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Gaius Octavius

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  1. Gaius Octavius

    Single Biggest Contributor To Rome's Collapse

    It would seem that there are a myriad of causes that led to the 'Fall'. If one were to consider only one or a half dozen of these causes, it would beg the question: Would the Empire then have fallen? I feel that it was the conjunction of all of the above mentioned causes, and then some, that led to the 'Fall'. It seems to be the opinion of many, today, that lead was not a significant problem for the Romans. So many of these causes can be boiled down to simple greed. The citizen no longer felt that his primary obligation was to the state as in Republican times. It was to himself. So many of the patrician class went so far as to amputate the thumbs of the right hands of their sons to exempt them from military service. These same turned their 'clients' into serfs, thus extirpating their loyalty to the state. What did it matter to the serf who his oppressor was - a Roman or a Goth or an Arab (in later times)? The serf had become nothing more than a source of taxes and riches for the patricians and poverty for himself. The legions ceased to be Roman or Italian and at one point became 95% 'barbarian'. The inflation and debasing of the coinage of Deocletian's time and thereafter, should be added to the causes. Gaius SPQR
  2. Gaius Octavius

    How To Tell Dates

    A Problem: Assume that a 'loan', at interest, was made on October 1, to be repaid one year hence. The Pontifex Maximus forgets to insert January and February into the calendar. How was the interest calculated, i.e., for 10 months or for 12? Was the repayment date reset to December 1? Or, was the borrower just out of luck and paid 12 months interest along with a 10 month 'early' repayment? Another Problem: A group of plebians are chatting in a pub and agree to meet 27 days later. Since I don't think that they had 'calendars' handy the way moderns do, how did they know when the time to meet had arrived? Were calendars posted on every corner of the city? Tomorrow is March 20, the vernal equinox, should I be wishing all a Happy New Year? Valete, Gaius SPQR
  3. Gaius Octavius

    Roman Army

    Salve Germanicus: At first, I must state that I am a rank amateur with regard to Roman history and perhaps I am suffering from Early Onset Alzheimer's. I have read the books that you mentioned and (to me), they seem to give a very general and often vague description of the items I mentioned. Yet, many 'modern' authors are very precise, as regards the items questioned (T.A. Dodge, for example). I am still at a loss as to how this extrapolation comes about. Thank you for your effort. Si vales; valeo, Gaius SPQR
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