guy

Unfortunately, very few people shared Varro's view. Here is Ammianus Marcellinus's view of illness: "But in the city, where the number of the corpses which lay scattered over the streets was too great for any one to perform the funeral rites over them, a pestilence was soon added to the other calamities of the citizens; the carcases becoming full of worms and corruption, from the evaporation caused by the heat, and the various diseases of the people; and here I will briefly explain whence diseases of this kind arise. 2. Both philosophers and skilful physicians agree that excess of cold, or of heat, or of moisture, or of drought, all cause pestilences; on which account those who dwell in marshy or wet districts are subject to coughs and complaints in the eyes, and other similar maladies: on the other hand, those who dwell in hot climates are liable to fevers and inflammations. But since fire is the most powerful of all elements, so drought is the quickest at killing. 5. Others maintain that the air and the water, becoming tainted by the smell of corpses, and similar things, takes away the healthiness of a place, or at all events that the sudden change of temperature brings forth slighter sicknesses. 6. Some again affirm that the air becomes heavier by emanations from the earth, and kills some individuals by checking the perspiration of the body, for which reason we learn from Homer, that, besides men, the other living creatures also died; and we know by many instances, that in such plagues this does occur. 7. Now the first species of pestilence is called pandemic; this causes those who live in dry places to be attacked by frequent heats. The second is called epidemic, which gets gradually more violent, dims the sight of the eyes, and awakens dangerous humours. The third is [plague], which is also temporary, but still often kills with great rapidity. 8. We were attacked by this deadly pestilence from the excessive heat, which our numbers aggravated, though but few died: and at last, on the night after the tenth day from the first attack, the heavy and dense air was softened by a little rain, and the health of the garrison was restored and preserved. guy also known as gaius

Reggio Emilia is a beautiful town between Parma and Modena (formally the ancient city of Mutina where Octavius defeated Marc Antony in 43 BCE before the Second Triumvirate). Reggio Emilia is home the of the famous Parmesan cheese known as Parmigiano-reggiano (after the cities of Parma and Reggio Emilia). My cousins are farmers there. Not much to see there compared to other Italian cities, but great food. guy also known as gaius

I am enjoying the latest book by Charles Freeman, A.D. 381.This book deals with Theodosius' making the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit unquestionable Christian orthodoxy. This ended tolerance toward Pagan beliefs and "heretical" Chrisitan views such as Arianism--the anti-trinitarian view advanced by the Bishop from Alexandria named Arius. I was jarred, however, by the sentence (p. 177): "The Frankish king Clovis converted from Arianism to Catholicism at the end of the fifth century." I was taught that Clovis and the other Francs were the first of the Germanic tribes that converted dirrectly to Roman Catholicism from paganism. The other Germanic tribes were either Pagan or anti-trinitarian Arian Christians. Freeman's statement was made without evidence or explanation. I found this interesting quote from Britannica Online: Over the centuries much has been made of Clovis

Sonic: Your book is definitely on my "to read" queue. I'm definitely looking forward to it. (One of the other books on my queue, AD 381, should be arriving this week.) If you are open to friendly and respectful criticism before your second edition of this book, let us know. Constructive criticism before presenting one's professional papers and lectures can be very helpful. I feel that submitting your work to the scrutiny and review of your peers and critics can be very rewarding and gratifying (although sometimes infuriating and potentially deflating). Much success with this and future books. guy also known as gaius

One of the great losses to our understanding of Ancient History was the first pair of Plutarch

It could be debated whether the Nicene Creed "...would insure a healthy development for the Christian church

http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/publica...hristianity.htm

Well said! I know I

Let me also recommend "Quo Vadis." I've seen both the 1951 version by MGM and the 2001 Polish version. I've been told that the 1951 version is closer to the original novel. I prefer the 2001 version, however, despite the use of subtitles. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both versions. I also found a new role model in the character of Petronius.

I guess Youtube has removed the previous video. Let's try, again: guy also known as gaius P.S.: On the subject of videos. one of my favorite with the "Gladiator" theme:

Cornelius: Thanks for the thoughtful post. I love the hokey line from the movie "Gladiator": "What we do in life echoes in eternity." Despite the inaccurate stirrups, I thought the opening battle scene in Germania was powerful.

Well, 2009 is almost here. Let's all hope for the best. It has been a tough year for many of us financially. Many friends and associates have lost their companies, jobs, retirement savings, or their homes. Hopefully, we still have our good health, family, and friends. Here are two quotes from Ancient Rome that reflect the conflicting views of the future--one optimistic and the other pessimistic. I think they can be applied to our world today. Whenever I feel optimistic, I think about this line from Ammianus Marcellinus:

Thank you for posting this article. This article reminds me of how exciting studying Ancient history can be. In addition, the "Third Century crisis" in Roman history remains for me an enjoyable "great unknown" in Roman history as the primary sources are so thin and the scholarship involving this period is underdeveloped. I am always amazed that the empire avoided total collapse during this period: The Western Empire lasted for two centuries more and the Eastern Empire lasted almost a thousand years beyond that. It is also interesting to learn about the tensions between the growing Christian movement and the dominant Pagan culture during this time. guy also known as gaius

Exactly . Tonight's episode was also well done. It focused on Ricimer. It was even (for me, at least) very informative. I recommend the series highly. By the way, Caesar, you list your home as the "Holy Land." Did you mean Las Vegas? More precisely, Caesar's Palace?

I hope everyone had the opportunity to see some of the series. I was impressed by what little I saw: episodes dealing with Marius, Marcus Aurelius, Decius, and Aurelian. I thought these episodes were well done for the targeted general audience. How often do programs dedicate a whole hour to the likes of Decius or Aurelian?

Where did human thinking go wrong? The Greek Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the earth to an accuracy of within 10% around 245 BCE. By knowing the distance between two cities (Syene and Alexandria, Egypt) and comparing the angle of the shadow of the sun during the summer solstice, he was able to calculate the circumference of the earth. This concept makes the assumption of a round earth. Many Roman coins have the image of a round globe: How did the belief of a flat earth come from?

Marcus Varro is a forgotten man. He wrote 620 books. He was a friend and ally of Pompey. He was later pardoned (twice) and was supported by Caesar. He later befriended Octavian (despite Marc Antony's hatred) and became a respected writer with Octavian's patronage and protection. He was certainly a man ahead of his time: "My eightieth year admonishes me to gather up my pack before I set forth from life.Therefore I shall write for you three handbooks to which you may turn whenever you wish to know, in a given case, how you ought to proceed in farming." "Precautions must also be taken in the neighborhood of swamps because certain minute creatures grow there which cannot be seen by the eyes, which float in the air and enter the body through the mouth and nose and there cause serious diseases." Marcus Terentius Varro 36 BCE Res Rusticae (On Farming) Unfortunately, this brilliant concept that explained many illnesses was lost in history. It was obscured by Galen's humoral theory that dominated Western medicine and remained unchallenged dogma for more than 1300 years. guy also known as gaius

The book, AD 381, looks like it has great potential: http://www.amazon.com/AD-381-Charles-Freem...1052&sr=1-1 It deals with Theodosius's ending Arianism in the Empire and defining Chrisitian orthodoxy. I'll let Wikipedia explain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arianism Those of us who enjoy the study of early Christianity might find this book useful. Let's hope for the best. I find myself very sympathetic with the Arian view of the Christian faith. It is essential to recognize the importance of the suppression of pagan and non-orthodox Christian views in the history of Ancient Rome. guy also known as gaius

Galen really was a prolific author. He composed his first medical works as only a teenager: Diagnosis and Diseases of the Eye, On the Best Sect, and On the Anatomy of the Uterus. As much as 2/3 of his works have been lost and much of the surviving works have not been made available to English readers. Here is an interesting source for information about the works of Galen: http://www.bium.univ-paris5.fr/histmed/medica/galien_va.htm (Click on the Books list near his picture to see some of of his works) guy also known as gaius

Berber? Carthaginian? Libyan / North African? Roman? P.S.: Septimius Severus was the emperor during the latter period of Galen's life and possibly his patron (along with Commodus and Marcus Aurelius before him).

To quote Ralph Jackson from his excellent book Doctors and Diseases in the Roman Empire: "...by his own account Galen spent most of his inherited wealth on books and scribes. The latter were required as amanuenses [transcriptionists], for Galen's vast literary output was due in large part to his method of composition. He did not write but dictated his work, quoting other medical authors at some length as a basis from which to develop the results of his own research and expound his own theories." Galen had a long and productive career as a physician, possibly for more than 50 years. He wrote three million words over a lifetime. That calculates to 60,000 words a year. Assume he worked only 300 days a year and that calculates to 200 words a day. That number is very believable. guy also known as gaius

I appreciate your rigorous attention to sources. Too often, many professional writers and speakers ignore the sources of their information and fail to critically analyze them, resulting from sloppy or inaccurate research. (Too often, our newspaper and television reporters have also been guilty of this. There have been many examples of poor journalism during this recent election cycle in the United States.) We must, therefore, challenge much of what we hear and read, not failing to ask "what are the sources" and "were they properly translated." Much of Galen

You may be right, but here is the footnote from Doctors and Diseases in the Roman Empire, by Ralph Jackson, 1988: J. Benedum, 'Titos Staltilos Kriton', Clio Medica (1972) 7, 249-58; Galen, XIV 641-7K; Smith 1979, 84; Nutton 1986, 35-36. Very few people have studied even a majorty of Galen's works still available and Nutton is a very respected authority on medicine in the Ancient World. I am willing to accept Nutton's work...although you might be correct.

I recently watched on the History Channel a well-done program,

Well said. Medicine had improved little over the intervening 1600 years from Galen's time. Here's some other information I found while researching Galen: Military Valetudinarium Military hospital First priority was sanitation Emphasis on sewage and waste removal, running water, and good ventilation Buildings were a double row of rooms separated by a corridor and arranged around a courtyard http://tribus.bonn.de/roemlag/sache/rlvale.htm Military Medical Corps 27 BCE Formed by Emperor Augustus First permanent and professional corps pf physicians and surgeons, hygiene officers, and bandagers (capsarii) Physicians given land grants, dignified titles, special retirement gifts such as exemptions from certain taxes and civil duties Medical personal trained and qualified by military schools Battlefield injuries required the knowledge of tourniquets, arterial clamps, and ligatures to stem blood flow, as well as amputation to prevent gangrene. Prevented battlefield epidemics by placing forts away from insect infested swamps and installed drains to transport sewage away from the camp.