Roman Culture

[ZRT]

Holy shit, thank you.

My knowledge of Roman poetry is as extensive as my knowledge of all things HBO. Which is to say, nonexistent!

Seriously, check out the Rome series. It tends to wallow in soap opera and gratuitous decadence beyond what serves the story, but there is some excellent acting and it's a fun watch.

And yeah, it's fairly historywood, but still cool.

 

[JMohegan]

Seriously, check out the Rome series. It tends to wallow in soap opera and gratuitous decadence beyond what serves the story, but there is some excellent acting and it's a fun watch.

And yeah, it's fairly historywood, but still cool.

From the comments here, it sounds great. I just don't subscribe to HBO.

It's a series, not a film? How many hours total? I wonder if they made a DVD.

 

[ZRT]

From the comments here, it sounds great. I just don't subscribe to HBO.

It's a series, not a film? How many hours total? I wonder if they made a DVD.

23 episodes spanning two seasons, and yes, there is a DVD set and you should be able to rent it at most outlets, too.

First season was better, but second season had the best Antony moments.

 

[JMohegan]

23 episodes spanning two seasons, and yes, there is a DVD set and you should be able to rent it at most outlets, too.

First season was better, but second season had the best Antony moments.

Thanks, I'll look for it next time I pass Blockbuster.

 

[satindesire]

And they had dog bakery shops!

Nu-UH! THEY invented doggy treats?!

How effing cool is -that-?

 

[ZRT]

I take it that everybody agrees that those Gaul bitches had it coming.

 

[Arkhilokhus]

Nu-UH! THEY invented doggy treats?!

How effing cool is -that-?

Yep! There's one preserved in Pompeii.

 

[satindesire]

Yep! There's one preserved in Pompeii.

Duuude, I love that. That is so awesome.

What did they make the dog treats out of? Anyone know?



.......



And if anyone says "Christians" I'm gonna stab 'em. In the eye.

 

[Arkhilokhus]

Duuude, I love that. That is so awesome.

What did they make the dog treats out of? Anyone know?



.......



And if anyone says "Christians" I'm gonna stab 'em. In the eye.

They were baked. I think that's all we know.

Actually, the dog bakeries were taken as a sign by some Roman traditionalists that the Romans had gotten soft. But then, you always had a couple Cato's in every generation. I'm sure Romulus had to put up with some guy whining about the good old days in Troy, too.

 

[satindesire]

They were baked. I think that's all we know.

Actually, the dog bakeries were taken as a sign by some Roman traditionalists that the Romans had gotten soft. But then, you always had a couple Cato's in every generation. I'm sure Romulus had to put up with some guy whining about the good old days in Troy, too.

I like the idea of a pet-pampering base business. I get organic kitty cat treats for my babies online.

They said "Dog treats=weak military"?

Um..sure, that makes...sense...kinda. In a that-doesn't-make-any-sense way.

*blink!*

Roman people were weird. :-/

 

[Arkhilokhus]

They spent their first six hundred years pretty much constantly at war. Sudden peace kinda messed with their heads.

 

[ZRT]

I like the idea of a pet-pampering base business. I get organic kitty cat treats for my babies online.

They said "Dog treats=weak military"?

Um..sure, that makes...sense...kinda. In a that-doesn't-make-any-sense way.

*blink!*

Roman people were weird. :-/

It was taken as a symptom, not a cause. You have to understand, when Rome started expanding it basically exploded outward very far and very fast. A lot of people get very rich in a big hurry, and the sense of public duty that saw pleb and patrician sharing the risks on the battlefield evaporated. The wealthy became more interested in the pleasures to be had from their wealth than in public service, and the plebs were being bought off by largess from the public treasury. Add into this the incredible number of slaves brought into the system, to the point where they had to invent spurious tasks just to keep their slaves occupied.

In that context, the view was that having the sort of lazy wealth that allowed one to pamper their pets as though they were people was viewed as a symptom that the entire society was getting soft and decadent. Given that the loss of public spirit led to the ever-increasing employment of barbarians to defend the Empire, barbarians who eventually ended up running and ruining the Empire, one can see the point they were making.

One has to remember that Rome was encircled by enemies and needed a strong military to survive. Now, a lot of those enemies were of their own making, but this was also a time when wars, population pressures, and greed would routinely drive nomadic tribes from the east through western Europe, pillaging whatever was in their way.

 

[satindesire]

It was taken as a symptom, not a cause. You have to understand, when Rome started expanding it basically exploded outward very far and very fast. A lot of people get very rich in a big hurry, and the sense of public duty that saw pleb and patrician sharing the risks on the battlefield evaporated. The wealthy became more interested in the pleasures to be had from their wealth than in public service, and the plebs were being bought off by largess from the public treasury. Add into this the incredible number of slaves brought into the system, to the point where they had to invent spurious tasks just to keep their slaves occupied.

In that context, the view was that having the sort of lazy wealth that allowed one to pamper their pets as though they were people was viewed as a symptom that the entire society was getting soft and decadent. Given that the loss of public spirit led to the ever-increasing employment of barbarians to defend the Empire, barbarians who eventually ended up running and ruining the Empire, one can see the point they were making.

One has to remember that Rome was encircled by enemies and needed a strong military to survive. Now, a lot of those enemies were of their own making, but this was also a time when wars, population pressures, and greed would routinely drive nomadic tribes from the east through western Europe, pillaging whatever was in their way.

Okay, I can see that.

Man, America better watch out for the god-damn mongolians!

http://media.southparkstudios.com/img/content/season6/611.jpg

 

[ZRT]

Actually, it's the Swiss that I fear.

Neutrality my ass. They're coming, and soon.

 

[JMohegan]

Actually, it's the Swiss that I fear.

Neutrality my ass. They're coming, and soon.

Nothing neutral about aiding and abetting tax cheats.

 

[ZRT]

Nothing neutral about aiding and abetting tax cheats.

Thank Sol Invictus that I'm not the only one who sees this menace.

 

[Arkhilokhus]

Well, if the Senators would stop allowing themselves to be corrupted by the moneylenders and enact true agrarian reform, civil strike could be avoided. And no enemy can withstand the united might of the Senate and the Roman People!

 

[Netzach]

Pardon my ignorance, but I'm wondering what this is.

Catullus.

The one they didn't make us do in class. *snicker*

 

[ZRT]

Well, if the Senators would stop allowing themselves to be corrupted by the moneylenders and enact true agrarian reform, civil strike could be avoided. And no enemy can withstand the united might of the Senate and the Roman People!

Hey look everybody! Gladiators in castoff Samnite armor hacking each other to bits! Yeah, run over here and be distracted!

...suckers.

 

[Netzach]

Sian Phillips in I, Claudius, is sublime.

 

[Netzach]

They spent their first six hundred years pretty much constantly at war. Sudden peace kinda messed with their heads.

And the lead aqueducts.

 

[JMohegan]

Catullus.

The one they didn't make us do in class. *snicker*

I guess not.

What were his other poems about?

 

[Arkhilokhus]

I guess not.

What were his other poems about?

Lesbia, mostly, who was almost certainly actually a noblewoman named Clodia. They apparently had something of a torrid affair.

Lesbia laughs me to scorn all day and is never silent.
But, may I die else, I swear, Lesbia loves me alone.
How can I know? I am like her. I laugh her to scorn all the day through.
But, may I die else, I swear, Lesbia only I love.

But later:

Oh, you are evil. Yet what life awaits you now -
Who now will go to you? To whom will you seem fair?
Whom will you love now - swear that you are his alone?
Whom kiss and kissing keenly, hotly, bite his lips?
But you, Catullus, come, an end. Make hard your heart.

And his last words, after a public trial involving Clodia and a new lover named Caelius:

Caelius, Lesbia - she, our Lesbia - Oh, that
only Lesbia, whom Catullus only
loved as never himself and all his dearest,
now on highways and byways seeks her lovers,
strips all Rome's noble great-souled sons of their money.

 

[ZRT]

There is nothing in this world that quite compares to elegantly delivered venom and bile. I'd salute this man, were he alive today.

 

[Sir_Winston54]

Actually, it's the Swiss that I fear.

Neutrality my ass. They're coming, and soon.

Nothing neutral about aiding and abetting tax cheats.

Not to mention that cheese thing. I mean, how do you make a decent grilled cheese sammich with all those bigass holes in it? You end up just munching on parts that are just grilled bread!