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Spurius

Plebes
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Posts posted by Spurius

  1. Close, very close. It did come from young dandies and horse whips and the noise they made on the sides of their coats and breeches. But just like all other times in human history, the term started from the trouble they caused attacking each other and acting like deliquents.

     

    The trendy carrying of horse whips, like so many other fashion trends, came from France.

     

    Good for the ten points though...

  2. Snopes is a good resource as PP pointed out.

     

    Ether isn't one sniff, *bonk* you're out. Trust me on that kiddies. (And no, you don't want to know)

     

    As far as licking something, once you get past the big question of why, maybe they were worried about LSD? Small dose and easily absorbed lingually, but I don't think it would be enough to make someone trip. Besides, unless you want to loseit or imagine the starry field of fireflys as the sky turned upside down, acid will just keep you awake and make you light sensative...you can still do what you want. (Again, you don't want to know)

     

    I do find the occasional "OMG, how did we miss this!" e-mail entertaining though.

  3. That whole Spartacus debacle was some fun :(

     

    There does seem to be waves of new registers, some just signing on to get help with one or two pieces of homework :( However, some do stay and it is great to see younger posters gradually gaining knowledge and improved writing styles. Now if only we older, grouchier people could show some change too...

     

    I like the level of discussions here, so even though my forte is in periods after Rome (especially the period that ended the Byzantines) I like being here. If for no other reason than it makes me dig out my old college notes on foundation to late republic.

     

    BTW, those old logos did look interesting.

  4. I'd choose despotism. I would be unquestioned monarch with a system of buereaucrats to run the day-to-day operations and legal matters...with myself having the power of life or death over them during job review times :blink: They had better meet my criteria for efficent and honest work or the axe...and I'd let them pocket "bonus" money if they complete projects under budget.

     

    As far as heirs go, I'd celebrate my 60th birthday with a battle of my potential heirs. They and their 1,000 men would battle at one place with the winner/winners gaining the position. If they want to split the power and work together, so be it. They'll get their chance to rule after I'm dead.

     

    :pimp:

  5. It's certainly a strange investment for ebay.  The market doesn't seem to be so sure about it either.  Talk about a complete different direction from their core business.

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    I think this line from the article sums it up (for good or bad reasons):

     

    "Nearly half of Skype's users live in Europe, a quarter are in Asia, and an eighth are in North America, providing eBay with a large audience as it seeks to expand outside of its core North American market. "

     

    As communications systems grow and merge, fewer and fewer entities will be in control of it. It has become an elite oligarchy already, the net is no different or immune compared to the rest of the business. Positioning for a buyout is what I think e-bay is doing.

     

    Hurry up and enjoy Skype! It'll be gone within three years, IMHO.

  6. Some of the areas of interest in this "What if..." (at least as far as for me):

     

    1) Would Rome and its rulers have gone much farther into northern europe and Gaul, or would they settle for barbarian tribal states in constant turmoil?

     

    2) Without the drive to conquer Gaul or beyond, would Rome cast its greedy eye east and force more land/ client kingdoms from the Parthians?

     

    3) Would Rome have finally exhausted its martial power early (with more civil wars) and become more "eastern" with more emphasis on decadence and personal gain by the elite for only themselves instead for the state and themselves?

     

    How is Caesar involved in these? Here we go....

     

    1) Caesar's need for conquest and glory put Rome farther into europe than it would have naturally gone...at that point. I imagine that Rome's paranoia about the Celts would have eventually drove them to subdue or payoff the Gauls. I don't envision Gaul NOT being romanized, just a matter of time. In any event, Rome's hand would probably have been weaker when the big migrations started.

     

    2) The Republic was extrordinarily money hungry. The Empire did need money, but it was more efficent in its use (thanks to Augustus) than the Republic. Money for elections, money for shows, money for taxes, money for trade (much better than commodities), the list goes on. The East had riches and tax farming was raised to a fine art by the Romans. Caesar was going to go east, but got cut short.

     

    With the chain of events leading to empire delayed, perhaps Rome would not have gone very deep into the Levant. The military expenditures would have been cost prohibitive and the roman economy may have suffered more devastating cyles of recession and negative growth. Or maybe even more of their military would have been concentrated there, leaving more vulnerability in europe and the various people migrations.

     

    3) This is more of a philosophical view. Caesar lead to Augustus and his strengthening of "family values" in Roman society. Even though the emperor's courtiers got very decadent, there was enough of a service and honor mentality to hold the Empire together longer than any loyalty to the Republic would have. Granted that Rome would have remained the military power of europe during that time, I think that without Caesar and empire (even a delayed empire) the rich would have gone off the deep end and acted very much like the Etruscans.

     

    All of this is IMHO and speculative. It may fall apart like a house of cards...but that's what discussions are for :)

  7. ...

    So in regards to your comments, it is well known Hannibal had great strategic genius, and it is highly likely that if he had been supplied with his reinforcements, he could have taken Rome. You forget that much of southern Italy turned to his side at one point or antoher, and by cutting off Rome, he would be cutting Rome off from any of it's allies. Basically the only reason that the war was lost was because of Hanno the Great and his anti-war party and their refusal to reinforce Hannibal. Hanno the Great was nothing but a dirty traitor. Would Scipio Africanus's victories have meant anything if Rome had fallen? Carthage would be the undisputed master of the Mediterranean.

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    So what do others think? I tend to agree with fdgh here...Hannibal didn't fail, Carthage did.

     

    I have two questions with a seige of Rome by Hannibal.

    1)Was Hannibal really lacking engineers? There should have been ones available from the sympathetic southern cities. Materials available on site too. Was this a real problem?

    2)Would sacking Rome been enough to stop Rome? I think that only the stone by stone destruction that Rome did to Carthage would work. Would Hannibal or Carthage carry out this destruction? I don't think so. Carthage would want any economy gain it could get from Rome after the defeat of Rome.

  8. I might. Right now, only the 'Citizen' group can create galleries. This can be done by following the 'My Controls' link in the header.

     

    EDIT: I've added a direct link to the Gallery controls from the Gallery.

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    Smooth and easy. Good job. Thanks Moonlapse!

    ....now to get some stuff worthwhile so I can post more....*grumble*

  9. I take it you aren't going to do combat demonstrations, just march and display right? Windless/Atlanta Cutlery makes some good looking stuff, but it can take forever to get if it isn't a popular item.

     

    Also Del Tin makes good stuff, and used to be good prices even with overseas shipping. Haven't order from them in years so I don't know how they are now.

  10. A sidenote: I remember watching Michael Wood in "In Search of the Trojan War" talking to an older woman archeologist about the dating of various Mycenean sites and digs in that part of the world in general. The dialogue, paraphrased because my memory is fuzzed a bit, goes something like this:

     

    Wood: "So, vital information about soil composition and texture as well as the depth of the artifacts help determine age?

     

    Lady: "As well as the artifacts found around them."

     

    Wood: " Erosion is a big problem on hill sides, as well as agriculture?"

     

    Lady: "Yes they are and the big thing that causes layer shifting problems in the Agean..."

     

    Wood: "Earthquakes."

     

    Lady: " Moles."

     

    Wood: (Looks let-down, like a boy told he didn't get what he wanted for christmas)

     

    Lady: "They dig underneath and things sink down through their tunnels. Sometimes more than three feet in a heavily populated area."

    :(

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