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Most of us know that Augustus was a sickly man. Surprisingly, he lived nearly 77 years. But what were the maladies he suffered? Suetonius gives us some insight. Writing more than a century after Augustus' death, Suetonius describes Augustus' health in his sometimes scurrilous Lives of the Caesars. [My comments are listed below]: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-augustus-rolfe.html LXXX. It is said that his body was covered with spots and that he had birthmarks scattered over his breast and belly, corresponding in form, order and number with the stars of the Bear in the heavens [ursa Major, aka "the Big Dipper"]; 1 also numerous callous places resembling ringworm, caused by a constant itching of his body and a vigorous use of the strigil.2 He was not very strong in his left hip, thigh, and leg, and even limped slightly at times; but he strengthened them by treatment with sand and reeds. He sometimes found the forefinger of his right hand so weak, when it was numb and shrunken with the cold, that he could hardly use it for writing even with the aid of a finger-stall of horn. He complained of his bladder too, and was relieved of the pain only after passing stones in his urine. 3 LXXXI. In the course of his life he suffered from several severe and dangerous illnesses, especially after the subjugation of Cantabria [23 B.C.], when he was in such a desperate plight from abscesses of the liver, that he was forced to submit to an unprecedented and hazardous course of treatment. Since hot fomentations gave him no relief, he was led by the advice of his physician Antonius Musa to try cold ones. 4 He experienced also some disorders which recurred every year at definite times; for he was commonly ailing just before his birthday; and at the beginning of spring he was troubled with an enlargement of the diaphragm, and when the wind was in the south, with catarrh. 5 Hence his constitution was so weakened that he could not readily endure either cold or heat. My footnotes and comments: 1. I'm not sure exactly what these "birthmarks" were. They could have been cafe au lait spots, a benign pigmentation (first picture) or , more likely, nevi or moles (second picture). 2. A classic description of eczema. This is a recurrent itchy rash made worse by scratching or rubbing (with a strigel, for example). Typical pictures of eczema, "resembling ringworm:" Strigil used to bath and scratch oneself: 3. Bladder or kidney stones can be quite painful. Treatment and removal in the Ancient world is unimaginable. 4. Antonius Musa was Augustus' personal physician (and my avatar). In 23 BCE Augustus suffered a near fatal illness. Musa achieved great fame and wealth by "curing" Augustus with cold baths and cold moist compresses. It was during this illness that Augustus signaled Agrippa (his friend and general) to be his heir-apparent over Marcellus (his nephew) by giving Agrippa his signet ring on his sickbed. Musa was not successful in later treating Marcellus who died shortly after Augustus' recovery. Horace also writes about Musa's cold bath treatment. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/53*.html http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/HoraceEpistlesBkIEpXV.htm#BkIEpXV1 5. Catarrh is an old medical term. Catarrh is defined as an inflammation of any mucous membrane which results in a thick mucus production of the membrane. Hay fever is the result of the mucous membrane of the eyes and air passages being inflamed, for example. Catarrh of the nasal mucous membrane is known as rhinitis (stuffy nose). Asthma is another form of catarrh and is the congestive swelling of the bronchial mucous membranes. Catarrha symptoms would be more frequent during the spring with dust or pollen in the air, made worse by the winds. People with eczema also frequently have asthma and hay fever. Apparently, Augustus suffered from all these things. Although very different from us in many ways, people of antiquity suffered many of the same medical ailments we commonly face today. They did not benefit from many of the simple treatments and pain reliefs we have today, however. It is hard to imagine the possible level of pain and suffering endured on a daily basis by people of the Ancient world. guy also known as gaius

A nice selection of Judaean coins by David Vagi at NGC-Ancients: http://www.ngccoin.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?NewsletterNewsArticleID=1044 And Josh Illingworth examines the coins of the Bar Kokhba revolt (AD 132-135): http://www.ngccoin.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?NewsletterNewsArticleID=1487&utm_source=enews&utm_medium=enews&utm_campaign=ngc_enews_12_2011 Nice review of the coins of Pontius Pilate: http://www.numismalink.com/fontanille1.html guy also known as gaius

One has to love those modern Roman manhole covers: guy also known as gaius

Since you asked (from acsearch.info): http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=5194 Thank you, Maty, for your input. guy also known as gaius

Here is the latest example I can find so far. It is on a coin of Constantine I (Image from Wildwinds.com): Constantine I AE3. 312-313 AD. IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG, laureate, cuirassed bust right / SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, legionary eagle between two vexilla, R P in ex. Cohen 558. guy also known as gaius

First, thank you for reading my post. A couple things on the issue of coins in jewelry. First, once a coin is placed in jewelry, the numismatic value of the coin is destroyed. I've seen some beautiful and expensive coins ruined once they were placed in jewelry. Second, the coins (and thus, the jewelry) are usually overpriced. I recommend finding the coin more inexpensively from a reputable site (such as forumancientcoins.com) and having your own jewelry made. Third, (and here comes the numismatic heresy), I think a coin in jewelry can be a beautiful piece of art. I've seen a professor of the Classics wear a ring with an authentic ancient coin and it was rather impressive. Such a piece of jewelry would certainly be a source of conversation and a potential teaching tool. Remember that many, many beautiful authentic Ancient coins can be purchased relatively cheaply. (Just because a coin is old does not make it expensive.) guy also known as gaius

As a non-coin collector and novice numismatist, my knowledge about coins is limited. I know even less about Ancient mythology. This post was inspired by an inexpensive coin (under $35) that I saw at a local collectibles show. I learned greatly from this common and inexpensive coin about Ancient Romann coins and Roman mythology. Here

Since I'm not a coin collector, I depend on others for their insight and research into coins. I appreciate the images. I agree with Maladict that the Wildwinds databank is an excellent resource for both expert and novice collectors: http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/vespasian/t.html Ref Vespasian Denarius, RIC 772, (RIC [1962] 90), RSC 366, BMC 161 Vespasian Denarius. 75 AD. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right / PON MAX TR P COS VI, Pax seated left holding branch. RSC 366. IMP: Imperator AVG: Augustus PON MAX: Pontifex Maximus "high priest" TR P: Tribuniciae Potestate "power of the Tribune" COS VI: Consul sixth time Attributing coins can sometimes be difficult. In this case, the image of Vespasian (and his nose) is very distinct. Also important, of course, is being able to decipher the coin inscription. guy also known as gaius

Great program. Thanks. Especially hilarious were the scenes of Garrett Fagan's being strigiled and his visit to an ancient toilet. Too funny.

What level of proficiency are you hoping for in Italian and Dutch? Just enough to order a gelato in Firenze and a "whatever" in an Amsterdamage coffee house? Or, are you hoping for a more fluent grasp of the langauge? I've studied and spoken Italian (probably not as well as I think) to my cousins in Italy for over 15 years, so I have a few opinions. Learning Dutch is different for several reasons. First, there are fewer resources to learn Dutch. It is a "dying language." Second, the Dutch have little patience for your efforts to speak their language. The Dutch feel they speak English better than they really can. (This creates little incentive for visitors and immigrants to learn any language other than English.) Let me know and I will write further on the subject. guy also known as gaius

Wow. I'm impressed by the knowledge of Roman baths around here. One day, I hope to visit this famous bath in England: I'm probably wrong on this theory...but that never stopped me from spouting my nonsense. I always thought the concept of the "Roman baths" to be a modern oversimplification and obsession. The "Roman baths" were really part of a much larger "leisure or pleasure center," with the baths only the main modern focus of a much larger complex. I read somewhere that the "Baths of Diocletian" could accomodate 3000 bathers, but the entire complex was 32 acres with lecture halls, libraries, gyms, and gardens. Pictures of the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla: Modern depiction of the Baths of Caracalla: Some strigils and an Ancient Roman Hugh Hefner's strigil party. Oh, well. It's time for my bath now. "Hey, who's got my strigil?"

The societal acceptance of public nudity has evolved over the millennia. Even today, the range of acceptance by politicians has run the gamut, from extreme unease with the display of nudity even in classical statues to

Thanks for reading my post. The site mentioned is probably the best for reference. However, one needs to know the number of the tablet of interest. My post is based on tablet 154, and one must enter 154 to bring up the tablet in question. (Alternatively, one can click on the "View all tablets" option and go through each tablet, one at a time.) http://vindolanda.cs.../TVII-2-1.shtml

This section of Vindolanda tablet (154) provides interesting insight into the troop strength and health of the soldiers from a Tungrian auxiliary cohort at the fort of Vindolanda in Northern England during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, near the later-constructed Hadrian's Wall. (Enter tablet 154): http://vindolanda.csad.ox.ac.uk/tablets/TVII-2-1.shtml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vindolanda_tablets http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjx9Qjhiv1o The Tungrians were a tribe from modern day Belgium. Interestingly, about 60% of the total cohort was not at the fort, presumably on duty elsewhere. Of those remaining at the fort (296), 31 (more than 10%) were unfit for duty (sick, wounded, or suffering from eye inflammation). I am surprised by the large number who were absent due to eye disease. Eye disease was a common condition in Ancient Rome. Trachoma, for example, was apparently a common ailment. It is caused by a highly contagious infection that occurs in crowded settings with poor hygiene and malnutrition. Although rare today in the industrialized world, it continues to cause misery and blindness for millions in the Third World. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trachoma This and other surviving tablets from Vindolanda provide us with a wealth of knowledge about the everyday lives of the Roman Army and their families. Background information from the youtube clp:

I don't know what to think of this: http://www.chretiente.info/noel/ guy also known as gaius

Part II : The Other Coin: Could This Be the "Tribute Penny"? This is the coin that many think is the "Tribute Penny," instead: (Read inscription counterclockwise) Augustus. (27 BC-14 AD). Silver denarius Obverse: CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE, head laureate right Reverse: AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT, C L CAESARES Lucius and Gaius Caesars, togate, standing holding honorary shields and spears, lituus and ladle above. This coin was struck to celebrate Gaius and Lucius Caesars, the sons of Marcus Agrippa, as heirs to the imperial throne. Gaius became Princeps Iuventutis in 5 BC and Lucius in 2 BC. (Princeps Iuventutis, "Prince of Youth", was an honorific title awarded to a presumptive Emperor-designate.) They died in 4 AD and 2 AD respectively, thus promoting Tiberius (Octavius's stepson through his wife Livia) to heir apparent. From the Res Gestae Divi Augusti

Part 1: Was the Tiberius Denarius the "Tribute Penny"? So what is the tribute penny? This is the famous coin described in this passage from the Bible: Matthew 22:15-22

Video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcuFMdYwF_Q guy also known as gaius

This video best best captures the brutality of Ancient surgery. (The is taken from the trepanation scene in HBO's Rome): Also, the above quote was by Aulus Cornelius Celsus (25 BCE to AD 50), who probably was not a physician. The quote is from De Medicina, the only surviving part from a much larger encyclopedia of general knowledge that included diverse topics such as law, rhetoric, agriculture, and the military arts. (Source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aulus_Cornelius_Celsus) guy also known as gaius

Here's my favorite quote by Celsus on medicine. It deals with the qualifications of surgeons in a world without safe and consistantly effective anaesthetics, analgesics, or sedation.: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Celsus/7*.html Great picture http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=viewimage&img=3070 It is hard to imagine the agony and terror that patients face while undergoing surgery in the Ancient world. Ouch. guy also known as gaius (Source: Wikipedia): 1st Century A.D. fresco from Pompeii (now in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Naples)), showing Iapyx removing an arrowhead from the leg of Aenas, with Aenas's son Iulus Ascanius crying beside his father. At left, Aeneas' mother, the goddess Venus (the Greek Aphrodite).

Great Ancient Roman find in Israel: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1339051/The-sea-gave-Wonder-Israel-ancient-Roman-statue-buried-thousands-years-uncovered-storm.html guy also known as gaius

Coins have frequently provided portraits of Ancient figures otherwise unseen by modern eyes. For example, much of our knowledge of the poorly documented "Crisis of the Third Century" in Ancient Rome comes from the study of numismatics. I found this possible image of Hannibal Barca, Rome's infamous enemy who achieved notoriety with his relentless attack of the Roman Republic and with his use of elephants as a weapon of mass destruction. I found this interesting coin from Heritage Auction Galleries catalog. (One must be signed in to see the images.): Here's the background information associated with the coin: http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=3012&Lot_No=24416 (Interestingly, this coin eventually sold at auction in January 2011 for $46,000.) For comparison, here is a marble bust thought possibly to be Hannibal: guy also known as gaius

How 'bout a map of the late Roman Empire (AD 460 or later) that could show the Visigoths, Vandals, a defeated Hunnic Empire, Ostrogoths, Lombards, etc? Just some ideas: http://www.tesorillo.com/aes/_map/map.htm guy

Thank you for at least considering my idea that the number of early adherants to Christianity may be greater than commonly accepted since estimates don't take into account the number of females, slaves, and poor who would be attracted to a Jesus movement that preached salvation and afterlife blessings for (especially) the poor and the powerless. I think this quote by Pliny in his letter describing Christians to Trajan is very supportive of this idea: Note that these church deacons were both female and slaves. guy also known as gaius

Don't get me wrong. I highly recommend the movie. I thought it was very thought provoking. At least one of the actors (the actor who played Ammonius is a devout Palestinian Christian) insisted that the director of the movie moderate the potential anti-Christian tone of the film. The movie shows most of new Christian converts to be women, slaves, or the poor. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." This depiction of the weaker segments of society being attracted to the Jesus movement supports my belief about the underestimated size of the early Jesus movement. I think the estimate that less than 10% of the Roman Empire was Christian at the time of Constantine's "conversion" is a gross underestimation of the number of people who, at least partially, embraced Christian theology. First, we have little recorded history of the weak and powerless in Ancient society (most women, slaves, and the poor). Second, it is probable that many Romans (including possibly Severus Alexander) included Christ in their personal pantheon of worshiped deities. Although they weren't technically Christians, they accepted some of the teachings of the Jesus movement. One day I will write on this further. Once again, I recommend the movie to anyone who enjoys Roman history, especially late antiquity. guy also known as gaius