Correction

The January "Eagle" Masthead had in it the incorrect Consul's name for his year.  This problem has been dealt with, and you have my apology or this oversight.

Very Respectfully;

Marcus Minucius-Tiberius Audens

Curator Differum -- "Eagle"

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Curator Diferum's Desk

Citizens of Nova Roma,

Recently there has been some discussion (more than usual) about responsible and decent behavior on the Nova Roma Main List.  As a result I have been rather severely chastised, as a Senator, for not publicly objecting to such behavior, even though I have in the past spoken out regarding such, so this is for the new people who do not know me.

Since, the "Eagle" is one of the various forums in Nova Roma which can be useful in discussing such concerns, I thought that perhaps I should address this topic in an Editorial.

The problem with this concern is that there is no set and established rule for decent behavior.  We have our List Moderator's Standards surely and they are good guides to go by, but the real concern is what is "decent?"  Even the same person at different ages may find a great difference in his or her personal behavior, and anger always brings the worst to the surface.  What is "terrible" to me may seem quite inoffensive to another.  What is insulting to me may not be at all insulting to you.  It is a consistent problem in our combined societies and is made even more difficult by the changing values between generations. A deadly insult in one society may be an inoffensive gesture in another.  Within the internet the problem is even more pronounced in that tone of voice, facial features / expressions, and body language are not available to evaluate what we hear and say.

However, some standard must be available, and I should like to share with you my idea of acceptable behavior on the internet:

--Remember that everything you say on the Main List goes to many people, and while one person or a small group of people may be interested in what you have to say, probably most are not, therefore consider keeping your message off-line, unless the thrust of the message may be of interest to a majority of Citizens;

--Do not advocate that which the present laws of Nova Roma do not allow, unless the advocation is in the form of a proposal for change to the Senate or Magistrates for the consideration of our elected or appointed officials;

--Treat everyone with the politeness that you would reserve in meeting a perfect stranger on the Main List.  I have heard it said that if you cannot communicate without offensive language, personal attacks, unfounded accusations and insults, then perhaps you simply can't communicate effectively. Remember that each citizen is entitled to their own opinion, and if you wish to change that opinion insulting them or attacking them is extremely unlikely to change anyone's mind.

--Stay above insults and attacks by not returning them.  If the purpose of the attacker was to draw you into a fight, then you have foiled his aims, and if that was not his purpose, it will serve as a reminder that expression in a courteous way is the art of a gentleman or a lady.

The problem here is that those who engage in the kind of behavior that my friends and constituents have had to put up with, are unlikely to change their ways unless there is an outcry against such to the extent that no-one can ignore it.  True, it is easier simply to disconnect from the Main List, but that smacks of giving up, and I think that the Citizens of Nova Roma are much better than that.  Shall we leave our Main List to those who do not understand proper behavior or shall we work together to do something about it.  The choice, as always, is yours.

Very Respectfully;

Marcus Minucius-Tiberius Audens

Curator Differum -- "Eagle"

Senator and ProConsul        

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Nova Roma Happy Birthdays for Assidui Citizens (February)

Antonius Minicius Ferrarius, Lucius Salix Cicero, Marcus Flavius Aurelius, Lucilla Cornelia Cinna,
Violentilla Titinia Saltatrix, Marianus Adrianus Sarus, Servius Fidelius Longinus, Lucius Sergius Australicus,
Marcus Marcius Rex, Marcus Bianchius Antonius, Hadrianus Arminius Hyacinthus, Aula Decia Lapella,
Primia Titinia Floriana, Gratia Equitia Marina, Sextus Arminius Remus, Manius Villius Limitanus,
Servius Velius Germanicus

Nova Roma Anniversaries for Assidui Citizens

These citizens are celebrating the anniversary of their Citizenship in Nova Roma in January and February:

Happy Anniversary January
1999:       Prima Fabia Drusila , Marcus Cornelius Felix

2000:       Raina Cornelia Valeria Iuliana Aeternia, Pompeia Cornelia Strabo

2001:       Lucius Salix Cicero, Gnaeus Salix Galaicus, Sextus Arminius Remus, Lentulus Cornelius Drusus,

                Gnaeus Aeneas Appollonius Indicus, Gaius Marcius Coriolanus

2002 :      Renata Corva Cantrix, Marcus Iulius Perusianus, Aurelia Iulia Pulcra, Tiberius Galerius Paulinus,

            Numerius Cassius Niger, Gaius Cornelius Ahenobarbus

2003:       Iulius Aemilius Felsinus, Annia Minucia-Tiberia Sempronia, Hedea Bianchia Dryantilla,

                Gaius Ursus Casca, Gaia Flavia Aureliana, Secundus Avisius Apollinarius, Livia Cornelia Hibernia

Happy Anniversary February

2001:       Gaius Popillius Laenas, Marianus Adrianus Sarus, Marcus Durmius Sisena,

            Petrus Domitianus Artorinus Longinus, Seia Silvania Atia, Claudius Salix Davianus

2002 :      Gallus Tullius Cato, Livia Cornelia Serena, Petrus Silvius Naso, Tiberius Minicius Catulus,
                Gaius Lanius Falco,

                Quintus Galerius Britannicus, Caius Minucius-Tiberius Scaevola

2003 :      Lucius Suetonius Nerva, Placidia Prisca, Laecus Galerius Felix, Aulus Arminius Cotta,
            Lucius Arminius Cotta,

                Lucius Metellus Berkeliensis, Galla Cassia

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Carthago

by Manivs Constantinvs Serapio

Excavations are in course at the boundaries of Julia Concordia Carthago, founded by Caesar in 44B.C. in the ruins of the Punic City.  Here there is a monumental system of cisterns.

It is the largest cover water reserve of the ancient world yet discovered. It is composed of sixteen rectangular cisterns, whose total capacity is approximately 1,800,810 cubic feet.  The complex is in line with the main axis of the Rural Centurianization. Dominus Praefectus Serapio obtained permission to make the following copies of the plans made during the archaeological work being done in the area. Near the complex there is the "waterworks of Zayhuan," built between 146 and 159 A.D.  The archaeological team found the following remains as well: Via Pomerianius (rebuilt many times); Propylaem (gateway) of the Age of Adrianus; and other public buildings between the Circus and the Cisterns, such as the Baths.

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The Art of War

by Marcus Minucius-Tiberius Audens

Your comments are invited on this idea both from a Roman Military Application or from a Business Application.  Your comments will be reprinted here in the coming months.

"The Art of War --Ancient Military Strategy for Modern Business," Sun Tzu:

--Reliance on intelligence alone results in rebelliousness;

--Exercise of humanness alone results in weakness;

--Fixation on trust results in folly;

--Dependence on strength and courage results in violence;

When one has all five virtues together, each appropriate in it's function. then one can be a military leader."

Chapter 1 -- "On Assessments"

"You conceal your strategy in order to be able to exert this much energy all at once."

Chapter 7 -- "Armed Struggle

"In battle, confrontation is done directly, victory is gained by surprise."

Chapter 5 -- "Strategic Advance

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LEGION XXIV MEDIA ATLANTIA

Defending the Frontiers of Ancient Rome and Nova Roma
in the Mid-Atlantic Province of North America

First to Advance Last to Retreat

Looking for more than just a Few Good Romans!

www . legionxxiv.org - legionxxiv @ comcast.net

Gallio Velius Marsallas, Praefectus – Commander

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Rhine River Patrol, Part 6

Summoning a passing litter, Marcus got the woman into it.  The woman's arm was beginning to swell and he told her to hold it carefully, and hen he turned to the Litter-Master, a tall muscular bald-headed man who had picked up the woman and laid her gently into the litter.

"Take the lady immediately to the dockyard surgeon, give him this message," he said digging out a small tablet and scribbling hastily on it.  "Wait for me there, here is half of your fee, the other half when you get there.  I will make the wait worth your while.  Do you understand?"  The large man bobbed his head and bowed slightly, then turning he grasped one of the long handles and silently gave the signal to lift and then to move.  As the litter moved off, Marcus wondered if the big man was not possibly a mute.

Within just a half glass he found another litter and followed the lady to the dockyard.  The first litter men were waiting for him and he paid his litter man, as well as the other leader the remaining half of the fee plus a large tip.  As they moved off, he walked into the heavy timber hospital just behind and one side of the Principia.  He walked through the hospital and into the Main Surgery.  The surgery was lamp lit and three braziers glowed warmly around the room,  There were also several benches along the wall for those awaiting treatment.  The surgery was a warm and comfortable place which belied the pain and discomfort often found here.  As he entered the surgery, he noticed it's warmth with appreciation and he saw the lady was lying on one of the surgery tables.  One of the "capsarii" (Medical orderly) was measuring her arm for splints, while another washed her wounds from a basin of warm water that had been heating on a grill over one of the braziers.  A jar of vinegar stood beside him for use as an antiseptic.  At the head of the table was the senior surgeon at the hospital, Flavius Dinius.  He looked up at Marcus as he came in, nodded and said sharply to a third man standing nearby," I want ephedon powder, a verdigris dressing and a half-dose of opium, I'm going to half to stitch this,"  He gestured toward a slightly seeping wound on the side of the woman's head that Marcus had not noticed before.  That lady must have had a rough time of it, with that shopkeeper, he thought, as he sought one of the benches until the senior surgeon had time for him.  Usually, junior officers were strict in their military courtesy, but Flavius' patients came before protocol, and his skill allowed this small breech.  Marcus sat on the bench and let the tiredness seep out of his limbs, and watched carefully as they tended the lady.  The third capsarii returned with a wooden tray holding the dressing, two glass vials and needles and catgut thread.  They helped the woman drink the contents of one of the vials, and as soon as the woman relaxed, the team set to work.

As the medical team finished with the woman her arm was splinted securely and wrapped across her stomach in a comfortable position. She had a bandage on the stitched cut on the side of her head, and her scratches and bruises had been washed and gently swabbed with vinegar.  She was asleep now with the opium and a blanket had been spread over her.  "Take the women into room #3 and put a brazier in there as well," said Flavius, "and have one of the house slaves sit with her.  I want to know when she wakes up."  The orderly nodded and left the room.  The two carsarii lifted the bed carefully off the bench and carried it and the lady out of the surgery.  Flavius washed his hands in the basin and walked over to Marcus and seated himself on the bench.  "She'll be fine now, the break was a clean one and it will heal in time.  I"ll have the room slave get some other clothes for her and wash those she arrived in, if you wish," he said gently to Marcus.

Marcus looked up from the floor.  He was suddenly very tired and said, "no, burn the old clothes and I'll get some new ones.  I guess that's my problem now."  He grinned at Flavius.   "Well, tell me about it, unless you had rather not," said Flavius in a voice of concern.  "You don't look al that good yourself.  You look exhausted.  You want to take a nap here.? Flavius asked, his tone assuming that of a senior surgeon again.

"Uhhhhh, no, but thanks for the offer. I'll get back to my quarters.  I have to send someone out for some things for her and make some living arrangements," Marcus  said with a tired voice.  Flavius smiled, but said nothing.

Later, after sharing some of his adventures with the surgeon, he walked to his office and approached his Optio.  "Paulinus, you have a wife here, right?" he asked.

"Uhhh, why yes sir.  She followed me downriver from Vindonissa when I was transferred. Why?   Is there a problem Sir," replied the Optio with a real concern in his eyes.

"Oh no, I just wondered if she could or would do some shopping for me," said Marcus in a tired voice.

"Sure, I'll tell her right away.  What is it that you need?"  The Optio looked at Marcus a little oddly.  The Navarch generally did not make requests of his staff for personal reasons.

"Just some women's clothes, and whatever a woman, who has little of nothing, needs for the immediate future.  And get someone to clean out the storeroom and put bed and lamp in there for the time being!!" ordered the Navarch.  He was looking more tired by the moment.  Marcus fumbled again in his pouch and found some coins.  "Let me know when this runs out, and I'll get you some more." he said with resignation.

"Uh yes sir, Uhhhhhh when will the lady be coming, uhhh sir," asked the Optio.  This was new stuff and he wanted to get as much of this information as possible.  This was news to share of the best kind with his cronies in the other offices.  There was little else to do besides work, here and as the office Optio he was expected to contribute.  But up to now with the Navarch there hadn't been much to share.

Marcus turned on the Optio and said patiently, "go and see the senior surgeon and ask him when she can come over, He will know who your are speaking about.  Then, deliver the clothes and other things to her and when she is ready bring her over to the storeroom.  Have the Carpenter put a bar on the door from the inside!!!.  Marcus turned to go, "I'll be laying down for a bit," he said in a low voice, and then turned again saying, "and do you think we can keep a lid on this for the moment, until I can straighten it out?"  The Optio nodded his head, with disappointment, and Marcus went into his rooms to consider the events of the day.  The Optio really liked his boss, but gossip was gossip.  He shook his head in disappointment.

Meanwhile Marcus had lain down on his cot.  He had never owned a slave in his life, and now he had one, a woman, wounded at that, and what the devil was he going to do with her???  As these thoughts ran through his head his exhaustion caught up with him and he drifted off to sleep.

To be continued . . .

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“Prefect” & “Praetorian prefect”

from Livius: Articles on Ancient History (http://www.livius.org/home.html)

Prefect: Roman official, appointed by a magistrate or the emperor.

The word praefectus means 'the one who stands in front' (of others). The prefect was an official who was appointed by a magistrate, for a fixed period and a special task (mandatum). Originally, this was a military task; for example, the auxiliary troops were commanded by a prefect, and the praefectus castrorum was the garrison commander. Under the empire, the emperor was the only one who was allowed to appoint prefects; from now on, civil prefects became popular. However, the connection with the military always remained present.

The following prefects of senatorial rank are known:

Praefectus feriarum Latinarum causa. A minor office for a young senator; he represented the consuls during the Latin festival on the Alban mount.

Praefectus frumenti dandi. Four former praetors who were responsible for the distribution of food to the Roman people.

Praefectus aerarii militaris. A former praetor, responsible for the pensions of the legionaries. There were three of them.

Praefectus aerarii Saturni. Two former praetors, whose task it was to guard the state treasury.

Praefectus urbi. A former consul who served as mayor of Rome.

Praefectus alimentorum. A former consul who was responsible for the financial support of orphans.

The following prefects of equestrian rank are known:

Praefectus Aegypti. The governor of Egypt, which was not an ordinary province, but the emperor's personal possession. Usually a former praefectus annonae.

Praefectus annonae. Responsible for the food supply of Rome. His superior was the praefectus urbi.

Praefectus civitatium. This prefect was appointed by the governor of a province to rule a part of it. The most famous example is the praefectus Judaea between 26 and 36: Pontius Pilate.

Praefectus vehiculum. Responsible for the public roads.

Praefectus vigilum. Responsible for Rome 's seven cohorts of firemen.

Praefectus praetorio. 

This magistracy was created by the emperor Augustus, who placed men of the equestrian order in charge of the praetorian cohorts, i.e., his personal guard. The man was called a prefect, a title usually used to describe an official who was appointed for a fixed period and with a special, military task (mandatum). During the following ages, the number of commanders was sometimes one (a.o. under Tiberius), sometimes two, and under Commodus perhaps for a while even three. 

The praetorian prefect had other responsibilities as well. For example, he could be asked to command troops that were (temporarily) garrisoned in Italy (from the third century on, he could even command legionaries). At peace time, the praetorian prefect had certain juridical duties; from Tiberius on, he had to persecute people who were charged with lese majesty and high treason. In the second century, the praetorian prefect was without any doubt in the first place a judge, his military tasks being of secondary importance.

In the third century, he was responsible for appeals against provincial governors, was chairman of a special court, and was a member of the consilium principis (the emperor's advisory board). His judgments were considered to be made by the emperor in person; appeal was impossible. At this time, the praetorian prefect was probably also responsible for the Second legion Parthica, which was garrisoned in Alba near Rome.

Praetorian prefects were regarded as the second man in the empire, and many of them became famous or notorious: Seianus under Tiberius, Burrus under Nero and Plautianus under Septimius Severus. The emperors Titus, Macrinus, Philippus and Carus had been praetorian prefect before they accepted the imperial purple.

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History of Mosaics

by Cesca Daria

It has been called the eternal art form. In its earliest application, the use of mosaics was found in use as ancient pebble floor coverings and as embellishments to buildings in Sumaria where tiles were pushed into clay walls to strengthen and adorn them.

In the main, however, mosaic as an art form covered two principal periods in history: First, the Graeco-Roman period, from Alexander the Great to the fall of Rome during which examples like "The Battle of Isus" (2nd century BC) depicting the famous battle of Alexander against Darius were created. Or, later, the classic 'black and white' mosaics such as Pompeii’s Cave Canem and the polychromatics made under Hadrian’s reign.

Second, the Paleo-Christian and Byzantine period extending from the fall of the Roman Empire around 4^th century AD to the gradual decline of mosaic in the 12th and 13th centuries, during which time polychromatic mosaics and wall and vault glass and gold mosaics reached a pinnacle of excellence.

One thing is certain, however, mosaics reached their height of widespread appreciation during the Roman period when there was not a house in Rome whose inner hall was not covered by mosaic where when the rain fell it both cleaned and enlivened the natural stone colors.

The Art of Mosaic, in one form or another, has been practiced for thousands of years, but mosaic as we know it was invented by the Greeks, who then passed their skills on to the Romans. Many ancient mosaics have survived the ravages of time remarkably well.

The Art of Mosaic, in one form or another, has been practiced for thousands of years, but mosaic as we know it was invented by the Greeks, who then passed their skills on to the Romans. Many ancient mosaics have survived the ravages of time remarkably well. 

In Egypt and Mesopotamia, furniture, small architectural features, and jewelry were occasionally adorned with inset bits of enamel, glass, and colored stone. Early Greek mosaics (5th-4th century b.c.) uncovered at Olynthus were worked in small natural pebbles. The use of cut cubes or tesserae was introduced from the East after the Alexandrian conquest. Roman floor mosaics were based upon Greek examples, and glass mosaics applied to columns, niches, and fountains can be seen at Pompeii. In Italy and the Roman colonies the floor patterns were produced both by large slabs of marble in contrasting colors (opus sectile) and by small marble tesserae (opus tessellatum). The tesserae designs varied from simple geometrical patterns in black and white to huge pictorial arrangements of figures, plants and animals.

Upper-class Romans had an appetite for sumptuous interior decoration. The floors and walls of sprawling private villas, courtyards, and fancy shops were often richly decorated with scenes depicting gods and goddesses, domestic life, exotic beasts, street entertainers, and landscapes. Affluent patrons commissioned frescoes, or Greek-influenced paintings daubed onto wet plaster walls to form a unique, time-resistant effect. Structures were sometimes embellished with trompe l'oeil doors, columns, and still lives to give the illusion of increased space. It was also popular to hire craftsmen to fashion wall and floor mosaics, or paintings created with thousands of finely shaded tesserae cemented with mortar.

The floors of Roman buildings were often richly decorated with mosaics, many capturing scenes of history and everyday life. Some mosaics were bought 'off the shelf' as a standard design, while the wealthy villa owners could afford more personalized designs. Some of the finest Roman mosaics in Britain can be seen at Fishbourne Roman Palace and Bignor Roman Villa.

To create their mosaics, Roman artists employed durable multicolored stone and marble pieces as well as cubes (called tesserae) of more fragile materials, such as brick or terracotta, semiprecious gems, and opaque colored glass to create their wall mosaics. They also made gold and silver cubes by sandwiching foil between layers of translucent glass. Tesserae were produced in many sizes, with the tiniest being used to model faces. To create a mosaic, the artist first covered a wall with one or more layers of plaster. A final layer of mortar was mixed with crushed pottery, called a setting bed, and often guidelines were painted on it. Finally the artist pressed the mosaic cubes into the setting bed, embedding them at different angles to create a glittering effect when light struck them. Depending on the size of the tesserae used, a mosaicist could perhaps cover up to four meters (about fifteen feet) of wall a day with mosaics.

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Roman Mining

by Marcus Minucius-Tiberius Audens

In the Spanish Extremadura there is a silver-lead mining district by the name of "Plasenzuela."  This district has been mined by both pre-Roman miners as well as evidencing the still clear remains of Roman Mining techniques.  The Early Imperial Roman period (from about 10 BC to 75-80 AD) released into the surrounding environment large amounts of zinc, arsenic, and cadmium, well above the normal background percentage, which is evident to the present time.  This widespread devolving of these materials into the surrounding environment has been greatly assisted by normal erosion to the nearby river as well as the normal wind patterns in the area carrying dust and the fumes from the smelter plume throughout the general area.

The mineral industry was a vigorous one although small in size and output.  However, as a result of this effort there has been a legacy of soil contamination which is evident even in the modern day.  This contamination exists in several areas, including the following:

-- Waste products and smelter fumes from the Roman Smelting Procedures, contaminating the extensive soil areas which are heavy with lead content in the surrounding mining area ;

-- River alluvium and soil contamination of the Rio Tamua which is measured at nearly twenty times the normal background containment of both zinc and lead;

-- Period slags and soil which are associated with the Roman Mining activities;

-- Waste rock dumping areas again identified to possibly be Roman in nature;

-- Vegetation growing on and near the slag piles and rock dumps.

The above findings have been determined by Field Studies conducted in this mining field in the last few years.  The value in these discoveries, with verification, would possibly provide a completely new set of standards in judging the longevity of the effects of mining wastes on the environment.  In addition, the waste plume from the Roman Smelter system also needs a substantial effort for verification as the content of such information may well hold an extreme value also in changing our present ideas of surface contamination from long term mining efforts in regard to the smelting procedure.

Another problem which faces those engaged in the field study is the fact that very little is known regarding the specifics of mining and industrial process from raw material to the finished product The products were usually bars of metal similar to the "pigs" of lead and silver bars of today which were formed for storage and transport.

The ongoing field survey effort has been specifically pointed toward the chemical aspects of the geographical areas under investigation.  This effort is also very sensitive toward determining the extent to which the contamination can be laid to the door of the ancient Romans. Additionally, the studies should begin to reveal something of the level of expertise reached in this area of Roman endeavor, as well as perhaps determining from scientific research just why the Romans were willing to leave these mines which at that time (about 75-80 A.D.) were still rich in un-earthed ore remaining in the area.  Since this result flies in the face of Roman logic and determination, the reason would most likely have been very important to the Romans of the period and to the area in which they labored as well.

_____

References:

--Cathy M. Ager and Roger D. Schmidt (U.S. Geological Survey) with Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution;

--USGS, Science for a Changing World -- http://minerals.usgs.gov/east/plasenzuela/index.html

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Cartography Reports from the Field

Web-based Ancient map resources

by Livia Cornelia Aurelia

Interactive Ancient Mediterranean, a spin off of the Classical Atlas Project, is an on-line atlas that provides free downloadable maps of the ancient Mediterranean world.  Maps are of regions with terrain shown or regions with select ancient place names.  Visit the Interactive Ancient Mediterranean site at http://iam.classics.unc.edu/index.html.

Maps currently exist on the site for the following regions:

The Aegean Sea and Greece                                      Greece and the Aegean Sea

Africa (Modern Tunisia and Environs)                                The Iberian Peninsula (Modern Spain and Portugal)    

Asia Minor (Modern Turkey)                                                The Italian Peninsula

Britain and Ireland                                                                   The Levantine Coast

Gaul, Northern                                                                          The Mediterranean Basin

World’s most comprehensive Atlas of Ancient Maps now available.

The Ancient World Mapping Center (formerly the Classical Atlas Project) (http://www.unc.edu/depts/awmc/) announced the release of the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World  in September 2000.

The landmark Atlas, the most comprehensive set of maps of the ancient Graeco-Roman world to ever be released, was published September 15, 2000 by Princeton University Press. (http://www.unc.edu/depts/cl_atlas)  The Atlas is available in print and a separate CD-ROM map-by-map directory is available bundled or separately.  The Atlas contains 1,500 pages, including 99 full-color prints.

The Atlas spans the territory of more than 75 modern countries. Over 70 experts, aided by an equal number of consultants, have worked from satellite-generated aeronautical charts to return the modern landscape to its ancient appearance, and to mark ancient names and features in accordance with the most up-to-date historical scholarship and archaeological discoveries. Chronologically, the Barrington Atlas spans archaic Greece to the Late Roman Empire, and no more than two standard scales (1:500,000 and 1:1,000,000) are used to represent most regions.

The CD-ROM Map-by-Map Directory provides information about every place or feature in the Barrington Atlas. The section for each map comprises:

· A concise text drawing attention to special difficulties in mapping a region, such as extensive landscape change since antiquity, or uneven modern exploration.

· A listing of every name and feature on the map, with basic data about the period of occupation, the modern equivalents of ancient place names, the modern country within which they are located, and brief references to relevant ancient testimony or modern studies.

· A bibliography of works cited.

Copies of the Atlas and Map-by-Map Directory can be ordered at

http://www.pupress.princeton.edu/titles/6773.html and range from $150 - $350 USD.

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Roman North Africa
Libya: Tripolitania (Part 1)

by Dominus Praefectus Serapio

In classical times, as today, the stretch of North African coast from the Syrtis Maior (today Gulf of Sidra) to Syrtis Minor (the Gulf of Gabès) was nearly all low-lying and almost entirely sandy. Three cities flourished on this coast (Tripolitania means "three cities"). Each was situated at the end of a long caravan route leading through the territory of the Garamantes, roughly equivalent to the modern Fezzan, with Garama as capital (today Djerma), up to the sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the tradition, the three cities had been founded by Phoenician colonists. Going from east to west, the cities were Lepcis (to which the Romans added the suffix Magna to distinguish it from the city of the same name in Byzacium, the modern-day Tunisia); Oea (where modern Tripoli today stands) and Sabratha.

It seems that the cities grew up around the sites of seasonal trading posts. The locations had been carefully chosen, as in each case the rocky coast gives way to inlets suitable for ships to drop anchor safely out of the northwest winds. Lepcis, Oea and Sabratha therefore had naturally safe harbors and lay at the ends of ancient routes to the south the presence of primitive trading posts quickly turned into flourishing caravan routes. The cities enjoyed the benefit of an hinterland that produced major agricultural products. In fact, the cities were protected by having the Gefara plain and the Jebel hills (11,2 miles; 18 kilometers east of Lepcis) to their rear, enabling farmers to cultivate valuable crops. The natural shortage of water was overcome by systematically running off water from the wadis (watercourses that remain dry for most of the year but then swell to torrents during the short rainy seasons). In addition to this farmers also constructed numerous civil engineering works to collect rain waters, and built terraces to retain the humus. 

Today there is no doubt that the large scale colonization works that made it possible to grow cereals and olives on the Gefara plain, in the Jebel hills, and throughout a large part of the pre-Saharan area, began when Tripolitania was ruled by Carthaginians. 

Literary sources already mention Carthaginian irrigation works along the Cinyps Wadi (the modern Wadi Caam, the only all year watercourse in Tripolitania which flows out into the Mediterranean about 12,4 miles; 20 kilometers east of Lepcis). They describe also the agricultural bounty of the Emporia region (the region of Lepcis, Oea and Sabratha), whose inhabitants were forced by Caesar in 46B.C. to pay an annual tribute of around one million liters of olive oil. More recently an archaeological study discovered that Tripolitania was producing amphorae of olive oil as early as the 2nd to 1st centuries B.C.; the study discovered also oil presses dating from the middle of the 1st century A.D. on farms at the southern end of the pre-Saharan regions. At the same time the find of an ostracon (an inscribed fragment of pottery) from the Jebel hills behind Lepcis, has provided proof of Carthaginian farmers and land owners in a region that today is still one of the best olive-growing areas in the world. In Roman times, agriculture in the area expanded enormously: thanks to the outlet that imperial Rome provided for their goods, the wealth of the three cities grew beyond all recognition. In the 3rd century A.D. a serious crisis sent the economy of the Roman Empire into a slump and trade declined sharply. This fact had an impact also on the Tripolitanian Emporia. Neither the measures taken by Imperator Septimius Severus to safeguard the African limes and the old caravan routes, nor Imperator Diocletianus' measures, which included setting up the Provincia Tripolitania , were able to counter the fact that sea-borne trade was disappearing. Although the process was to take a long time, this marked the beginning of the decline of the three ports of Tripolitania

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A.D. 62: Pompeii – A Review

by G. Lanius Falco

A 21^st-century New Englander finds herself transported back in time and discovers what it is like to become part of the fabric of ancient Roman society during the reign of Nero.  She thinks she will be able to return at will, but instead finds herself trapped in a world where she must rely solely on her own wits and instincts to survive…This is a tale of a modern-day woman searching for love and acceptance on her own terms.  Miranda is a student of classical archaeology, speaks Greek and Latin, and is something of a musician.  She finds herself enslaved by a rural family, and along with Demetrius, a quick-thinking Greek slave, is purchased for the house of Marcus Tullius, an influential Pompeian citizen, by his steward, Alexander.  After she arrives Miranda meets the rest of the household: her mistress Holconia, a jealous and grasping Roman matron; Marcus and Tullia, the two teenaged children of Marcus and Holconia; Cnaeus, Damaris, Iris, and Stronnius, all slaves and household servants with their own agendas; and Julia Felix, an elderly widow and personal acquaintance of Marcus Tullius who develops an unusual relationship with our protagonist.  As the story unfolds, Miranda comes to understand all of them, what it means to live in the first century A.D., and her own complex emotions.

Those of us in Nova Roma will certainly appreciate the author’s skill at combining a fascinating plot line with mounds of historical tidbits.  In her appendix Rebecca East details how she was inspired to write this tale and how she researched the many facts that authenticate it.  Some of the main characters actually lived in ancient Pompeii; Pliny the Elder and Apicius are referenced; the floor plan of the house mirrors that of the Villa of the Labyrinth; and murals and floor mosaics mentioned are actual excavations either in Pompeii or in museums. 

As far as the story and characterizations are concerned, I found the farther I read the more I became engrossed in what was happening.  Ms. East’s skill at weaving a compelling story is most commendable; I found myself caring about what happened to the main characters, and hoping everything would turn out all right in the end.  The climax of the novel was carefully constructed and one which is not readily predictable.

In summary, I recommend this novel to all interested in ancient Roman history and/or a tale of love, intrigue, passion, treachery, and commitment.  I wait impatiently for the sequel!

A.D. 62: Pompeii, by Rebecca East, published by iUniverse, Inc., New York (ISBN: 0-595-26882-X), $16.95 US, $27.95 Canada, available at www.amazon.com.

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