caldrail

The amber triangles are proudly displayed on the weather report again. This time it's not heavy rain and the attendant risk of flooding, but the arrival of this years first snowfall, which shouldn't affect Wiltshire as yet. Nonetheless the temperatures are plummetting. This morning was no exception. I've resorted to gloves for the first this year. Even my claims advisor mentioned how cold it was. Hey, that was almost conversational. Yesterday had one advantage. It was a bright sunny day, abeit a chilly one. Since it wasn't going to be a busy day - something I decided rather than tread the same old weary routine - I went for a stroll through the environs of the local area. Just for the exercise. Like you do. As it turned out I made one major mistake. I was walking in a sort of anti-clockwise direction, which meant the low afternoon sun was always in my eyes. It might be approaching winter, but that sun can be very bright. What struck me was the changes in Rodbourne. I used to live in that area when I was younger. The row of shops along the main road gave the place a sort of village atmosphere. When the developers built the bypass to link with the Outlet Centre in the old rail works buildings, traders complained it would harm passing trade. Especially since the plan was to block the road through Rodbourne at one end. They eventually listened and left the road open, but after a decade it seems the effect is starting to make itself felt anyway. Shops are mysteriously mutating into private homes. In a sense it's a good thing because the former shabbiness is being swept away. On the other hand, maybe two or three shops are still trading as they were when I was young. The rest are either offering different services or gone completely. Somehow it all seems as if the area is losing a community atmosphere and becoming a dormitory for the rest of Swindon. The Protest Continues More student protests? Whilst there is something to protest about, I suspect there's an element of youthful defiance turning this affair into a sort of game. Police baiting has risks that go with the sport, as some youngsters are finding out. But is this behaviour really going to help? If you want lower tuition fees, then eventually a peaceful settlement is going to be necessary. What governbment is going to surrender it's credibility by surrendering to large gatherings of deliquent students (or those purporting to be students)? Down She Goes British forces have apparently sunk a Somali pirate vessel. About time too. The lesson from history is that unless you deal with piracy ruthlessly it will persist. Whilst we want to be gentlemanly and civilised in our approach to maintaining order on the high seas, is that really going to suppress this sort of activity? As the Somali learn their craft, become more professional and adept at avoiding naval interdiction, the situation see-saws back to where you started. Unless you sink them. That's the cold hard logic of this particular game.

Yesterday channel is rather like Discovery, except they avpoid 'shark week' and instead show programs about Nazi's. Sometimes though you do get a decent documentary. I remember seeing one on the Flying Tigers in China that was something I didn't know much about (That's a group of american aviators in World War Two, not some rare breed of aerial carnivore, in case you wondered the Chinese were sniffing suspicious substances). On the bright side, Yesterday is showing the Colditz series. I remember watchin g that back when it came out in the seventies. It's all about the POW's and their attempts to escape the old castle from under the noses of their German guards. It's a darker tale than I remember it, maybe because I'm older and understand the subtleties more, and despite the occaisional inconsistency it's still nonetheless an excellent portrayal. The nostalgia of watching an old favourite from my formative years is one thing, and let's be honest, what blue blooded Englishman can resist a tale about daring-do in the Second World War? We base our entire culture on victory over the Hun. There is a curious analogy to my Wednesday mornings however. You see, every Wednesday morning I go down to the Job Centre as I should on every other day. Wednesdays are Staff Meeting Days, so the throng of impatient claimants gather in the foyer to wait for the sharp-suited security guards to stop trying to get a response from the other floors on their walkie-talkies, and darn well let us in. I mean, what's the point of having a 9:00 slot when they don't let you in for another hour? Occaisionally a brave soul enquires at the desk whether they can go through and obtain a comfy seat. The ladies at the helpdesk quickly destroy that initiative. Sometimes a braver soul attempts to sneak past the guards, or even attempt to bluff their way in. It's all rather like Stalag Luft Job Centre, but in reverse. We sneak, leap, and tunnel our way in every Wednesdays to sign on and get our money. The way the government are talking, barbed wire, searchlight, and machinegun posts will be fitted as soon as they can find the money to buy them. They are bailing out Irelands ailing economy too, you know. Funny that. One moment the country hasn't got any money and savings must be made, the next we're paying Ireland because they've run out too. Closed For Business I saw the temporary road sign a few days ago, but a letter was posted through my door telling me that my street is to be closed. Huh? Not profitable enough? No, apparently the sewer is blocked and it's causing all sorts of problems, like subsidence, roadworks, and diversions. Naturally this problem needs to be fixed. But quite how the drunken population of late night revellers are going to cope with lines of bollards, signs, and gaping holes is anyones guess. I look forward to seeing some of their work.

Antoninus Pius was well regarded by the Romans largely because he gave them what they wanted and didn't make waves. Like Claudius, it appears he ordered some military adventures to give his reign military credibility - almost an essential qualification for Roman acceptance - by pushing the british frontier to the wall of his name. He was however not a military man, and never left Italy during his rule.

It isn't just possible, it's part of the archaeological record. Some legions in the reign of Tiberius used them, and if I remember right, some republican legions did too. I'll check the sources on that.

Oh no! I've been so wrapped up in an interview this morning I've forgotten to do any job searching! Heresy! I'll be rendered destitute if the Job Centre finds that out (Please don't tell anyone). With that minor disaster in mind I popped straight down to the library for a frantic internet browse of the job sites. The library is often crowded at lunchtime, and sure enough, not a free screen to be had. I'll have to book one. None of the computers have got a two hour slot available for the next three hours, so it'll have to be an even more frantic search in half the time. Which computer?... Decisions... Decisions... Oh, I'll book this one. It's a quiet spot by a window. I got down there and found the desk cluttered with a pile of personal possession belonging to someone else. Have I got the right computer? Yes, my name is showing on the screen. I'll just move all this rubbish to one side so I can get on... "Excuse me!" Called an irate lady from the helpdesk. "I'm going to use that computer." Oh no you're not, I replied, and continued to shovel her belongings aside. How can one person carry so much garbage? What's it all for? No, don't ask, it's none of my business. "Don't touch my stuff!" She yelled. I took no notice. I've booked a computer and she can darn well accept I'm going to clear the desk. She rushed over and repeated her annoyed command. I simply advised her that that all I was doing was moving the 'stuff' to one side. Having no choice but to accept my boorish dominance of the desk, she grumbled and gathered the mountain of 'stuff', moving back to the helpdesk where Dragon Lady awaited her complaint. Of course Dragon Lady swept her argument aside like the true scottish lady that she is. Good for you, dear. But she still made a caustic joke at my expense as she walked past on another customers errand. Thanks for that. Can I get on with my job search now? Save The Tiger The television advert makes it all very clear. From around a hundred thousand tigers living in the wild a century ago, we're now down to four thousand, and they're still dwindling. It's a great shame, of course, and in spirit I support the efforts to preserve the wonderful beast. I had to laught though. The advert, in an effort to get the public to part with cash to help save the tigers, offered a cute cuddly tiger toy. Pardon? What's cuddly about a tiger? It's a dangerous carnivore twice my weight and strength. It could rip me to pieces if it wanted. What a silly thing to offer. As if I wanted a cuddly toy at all. I'd far rather have the real tiger as a pet, then at least burglars would be eaten. Hiow about that for saving a tiger? A good home, free food, and it helps law and order at the same time. You Started It! I just caught the news that North Korea has been shelling an island belonging to their democratic neighbour. Well, after supplying their armed forces with twelve thousand artillery pieces to threaten the border with the south, I suppose it was only a matter of time before North Korea decided to try them out. It's all a stunt though. Prod the south and claim you're defending yourself? Just another tactic to sustain the fantasy world of the dictatorship. The trouble is, all this sabre rattling is costing lives, and if my instincts are proven correct, there's going to be a much bigger casualty list before they're finished.

The problem is we see the goths as a coherent tribe with a single leader. This wasn't the case. They were made up of a variety of factions, including non-goths among them (Goths welcomed anyone who wanted to partake in their warrior lifestyle), and there a number of them that comprised a sort of ambiguous upper class, Fritigern and Athanaric being only two of them. Their fortunes waxed and waned according to circumstance. It just so happened Fritigern had his hands on the reigns at Adrianople - partially, I suspect, for his escape of the mass assassination attempt earlier and his subsequent victory over the hastily mobilised Thracian Army.

The Romans began in their earliest days with leaf-shaped shields. Oval shields were used from the early republic right until the end of the western empire a thousand years later. It was the most convenient compromise between utility and protection. Rectangular shields became popular during the height of imperial power, representing the use of close order heavy infantry. However, hexagonal shields were sometimes used, such as during Tiberius's reign. There was always a mix of shield shapes - it was never completely standard.

Whether Commodus wasn't quite as bad as protrayed in the historical sources is not going to excuse his deeds, because he certaibnly wasn't a good man. However, he was the son of Marcus Aurelius, who needed to ensure the progression of rule was assured. By making Commodus co-emperor for a few years before his death, he was able to groom his successor and tried to make him an able ruler, plus it also dissuaded others from attempting a coup when Marcus Aurelius died. A throne without an assigned heir would be a recipe for disaster. It has been said of some emperors that they deliberately made a bad man their heir, so that they would be remembered fondly. Whether that's actually true I can't say - it certainly says much about the attitude of the Roman public for thinking that - but then it might simply be that Marcus Aurelius wanted his son to 'grow up and lead a good life' as fathers do. In that he failed, but then, the temptations of power, wealth, and luxury are not easily dealt with. However, your question was why he didn't promote a more able man, instead of his own son. Perhaps that would invite political and violent contests for power. On the other hand, as emperor, Marcus Aurelius was surrounded by people claiming to be able and worthy, thus he might have chosen his son on the basis of 'better the devil you know'.

How things change. Years ago, in more affluent times, I could drive into town and quickly find a parking space while I popped down to the shops. Pay for a spot in the council car park? I think not. The situation changed with the resident parking schemes. Fed up with visitors like me clogging up the streets - though in fairness it was the long stay parking of commuters from outside the town who were the worst offenders - Swindon was divided up into zones and if you didn't pay the fee, you got the ticket for parking there. That was all very well, but what happened shortly after was that council officials sought out every possible non-taxable parking spot and daubed double yellow lines on it, which made it a breach of the law to park there. Now I see that some local councillors are pressing to create new parking spaces in town. At the moment they're fussing over details of the scheme. Expiry dates, days, times, places, all are being minutely examined for the least possible obstruction to the daily lives of the residents concerned, which I find a bit odd because obstruction to parking is the whole point of the scheme. Now I Know I now have proof that wishful thinking can work. The old Mecca bingo hall, previously a cinema, had been abandoned for some time. Passing the premises on a daily basis I often thought it was a waste of a good theatre. If only someone would turn it into a music venue. A proper dedicated music venue, something that Swindon lacks, despite regular big names appearing at the Wyvern Theatre or the Oasis Sports Hall. To my suprise, someone has done exactly that. Now called Meca, it's going to open as a 2000 seat venue for music. We are most pleased, entrepenours, continue with your decorating. One of the other changes in Swindon that's been mooted over the years is a pedestrian crossing on Kingshill. Most of you won't know it, but it's the western exit from Old Town and quite a steep road, especially at the top. Back when I was a schoolkid and took the bus home to Rodbourne, it was a popular form of entertainment for those kids riding bicycles to race the bus down the hill. Time after time one of the 'bad lads' would earn cheers from the top deck as he nervously swept past the bus peddling frantically in the face of commonsense. One day, we had Animal driving the bus. Now he was cut from a different cloth to most bus drivers. I think he was a frustrated racing driver. At any rate, spotting the youth on a bike preparing for mad dash past the vehicle as it ponderously and noisily wound it's way down the hill, his competitive spirit kicked in. He was not going to beaten. So Animal gunned the throttle and the double decker bus careered down the hill with an astonished bike rider in it's wake. Hardly a safe thing to do, was it? Well, that was back in the seventies, when such malarkey was common if not officially approved. So now, in our current post-nanny state, we have residents pressing for a crossing along the road, making it safe for children and old people to avoid being mown down by the contestants in the 2010 Double Decker Bus Grand Prix (which of course doesn't happen any more, following the introduction of speed cameras and a nrew hard line attitude from policeman about motoring offences). I know it's all safer and better for everyone, but in a funny way, I miss the freedom we once had.

Artorius Castus has been suggested as the origin of the King Arthur myth for no better reason than to inject some historical credibility to the tales. It's because people generally want the legend to be real. It isn't. Whilst I'm not decrying anything Artorius Castus did, the interesting fact remains that Arthur, as a name, becomes a popular name after 500. There isn't any mention of anyone with name beforehand that I'm aware of, and several nobles are named Arthur in the next couple of generations. Had Gildas not made an ambiguous reference to the 'real' Arthur, then I might have regarded Artorius might have been a source of the legend. We cannot dismiss the contemporary nature of the Arthurian mythos. Assuming the association with the battle of Mons Badonicus is correct, then we have a fixed period in which to place the man. If a roman commander had been the origin, why was the legend of Arthur not accounted for earlier? Why did it take two centuries for the man to be promoted to legend? It's a part of human nature that a legend is spawned in their own lifetime. Geoffery of Monmouth wanted to impress his patron lord and thus gave Arthur a royal title to boost the credentials of the list of previous kings, which was what his history book was about. Noticeably, contemporary historians (yes, the middle ages had historians too) made it known they regarded Geoffery as a complete fantasist - and if you read his history of the kings of Britain, you'll see why.

The theory abbout sarmatian knights is to lend some credibility to arthurian tales. Unfortunately, whilst an interesting theory, there isn't any hard evidence for the existence of these men in sub-roman Britain, nor do the sources from that period mention any foreign horsemen at all, nor do they suggest an elite corps. In fact, the only tangilble mention of Arthur is via Gildas, who refers to one of the welsh tyrants as having been the 'Bears Charioteer' in his youth, a connection with the name Arthur which has a root meaning 'Bear'. Arthur was by no means a king. That was the literary invention of Geoffery of Monmouth (though he might have got the idea elsewhere, his is the first mention of royalty in the 12th century). In fact, we have a man who was regarded as something of a loose cannon, if a respected one, and one gets the impression he was a somewhat ruthless warrior. "Although he was no Arthur" says one dark age writer about another man. Some people regard Arthurs existence as fictional completely, preferring to ascribe his victories to Ambrosius Aurelianus, a respectable romano-britain we have direct mentions of. The problem here is that given the dates we believe the last battle at Mons Badonicus was fought, Ambrosius was a very old man indeed, and unlikely to have commanded, though we must accept that he was a victorious leader of sub-romano-british defence against picts, scots, and saxon raiders. Part of the problem is the battles listed by Nennius have no confirmed location. We have little more than names, and we distinctly lack evidence of location. Even his most famous victory, Mons Badonicus, has been placed in almost every region of Britain, the two most likely appearing to be near Bath or Swindon. We do have some descriptions of dark age british armies however, via the welsh poets of later centuries. Although cavalry existed, they were hardly knights in shining armour, and are described as riding without helmets. I did a post on Mons Badonicus which goes into more detail... http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10750&st=0&p=102417&hl=+mons%20+badonicus&fromsearch=1entry102417 Arthur was an obscure figure to begin with, kept alive in the popular imagination by song and poetry, and prose. During the early dark ages when celtic culture reasserted itself for a while, Arthur was made the hero of the older traditional tales from the Iron Age, which had survived as an oral tradition throughout the Roman occupation, which makes him far more of a mythological figure than the somewhat less cultured person we find hints of. Worse still is the chivalric fiction of medieval times, inventing and reinforcing the connection with christianity (Including the 'Holy Grail' and the 'Lance', which turn out to be no more than literary props in medieval romances) and creating this concept of the Knights of the Round Table. Were there any sarmatian knights in Britain connected with arthurian battles? Apparently not. Although this theory received some media attention, there is little if any evidence to confirm it. Germanus of Auxerre was the last Roman leader to lead troops in the British Isles and he operated no later than c.440, some 30-60 years before Arthurs tim (and that might be incorrect too, as he fought the Saxons and crushed the Pelagian Heresy in 429 with only some dubious mentions of another visit to Britain in 440).

Caldrail, I also would like to know your sources for your earlier statment regarding deforestation. As far as the Bronze Age is concerned in every reference book I have read rather than linking this to the effects of climate change it usually attributes it to the spread of farming for which there is good archaeological evidence. Regarding a possible drop in population in Ireland on this issue the 'History Planet' blog quoting from Barry Cunliffe has some interesting suggestions regarding this though note the comments about woodland regeneration in the five centuries after about 600BCE. The climate change was unconnected with forest clearance, although the deforestation by bronze Age Irish must have impacted on their lives. After a long period of maritime climate, the enviroment was entering a drier phase that didn't favour forests as much. What we have then is a combination of factors. As I stated, information is not readily available on the shelves, but information can be gleaned from... Prehistoric Britain Timothy Darvill (Routledge) Britain BC Francis Pryor (Harper Collins) Wikipedia has the following info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistoric_Ireland if you're not fussy (which I suppose you justifiably are in tis case, having challenged my sources ) Another page that illustrates the peroid is http://www.triskelle.eu/history/bronzeage.php?index=060.010.030

Hunger knows no bounds. With the cash I had left I couldn't resist steak & cheese burrito on my way home. Yes, I know, my finances are now forever ruined, but the delights of takeaway food were too much to ignore. So I ordered my early evening meal and waited for the chap behind the counter to stop mashing the ingredients. To my left the approach of a pair of lads was becoming obvious. Sometimes you just know a stranger is about to accost you, and the burlier of the two ambled slowly toward me on a parabolic curve having decided to approach me with caution. "Excuse me, mate, is this the way to the bus station?" He asked in politer terms than I expected. Sorry, but no, it's over there, back the way you've just come. "Oh." He said as he digested the bad news before turning to the takeaway chef and repeating the question. He got the same answer. Satisfied we weren't pulling his leg, he yelled at his friend "Told you! I told you it was that way. The bus station is that way!" His skeletal friend in a woolly hat shrugged and said "Yeah, I know, but I want to go this way, through town." "We're not going that way" The burly lad insisted. "The bus station is that way." And so the two weary travellers turned back the way they'd come and on toward the fabled bus station, Some distance down the street the burly lad asked someone else where the bus station was. For some reason the pair changed direction again and were walking back. By good fortune the burrito was ready and I made my escape. Completely Armless I have entered a strange space time anomaly in which I slowly metamorphose into Charlie Chaplin. My jacket has started disassembling itself. Ever the optimist, I thought I might try sewing the sleeve back on. It wasn't entirely seperated and thus it seemed possible to complete this repair job without too much fuss. Sadly my sewing skills were not up to the job. Possibly you guessed that might have been the case. So I'm left with a choice of freezing to death or going bankrupt. Which is more survivable? Oh stuff it. I'll buy that jacket, over there. Hmmmmm... Warmth..... More On That Wedding That wedding is still in the news. Now the Prime Minister is suggesting an extra bank holiday to mark the occaision. I agree. That would be great. Now all I need is a job so I can have the day off. What a master stroke. Please the public and motivate the unemployed in one stroke. There. Who says I'm always nasty to politicians. Also, since I've now confirmed myself as a government sympathiser (against my better judgement), can I have my title officially recognised? The last lot did that all the time. More On That Boyle Much to everyone's suprise, including mine, that Boyle woman has achieved more sales on her second album than expected. So much so that she's come third to the Beatles and The Monkee's for transatlantic success. Thing is though, for all her talent at singing, she doesn't compose. She doesn't sing her own material. In my book that will always make her second best, however good the sales team are at promoting her recordings.

legitimacy was based on social status, itself dependent on wealth. There was never any problem with legitimacy as such because ownership was nine-tenths of the law, The problem had more to do with authority and the ruthless competition that Roman society encouraged. The late republican Senate were more self seeking and inspired less loyalty than previous governments. Then again, it didn't matter, because once ambitious politicians realised the legion(s) would follow them against the Senate, as both Sylla and Caesar proved, it became a contest of 'might' and political feuding. It was more to do with individuals jostling for power. The legions were dragged along as muscle.

Agreed (apart from Caldrail's hint of reluctance to believe Wikipedia with all his heart and soul. It is, after all, the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom.) I bear the scars of careless wiki-ing Actually my circumspection is that there's no direct reference to british slaves in Rome. It merely illustrated the possibility

Last night I braved the wet weather and wandered down to the internet cafe to spend a few coins. Paying for food with a credit card has some advantages even though you get funny looks from those who know you're unemployed. Along the road I passed by the premises that had been occupied by a motorcycle dealership until recently. It was always a dark and uninviting place, so perhaps it's no small wonder they left. Now the premises has been reopened as a fish market, and what a strange sight. The whole shop is brightly lit, demonstrating how large a sales space it was, and filled with row after row of shiney white freezers. That's all you see as you pass by. Funny thing is, that's not too inviting either. The starkness of it is unappealing. Little tip for the owner there. Cold! It's to be expected I suppose but the weather is getting to the point where I'll have to consider turning on the gas boiler. Although I'm not uncomfortable at night, at least not yet, I can only imagine what my downstairs neighbours would make of a burst pipe. And of all things, I hear the gas companies are turning up the prices, just in time for the freezing weather. Is that cynical or what? Yet they still send out letters telling customers they know how difficult it is to pay bills and want to help us stump up the cash.

Brutality is unfortunate facet of human behaviour, especially in socieities that are expansionist. Older, more established societies tend toward more rigid customs and regulations designed to moderate that behaviourm,, since when everything is sorted you don't want brutality in the system to rock the boat. It's still there, of course, lurking under the surface, but socieities that suppress such instincts must either achieve a balance with it or become moribund and unable to cope with those aggressive external influences that embrace such instincts. There is unfortunately a part of our psyche that enjoys brutality. Some are more prone to it than others, it must be said, but the psychological power derived from causing harm to others is one of the nastier elements of social behaviour we've inherited from our primeval roots. The ancient world was a brutal enviroment. Life was short. Only two out of five Romans lived beyond the age of twenty. Life was cheap. Slavery was commonplace and accepted practice throughout Europe and Asia. Life was risky. Disease, accident, war... There were no ambulances to wisk you to hospital, medical care was crude, usually restricted, and utterly inseperable from superstition. A lot is said about Roman brutality. With good reason, it must be said, but of course we shouldn't forget we're judging them by modern standards. Even the Romans were sometimes shocked by what they experienced or heard about regarding other cultures.

Inasmuch as the reforms did not provoke political changes, an important point to realise is that the Romans din't have a national army (sorry to harp on about that!). What they had, despite the trappings of professionalism which often gives a misleading impression, is a feudal setup. The senatorial command of the legion was not actually a career, but a political appointment. He represented the authority of Rome by virtue of his social status, not his rank in the services. That's all well and good provided the legate is loyal to Rome. The problem was that in the late republic, having achieved victory over Carthage who were no small enemy, there was no sense of limit, nor for that matter any sense of military structure for the senior command. Given there were now what amounted to organised gangs of professional thugs to be had, is it any wonder ambitious Romans sought to exploit that resource? They had already resorted to street gangs. What could be more persuasive than an army turning up at the Senate's doorstep if they didn't kowtow? Who was going to stop them? The problem with the Marian Reforms is not that he created a professional standing army, but that he didn't. He created professional legions, a number of independent mini-armies, whose loyalty ultimately fell upon the man who led them. Much is said of the behaviour of Roman soldiers in the empire, but it seeems to me that tradition was created a hundred and fifty years earlier.

I don't think it was quite that simple. Whilst I agree that Germanicus won a measure of victory against Germanic tribes after the Varian Disaster, it had limited obectives, such as recovering the lost 'eagles' and punishing the Germans enough to dissuade them from further such incidents. However we need to remember the shock the Romans felt when they discovered the slaughter site, burying the bones of man and animal together because they were inseperable. Also, and perhaps mist importantly, Roman colonisation of the German forests was all but abandoned, and former Roman towns deserted.

Almost certainly, especially after conflict. A quick search reveals this wikipedia mention which you should view with some circumspection... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Rufina

There is one recorded instance of late empire Roman soldiers launching raids against Germanic villages for plunder at their own initiative, swimming across rivers using shields as flotation devices. I don't have the source handy but if I remember correctly, they were none too shy at slaughtering anyone who resisted. That doesn't mean these soldiers were christian however. There was after all a number of executions of men refusing military service on religious objection. I should add that Zosimus records how gothic heads were sent to Constantinople every day prior to the defeat at Adrianople.

Don't really have much to say about the last twenty four hours. It might not suprise anyone acquainted with British weather, but this morning is a dull and wet day. Even the library is quiet and well behaved. Oh yes... I forgot... I had my pocket picked yesterday. I hope the thief enjoys the tenner he took from me and please don't feel bad about letting me starve for the week. Oh Yeah... That Wedding... I suppose it's inevitable that our royal family occaisionally do something the media can't criticise them for. Most of you have probably seen the news already. It is pretty much inescapable. I'm sure the couple are happy and i wish them well, but other than that I don't care and if you'll excuse me, I'm going to wander off and find something interesting to discuss. The Taxman Gives Up Is the British economy teetering on the brink? The media says yes, the government say no. Not really sure who's the least truthful of those two, but certainly our countries coffers aren't in good shape at all. That explains my mirth this morning as I read the Inland Revenue & Customs have decided to write off loads of tax bills for 2006/7 because they got it wrong. Sadly this errors don't apply to me, and I remain well and truly taxed.

Marius was raising a levy to reinforce operations in progress and needed to complete the procedure with some haste. Since the existing available veterans were already volunteered and serving on campaign, there was no-one left (or not enough left) to form the principes and triarii, since citizens needed to requisite age and experience to be entitled to form that portion of the levy. Instead, Marius decided to take an expedient move and simply take on whatever volunteers he could find, and had them all trained with sword and shield as generic infantry. Whilst this was not a traditional method of raising troops, Marius found there were advantages to doing this, and decided to make it a standard procedure. Given his frustration at sourcing suitable troops, it then follows he opened the legions to the landless poor of Rome to ensure there would not be a shortage of recruits, and to ensure that that troops would not have to be raised in emergency every time Rome went to war.

Except at that stage they would not be perfectly formed as depicted. It remains speculation based on an unsubstatiated exprapolation of modern ideas.

There is another issue at stake here. There is something appealing to the human psyche about ordered lines of bright uniforms. That's one reason why wargaming exists as a hobby. We like the idea of organisation, and we have this generic mental image of the Romans as better organised than anyone else (which to some extent they were!) so unless one discards the popular image in an attempt to understand the era, then that's the first thing we latch onto, because we assume that's a level of understanding. I see this in all sorts of genres. People believe certain things and feel comfortable with those ideas. It takes some dedication to look at a body of knowledge objectively and say something that goes against the herd - and peer pressure is a great definer of human thought and deed, as the Romans knew well.