[Topic/post Icons]

this gets my vote.

 

I've only used them once in my short time on the forum which was a gasping face, otherwise. Begone with them!

[Favorite Historical Film]

When it comes to historical series, band of brothers is the best, hands down for me. However, HBO's Rome might come with some compotition at some point or other, unlikely.

 

I'm not sure if it can be called a historical movie or not but Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail is a hilarious film and brings back laughs no matter how many times I see it.

 

But if I'm speaking seriously. The actually version of Gladiator, not the TV 14 version, is my favorite just for its great gladiator matches despite some bending of actual history.

[What Would You Be In Roman Society....]

What would you be in Roman soceity, any era, job, class, or stature you would want to be in Rome. Describe what you would want things to generaly be like and such.

 

Personaly, I would like to be a banker durring Agustus's rule. A member of one of the more successfull but not inceribley well know, some what like the Caecilii of Pompeii. I would want to have a fairly nice town house but would spend most of my time in a villa out in the countryside, preferably tuscany or in the area around Naples. I would want to have a nice family, a wife and a son preferabley along with a good commidation of slaves so I didn't have to do anything becuase I'm lazy. All of these would let me have a fairly laid back lifestyle. Praise Bacchus!

 

Thats just me though, what would you want to be

[Areas Of Expertise]

My areas of speciality so to speak are probley around the fall of the Repubilc and a little past the reign of Agustus. This in my mind is the most interesting era of Roman history as it is the epoch turning point in the legacy of Rome. A time where among the best remembered Romans wared for power and the entire whole of the mediteranian was holding its breath for what was to befall it.

 

It is also in this era that the military might of the empire was about the coolest in history. The legions of Rome marching against each other! It must have been a truely scary and eventful time beyond any of our imaginations. Miltary tactics and battles are my favorite area with a very close runner up of politics and culture of the era.

 

A personification of the mediterainian:

 

However i can't deny that the punic wars and other periods are interesting.

[The Inventions Of Rome Leading To...?]

As viggen said, a completely interesting subject.

 

Though it is hard to tell if technolgy changed a lot as the empire expanded or if inventions made life incredibley different. Most tools are now gone and many buildings still around are half destroyed at best in most areas of the empire.

 

However there has been some evidence to show slight changes. Aquaducts were changed slightly over time with the addition of the roof to keep water clean. Also, bath houses were changed as the Romans and other cultures created better heating systems and found better fuel sources. All of these are small and relitively unnoticable changes.

 

But, in my opinion, the area of the Romans most notable for changes was the Army. The armor and organization of the Army changed dramaticaly over the ages. Roman hastati (excuse my spelling) were massly different than the khafaracts (once again, spelling) of the eastern empire. Roman military tactics and Equipment changed to fit the enemy they fought. Such as the Romans adopted a different formation for fighting macedonian and greek phalanx and again for fighting the barbarian hoards. These were all made due to a different "invention" so to speak of the enemy.

[Did The Romans Have Crowns?]

Thank you everyone, its helped clear things up about the Romans and crowns. especialy Tobias, Primus Pilus, and Lex for your in detail history.

[Did The Romans Have Crowns?]

While the corona civica was oak leaves, the Luarel Wreath dates back further.

 

You pose a interesting question however, I'm not sure what they did to keep their leaves from dieing lol.

[Did The Romans Have Crowns?]

Your most likely right, however even in the most insane and corupt Emporers of the1st and 2nd century A.D. we don't get such a insult to Rome as to have a crown on their ruler. For example, Caligula, famous for being so insane as to dress as athena and beleived himself to have talked with Jupiter and dined with Venus did not wear a crown. I beleive that prehaps the rise of the Christian church over Paganism might have had something to do with it.

 

In christianity God is beleived to be the basicaly Ultimate king. The idealazation of the Christian Emporers being the Profinex Maximus (excuse my poor spelling) of christianity or the pope in esscence might have had something to do with the introduction of the Crown over the Luarel Wreath but I might be flawed on this one.

[Who's Your Favourite Historian?]

Tacitus was the best without a doubt, however Livy's style and sometimes prejudice views of other cultures can provide quiet a comparision with what we know about them today. The Etruscans for example were viewed in a one sided way by him which I found pretty funny.

[Rome Total War: Barbarian Invasion Expansion Pack]

well I know I sure don't, if I did I wouldn't be around here would I. I'll probley get it on the weekend.

[Did The Romans Have Crowns?]

Your right, the Emporers where the ones that made the Luarel Wreath famous. However it was a long kept tradition. The little legend goes that durring a triumph a slave stood behind the man recieving the triumph holding the crown above the general's head and wishper into his ear

 

"remember, you're only a man...."

[Did The Romans Have Crowns?]

It is well known that Roman Emperors did not wear crowns originally but instead Laurel Wreaths to symbolize that they weren

[Your Ideal Empire!]

My Ideal Empire would be one ruled by me. It is constantly expanding and would be based in Europe for Europe is the most beautiful place in the world. I would have wars constantly as is the basis of a Empire for the nessasary expansion. I would rule as Empeor over the whole affair and have my generals and elected politians run things and I'm there to keep things in line, the political system is nessicary to keep the masses in line with a sense of "freedom"

 

I would then have my scientist master the art of human cloning and then select the top 1000 best looking people in the world, they become the army, the navy, the airforce, the marines, and run everything as the endless mindless slaves of the empire. PLEASE NOTE: this is clones we are using which have been geneticaly modified so they have no feelings, not normal every day people. They are used as all labor and such and such

 

Fortunetly, once this is in place I am unoposable with my endless sources of clones and will eventually conquer the world. I will then....well um...haven't quiet gotten past that part in my take over the world scheme yet, but its sure to work.....I think.....oh well.....

[Greatest Roman Politician!]

When talking about the great Roman Politicians, I think about the politicians of the late republic, Cicero in particular just out of reputation. They all had incredibly infulencal effects on Rome. My favorite of Roman Politicians was Lucius Sergius Catiline. He was a great rebel and was eventually had the ultimate decree invoked against him by Cicero who was consul at the time. But he was also ,according the the few records surviving about him, a fairly well mannered man who had the power to make people follow him. Not enough men aparently.... but thats just my opinion.

[Favourite Type Of Gladiator?]

Tharacians for me, more heavily armored must of made for a longer and siller match.