Aurelia

Well, you couldn't have plastic surgery in ancient Egypt but you could at least have your own bust "improved" for posterity. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...ZRMbIOq_exLNnaA

The Memory of the World Register lists over 800 historic manuscripts, maps, films and more to help raise funds for preservation. What, in your opinion, should be added to the list? Source: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-arch...-Artifacts.html

Following an interesting discussion we had previously on possible ritual cannibalism amongst the Celts, here's another article about a grisly discovery in an ancient site dating back to the stone age in Germany. If the Celts did indeed practise cannibalism, could these have been their predecessors?

Although I wish the outcome would have been different, I would have liked to observe Boudicca and her rebel coalition take on Suetonius in AD 61 (?). The sight of Boudicca in her chariot inciting a crowd of 200,000 + Britons to fight against Roman oppression must have been awesome.

Did you like it? I think it's delicious!

How lovely, I was there exactly a year ago. Flew to Rome, then after a few days drove south past Naples to Sorrento, visited the Amalfi coast, Capri, Herculaneum and then drove a bit further down to Paestum. It was a lovely trip apart from the stress of trying to stay alive while driving on the Italian motorways. If I hadn't bought two bottles of Limoncello (one is already gone), I would ask you to bring me some more since we seem to live in the same city (in South Africa right now but will return next week). Have a wonderful time!

Brazil is going through its usual ups and downs (1-1 against Ecuador), (3-0 against Peru) but I guess they'll qualify in the end. What I'm really excited about though is that I'll probably get tickets to watch the opening game in Johannesburg next year, yay!!

Klingan, next time you're at the Capitoline Museum, please say hi to my favourite Gaul for me, will you? It's been almost a year since I last saw him. Hopefully he's still alive. :-)

I did Latin for a year during my first year at university. Since I was doing a language degree, I thought it might come in handy. Besides, as a native Portuguese speaker, I've always been interested in finding out more about its origins. Unfortunately, I've forgotten a lot of it (Latin, not Portuguese :-)) but would like to take it up again at some point.

It was indeed. Bonding with animals is always so special. And with Temba the elephant, playing with her trunk and looking into her eyes was something I cannot describe. The kiss was the highlight though.

Thank you PP. All points of view are welcome. Aurelia's insula is ruled according to democratic principles.

When Marcus Aurelius ascended the throne in AD 161, he was made joint Emperor along with Lucius Aurelius Verus. While Marcus Aurelius remained in Rome to carry out a series of law reforms, Verus went east to Parthia on a military campaign. It was only in 167 that Marcus Aurelius joined Verus in the campaign against the German tribes in the north. So it is possible that he (Aurelius) wanted to establish a reputation as a competent military leader by personally leading Roman troops.

Dear UNRV friends and fellow internet users, This has been all over the news today so I thought I'd post this warning here so you're all aware of the risks. If rumours are to be believed, Conficker virus, which has already infected about 15 million computers to date, is set to strike again tomorrow. There have been reports the worm could trigger poisoned machines to access personal files, send spam, clog networks or crash sites. Also known as Downadup or Kido, it first appeared last November. It is self-replicating and has attacked a vulnerability in machines using Microsoft's Windows operating system, the software that runs most computers. Let's hope this turns out to be just an April Fools Day prank but one can never be to careful: make sure you update your anti-virus programme and run a system check as a precaution. Hopefully, there will be no casualties and we'll all meet again tomorrow. For more information, check out: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7973131.stm For more on Conficker protetion, go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7973841.stm

Poor Jane Austen, she must be tossing and turning in her coffin.

Your photo of the sign at the Spanish Steps reminded me of another sign I saw at the Vatican a few years ago. :-)

Hello Kevin, I suspect that Cn. (Pompeius) stands for CNAEUS (= Gnaeus). Will someone please correct me if I'm wrong?

When I mentioned elephants yesterday, some of you might have thought I had one too many cups of coca leaf tea. So before I get a bad reputation in the neighbourhood, let me clarify things. I went to visit an Elephant Sanctuary situated just outside Johannesburg. What a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon! This is one of three elephant sanctuaries in South Africa that provides a safe haven for elephants that have been orphaned or rescued from zoos. In the course of a 2-hour educational tour, visitors have the opportunity to learn more about ellies and their natural habitat as well as interact with some of these gentle giants. I made friends with a 9-year old cow named Temba who was brought over all the way from the Kalahari desert in Botswana. We got on so well that I got kissed several times - each kiss consisting of a large trunk attaching itself to my right cheek and sucking away. I've prepared a little album for the guests that might come by today or in the next few days. These sanctuaries currently host 12 elephants most of whom will eventually be sent to different game reserves around the country when they reach maturity. The ones that are most used to people will be sent to smaller parks to prevent them from being trampled on by their wilder cousins. What I find interesting about these places is that in a way they also raise awareness about the plight of these lovely animals in Africa what with the ivory trade still in full swing in certain parts of the continent. These are extremely intelligent and sensitive creatures and we have much to learn from them, I think.

How could I forget the wine?? How thoughtless of me. Forgive me, GPM, I forgot to mention my insula has a big cellar. Now where did I put that amphora with a lovely 30 BC vintage?

Thanks for the tip, Klingan. I'll definitely have a look at Melvadius's photos. Being a photography lover, I have some interesting photos of my own I intend to upload. I'll have an album ready for you next time you visit. In the meantime, enjoy Rome!

Good to see you here, Ursus. Thank you for visiting. I have green tea but also white, mint, camomille, and Rooibos. Oh, and while rummaging through my various tea boxes, I even found some Peruvian coca leaf tea (a gift from a friend but don't tell anyone)!

Aawwww, thank you Nephele. What a lovely gift, very thoughtful of you. It fits perfectly.

Dear guests, My name is Aurelia and I have just moved into my new insula. You are all welcome to come visit at any time and sit down for a chat. I'll be happy to serve tea and various delicious Roman tidbits: honey cakes, cochleas lacte pastas, glires, and morsels of licker fish fresh out of the Tiber, yum! I'm currently painting the walls and arranging furniture in order to make my home as nice and cozy as possible. First though, I need to go see about some elephants.

One must beware of blue-eyed Jews for they could be the source of all evil. qu'est- ce tu fais ce soir, pussycat? NN, qu'est-ce que tu veux dire?? I may be a blue-eyed blonde but I'm a respectable lady.

John Freely, a historian of science at Istanbul's Bosphorus University tells the story of how ancient Greek philosophy and science dating as far back as the 6th century BC gradually spread across the Greco-Roman world. He then sets out to explain how, as the Dark Ages shrouded most of the European continent, this knowledge was preserved, translated and eventually re-introduced in Europe by Islamic scholars, triggering the emergence of European science in the Renaissance period and leading to the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century. For those interested in finding out more, have a look at this review that appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle a few days ago.

Yes, as a blue-eyed blonde, I second that.