YOUR favourite Roman emperor... vote here!

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Which emperor, from this selection, was, according to you, the most capable ruler?

Augustus
9
30%
Claudius
2
6%
Vespasianus
5
16%
Titus
1
3%
Traianus
2
6%
Hadrianus
3
10%
Antoninus Pius
0
No votes
Marcus Aurelius
5
16%
Septimius Severus
0
No votes
Diocletianus
1
3%
Constantinus ("the Great")
0
No votes
The most capable emperor's not on this list
2
6%
All of them were equally (in)competent
0
No votes
 
Total votes : 30

Postby Curio Agelastus on Wed Sep 01, 2004 12:26 am

Salvete omnes,

Just to get this topic back on track: TIBEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRIUUUS! Why haven't you got Tiberius??? :evil:

**Without giving any more explanation of this comment, Curio sniggers and walks away again.**
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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Wed Sep 01, 2004 10:30 am

Tiberius was evil and ugly, just like you. And Draco don't like no ugly Romans. 8)

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Last edited by Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Quintus Pomponius Atticus on Wed Sep 01, 2004 1:23 pm

What's the matter with you, mi Draco ? Why so cheeky ?

Vale,

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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:04 pm

Why, Scribonian rebels are not be treated kindly ;).

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Postby Curio Agelastus on Wed Sep 01, 2004 10:57 pm

Salve Draco,

Gnæus Dionysius Draco wrote:Why, Scribonian rebels are not be treated kindly ;).


And what of Dionysian tyrants who are unaware of even the most basic nuances of English grammar? :P

As for Tiberius' evilness, well I think that's highly open to dispute. As for his ugliness, well amice I never looked at him in that way. 8)

Bene vale,
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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Thu Sep 02, 2004 12:08 am

Salve Curio,

Marcus Scribonius Curio wrote:And what of Dionysian tyrants who are unaware of even the most basic nuances of English grammar? :P


The English Inquisition is born 8).

Marcus Scribonius Curio wrote:As for Tiberius' evilness, well I think that's highly open to dispute. As for his ugliness, well amice I never looked at him in that way. 8)


LOL, ok. Back to serious topics then.

Well, I have to agree with you. I don't think he was all that "evil". In a nutshell, I believe his bad image is largely thanks to Seianus and what his cronies did in Rome while he was away feasting in Capri.

Vale!
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Postby Curio Agelastus on Thu Sep 02, 2004 12:38 am

Salve Draco,

Gnæus Dionysius Draco wrote:The English Inquisition is born 8).


Mwahahahahaha! Long shall the world tremble in terror and agony! 8)

Gnæus Dionysius Draco wrote:Well, I have to agree with you. I don't think he was all that "evil". In a nutshell, I believe his bad image is largely thanks to Seianus and what his cronies did in Rome while he was away feasting in Capri.


Wow, someone agrees with me... That's rare. But you've just stated my exact justification for why he wasn't one of the worse emperors. And then all you have to do is look at any task to which he applied himself personally (Both before and after he became emperor) to see how capable he was.

Bene vale,
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Postby Anonymous on Thu Sep 02, 2004 1:29 pm

Salvete!!

About Tiberius:
( 0v~) Misunderstooded, underestimated and the heart crashed emperor, poor tiberius!

Seianus ascension to "Praefectus Praetori (or praetorianus"( right latin?)) was the Tiberius best and worst mistaken act! Regardless that, i agree with the last opinions about him...

Julianus??? Interesting one, i think he was a good emperor and have a very sucesfully military campaign in the Galia(s), perhaps he's falt was just to be a little inocent in his attempts to bring back the old roman religion ways... The christians was just too strong and was high positioned in army's ranks in Julianus times. I think that was the main cause of the misterious death of Julianus. Shame on old christians...

Valete!!!

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VERBA VOLANT, SCRIPTUM MANENT...
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Postby Curio Agelastus on Fri Sep 03, 2004 12:14 am

Salve Invicte,

I agree entirely. How very strange... Normally I'd have to argue for half an hour just to persuade people that Tiberius wasn't an evil monster... but here a whole two people actually agree with the basic principle of myargument, and the very least. Ooh that breaks my record for how many people have ever agreed with something I've said. :lol:

Bene vale,
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Postby Anonymous on Fri Sep 03, 2004 12:38 pm

Salve Quirite!

Tyberius was an excellent general, the best of his generation...
In consideration for whats happened and how he was treated or mistreated by his family, the "populus romanum" and the "nobilitas", his cruelty and evilness was totally justified...
And we must remember that the title "Bad emperor" or "good emperor" was given by the senate's point of view, not the entire "populus romanum"...( equites, plebis, and so on...)

Vale Quirite!

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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Fri Sep 03, 2004 2:55 pm

Salve Invicte!

L. CLAVDIVS INVICTVS wrote:Salve Quirite!


I think the singular of "Quirites" is "Quiritis".

L. CLAVDIVS INVICTVS wrote:Tyberius was an excellent general, the best of his generation... In consideration for whats happened and how he was treated or mistreated by his family, the "populus romanum" and the "nobilitas", his cruelty and evilness was totally justified...


I wouldn't say being maltreated gives one the right of becoming a bastard. However, circumstances for Tiberius certainly weren't favourable. It is also said that he became princeps slightly against his will.

L. CLAVDIVS INVICTVS wrote:And we must remember that the title "Bad emperor" or "good emperor" was given by the senate's point of view, not the entire "populus romanum"...( equites, plebis, and so on...)


Correct. The view we have is that of the elite, talking as the elite. Many people forget that.

It is "Populus Romanus" (Roman people) or "Populus Romanorum" (People of the Romans), however.

L. CLAVDIVS INVICTVS wrote:Verba volant, scriptum manent


I really don't mean to crack down on you here (so, no offence intended), but it's "scripta" (plural of scriptum) in this saying. Otherwise, a nice saying. It used to be in the signature of one of my e-mail addresses :).

Optime vale!
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Postby Quintus Pomponius Atticus on Fri Sep 03, 2004 3:47 pm

Salve Draco,

I think the singular of "Quirites" is "Quiritis".


I think not, amice. "Quirites" has no singular, belonging to the so-called "pluralia tantum".

Vale,

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Postby Anonymous on Fri Sep 03, 2004 3:49 pm

Salvete Attice ( is that right? )et Draco!


.....and thank you for the insighted tips!

And of course, no offense taken....

Valete !!


post scriptum: Populus Romanorum: Verba volant, scripta manent
( better? )
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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Fri Sep 03, 2004 4:38 pm

Quintus Pomponius Atticus wrote:Salve Draco,

I think the singular of "Quirites" is "Quiritis".


I think not, amice. "Quirites" has no singular, belonging to the so-called "pluralia tantum".

Vale,

Atticus


Yes, that's why I said "I think" :).

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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Fri Sep 03, 2004 4:39 pm

L. CLAVDIVS INVICTVS wrote:Salvete Attice ( is that right? )et Draco!


.....and thank you for the insighted tips!

And of course, no offense taken....

Valete !!


post scriptum: Populus Romanorum: Verba volant, scripta manent
( better? )


Great! ;)

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Postby Quintus Pomponius Atticus on Fri Sep 03, 2004 4:43 pm

Salvete Attice ( is that right? )et Draco!


Right it is. :wine:

Atticus takes off his scarlet cloak, mitre and inquisitorial insignia and smilingly walks into the weekend, gently closing the massive wooden door of the 'sancti officii' behind his back. :lol:

Vale !
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Postby Marcus Pomponius Lupus on Fri Sep 03, 2004 4:45 pm

Salvete,

Concerning Quirites, there was a discussion about it recently on Latinae (http://www.societasviaromana.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=841)

Let me quote myself:

As for Quirites, there actually is a singular form, but it's rarely used. Just like castrum and moenium, this word is the basis from which came Quirites and can almost only be found in early Latin.

The singular form is Quiris (genitive : Quiritis and so Quirites is the normal plural form) and means Roman citizen.


Valete bene
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Postby Quintus Pomponius Atticus on Fri Sep 03, 2004 5:10 pm

Salve Lupe,

It appears you're right. Lewis and Short dictionary indeed mentions the singular "quiris", although a search in all the texts on Perseus Project strangely turned out no instances of "quiris" occuring. At "The Latin Library" I did an internal search with Google and found it only in this paragraph of Propertius, where it must've been used as a deliberate archaism :

Arma deus Caesar dites meditatur ad Indos,
et freta gemmiferi findere classe maris.
magna, Quiris, merces: parat ultima terra triumphos
(Propertius, Elegies III.4)


Do you know of any other attestations ?

Btw, I also found out that there's another word "quiris" in Latin which means "spear".

Vale,

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Postby Marcus Pomponius Lupus on Fri Sep 03, 2004 5:33 pm

Salve Attice,

Do you know of any other attestations ?


According to my dictionary, Horatius should have used it, but I couldn't find Quiris at Perseus either. Other than that, I've no idea.

Vale bene
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Postby Cleopatra Aelia on Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:57 pm

After these many posts about the correct usage of Latin I'd like to come back to the Emperor discussion esp. to Julianus:

I read a book by Gore Vidal called "Julian", it's more a novel than a real biography but nonetheless he stuck close to the facts and he'd put a list of the books he refers to at the end. He put Julianus in a way that he had to fight against the administrators who were all supporters of his predecessor Constantius. He appears as a good emperor with bad luck.
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