Julius Ratus

I agree, this last episode was rather disappointing. I still enjoyed it though. I am glad that Vorenus found his kids. Makes up for the disappointment in not seeing Erastes taken apart. I wish they woud have cut out the gratuitous tortures of Duro and Servillia and replaced them with even more gratuitous depictions of the slavers being done up. I was hoping the Atia/Servillia thing would finally end. I'm glad that Atia lived, though, I can oogle her for a few more episodes . I can live with the new Octavian but am rather diappointed to see Max Pirikis go. He is one hell of an actor. I loved Antony in this episode. He looks like he will be even more crazed in the next one. I am pleased with Agrippa. I still wonder what will become of the Agrippa-Octavia thing, knowing what historically happens. Any thoughts?

As many are aware, the French government recently announced a raise in its terror alert level from

If you want a job beyond flippin burger you will need that Masters and probably P.h.D. as well. To get accepted into most Grad positions you will need German, French, Latin, and maybe Classical Greek as well. As far as the scientific aproach goes, look at duel majoring in Anthropology and History. Maybe go for an Anth major and a History minor. Maybe someone with more experience than me (Cato or Docolove probably) can help you more.

I think they said this as well in the old "Red Alert" game on the PC . But nonetheless, its true. History can often be turned into a political weapon, and often is.

According to Herodotus there were five things that made one Greek. If only I could remember them all. Living in a Polis Speaking Greek Worshiping the Greek gods Having "Greek blood" and something else. These were questions on an exam a year ago. It all boils down to, what are you looking for in an answer. If you are basing your assessment of "Greekness" on cultural identity then the question may be easily answered. If you are looking for racial "Greekness" you may be unable to find it. Genetics, especially with ancient cultures gets very convoluted. Remember, Himmler allowed Bosniaks (Moslem Turks) into the SS because they were "of ancient Gothic stock" (and Germany was short on manpower ). Any question of racial/genetic identity is bound to have problems because the question of races can never be defined in white and black terms. The whole idea of "race" dosen't work very well, anthropologically speaking, because there are to many varients in anthropoid phisiology, and they don't classify very well. Back to the original tangent, I do not think that genetics can be used to seperate Greeks from Macedonians. Ethnic identity is far more likely to proove or disproove the "Greekness" of Macedonains. Back to the original topic: see my earlier post.

:mummy: -- "I think you and I are on the same page Mr. Dalby. Initially I do not think that Macedonians were Greeks. If there is an expert on genetics can someone help to shed some light on this. Rameses needs to know! " I don't know if this can be prooved. Successive waves of Italians (Ancient Romans etc. and Medieval Venitians), Goths, Slavs, and Turkic folks (Ottomans and Bulgars) have permanently changed the genetic make up of modern Greeks/Macedonians. That said, I don't know what the truth is, whether Ancient Greeks were genetically/racially/ethnicly the same as the Ancient Macedonians or vice-versa. What I can say for certain is the the Ancient Greeks didn't consider Macedonians, Epirots, etc. to be Hellenes. Back to the subject, I think that the example of the Jews points to heavy Hellenistic influence in the Middle East. Heck, Flavius Josephus wrote in Greek. Even in Christian times Greek culture remained important (though I am sure the Byzantines has a lot to do with it). The Gospels and Epistles were written in Greek. The old Jewish scriptures were translated into Greek by the Alexandrines (the Septuegint). Not to mention, the Arabs had access to Aristotle after the rise of Islam.

Pseudo-history may be a threat to history but a minor one compared to the threat posed by "nationalist" history. Many countries write histories that favour their nation exclusively. In modern Japanese textbooks, they refer to the Japanese holocaust in China as a "misunderstanding". Then there are revisionist historians. I agree with them in that they disproove some accepted theories, but they usually push things to the opposite extreme. When you add the pseudo-historians to the revisionists and nationalists it only adds credibility to Napoleon's utterance that history is mad up of the lies that have been agreed upon. (I think that it was Mr. Bonaparte that said that)

Indeed.

J. Ratus is the meanest Roman ever made. Here is a portrait I had comissioned of me kicking Etruscan heiney.

Problem is, what do we then call him? Dionysus, Bacchus, Osiris or Jesus? Only one of them was nailed to anything. Osirus was chopped up. I don't know much about Dionysius or Bacchus but I would have remembered if they were crucified.

Is there anywhere where the Phillipics can be found online? I was looking for them in the University library and couldn't find them, nor could I find them in a quick search on the internet. If the real things are as funny as the Rome version they would be an interesting read.

Or we could try him as a witch. If he floats... he must be a very small pebble. Lets just have an old fashioned barbeque. I'll get the gas.

And the Russians are trying not too smile to widely. As soon as we stop selling parts for outdated F-14's to the Iranians, they will need new planes, and Russia will be waiting with a whole bunch of shiny new Mig 29's or maybe even a Sukhoi or two. The true winners of the Iraq war are Russian armaments manufacturers. With the U.S.'s unilateral strike the rest of the world is frightened and so are arming up. Russia is more than willing to supply them.

Judging from the preview, Servillia's life seems to be nearing its conclusion as well. I won't miss her.

The Volga Bulgars were, they sent the Moslem representatives to Saint Vladimir when he decided to upgrade religions. I don't think the Bulgars in modern Bulgaria were Moslems, though.

Sounds like a threat to Roman power. The UNRV must respond. I would put forward a motion for SCU but being a lowly Optio I cannot.

Agreed, less flatulence might be a start! Is that an accusation or something?!?!?!?

According to Wikipedia she was. As much as I like the Atia character in Rome, she is not the same Atia from Suetonius and Tacitus, I am afraid.

Antiochus of Seleucia -- Go measure out 100 meters and see if anyone can throw a 4 foot weighted javalin that far! 100 meters would be one hell of a throw. I could easily do it with my SKS easily, but a pilum would be a bit too much to ask.

M. Porcius Cato -- To bring this whole digression back to its original topic. My (working) thesis is that the Hannibalic War did not cause the fall of the republic; the Gracchi did not cause the fall of the republic; it was caused chiefly by the long civil wars that lasted from Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon to Octavian's victory at Antium, which were themselves partially an outcome of Sulla's reactionary politics paradoxically weakening the authority of the senate and thereby leaving it vulnerable to Caesar's talent and lust for power. I agree with you that the Hannibalic War is way to early. Personally, I would push the date a bit back for the Republic's decline, back to the Marian-Sullan Civil Wars. Like you said, Sulla's policies weakened the Senate, and I don't think it ever fully recovered. While the Gracchi did not end the Republic, it was a precursor for things to come. Furthermore, I would add the Spartacus revolt and the Social War to the causes that weakened the Republic to the point of collapse. Maybe add Sertorius as well. The Republic had been rotting for a long time. If Caesar killed the Republic, he stabbed a man with leprosy.

Because we are at the point of the cycle where temperatures are increasing. Long before humanity grew into the scourge of greenpeace, the earth went through cycles of ice age and warming. We have been in a warming period for some time after the colder period of the middle ages. One perspective Agreed. I don't believe that humans can destroy the world. We can make it uninhabitable for ourselves, but something will survive and thrive. Life finds a way. That said, I would rather we didn't make the world uninhabitable.

The Khazars were Jewish and were converts, not a lost tribe. As far as I know, they converted to Judaism so they could trade with both the Moslems in Baghdad and on the Volga (Bulgars), and with the Christians in The Empire.

Cicero certainly gave Antony the "booyah". Unfortunately, Marc will get the last laugh. I wonder how they are going to deal with Agrippa getting the hots for Octavia (can you blame him :wub: ) when Antony is the one who marries her. Octavian Caesar: "Well Marc, since you can't have my mom, have my sister. Oh crap, sorry Agrippa. You can have my daughter instead." Edit -- By the way, was it just me or was last nights episode one long perversion-a-thon with two sodomies and two bestiality references? And with two male genetal shots, at least they could have given us one more Atia shot before she goes...

There are too many good choices. What period are we discussing here? My absolute favorites are the Vikings. Since they fought with/for the Byzantine Romans they are somewhat appropriate. If we are looking at the classical period, I would go for the coalition of tribes under Odoacer that ended the Roman Empire.