[Why Do You Like Rome?]

In Roman history some of the greatest idiots of all time can be found which makes for a good laugh, but at the same time, it took highly admirable genius to hold the empire together and to carve the thing out in the first place.

 

Then there is always that strangely inspirational vision of men cloaked in red marching in columns that go far past the curve of the land I get whenever someone mentions "legionary"

 

...I guess it's not just if love it or not but also how much you hate it

[A Poll on the Best Roman Generals]

I would say Caesar, seeing that he defeated Pompey, his sons and all his friends in battles where he was usually at a numerical disadvantage.

 

However, you probably shouldn't listen to me, I'm fresh from reading his accounts of the Gallic wars, and whoever comes out of that alive gets a rosy unblemished picture of Caesar in their head that sticks like bad music for about a month

[Roman Casualty Figures.]

I have a book you might want to look up: It's called Roman Warfare and the author is Adrian Goldsworthy, it's basically a short summary of the Roman military from the founding of Rome to it's end. It has, in the appendix, some strength returns from some random Cohort they found... somewhere . It also has lots of great battle maps, and (Roman) world maps.

[Cannae Anniversary]

Rome lost battles more than once. Hannibal never won wars. Rome did not treat with Carthage, save to lay down the rules of the road.

 

 

 

Mabey this is irrelevant, but I remember something about Rome having to make an unfavorable peace with the Samnites way back when, and what about Mithridates?

[Legions Major Weakness - Cavalry?]

Sorry guys, was reading the 4th page

 

And about the praetorian cavalry, I'm not sure it would have been much better than the normal cavalry, even if it did get into a battle. The praetoria were notorious for being softened with fine wine and rich foods and never got what realy makes a soldier a soldier; battle experiance. Mabey I making another mistake , were the praetorian cavalry stationed at Rome?

[Family Motto]

Alot of Latin translations sound weird to us, so after we get the literal translation, e.g. the love of the country leads, we can change it to make it sound better in english. If you look at it one way, there is no one correct translation, we have to aim in between the literal and what sounds good. - just a thought.

 

Oh yea, Q. Valerius, do you know Greek? If so: :notworthy:

[Small English To Latin Translation]

You've got it right, except for you preposition, I would use ab, de means down from or about, ab means from. I would also put a verb in ther like venio (to come) i.e. Victoria venit ab scientiā

 

Oh right, I almost forgot, feel free to play around with the word order, it won't change the meaning, thats one of the beutiful things about the Latin language

[English-Latin Translations, Part II]

Right;

Nominative: victoria

Genitive: victoriae

Dative: victoriae

Accusative: victoriam

Ablative: victoriā

 

I know that's probably more than you wanted, but I get a little carried away sometimes... :stretcher:

[Help, Small English To Latin Translation]

I have been perturbatus by you guys, I thought the supine was only used to express purpose e.g. diximus hoc perturbatu : we said this in order to throw into confusion:(

[Help]

If you still need the translatioin:

I've just learned Latin, so, take my answer at your own risk

 

First of all, integer is more like, whole, or untouched, you might want to use a perfect passive participle of impedio (to hinder) and put 'not' in front i.e. non impeditus, not hindered. If you use this translation, 'by life' would br translated a vita. Clean of evil could be translated integer malis, litterally untouched by bad things. In translating 'Because of honor' you could use an adlative of cause i.e. honore. This next sentence is a little tricky, try as I might, I cannot find out how to say 'to the point of death' so I'll just translate as 'even when dying' i.e. etiam dum moriens, I think

 

anyway, this is what I have, as mistake ridden as it way be: Non impeditus a vita et integer malis etiam dum moriens

[Speak In Latin!]

I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread where we can write in Latin, if this had been tried before and failed miserably, forgive me I'm a little... novus. I've just learn Latin, so expect many mistakes. Please point them out.

 

Habeo quaestionem de historia romana ut incipiat hoc: Cur imperium Byzanti duravit tempus longius quam imperium romanum?

[Legions Major Weakness - Cavalry?]

The whole mounting and dismounting thing seems an awful lot like Caesar's description of British chariots. I like the idea of combining infantry and cavalry.

[Roman Siegecraft]

From what I've read, the Greeks developed siege craft and the Romans had the resources to massproduce Greek ideas

[Roman Siegecraft]

Okay, I'll try a sling, but how do you get it to shot the missile at the right time?

 

And about the missile, we were thinking a pumkin or something similar, but it's probobly too heavy and we will

have to use something smaller

 

Thanks for the advice!

 

 

 

 

P.S. sorry if i'm annoying you with the smielies, gotta love em!

[Roman Siegecraft]

I have been, with little success, trying to recreate a roman onager. If anyone has ideas on how to fix the following problems, please tell me, I need help!!

• Throwing arm is either too weak or too heavy
  
• Torsion springs break if they are under enough strain to lift the arm
  
• It is incredably hard to twist the torsion spring enough
  
• I cant find what I will use for a cup on the throwing arm thats light
  

Thanks

[The Personal Guard]

Yes they were bodyguards but as the Lictors were also a symbol of the magistrate's imperium the function served a different purpose than the Praetorian. Despite their function as a form of bodyguard they were not soldiers. This concept developed completely within a military perspective and was not truly related to the lictors whose occupation did continue despite its lessened meaning under the principate.

 

I suppose what might be an interesting relationship is whether or not Lictors in the Principate period were hand selected from among the Praetorians rather than the citizen body as was traditional. Certainly magistrates were able to hand pick Lictors, but it would be interesting if they were assigned from among the existing Praetorians. But in theory it would make more sense for a member of the Imperial family to be accompanied by both Lictors and Praetorians when applicable, as both a show of tradition and a show of force.

 

Would the lictors be men hoping to go into a political carrer, or were they soldiers from the legions?

[The Personal Guard]

I was thinking, would the consul's lictors count as a sort of primitive personal body gaurd?

(just a thought)