Societas Via Romana - Discussion Archives

Posted: **Wed Oct 22, 2003 4:37 am**

OK, I'll bite. Are these three "every-day" Romans or three who would be recognized, at least by historians? Hmm, do we know of any three historical Romans who just disappeared (to be rediscovered, presumably frozen in the Alps, in the 21st century)?

It seems like most of the ones that I've read about were murdered. Roman history sometimes seems like an Italian opera; everyone has been killed or has committed suicide by the end.

Tergestus

Posted: **Thu Oct 23, 2003 1:30 am**

Ave, Tergeste!

Definitely the everyday type; well...everyday military, or how would they have gotten themselves in their respective fixes? [wink]

Two regular Legionaries and a Military Tribune...how's that for ordinary? The Legionaries may be recognizeable to those of you who were ever on my [RomanOutpost] List at Yahoo: one (based on my RenFaire persona) stepped through a fairy circle in Britain and wound up several centuries ahead of himself; one still sleeps very near Rome itself, a victim of his family name (see my entry on the Fulvii in the CollHist), and maintained by an Egyptian potion. The Brit, no slouch, has taken up with a local reenactor group; his Commander thinks he's just another hobbyist, one with some strange ideas, perhaps, but his kit is passable so he'll do. >({|;-)

I haven't decided where to put the Trib yet; at first he was going to be experiencing the Big Chill, but that's been done (in an intriguing book called The Far Arena by Richard ben Sapir--a so-so science-fiction story, but the Roman bits [about half the book] are wonderful).

That they are all in the Legions is just 'cause it's me doing the writing, and that's what I know. I am Roman and I am (ex-)military, and this has been incubating since before my retirement. But other than their army status, they are just-plain-Romans, as befits my training as a historical cultural anthropologist, which just means 'silly person who wants to know what Life Was Like Back Then'. What's more, they're from slightly different eras--they don't know each other, never did. I, otoh, have known them for years; that part of the story will feel like writing the biographies of some close friends.

Is good?

Posted: **Thu Oct 23, 2003 3:36 pm**

I like it. The miles who joins the reenactment group is a nice touch. How does he explain his (presumably) poor English? What does he say that he does between reenactments? I vote for foreign exchange student.

That brings up an interesting question: have you thought about how these guys would make a living in the modern world? What skills did Roman soldiers have that could make money today? Of course, one could cheat and say that a soldier came from a glass-making family, for example. There are some Roman pieces that have not been equalled by today's best handcraftsmen. But apart from that, what could a legionnaire do today besides dig ditches?

There was a Heinlein SF story ("Have Spacesuit, Will Travel"?) that included a Roman who had been kidnapped by ETs as an example of the human race (which was being evaluated by a galactic council). You could consider something similar with the Roman being released (or better, escaping) but millenia after his abduction.

This is starting to sound like a book or at least like a screenplay. Remember your friends at SVR when you are rich!

Posted: **Fri Oct 24, 2003 1:52 am**

In reply to your query on what a modern-day Legionary might find to do with himself, I repost this little goodie from the Roman Humor (CollArt) thread; it mentions several possibilities...

This was the first thing I ever posted to an Internet newsgroup. ('Twas back in July of '95.) The group was alt.test; I was in college in the San Francisco bay area; and, as I have Roman reenactor gear, I did at least flirt with making this actually happen. Enjoy...

Testing...unum, duo, tres...

There have recently been numerous sightings of Roman Legionaries in and around the Bay Area. They have been encountered on AC Transit buses, BART trains, local college campuses, and, in one unfortunate incident, on the High Street Bridge going into Alameda. (The soldier in question, one Horatius, was holding the bridge against all comers.)

Local reaction has been mixed. The Christian Right is in an uproar, due to the Romans' pagan beliefs and alleged involvement in the infamous Calvary Incident. However, the Legionaries (known colloquially as "Marius' Mules" for their carrying capacity) have become quite popular with local roadworkers and survey teams. Apparently they are hiring themselves out as engineers, carpenters, laborers, freelance security, Latin tutors and Western Civ study-buddies. At least one of them is rumored to have hit the lecture circuit.

More on this as it develops...

(Anybody for attempting a follow-up...?) >({|8-)

In amicitia,

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2003 9:12 pm**

Salvete Omnes,

Corn. Moravius Laureatus wrote:Not a new idea but perhaps one that can help some of us : When talking about a particular subject can the author quote his/her sources so that the interested reader can further his learning of the said topics.
Names of books and their authors, videos, movies or whatever else (even teachers at uni) would be welcome. Remember that some of us, however hard we try, do not possess a classical education and could use some guidance as to where to start when digging books at the local library...

This could even be turned into a virtual biblioteca where documents could be commented by whoever has read them...

I like this idea a lot. I've already tried to gather most of the books mentioned in a few posts but this is however, very difficult to do.

I don't know if we can start immediately with reviewing the books, but we can start listing them. Perhaps we can even create a seperate book page for each collegium then?

Marius Peregrinus wrote:
There have recently been numerous sightings of Roman Legionaries in and around the Bay Area. They have been encountered on AC Transit buses, BART trains, local college campuses, and, in one unfortunate incident, on the High Street Bridge going into Alameda. (The soldier in question, one Horatius, was holding the bridge against all comers.)

Local reaction has been mixed. The Christian Right is in an uproar, due to the Romans' pagan beliefs and alleged involvement in the infamous Calvary Incident. However, the Legionaries (known colloquially as "Marius' Mules" for their carrying capacity) have become quite popular with local roadworkers and survey teams. Apparently they are hiring themselves out as engineers, carpenters, laborers, freelance security, Latin tutors and Western Civ study-buddies. At least one of them is rumored to have hit the lecture circuit.

More on this as it develops... [/color]

I can't wait for the next part Marius!

Valete bene,

Posted: **Sat May 01, 2004 10:53 pm**

Avete amici!

All my best ideas seem to have happened a long time ago, knowhuddimean? I just remembered one of 'em, and came rushing out to the Library to share it with ya's. Been's ya ready?

This was for a Roman screen saver, very similar to the "Bad Dog" module in Berkeley Systems' After Dark series. This one would be called Rotten Rowdy Romans! On the basic 'saver, Legionaries in various formations would march across a variable terrain. They could do drills and maneuvers, changing from column to line to cuneus and back again, or exploring the intricacies of the 'sawtooth' movement.

An advanced version might have them laying siege to the icons on your desktop!, rolling up assault towers, chucking pila and firing arrows at things (if an icon gets hit, it temporarily derezzes), and so on.

And we don't have to leave the civilians out of it either; imagine one lone pleb idling away at the bottom of your screen, then suddenly startling and bugging out--to be followed (chased!) by (take your pick) his ex, a bunch of loose arena critters, a political mob from the other faction, the vigiles blowing their whistles (just so the average chump will know that a vigil is a cop), or...? Your imaginations are as good as mine!

I have no idea who we could get to program such a thing, assuming we wanted to; I lack the necessary skills myself. But it's fun to think about, nonne?

In amicitia (and share mode),

Posted: **Sun May 02, 2004 12:27 am**

I like the idea of a Sceensaver(if we could find someone to make it). Also
good quality Wallpapers and Themes for both Mac's and PC's. Idea's for
Wallpaper could be "A Senator speaking in the Forum", "A Roman DI in front of Army recruits", "various types of Gladiators fighting". Any graphic
designers out there? Hello? Any designers around?

Posted: **Sun May 02, 2004 4:54 am**

Marius Peregrinus wrote:In reply to your query on what a modern-day Legionary might find to do with himself, I repost this little goodie from the Roman Humor (CollArt) thread; it mentions several possibilities...

This was the first thing I ever posted to an Internet newsgroup. ('Twas back in July of '95.) The group was alt.test; I was in college in the San Francisco bay area; and, as I have Roman reenactor gear, I did at least flirt with making this actually happen. Enjoy...

Testing...unum, duo, tres...

There have recently been numerous sightings of Roman Legionaries in and around the Bay Area. They have been encountered on AC Transit buses, BART trains, local college campuses, and, in one unfortunate incident, on the High Street Bridge going into Alameda. (The soldier in question, one Horatius, was holding the bridge against all comers.)

Local reaction has been mixed. The Christian Right is in an uproar, due to the Romans' pagan beliefs and alleged involvement in the infamous Calvary Incident. However, the Legionaries (known colloquially as "Marius' Mules" for their carrying capacity) have become quite popular with local roadworkers and survey teams. Apparently they are hiring themselves out as engineers, carpenters, laborers, freelance security, Latin tutors and Western Civ study-buddies. At least one of them is rumored to have hit the lecture circuit.

More on this as it develops...

(Anybody for attempting a follow-up...?) >({|8-)

In amicitia,

Posted: **Wed May 05, 2004 2:10 am**

Avete iterum, amici!

I excavated my original notes for the Roman screensaver and (re-)discovered that I had also been thinking of having a construction crew go around building roads and putting up City walls, aqueducts, temples and monuments all over your desktop.

We Sons of the She-Wolf do leave our tracks, don't we? Something tells me the Ancients would have approved highly of the development of the railroad. (Marius loves trains.)

Pullin' out of the station,

Posted: **Sat Jun 05, 2004 2:16 pm**

Salvete omnes!

I was reading through this post and wondered if anything had come of some of the ideas; I particularly like the idea (I think it was Marius Peregrinus') of a bracelet of some sort with our "favorite" Roman's name on it. I would, of course, choose Cato the Censor :-)

Also the idea of a book list, as I've seen several different threads in which members mention books they particularly like (or DISlike).
Also, can I add a name just because I want to? I'm thinking Gaius Equitius Cato Novoeboricensis ("the New Yorker")...?

OOOH! Also, how can I get in touch with other members who live in the Center of The Known Universe, the modern caput mundi, NYC? I'm thinking it'd be fun to get together, perhaps toga-clad, and do some socializing?

valete,[/i]

Societas Via Romana - Discussion Archives

Idea Factory

Dem Romans

What's a Legionary good for...?

Rotten Rowdy Romans, the Screensaver!

Re: What's a Legionary good for...?

More flavor for the 'saver