's perfume!) , or some acetum. The Medicus will probe for any bone splinters whilst you take a very small dose of henbane, more to keep you still for his benefit than to stop any pain.If satisfied that there is a clean wound the medicus will put in a honey dressed bandage as a plug , if the wound site is deep enough.The wound will be lightly bound and possibly splinted. The next phase is -as you have no antibiotics-what do we use a s medication to heal /expedite tissue growth and staunch any bleeding? Its late in the year so the Medicus has to get you a wine based medicine.   Perhaps it was made in this way: Somewhere back in Southern Gaul a merchant has a substantial quantity of so-so wine that is ok for a rough gurgustum , but isnt up to the cost of supporting its own transportation despite the economies of shipborne bulk transport. However it is a sufficiently robust medium for a local army contractor to use it as a base for the maceration of herbal medicines.Now quite a lot of "approved" herbs are available , freshly cut in springtime and full of healthy growth and a full range of active chemical compounds.The contractor needs his slaves to macerate the herbs in controlled quantities , with certain proportions of wine, depending on the physical tissue of the herb.Amongst the fresh growths brought in is Yarrow herb well known as a medication for wounds or severe haemoragic bleeding. The slaves have a standard mixture to work at, after cleaning the plant and removing any discoloured leaves. In this instance the whole plant, roots included (if clean) can be used., as usual someone has the lousy job of chopping up a great stack of herb into a mass of bruised, moist tissue. Amphorae are just fine for mixing the wine and herb together, the main thing is that a ratio of 1 part herb to 5 of wine is maintained, the amphorae need to be in a cool cellar , just like a decent wine, and slaves must shake the container well morning and night for 14 days .If roots are in the mix its best to give it a 3 week maceration period. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=827 After this time the mix has to be run off the residual dregs and re-bottled. The Amphorae can then be sealed and put into stock , leaving them in storage for a year (if waiting for the seafaring season) will be of no detriment.So the amphorae are part of a cargo bound for Brittania, one is delivered eventually by river skiff to Corbridge on the Wall after being broken from bulk store at South Shields. The Medicus will break the seal of the amphora and after decanting a proportion for his own use will then consign further parts for other Fortlets "down the line". So our wounded trooper presents himself and the Medicus instructs him as follows, "Here is a mixture of the Sacred Herb of the great Achilles , which as you know heals all wounds made by iron weapons , and to it I have added a small quantity of the local Brigantine "Borago", this as you know they drink before battle for the excellent reason that it heals tissue and gives courage, and Pliny himself spoke of its virtues". "Three tablespoons per day added to a good beer, and use a good honey on the sore itself, wash away any pus with acetum " "And no you cant have a sicknote for three weeks". Our man will at least think "hmm, could have done with three weeks with my feet up but at least this chap has quality medicines, certainly I know the Herb of Achilles and Borago I know from my old aunt who was in Aleppo where it was mixed with Lemon for a summer drink ". http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=461 The alkaloids and flavinoids in the Yarrow will heal the wound and if any is available as a dried herb a good bath suffused with it will reduce pain and inflammation.The Borage will strengteh the adrenal cortex (due to its linnoleic acid content), after shock and trauma, and the pyrrolizidine alkoloids will help the damaged flesh as well. Not bad for a people with no germ theory, but excellent sanitation.

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Calvnivum (lancaster)

A fast recce to the small local museum in Lancaster, to peruse the Roman exhibits. This is a small municipal museum with limited space but a friendly attitude. I hope to be able to go back very soon and photograph items not on public display for your edification .   Perhaps the most striking finds here are the "Burrow Heads" a series of substantial 3rd C AD monumental carvings that appear to represent The Elements. It is said they were recovered about a mile away from the present city in 1794. It is not known if they are funeray or sacredotal images.One is weathered almost blank , the others I display .It is possible they originally come from Calacvm, further north. http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1118 http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1119 http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1120     Calvnivum fort site lies beneath the "modern" Lancaster Castle and Priory , the site commands the River Lune to the foot of the nearby hill , and hence any progress inland from the Hibernian netherlands.The excellent "Togo" has the details for army units here:   http://www.roman-britain.org/places/lancaster.htm http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1121   The Castle is notorious as the site of the famous "Lancashire Witch Trials" : http://www.pendlewitches.co.uk/index.php http://www.pendlewitchproje     The ruins of a bathhouse remain, soon to be re-restored , as they often serve as an unofficial picnic area for revellers.   And over here we have a gallery of ephemeral objects not yet annotated...   http://triclinium.spaces.live.com/PersonalSpace/

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Hbo Rome Gallery

Ursus produced a top notch review of the First Season;   http://www.unrv.com/hbo-rome-review.php as usual articulate and perceptive without getting over excited.   A lot of people visit the site in search of this particular topic , and all its collateral baggage. I have therefore kicked off a Gallery devoted to the series:   http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...um&album=67 this album can be as big or small as members wish, what i think might be useful would be to look hard at the historical veracity of the re-created Roman world , this can be in any topic from architecture to costume detail versus weaponry to street mime.   The selection I have posted is right across the board , we see our friends (T.Pullo and L.Vorenus ) our possible villains (Cato and Pompey (boo! hiss!)) , our beguiling feminine cast ( ) , our possible heroes (Caesar and Antony ) and our confused moderates (Cicero and Brutus )...or perhaps the heroes and villains are different?   It cannot be denied that the series looked wonderful , and on ocassions the immediacy of the story was stunningly delivered. I personally feel the real triumph was in the street level detail, and the casting of support roles-McNeice as the newsreader, Posca "Caesars creature" and the wonderfully camp Egyptian Court.   I hope the images add to everyones enjoyment and provoke some comments on accuracy and detailing.

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