caesar novus

I should thank you for your Pozzuoli report. I was taking a rest day on Ischia, then realized I was a short ferry hop from Pozzuoli. I didn't have maps or anything more than memories of your photo journal, but managed to savor the arena and seripede roman remains just fine. You are going to only pass by the sprawling Roman ruins at Sirmione on stunning Lake Garda? Well, maybe you have already been there. But I wouldn't miss an opportunity of stopping off the B. to V. train at Desenzano and ferry or bus to Sirmione. Or even savor the lake a bit more with the express bus from Brescia to Salo or Gardone Riviera, then ferry to Garda, then you can walk the shoreline thru Bardolino and Lazise, then ferry hop to Sirmone (can bus to Verona from most of these last places). All doable even with your luggage in a backpack.

One advantage to PDF is it scales properly when you use "magnify" buttons (something like cntl+ or cntl-). Browser screens tend to scale html in distorted ways. But for just sentence length, html viewers can normally pinch their browser window into a narrow column by sliding the lower right corner of frame to the left, and sentences will reflow (maybe have to exit out of full screen mode). I keep several browsers overlapping like shingles side by side, but each at full height of the screen. It somehow seems very natural to keep a couple side by side browsers running in parallel - better than just tabs in each one. Reminds me of the seductive editing of 2 parallel threads in the reality TV series http://www.aetv.com/the_first_48/ where the slightest pause in action of one story lets you find instant gratification in the alternate story, and vice versa.

On one hand, your pdf looks so similar to the gutenburg original on my screen, that I wonder if you have some unfortunate settings on your browser that should be fine tuned. I have an eye affliction (hopefully temporary but quite long lasting) that makes me aggressively reset all the browser preferences. The defaults tend to be terrible; now I have them set up so online reading is better than the printed paper experience. Actually I keep 4 browsers set up for different tradeoffs (none of them IE, which I hate with a fury). One brand is set up with display options perfect for printing. Another brand is set up with all default options for the native experience. I almost never invoke those 2. I keep a 3rd and 4th browser active at all times. One is radically optimized for online readability comfort and bliss. But it looks so unlike the authors intentions (sometimes actually omits or distorts things), that I have another browser with a balance giving proper parsing and such, but with very significant alterations for readability. Of course font types and sizes are important. Not just aesthetics of a font type, but check the way they scale to various sizes which unfortunately varies. They make some preferences harder to discover with each generation of browser, but it can be benificial to really track them down. For instance, the typical convention of black fonts on white background is barbaric on a backlit screen. It makes sense on the printed (reflective) page, because then black blooms upon white. But when backlit, the white is so harsh and dominent that white blooms upon black and makes the font shapes harder to discern. On my super readable browser, I take advantage of the eyes inability to focus blue sharply and use pale blue for background instead of white. De-emphasizing the background makes the foreground appear sharper. etc etc etc

You might also like an Italian POW escape book "No Picnic on Mount Kenya: A Daring Escape, A Perilous Climb" which also covers lengthy preparation of ice climbing equipment, etc in secrecy from the Brit jailers. Freedom was too far away to strive for, so they just wanted a several day climb and return to camp. More understandable if you have been there and stared at the big ice cream cone of an isolated Mt Kenya or Kilimanjaro defying the warm equatorial plain.

I have made several postings here about that course and others in the series. The original source of them is at http://oyc.yale.edu/courselist and gives you various format choices for loading on ipods or pc's. Unfortunately there appears to be no recent courses added when I last checked. Maybe someone can review the Greek History one; I know it has been mentioned here. I took the Roman one just before going to see some of the same monuments in person (also took some other Roman architecture video courses). I am thankful it was made available, and it did deepen my understanding - but mostly in some indirect way that I can't put my finger on. Since it's a huge time commitment to view the whole course, I will nitpick a few things to show it's not entirely a free banquet. There is an absurd emphasis on esoteric terminology. I don't argue with learning terms that you might need twice in your life, but she hammers in terms with no practical use for even specialists. Things that could be clearly communicated with 2 sensible words have to be compressed into one word nobody uses except on school tests. She apologizes for it. I don't like her choice of monuments to cover. In person they seem runts of the litter, standing by more interesting things. In more than one case she seems to pick them because they were associated with a women, or some such thing other than it's own merit. I guess it's forgivable in cases where she had research experience at the monument. BTW: I can't help commenting on digressions she chooses to inject into the subject, which can reveal what stuff she is made of in terms of smarts and biases. She makes a big deal of 4 gelato spots in Rome and Florence. I would say 90% of American visitors to Italy are devoid of taste and cannot appreciate "good" gelato. Sure, they LOVE it, but are equally happy with crap flavors and crap vendors, just because they are all better than "vomit cream" from home. To respect her I hoped she would be within the 10% category of discerning taste. I visited those places and cannot vouch for her taste. Borderline, unless they were just above the 90% level then fell in the year or so since her recommendation. Well, maybe this doesn't negate her scholarship since scholars may be nerds that develop other parts of their brains beside taste. Actually one place in Rome was acceptable, but already well known, and one flavor in a Florence place WAS remarkable. The other kind of digression was predictable but annoying. The loony left political jabs weren't as flagrant as in a Berkeley Roman course (I don't knee-jerk criticize Berkeley, because I used to work with awesome engineering graduates from there). But the kind of patronizing left-is-good, right-is-bad came out in goofy ways like celebrating modern politician's physical likeness to a corresponding good or notorious emperor. In another Yale course on Classical Music I got an insight into the eternal academic leftyness. It was done so ineptly and unconvincingly that it was revealed to be simple case of trying to appear relevant and edgy to the students rather than at all heartfelt! The professor is of impeccable qualifications (writing the textbooks, etc) but didn't want to appear haughty. He constantly tries to patronize the students with examples of pop culture, but from before they were born. He was so old that they sit uncomprehending when he tries to be a "hep cat" like he imagines youth admire. Also he gets his facts wrong when making comparisons in areas I know, from diseases to dates of impressionist paintings. I wish these professors would stick to what they know, but I guess they have to pander to the audience for their "ratings".

I have also run across sympathetic Nero trivia like the items you mention, but I don't know what to make of it all. He did seem irresponsible too. I can't understand why they mostly destroyed his palace instead of recycling, given the staggering investment. Of course there is a rationale, but it must have been very heartfelt for such destruction. I recently viewed a dozen or so busts of Nero (and similar numbers for other emperors) in museums of Rome and Naples. I have got to say that the Nero ones seem to reek of immaturity, flakiness, and a sort of careless arrogance. They sometimes showed him so young that he wasn't yet in the top office. Sometimes busts seem cookie cutter, like the Caracalla scowl. Even Hadrian always has the same inscrutable pose. Those I don't take seriously since they seem to be products of a publicity campaign. But when they vary I start to suspect I can rely on common denominators, like M. Aurelius being an absent minded professor or C. Augustus being a steely mind within a frail body. Nero was shown unflattering in so many ways, that I can't believe there isn't a hint of truth there. Of course I am talking about expressions, etc, not features you happen to be born with.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/arts/des...?pagewanted=all Well, maybe the hype for Cleo is needed to cover exhibit expenses, rather than being mindless new age ideology. It does seem a flip-flop in the usual victimology rant... support annointed "minority" member who gained power rather than the Egyptian people withstanding such an imposed dictator family of foreign origin. Just how isolated she was from Egyptian culture is suggested by a Wikipedia paragraph (possibly disputed in this forum earlier):

Wow, I'll take that with a dose of sodium chloride but I'll still look into it with an open mind. Well, if you find a citation you could correct http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Alesia#Aftermath which agrees with the no-strangulation theory. Actually the professor said there was LITTLE evidence (not none) for a ritual choking and Wiki suggests there was only gossip about it. He did take a ride in the triumph cage, but then went to prison with no further word on his fate, they say.

I would like to be included in the lucky draw!!!

Rats, just when I was breaking in my crispy 1998 version! I hope someone will review how much was updated. The Oxford book is good for before and during a visit because it is systematically organized. But afterwards to fill in some lingering questions about odds and ends that don't seem to fit, I like http://www.amazon.com/Rome-Environs-Archae...i/dp/0520079612 which seems more comprehensive. It's less structured freestyle format becomes a non-problem after you have familiarized yourself on site grounds. Maybe the missing pieces of Oxford are forgivable since they have extra sections such as on museums, timelines, and glosseries. They don't claim to go beyond the walls, like Coarelli does, but I don't understand why they barely cover the walls themselves. I had been puzzled by differences the 2 books take on the same sites. If it might be due to new research, it is hard to know who benefited by recentness. The Coarelli book is a translation of 1985 to 2003 material with possible updates to 2007 vs 1998 for Oxford. For instance on via Appia, they give different explanations of the Circus of Maxentius. Oxford puts the finish line at a judges box 2/3 way past the starting line (multiple laps). Coarelli describes but doesn't explain that structure, and puts the finish line at the Imperial Box opposite the starting line (which Oxford just says is a key vantage point for crashing turns). But proceed on to the Villa Quintilii and Oxford shows a big map with virtually no labels or writeup, while Coarelli does all 3 well.

Which famous opponents to Rome were actually in the Roman Army beforehand, pledging loyalty and benefiting from training and technology? I believe Vercingetorix and Arminius were in that category, and perhaps shouldn't be considered such spunky liberation heros in a clash of distinct cultures because they earlier submitted and pledged their life to Rome as well as being spoon fed their world-beating military secrets. It seem fundamentally different than, say, Zhukov beating Hitler generals (he actually first came to prominence after an upset victory against the Japanese steamroller in Mongolia). There the Russians used tactics borne of their own culture and technology not emulating their opponents but brilliant tank innovations for example. The famous battles of Alesia and Teutonburg Forest may be more like the 1903 surprise victory of Japanese over the Russian Navy - a product of meticulous coaching by British advisors rather than the natural strength of Japanese tactics and technology.

A recent rerun of Military History channel documentary had a Canadian war collage prof saying there wasn't evidence for that fate, and V. was probably quietly killed (in lieu his army and people, which Caesar had more typically killed afterward in Gaul). Reason was that a captured V. was like Napoleon in Elba (with millions more to kill) - the one person who had proven to be able to unite unmanageable guerilla subgroups in Gaul and guarantee more uprisings. That may have been why Caesar did so many massacres beforehand - only way to send a message to all Gauls before they had a focal point like V. I think even in WW2, there was a similar problem. On paper France had the technology and troops to stop a Nazi invasion. Have you seen a German tank of this early era - they almost look like you could break off their skinny little barrel with your hand (unlike French tanks). Even the French president gave the right orders beforehand to prevent losing battles. But uncooperative factions and lack of a charismatic leader just let these advantages lay dormant.

Also didn't they give citizenship to nearby allies and neutrals? Some say Rome fell due to their newfound reluctance to co-opt the barbarians with chances for a place in Roman society. They added another kind of inclusivity to the common institution of slavery, that is wages at a rate that could give you the potential to buy your freedom in about 7 years. These folks were more like indentured servants than slaves. Some freedmen became outrageously rich - billionaires in modern terms. Roman realistic sculpture of individuals has never been equaled, whether by the Greeks or renaissancians. The subjects aspirations and fortitude (yet pragmatism) comes thru without appearing forced or theatrical. Their architecture reflects brilliant solutions to practical and aesthetic desires of mankind - not just pompous piles from meglomaniac leaders like tombs or defensive structures found all over the ancient world, but useful things of beauty.

Summary: Pompeii and Herculeum wither under indifference of national gov't, EU, and UNESCO bureaucracies. The best of what you see now are the product of past extraordinary caretakers and administrators and present foreign donors, but they are out of the picture in a bleak future. http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2010/04/...uin-of-pompeii/ In my recent visit, Pompeii was appallingly degraded except for a couple isolated examples; even most roads were closed so that there was only one choked walkway to connect the 2 most popular ends of the site. Herculeum was actually improved from my last visit, but the donor activity responsible will end and much stuff is alarmingly exposed to weather.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/05/26...=1&ref=news Where is this is already allowed, Capua? I seem to recall you can see the plumbing there for flooding the place. I wonder if the one in Pozzuoli ever allows it... the underground looks in good shape and inviting, but was roped off on my visit. P.S. I wonder what to make of captions on site that make some amazing claim that you don't see in any other literature. Or on the other hand they ignore a key point in all the literature, as if they think it may not be true. In other words, how much gravitas for the signs... a lot, or could it sometimes be the product of a few loose cannons or pranksters that can't be stopped due to union rules?

A really interesting subject, although the article mostly covers pretty common knowledge. I'll expand with my impressions of 2 villas just outside Rome on Appia Antica. The villa of Maxentious is amazing for it's racetrack (circus) which is excellant condition. The track is so huge that the only tourist there asked me where was it, and I had to point to the brickwork all around us practically out to horizon (horsestalls still there too). The villa is fenced off for refurbishment or something and I failed to notice the most interesting feature... the villa extends to intersect the racetrack surround and gives residents a passageway to a private imperial box near the finish line without having to leave the house! I remember a buildup of bricks there, but didn't get a good look due to sticking to rare trails thru the knee-high weeds/wildflowers. Maybe someone will post pictures of this. Further out is the Quintillis villa which was stolen by emperor Commodus murdering the owners. I forget the terminology (and all spellings), but besides the beautiful bath features they labeled an oval area as something Commodus converted from some fine architectural feature to a sick killing zone where he could slay prisoners/animals/cripples. It was amazing to have tangible evidence that seemed to match the stories of good, bad, and ugly emperors.

The exaggerated climate hysteria was in part a fad related to wealth and comfort. That's when idle minds turn to hypochondria, like the anti-globalization riots before 2001. Then terrorism episodes snapped folks back into a more rational assessment of priorities, and maybe the current economic crises is doing the same for climate hysteria. Idle minds in comfortable 1st world enclaves become captivated with whatever sensational junk is being promoted by the media (desperate to increase audience) then feel they should be activists out of guilt for comfort rather than logic of the issue. Other contributing factors are the switchover to a new hypochondria, that is flying anywhere near traces of volcanic dust. Absolutely childish how over cautious this was played out, when ash has never caused a flying fatality (I may be biased by being a glider pilot who has no fear of landing without engines). Also my month in Europe was the coldest spring I have ever experienced - cold rain almost every day. In fact brutal hail and a flood in the forum, which left me wheezing and spitting up blood for 10 days (pneumonia I assume, but I didn't let it slow me down).

What about the deterrence factor? People wonder why Hannibal didn't finish off the capital city, but from staring up at the imposing walls I have developed a theory. He didn't mind dodging arrows and spears, but to step under those latrines projecting from the wall just freaked him out. How could he command his army with poop all over his uniform? Yes, he was a clean freak... and Rome survived because of the latrines (well maybe the republican walls didn't have those).

Both, but that big one is most impressive. I'm just not sure how much of what you see is Roman vs medieval upgrades. Walking around, I hardly noticed the inner republican walls, and at first I only noticed the outer ones from popping in and out of gates. But a few times I walked parts of the Aurelian ones lengthwise, and it was so atmospheric just from the height, mass, and quiet of the walls. Not just the dimensions, but the variations of the walls and adjacent strips of parks. Speaking of volume, I guess the great pyramid is about 2.5 million cubic meters. The original Aurelian is listed as 8h x 3.5w x 19000long = 0.532mcm. But the height was doubled with hundreds of towers added (100+ projecting latrines you can see today) so I'm gonna guess 1.5 mcm. Add to that the republican walls, and the volume of bricks, etc must be more than half of a pyramid - it's just a stupendous ancient accomplishment there to be seen but largely ignored.

I went to Rome's little museum of the wall, which was mostly reading captions within one of the elaborate gates. It piqued my interest in this massive monument, and I found some enjoyable walks alongside which sometimes are pleasant underused parks. I think these massive walls (dwarfing the colloseum and maybe even the pyramids in volume?) deserve more attention, and wondered why the seem to be overlooked: - You assume a wall is essentially a 1 or 2 dimensional boring object (but it rambles around interestingly). - The gates are somewhat anticlimatic and are chokepoints where you tend to rush thru. - They are a mixture of old and newer rennovations, so not an obvious signature of one era. - It''s tends to be out of the tourist center. All the more reason that it's an undiscovered gem for media coverage or visitation. I guess now you can trace thru it in google satellite or http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=rome+wall but I would like to see more. A documentary could even capture the modern uses, such as gated communities that are alongside (peek in to see the quiet splendor - it is quiet along the wall due to no cross traffic). And do we really understand some of the peculiar features? For instance it goes right on top of many monuments and such, which they say was to save construction materials. The museum had an additional explanation that you don't want to leave a structure outside the walls that enemies could use for cover and offense. But did these really require just clobbering these (sometimes elaborate) structures? Lots of grist for a ten part documentary... well maybe not commercial enough.

The Vatican serves only Pepsi in it's Pizzeria, which PROVES Pepsi is holy. This is from the machine that injects gas and syrup into locally sourced water, which I assume is holy water. For some reason, their well marked "coffee shop" is mobbed beyond belief with maybe 40 min lines to the cash register. At the same time there is no waiting at all at Pizza place with pretty darn good pizza, dessert, and ONLY Pepsi. This may be because to follow the signs to the Pizzeria (from where I was anyway), you had to appear to be going to a dead end for the mens bathroom. There is also a self serve cafe which may have canned coke, but definately better going for their lemon fanta. Sugary cola and some greasy starch is just what you need to revive after an exhausting day JUST GETTING IN to the Vatican - you are like a spent athlete needing electrolytes etc. Even though I could step thru the VIP door for the garden tour, I had to circle half the Vatican with sidewalk totally jammed with plebes lined up and forcing my royal retinue into car lanes. Without a VIP reservation, I guess I would only go at end of the day.

Comments and advice for next year's Culture Week meet organizer: - Most sites now want you to collect a free ticket for entrance. - Hit major ones EXACTLY at opening time for less crowding, esp on weekends (Capitoline, etc). - Mondays mostly everything except forum, palantine, colloseum and vatican are closed (see the Profano museum in vatican for incredible Roman stuff) - Nero's possible rotating dining room is already on clear display in the new Barbarini Terrace (Palantine) - Don't miss Pozzuoli (serapide temple, amphtheater, etc) near Naples! - Don't miss Poppeas Villa one train stop west of Pompeii (maybe worth audio set rental)! - Spend time at EUR for Civilta museum with molds of entire Trajan column storyline. - Hit the far end of Ostia for best preserved mosaics and frescos - Devote lots of time to Hadrians Villa - Can store your luggage at train station for Naples archeo museum visit - See museum of Roman walls before strolling them a bit (counterclockwise from museum nice) - Appia Antica seems geared to walkers from the center going out, not for someone who trains out to Terricola and walks inward. The innermost attraction (Maxentious Villa?) with the huge, pristine racetrack/circus only open in morning. The further out Villa Quintillus(sp? the one with amazing baths) only opens it's backdoor to appia antica in the afternoon (main entrance is excruciating to walk to... back door maybe only open to those already with tickets from nearby Celias tomb). Somehow WW2 sites seem to me in spirit with ancient Rome, and kind of opposite the racetrack there is a Y branch one lane road outbound with a wide sidewalk. At the end of that (1km or less on via della sette cheise?) cross the road and walk left to an extremely well done memorial to a big SS atrocity against civilians. Also maybe use nearby Ostianese or St Peter train station for an hour trip to Bracciano. Walk to the lake (Brac.) and it's shore to the east for an hour or so to find a superb flight museum. Tons of WW2, WW1, and racing planes displayed really well with facinating captions in english

Well, I'm going to think of it as Barbarini's terrace rather than vineyard, because it functions as a lookout rather than a look-at (assuming you can't see much ento the Nero excavation). BTW the MiBAC site shows interesting photos of that, including some circular floor channel for rotation bearings(?). I don't post the links because you can't bookmark in translation mode, but have to do some torturous workaround. Also the reopened Temple of Venus had been closed for decades. And on Domitians palace (so easy to ramble over) I read a possible reason why it glazed my eyes over in the past. Like Ostia it was subject to overly hasty Fascist restoration that (to my eyes) takes away from the normal Roman majestic architecture. Domitians was particulary quickly thrown together for the famous Hitler visit according to Coarelli (I remember Hitler said to be fearful on this visit because he didn't have his phalanx of bodyguards). So now I can mentally separate some of the dufus superimposed features of Domitians and Ostia archeology, and appreciate the sites more. http://www.summerinitaly.com/planning/strike.asp has planned airport, train, ferry, and local transport strikes during this period (see apr 16, 22, 23). Should check again later, but almost every one near misses my sched by a single day, although the local transport shutdown may cause problems for my freshly broken toe.

More new exhibits showing up daily on MiBAC site, like reopening of Temple of Venus on colosseum side of forum (picture taken near base where 24 elephants dragged away the colossus statue of Nero). That is on the convex side of the red line on below map. On the concave side is the first ever opening of a vineyard on the Palantine, which actually contains the new find of Nero's rotating dining room (or at least the hole for it surrounded by orange netting). The line indicates a walkway atop the elevated area: For Nerophiles, I think there are further bits among Domitians Palace dominating the Palantine. One book indicated you could find part of his Domus Aurea below (dining room?) rectangular area in SW quadrant of palace. Another said some other Nero constructions were peeking out here and there, including amazing colored flooring. Domitian may have been a mediocre leader, but his palace seems more interesting the more I read. One book called it a landmark... the first systematic organized palace (including the residential part sometimes called something like domus agustana).

I propose these may be consequences of a populist utopianism that holds worker benefits as sacred and unconnected to real world consequences of their cost, productivity, or useful service. As California goes, so goes the nation... NYT notes San Francisco Police evidence lab is experiencing a "tsunami of incompetence'' and having it's thousands of cases thrown out and criminals released (maybe to maim or kill those good samaritans and witnesses who stuck their neck out to get them arrested). http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/04/02...=1&ref=news A key employee responsible for this (and consuming the drug evidence) was not disciplined, but allowed a lucrative retirement. Probably the responsible managers are untouchable as well. That city is not an isolated example for such problems. The "Pension Tsunami" for California unionized gov't workers just defies description, so I will only quote, from http://reason.com/archives/2010/01/12/class-war/singlepage