Romans Everywhere! - Even in China?!

History, archaeology, historiography, peoples, and personalities of ancient Rome and the Mediterranean.

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Ahem...

Postby Aldus Marius on Sat Feb 12, 2005 3:28 am

Cara amica:

The Hadrian coin was not a replica.

Anyone dragging it off to be dated/identified by other means besides the (rather precise) inscription will not be wondering anything else besides (a) my return address and (b) how fast/far you have to run to stay in front of a Flaming Supersonic Pilum.

Fiendish Evil Grin, indeed. >({|;-]

~~~~~~ =========[)-------`~+ )))))))))
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Postby Cleopatra Aelia on Sat Feb 12, 2005 4:54 pm

Ave Mari,

I'm sooooo sorryyyy that I misunderstood you :oops: That's really a pitty that you lost an original coin, that must hurt.

But of course this sheds a new light on the discussion of some one finds this medaillon. Did the Romans come even to Hawaii? If such a loss could happen to you it can of course happen to other collectors as well and therefore those sceptics are right that Roman coins in America might be lost items of collectors.
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The Ultimate Freak-out

Postby Aldus Marius on Sun Feb 13, 2005 2:59 am

Ave iterum, amica!

Actually, a long time ago I had a Truly Fiendish Evil Grin of an idea which I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned here before. I was going to buy some land...well, a lot of land...in Southern Oklahoma and build a Roman living-history park. I had the spot all picked out; seven hills near a bend in the Red River... >({|;-)

There'd be my domus, of course; a reconstructed Legionary fortress with attached reenactor unit; a theater for putting on Classical plays; an ancient-Roman restaurant; a library/museum complex that'd bear more than a passing resemblance to the Temple of Iuppiter on the Capitoline; maybe a hippodrome for chariot-races; and a big open area (Campus Martius) for the kiddos to play Little Legion in the summertime.

The coolest part, as far as I was concerned, would be the staffing: The park would be peopled with full-time reenactors, classical-studies interns, and really anybody else who'd like to take a stab at bein' a Roman for a season or a semester. They'd be housed in proper insulae, good sturdy ones like the ones at Ostia. We'd host SCA and reenactor events, live wargames, live roleplaying games, and maybe a Roman 'Renaissance Faire' once or twice a year. The whole feel of the place would be much more Colonial Williamsburg than Disneyland (the latter phenom I'd wish to avoid entirely if at all possible).

Well, I was broke when I cooked this up, and have been broke and homeless since, and now that I am neither I am entirely too old to get something like that off the ground. But what if it had come to pass? And what would you give to see the looks on the archaeologists' faces when they dig the whole thing up a thousand years from now...?

Talk about 'Romans Everywhere'!

Exiit Laughing,
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Postby Cleopatra Aelia on Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:39 pm

Ave iterum, amice!

That's a cool idea with the Roman living-history park. You would laugh, but actually here in Europe there are several living history parks like that but only focussing either on the Medieval time, the Vikings or the Celts. It could work but only if one has enough manpower and money behind oneself. But why do you think you're too old? Never give up your dream, it might come true one day...
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Postby Q Valerius on Sun Feb 13, 2005 2:34 pm

Heck, I'd come live there. :D
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Roman Living-History Parks

Postby Aldus Marius on Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:32 pm

Salve amica!

Actually, there are a few Roman-History parks in Europe; mine would have been the first of its kind in the United States.

I think I have links to a couple of the European ones; hang on, lemme check...

...Ah! That's where I put it.


"ARCHEON is a living-history park in the Netherlands which includes a Roman section, with a mansion, some reenactors, and a fully-functioning bath-house open to the public. "


Actually, they have a Prehistoric, a Roman, and a Medieval section.

http://www.archeon.nl/lang_uk/intro.htm

The others I was thinking of were reenactor groups (not all of them military!) who have semipermanent access to a fixed site. Do those count...? I think Xanten would, if there were any people in it. And Arbeia Roman Fort in Britain is "home" to Cohors Quinta Gallorum; they even rebuilt the main gate. (Not on top of the original one; mustn't disturb the ruins, y'know. Is that why people let me sleep?) >({|;-)

And, Scerio...? --We'd be glad to have ya!!

It so far,
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Postby P. Scribonius Martialis on Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:12 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gan_Ying

According to the Hou Hanshu, the Chinese history of the later Han dynasty (25-220 CE):

"In the ninth year (97 CE), Ban Chao dispatched his adjutant Gan Ying all the way to the coast of the Western Sea and back. Former generations had never reached any of these places, nor has the Shanhai Jing given any details of them. He made a report on the customs and topography of all these states."


He also describes the Roman practise of democracy, their physical appearance and riches:

"As for the king, he is not a permanent figure but is chosen as the man most worthy... The people in this country are tall and regularly featured. They resemble the Chinese, and that is why the country is called Da Qin (The "Great" Qin)... The soil produced lots of gold, silver and rare jewels, including the jewel which shines at night.. they sew embroidered tissues with gold threads to form tapestries and damask of many colors, and make a gold-painted cloth, and a "cloth washed-in-the-fire" (asbestos)." (Hou Hanshu, cited in Leslie and Gardiner).

Finally Gan Ying determines Rome correctly as the main pole at the western end of the Silk Road:

"It is from this country that all the various marvellous and rare objects of foreign states come." (Hou Hanshu, cited in Leslie and Gardiner).


The Romans resemble the Chinese? Maybe he means the some other ethnic group, since Gan Ying reached only as far as the black sea. Even so, it is quite odd, especially since physical resemblance seems to be what the quote is addressing.

Just out of interest, what were the marvellous and rare objects of foreign states mentioned?
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