Artimi

Artimi - your comment about the cobblestones in Jerusalem remind me of exactly how I felt when I was walking the Appian Way earlier this summer. I have a nice picture looking straight down at my feet on the large stones that made up the base of the 2000 year-old road. I also couldn't help but feel a little awe at where I was...and what had come before me. Interesting what you write about the Acropolis. I think I'd definitely feel a little loss if I wasn't able to be IN the building itself. Being able to walk through the Colosseum, and see what so many had seen long before me, made the visit quite special. The Pantheon was just magical and touched me more than any other site in Rome or Venice (as you can tell from my icon, eh?). To be in a building of such renown, that's been continuously in use for 2,000 years. 2,000! That's almost more than one can truly understand. And the space itself is just so dramatic. I was in Israel many years ago...too young to truly appreciate what I was seeing. The Wailing Wall was unique, but much different than the image I'd expected. As I'm sure you know, the site is split because women can't pray in the same place as men. In '83, there was kind of a cheesy faux paneled wall that separated the genders. I didn't expect there to be any separation (I guess I'd never thought about it) and the divider was so incongruous with the wall itself and other surroundings. There were also military personnel all around. And coming from America, you simply don't see soldiers with machine guns protecting public spaces like that. It was jarring. Our tour took in the Wailing Wall. There was no separate walls, people just seem to know where to go once told about the 3 areas, women, mixed, men. I didnt go up to the wall, there many people there and some having religious experiences. If there had been no crowd I would have. and yes our purses etc were checked etc. and there machines attached to people. I envy you your visit to the Pantheon in Rome. There is something truly emotional/even spiritual about that place, even in pictures.

I visited Stonehenge when one could go up and touch the stones. The day was grey and rainy, but the ghosts were absent, due to many tourists spending their 5 minutes with old stones. I still want to go back, and touch them once more and then maybe the ghouts will visit (benign ghosts that is) I visited the Acropolis, but one couldnt even touch the massive base blocks of stone without a guard approaching, let alone walk into the Parthenon. We wander all over the Acropolis. But the highlight of being in Athens was seeing the Acropolis from a busy street some distance away. It was hazy sunlight and the Acropolis looked everything it should. At Epidaurus, another tourist stood centre stage in the amphitheatre and sang. It was absolutely wonderful. In Jerusalem my tour included the 14 stations(I think it is 14) of the cross. All I could think of was that Roman soldiers walked these cobble stones and this way too. Masada is indeed a mystical experience even with 30 or 40 other people. One day I hope to travel when it not like the movie, If it is Tuesday it must be Belgium. And I would like to visit Rome, Etruria, Ravenna.

Is it possible Rome won the wars despite battle losses (sometimes horrific) because some individual rose above the herd to lead? For example Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus.

Have you ever walked in to a Chapters-Indigo (a large Canadian bookstore, could be any large bookstore) and walked out empty handed? I have, all those thousands of books and hundreds of magazines, and nothing I want to read.

CROW PLANET Essential Wisdom From the Urban Wilderness By Lyanda Lynn Haupt I just read a review of this book. Since I find crows very interesting, it has been adding to my ever growing list of books to find, buy and read.. Has any one read it yet?

Canadians are always researching for a better tomorrow or else to be prepared for tomorrow.

I am just about to read that. So it is very different from Scarrow you say? well I might still read it all the same... Don't give up on it until you get through those first 75 pages or so. It's much more subtle than Scarrow. Let me know what you think once you start digging in. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. It truly a wonderful melancholy book also so much is implied but in such a way that you know what happend.

Thank you! I shall have a look at the site. here is another site with some free language learning. http://www.byki.com/byki_descr.html

ahh the self induced flu

twiddle dee and twiddle dum ah Centrurion Marco. with regard to Latin check this out. \ http://courses.pullins.com/

I found this free course http://courses.pullins.com/course/view.php?id=16 registered and started reading and getting ready.. Then it said, it is better to listen to the audio portion with book. What book?? any way I have ordered the book and 2 others, (they were somewhat inexpensive) but the soonest they will be here is probably Sept or mid Sept.. but as I said above, I will try once more to learn Latin.

Loved the Eagle in the Snow by Bream. The last several paragraphs so evocative (not sure if this is the word I want, but it will do). The Last Legion by Manfredi is very good as well. I didnt watch the movie. I find movies never come near to the book. Sutcliffe's book on the Nineth Legion may be a children's book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks for this link - it looks like a great journal. I've printed out the first .pdf in glorious technicolour, so it looks as if this might be an issue with your printer. Can you print other items off the net without them greying out? Also have you tried downloading the .pdf and printing that? Since we might be getting somewhat technical here, you might consider sending me further details by message, I'll be happy to help you with sorting it out as thanks for providing some reading material whilst I'm listening to england getting thrashed at cricket. I printed at work and they only have a black laser printer. If I down load pdf? can change the colour of the fonts?

Not sure if there is already a topic for this. I have reading the online magazine since its inception even though it deals with more than just Rome. I like to print it, but the coloured portions print light grey and are hard to read. Help?? http://www.apaclassics.org/outreach/amphor...0statement.html

I havent watched, the 300 or Gladiator and wont be watching this one. I have read Hypatia of Alexandria by Maria Dzielska. It is a translation from Polish. I sometimes find translated books a little stiff. I remember thinking it was an interesting book but it has been many years ago, so I must reread it.

for those of you that want to play some games for Neptunalia. http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Thread/1150025 I think a bit of either vodka or rum will appease the gods.. but I will have to be discrete when I pour it on the ground so the neighbours wont think I am totally balmy.

I have bookmarked that site, Guy. it looks like it should be read without multi tasking. And yes, I keep trying at least once a year to start learning Latin. There are so many languages I would like to learn. But it will have to be my next lifetime.

Hannibal and Scipio have always been of interest to me. I thought I could watch this re-enactment of the battle of Zama. Nope,, I couldnt stand to see the elephants killed (yes I know this was only a movie). I would not have been a good Roman or Carthaginian soldier. Just a thought, after watching some of the BBC snippets at youtube. If Scipio would have taken on Hannibal in Italy, would that have been considered a defensive move? He would be defending the Roman entity as such. The Roman tactic or strategy (sorry, my military knowledge is not up to snuff) up to this point was one of defense. But taking on Hannibal in Africa was a decidedly aggressive move, one of attack. Attack rather than defense was considered more 'the Roman Way'. This was Rome causing Hannibal to react.

thank you Crispina. Love the site.

FV Your last analysis is the reason enough to study history and try to read the originals. I have only tried 2 times to read translations of the originals and find the language often difficult to wrap my mind around the ideas. Now is maybe the time to try for umpteenth time learn Latin again. Sylla Your writing and FV,s have such different flavours, I wonder what this reflection of? I sense more emotion in yours, which maybe just a bias on my part. thank you both and keep writing!

A question which goes back to the discussion of 'mercernary' what and who they were. For some reason, I have the impression that the Carthaginian population was not large and that they would would have to use 'mercenaries', 'soldiers of fortune' from other populations whether they be conquered peoples or not. Unlike Rome, Carthage did not have a history of a citizen army. Please comment(or maybe I should say help??). Unfortunately I have not done any reading on this subject alone, just gathered stray bits from other histories and stories.

Caldrail, Sylla. Your series of posts is an wonderful example of why UNRV is so interesting. I would love to be able to write and analyze like both or either one of you. But since I cant. I read. Thank you

the Fahrenheit scale has character and eccentricity

I have book marked the 'new' on line bookstore and the articles here at UNRV. I will take your advise about reading these articles before deciding about purchasing the books. thanks FV Online book stores are lots of fun except when shipping, taxes and duty starts to pile up.