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
As many of you will know I maintain a morbid interest in toxic items from ethnobotany , and likewise the animal kingdom where its creatures were known and "utilised" in a known (or fabled ) historical context...Cleopatra's asp as our most prominent , recent televised suicide in Rome 2.
I intend to revise my list of plant poisons (previous blogs) and add some spiteful animals (and fish).
However a scale of toxicity is needful if we are to determine the relative efficacy of our assassinatio
Ive become absorbed in Pliny, some of his one liners' are priceless: and I dont mean this to denigrate him where it appears that "modern" science concludes he is mistaken in a thing.
For some reason I was drawn to his writing on the Elephant , which he describes as second only to man in intellect and a thoughtful beast capable of offering homage to the Gods, and to its own Chief beasts.My favourite observation was "elephants mate in secret because of their modesty" what a quaint but elegant
Apart from materia medica my abiding passion is for the Triclinium, and I will keep members informed of any particularly outre gustatory experiences.I will also endeavour to gather a little more material regarding medieval recipes and pass these on from time to time.
You will all be amused to hear that I have succumbed to a stomach bug today, but as I hold to the virtue of plant medicine I have mixed the inner bark of the Red Elm (native to N.America) with Manuka honey.It seems to have done the
"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
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
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
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, t
Finally I have been able to get to the site of Mediobogdvm. This is the best preserved site in Cumbria south of the Wall.The earliest fort is likely to have been Trajanic , and finished under Hadrian. The initial Hadrianic garrison was the 4th Cohort of Dalmatiae. The fort may well have been one of those abandoned during the reign of Antoninus Pius , as troops pushed northward into modern Scotland to secure a new frontier at the Antonine Wall.The fort was reoccupied circa 160 AD and appears to
As Viggen strives to piece together my "report" galleries for the Wall and Vindolanda , I hope to visit Mediobogdum a sensationally remote fortlet in the heart of the Lake District. Alavana (and its museum) are also on my shopping list. Not much remains of the turf defence line into the Solway sands , but they were an integral part of the western arm of the Wall defence system with Glannaventa as the supply port.As usual if the weather holds, Mediobogdum in particular is spectacularly situated a
Lost Warrior asked a question which I have pondered on for many years-what is your prefered method of delivery for herbal medicines?. ( the basic question was infusion or oil as a preference).
Pardon me double blogging today but this needs a reasonably considered reply.
The reply is more complicated: my preferences would be:
1. Fluid Extract (strong/pure).This in truth is an infusion in concentrated form.
2.Tincture ( quite strong /stable for a long time).
3.Pure herb-but this depe
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 superficiall
I think the link is working now -though the site is still under massive reconstruction and has been stripped back.
Please be patient if you are interested in the "small objects" add-ons to the UNRV gallery reports, im working on it! Quite a few extra Vindolanda items are posted and some Eboracum ones also on the msn blog. As you will see the materia medica are replicated but will extend beyond the Roman domain. My passion for all things Japanese is also notable.
Beer and assorted pleasurable c
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 wil
A visit to the splendid LEG II AUG at Bremetenacvm. This outfit have a top notch Greek surgeon with state-of -the-art equipment for all wound types and a comprehensive medicine chest.As you can see the battle had been bloody and some nasty wounds had to be dealt with.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=895
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=898
here we have a messy fracture and splintered shin bone, the man has been given opium and a little
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 re-enactors were quite a bunch, very friendly and keen to share knowledge. They also presented a sight that many will consider strange, their ages-many were "grizzled veterans" but that added to the event , it was easier to see "old sweats" with missing teeth and not so athletic builds -we know Germanicus had to quell revolts by men who showed him toothless gums and old injuries.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=759
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?
Very sad news from the Secvnda , John Davis , their personable and vastly knowledgable Architectus has lost his life in a road accident. I have placed a Memoriam on the main Forum floor and posted a shot of John in his Auxilliary garb in the gallery.On the Secvnda site ,you can see the tributes coming in and some more images of him at various re-enactments.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?&a...=si&img=942
This entry is also by way of invitation, to any visitors from the S
The annual visit of the II Augusta to Ribchester (their furthest North from their south coast HQ) is taking place this weekend .
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1787
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1790
I was able to get some more useful shots of the proceedings which will appear in the gallery and then also in bulk on my external blog.This year the event was enlivened by the presence of the Legion's sub-unit of horsemen . As always the re-enac
The 14th!
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1936
As can be seen we are in the period 75 CE -125 CE or thereabouts. Once again we have excellent attention to authenticity , from quotidian detail of carried (Centurion) marching gear :
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1937
and camp implements :
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=1935
some robust noble born persons:
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=194
I have been keeping notes to try and produce a handy recipe that would be both beneficial to modern users , and whilst not attested , be understood by our Roman forbears.
I think I have one such ready for the forthcoming Saturnalia, no part of it was unknown in Rome (though some ingredients would be for the rich alone) this mix would be both cleansing and pleasant .
take 1 pint of maderia wine ( so we are talking sweet and rich hence adjust your choice to taste).
1 sprig of wormwood (
The cavalry unit of the Legion was present at the Bremmetenacvm event. Only four horsemen in all (not the regulation 40) , and even then the logistics of moving , preparing and saddling the animals was by no means easy. One of the animals in particular was a complete newbie to the event and bridling was a rather tense experience. The Commander also had to improvise a mounting block from a nearby stone wall as his mount ws a little nervy.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?automo...si&img=
Members will be aware of the "Roman World Herbal" gallery I have maintained for some time.In the Gallery are displayed plants known to have been used as painkillers, wound salves, abortifactants and foods, some of these plants have a recorded history from Egypt and Greece via Rome and Persia.Not all the plants are strictly Roman but many are known witihn the Roman world, so we have Borage and Mistletoe for example ,two very important Celtic herbs that the Romans must have known of and may we
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 nu
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 a
