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Skywatcher

Plebes
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Everything posted by Skywatcher

  1. Skywatcher

    Question about the Map

    I bought the map, it is currently hanging in my room. If you are reading Livy, you need to have something like this because he names so many place names that are no longer used. I would also buy a detailed map of Roman Italy if one ever becomes available.
  2. Hi, a few years ago there was a thread where members would post their real names and one of the big contributors here would find the name of an actual Roman whose name contained the same letters or something along those lines. Does anyone remember the name of that thread?
  3. Skywatcher

    Unique Aspects about Roman Astrology

    edit: I realize that I misread your original post, I will see if there is anything else I can find. I actually know very little about astrology so this is good practice. So your question is how does the modern practice of astrology differ from those of ancient Rome? My initial search brought up many articles discussing the relationship between astrology and Roman politics. Apparently astrologers were expelled from Rome several times. Astrology in Roman Law and Politics by Frederick Cramer in 1954 seems to be a well-respected work on the subject. I would imagine it is very dry and scholarly but it might be a good read and answer some of your questions. A History of Western Astrology Volume I: The Ancient and Classical Worlds by Nicholas Campion is available at Amazon.com and looks like it might answer some of your questions. Volume II covers "The Medieval and Modern Worlds". The following is a short excerpt from a long encyclopedia article which lists some sources that may help answer your question. I believe Pliny is freely available online, so you might want to look at that. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Plin.+Nat.+toc&redirect=true
  4. Skywatcher

    Roman attitudes to the past

    In my opinion, it doesn't really matter how historical those stories are. What was important was the message. Even from the little I have read it is very obvious that the Romans had very little respect for the sacredness of life. It says right in Genesis that we were created in God's image, and therefore are sacred. I am sure Caecilius could elaborate on that idea. I would not say that Christianity is perfect, but I do believe it planted a seed that has grown over time. Humanity is still far from perfect but at least we no longer are killing each other for sport.
  5. Skywatcher

    Win a Roma Victrix Beaker

    I want the Roma Victrix Beaker @UNRV http://bit.ly/romavictrix
  6. Skywatcher

    Happy Birthday Ursus

    You learn quite a bit by lurking here. Happy Birthday.
  7. Here is one completely done in palindromes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nej4xJe4Tdg
  8. Skywatcher

    Why are you interested in Rome?

    Well its actually a long story. In 10th grade we all had to read the play Julius Caesar. I thought he was a very interesting character and so I started doing my own research. In 2000 our Catholic youth group went to Rome for World Youth Day and I got to see the ruins in person. Unfortunately since the group had a religious focus I did not get the opportunity to see nearly as much as I would have liked. I have been so busy lately that I have not really had the time to indulge this hobby. Once I have got my career established I will hopefully have more spare time for things like this.
  9. Skywatcher

    Your Hidden Roman Name

    An owner of public latrines... Well at least I am not the one who has to clean them.
  10. Skywatcher

    Your Hidden Roman Name

    Pretty neat. Here is mine. Male please. PrptcyhHnecaErkeltir
  11. Skywatcher

    Where does the Byzantine Empire begin?

    I am surprised no one mentioned religion. Religion has to be at least as significant as language when it comes to defining culture. After Constantine Paganism was officially suppressed. Wasn't it 394 AD when the Sacred Flame of Vesta was put out and the Temples were looted?
  12. I think it has to do with how we like to root for the underdog and the fact that the Romans were very rarely the underdog. That and the fact that all good films have good villains.
  13. Skywatcher

    Abandoning Rome as capital city

    I have a few questions on this subject. When the emperors moved out of Rome, how much of the imperial bureaucracy did they take with them? And how many people did the government employ to begin with and what percentage of the population would that have been?
  14. Skywatcher

    Learning Latin

    There is a free online Latin class on the internet. He uses an old textbook which is in the public domain. I think he explains the material pretty well. So far he has completed 37 lectures out of 73. For anyone trying to learn Latin on their own this would probably be a good place to start although the author does appear to speak Latin with a Southern accent. http://linneyslatinclass.com/
  15. Skywatcher

    Latin Wikipedia

    I am not sure if any of you have seen this but I think it is pretty neat. I am a first year student in Latin. Can anyone tell me if the articles here are grammatically correct? Thanks.
  16. Skywatcher

    Lunar eclipse tonite

    The significance of this one was that it fell on the winter solstice, which is pretty ominous. I missed it due to a snowstorm.
  17. I would be very tempted to buy a map that highlights the campaigns of well known Roman generals with as much detail as possible, including major and minor engagements. I would be most interested in the campaigns of Julius Caesar and the Hannibalic War. Its not Roman, but I would also be interested in the campaigns of Alexander the Great. And a map of ancient Greece would go along nicely with a map of ancient Rome...
  18. Hi. This is my first post here. I am looking for primary sources from the ancient Romans themselves. I have been reading Livy, which I have been told is the best source for the early period of Rome's history. What are the other sources? Right now I am mostly interested in the period from the founding of the Republic up to the first Punic war. Are there any sources besides Livy? Also, what is the best modern history of Rome? I have one by Michael Grant published in the 70s, which is very informative but rather dry. Any help would be appreciated. Pat
  19. Skywatcher

    roman maps

    I just bought one of those maps. Looks helpful. I think a detailed map of ancient Greece would be very helpful.
  20. Skywatcher

    What Roman Personality Are You?

    Marcus Aurelius by a huge margin.
  21. Skywatcher

    How Did it All Really Begin?

    I found this footnote from an to be very interesting.
  22. Skywatcher

    Spectacle in the Roman World

    Sounds like an interesting book! Put me in please!
  23. Skywatcher

    Main sources for the early history of the Republic

    Thanks for the list, it is very helpful. I remember reading somewhere that the first historians of Rome had to rely on some sort of religious records and oral traditions. According to Grant the Romans did not know exactly when these events occurred so they would choose dates that had numerological significance or that coincided with important dates in Greek history.
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