Nephele

Here's something relating to the signaculum that you may find interesting, and how this object was considered an "idolatrous object" by at least one Christian serving in the emperor's army. This is an excerpt from an article titled, "Christians and the Roman Army A.D. 173-337", by John Helgeland (professor in St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota). The article was published in 1974 in the quarterly American journal Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture: -- Nephele

Birthday hails to you, Honorius! Because I like you, I shall, with anagrammatical sorcery, transform you into a death metal gothique for your birthday! Wheee! rsaclophosjezoepl = Joszapo Hellcorpse Rock hard, and have a great day! :punk: -- Nephele

Hi, Julius Ratus. While I can't help you with an online source for the Strategikon, I can recommend an interesting article I came across, titled: "The Later History of the Varangian Guard: Some Notes", by R. M. Dawkins (The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 37, published 1947). If you're unable to get this through your public or university library, drop me a line in private message. -- Nephele

You look nice in a towel. *shrieks, and launches an ASAT missile at Google's PTS ("Peeping Tom Satellite")*

Kieronus, you came to Rome as a Phrygian captive, destined for training as a gladiator. At the gladiator school they named you "Gordius", after the Phrygian king of legend, giving you a royal name because of your masterful command of the arena. You fought well, and were eventually rewarded with your freedom and granted Roman citizenship by the emperor Nero. You kept your gladiatorial "stage name" of Gordius as your nomen, while adding "Aulus" as your praenomen and "Nero" (to honor the emperor) as your cognomen. Your name is... A. Gordius Nero (Kieron O'Grady -ky +us) Never mind the secret police -- it's Earth.Google.com you have to watch out for. Especially if you've got a skylight in your bathroom... *grabs towel and shrieks* -- Nephele

Caldrail, I would enjoy reading the story of the gladiatorial bear -- might remind me of Ursus, here, although "bear" only in name. Would you please cite your source? Thank you! -- Nephele

It's nearly the first anniversary of your friend and mentor's passing, DoL, and I just want to comment on this beautiful and moving tribute to him that you posted here. I have a dear friend who happens to be a distinguished and inspiring teacher of Latin and, should my friend precede me in death, I can only hope that I might be able to do my friend the honor that you have done for yours. -- Nephele

Generally speaking then.. we are all in the same proverbial boat. Yes, it seems to be all there is to go on for now. But you did a superb job, Primus Pilus, in digging up that amount of information. I also asked Jona Lendering about the reason given on his webpage for Agrippa's head covering in the relief on the Ara Pacis, and mentioned that others are of another opinion. Jona wrote back: "They are probably right; someone has also pointed out that the identification of Agrippa that I quoted (made by Coarelli) was wrong. I must check the library but I would not be surprised if Coarelli turns out to be wrong. Feel free to quote this retraction as well." I thanked Jona Lendering in e-mail, but just wish to add a very public "thank you!" to him here, for his graciousness in taking the time to respond personally to me. -- Nephele

Many, many thanks, Primus Pilus, for that exhaustive bit of research you did! I'm much appreciative (and much impressed). I've been corresponding with Jona Lendering in e-mail and he tells me that "Agrippa's equestrian status appears to be some sort of article of faith", as Der Neue Pauly (the updated Pauly-Wissowa, classical encyclopedic work published in Germany in 1894) "mentions it as fact without quoting sources." Jona Lendering believes it to be likely, but he says that "more evidence would be nice indeed". -- Nephele

I have to admit you bring up a good point regarding the interpretation of Agrippa's veiled appearance on the Ara Pacis. Out of interest I did a bit of research, and found a number of scholarly articles that back up what you stated, including one written by Dr. Mark D. Fullerton (architectural historian, Dept. of History of Art, Ohio State University) for the American Journal of Archaeology (July, 1985) titled "The Domus Augusti in Imperial Iconography of 13-12 B.C." in which Fullerton commented on the Ara Pacis, stating: "Augustus and Agrippa are shown similarly capite velato as pontifices." (p. 481) I, too, would have liked to see some cited sources on Jona Lendering's website. Perhaps he does have new information to shed light on the subject. I e-mailed him and invited him to join this discussion, but I don't know whether he might have the time to do so. -- Nephele

Kieronus, looks like that scrambler tool is acting up. I'm afraid you're going to have to scramble your letters for me by hand. Count your letters when you're done, to make sure you haven't missed out any. -- Nephele

Hey, Moonlapse! You saved that quote I gave you! Here's another favorite library quote for you: "Our whole American way of life is a great war of ideas, and librarians are the arms dealers selling weapons to both sides." -- James W. Quinn, Reference Librarian at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. Next time you're in your public library, see if they subscribe to Overdrive's Digital Library Reserve. If so, you'll have access to thousands of downloadable books and audio files. Many of these audio books you can even burn on CD to take along in your car. Public libraries keep getting better. -- Nephele aka Your Friendly Neighborhood Arms Dealer

Thanks for the additional information, Primus Pilus and The Augusta. Actually, Margaret Murray wrote that it was Augustus' great-grandfather who was the manumitted slave. But I take your point, Primus. In her article, Murray suggests that Augustus' marriage to Livia was his means of legitimizing his claim to "the throne", as previously having obtained such rank merely through "appointment" (i.e. adoption by Julius Caesar) was not quite enough. I haven't been able to find any ancient sources, either, as to whether Marcus Agrippa's father had been of equestrian rank. I was going on historian and author Jona Lendering's article at his website Livius.org: "Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa belonged to a provincial but wealthy family of equestrian rank..." -- Nephele

In the last episode of HBO's Rome, Agrippa makes it clear to Octavia that he hasn't a hope of marrying her because: "My father was a nobody. His father was a slave. I have not a drop of good blood in me." While I've read that Agrippa's family were not of patrician rank (although they were wealthy equestrians), I don't recall having read anything about Agrippa's grandfather having been a slave. On the other hand, according to anthropologist Margaret Murray, It was Octavia (and, obviously, Octavian too) whose paternal great-grandfather was said to have been a manumitted slave. In her article for The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, titled "Royal Marriages and Matrilineal Descent" (written in 1915), Murray furthermore stated that Octavian's father was a moneychanger, and that Octavian's mother, Atia (who in HBO's Rome displays a snobbish disdain for foreign tradesmen's daughters), was herself the granddaughter of an African, either a perfumer or a baker. So, of the two -- Agrippa and Octavian -- which truly had the ignoble ancestry? Does anyone here have any additional information to shed light on which of the two (if not both or neither) was actually descended from slaves? -- Nephele

It

Turn on Your Speakers Before Clicking on This Link -- Sinnerella Peach aka Nephele

Yeah I know. I just wanted to know some specifics (If there are any at this juncture) According to their Calendar of Events, the 2007 Roman Days are scheduled for the weekend of June 2nd-3rd at Marietta Mansion in Glenn Dale, Maryland. Further details can be gotten from the links posted on the Calendar of Events webpage I gave. -- Nephele

G.O., since you've been complaining so heartily about your given Crayola, I've decided to find you another. You are now the crayon called Courageous Custard -- which doesn't really exist in the Crayola universe but, if it did it exist, it would place you among the yellow hued crayons. Your name is... Gaius Octavius Blackadderus = Diabolickus Sauvage Custard Personality Traits for this hue: *bright* *sunny* *radiant* *mellow* *interested in the future* -- Sinnerella Peach aka Nephele

Now, I know you can't be referring to me. So, what happened? Did your lady find your stash and pour it down the drain? -- Sinnerella Peach aka Nephele

Northern Neil, as promised, here is your Roman name... Nero Hilarius (lieN Hnarrsoi -n +u) Before gaining your Roman citizenship, you were a Greek named Hilaros. You came to Rome and wound up joining the Roman army, where your name was Latinized to "Hilarius". You added the praenomen of "Nero" to your name in admiration of the military commander under whom you served: Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus (who was rumored to have been conceived by Caesar Augustus when the Lady Livia was still married to her previous husband). -- Nephele

Northern Neil, thanks for that bit of info on "Les Blousons Noir"! I like the name! If I don't pack in for the evening soon, myself, I'll have your Hidden Roman Name waiting for you over in that topic. *********************************************** G.O., your bride's crayon is Plum, and her name is... Lcuaaid Mprai = Adaricia Plum Personality Traits for this hue: *majestic* *magical* *visionary* *royal* *intuitive* G.O., for a goth chick, this is pretty sociable. -- Sinnerella Peach aka Nephele

Northern Neil, you're a French crayon, Noir (Black), with an occult name... lieN Hnarrsoi = Nashriel Noir Personality Traits for this hue: *deep* *mysterious* *sophisticated* *formal* *empty* According to Gustav Davidson's A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels, Nashriel is one of 3 sarim (angelic princes) under the suzerainty of Sephuriron, the latter ranking as 10th of the 10 holy sefiroth. I don't think you've ever requested Your Hidden Roman Name, have you? If not, you're welcome to click on the link and I'll be happy to "do" you over in that topic. ******************************** G.O., I'll be back later with your bride's crayon identity. -- Nephele

lol! Hey, don't blame me! Blame Crayola! But, notice how the ladies here fare better? In fact, my own personality traits for my crayon, Peach, are: *warm* *sociable* *good natured* *jovial* *glowing* Want to take a chance on finding out what your lady's crayon is? -- Sinnerella Peach aka Nephele

Gaius Paulinus Maximus, you are ever the true Roman Flavian. For, even as an anagram of your name is "Flavian Energy", your crayon is Yellow Green and your name is... ivyaangnlfeer = Flavian Y. Green Personality Traits for this hue: *cool* *crisp* *fresh* *close to nature* *immature* -- Nephele

The Augusta, hope you don't mind, but I've chosen to bestow "Livia" upon you for a much-needed middle name. Your crayon is Violet, and your name is... skoegsliat + Livia = Gaila Violetkiss Personality Traits for this hue: *majestic* *magical* *visionary* *royal* *intuitive* ********************************************** Gaius Octavius aka Edmund Blackadder, no one crayon alone can possibly claim you, so you are a dual-natured blend of the crayons Red and Black. Your name is... edmundblackadder = Eadmund Reddblack Personality Traits for Red: *hot* *energetic* *loud* *courageous* *powerful* Personality Traits for Black: *deep* *mysterious* *sophisticated* *formal* *empty* ********************************************** DoL -- good choice! You're in the same hue family with The Augusta. -- Nephele