Jump to content
UNRV Ancient Roman Empire Forums

P.Clodius

Equites
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,074

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by P.Clodius

  2. Pompey the Great? Or Pompey the Mediocre?

    in Res Publica

    Posted

    Also he faced two of the three greatest Roman commanders (Sertorius and Caesar) and beat them too.

    I assume you're talking about Dyrrachium. On that one Pompey deserves credit for recognizing what Caesar was trying to achieve. On the other hand he had a shorter line to dig and more men to dig it with. So, he was competent, does that mean he was 'Great'? In the words of one who was there, "The enemy would have won today had they been led by a winner."

  3. Pompey the Great? Or Pompey the Mediocre?

    in Res Publica

    Posted

    So, on the issue of whether Pompey was truly a great general or just a somewhat lucky opportunist you lean towards "great."

    The title 'Great' was given to him by Sulla, some say in a tongue in cheek fashion. Few would argue against him being a 'Great' administrator. Do I personally think he was great, no, he appeared to lack the moral authority to stand up against his better judgment and subsequently lost because of it, he 'should' have beaten Caesar at Pharsalus but he didn't.

  4. married ...but

    in Gloria Exercitus - 'Glory of the Army'

    Posted

    Republican soldiers were married? Thats interesting - I always thought the prohibition on such things dated way back before Augustus. Is this simply a case of Augustus putting old standards back in place?

    You have to remember the recruits for early-mid Republican legions were comprised of mainly citizen farmers, why wouldn't or couldn't a farmer marry?

  5. Pompey the Great? Or Pompey the Mediocre?

    in Res Publica

    Posted

    Agreed, the pirate issue was dealt with in 4 months, after centuries of plaguing the eastern med. The pirates even conducted raids on Ostia, kidnapped a Praetor's wife, and interfered with the grain supply, hence, having an indirect effect on what went on in the forum. While Luculus is credited by historians for doing most of the work concerning the Mithridatic problem, he became a victim of politics, Pompey completed it with his customary efficiency. And that was one of Pompey's key traits when it comes down to it, he got things done. As for Sertorius, well he was a competent military tactician, some would say excellent. Is it right to judge negatively of Pompey because he 'failed', or took forever when up against Sertorius?

  7. Cato the Younger

    in Res Publica

    Posted

    He wore 'mourning' to lament what he saw as the erosion of the constitution. He wasn't the first to do this to make a political statement. Cicero is an example of one who tried the tactic to bring attention to his plight. Caesar himself, while it was unlikely he wore black, refused to have his hair cut or shave until he avenged the destruction of a legion in Gaul, as a sign of mourning. I'm not saying that they did this before Cato, but 'putting on mourning' while not a common everyday thing, wasn't that uncommon either.

  8. They're at it again..

    in Hora Postilla Thermae

    Posted

    Being of French descent myself, I have some sympathy with the French MP who brought this up. Although English is my first language, I feel uneasy about its steady seepage into other languages. I do not like monopolies in any facet of life, as they tend to displace smaller competitors, resulting in cultural impoverishment.

    Well that's one of the great things about english, it integrates and fuses. Sheeit, I'll bet at least a quarter of the words in the english language are derived from french, so quit crying frenchies...I lived in France, I speak the lingo, I served in her armed forces, but lets face it, it ain't a french world, and when you try to legislate as Mitterand did the banning of common usage english words such as "parking" and "weekend" in everyday french then you're just trying to plug a leaking dam with your finger.

  16. What Did The Romans Ever Do For Us?

    in Imperium Romanorum

    Posted

    re Roman law - Whilst not wanting to denigrate the massive edifice of Roman law, let us not forget that the foundation of Roman law was the XII tables of the first decemvirate. To research these laws a special delegation was sent to Greece ... so even this (in any case, stunning) achievement is not entirely Roman.

    Isn't this special delegation viewed by many historians as an old wives' tale?

    Yes, it is a fair enough point to say Livy's early histories are by no means gospel, but this is not a premise for delegation as a complete falsehood. During this early period of her history Rome had had contact with the Greek world: it has been argued that during the time of Coriolanus - i.e. before the Twelve Tables - the Greek tyrant Hiero (I forget which one) sent grain to relieve a famine-stricken Rome.

     

    True enough--even if the special delegation were an old wives' tale, the Greeks might have influenced the Twelve Tables somehow. But do we really want to take credit from the Romans for the profound effect of Roman law on Western civilization because "the Greeks might have influenced the Twelve Tables somehow"? To me, that special pleading for the Greeks seems unfair to the Romans.

    I thought they did indeed send a delegation to Athens, but the delegation came back with a negative view of Athenian democracy. Regardless, I'm with MPC, give credit where it is due.

×
×
  • Create New...