MetaFilter posts tagged with Rome

Calvus is 99% of real Roman life.

h00py — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:56:46 -0800

Who is Calvus? I see him as the embodiment of the average Roman. He doesn't wage war on distant peoples, he doesn't work as a gladiator...he can't even afford a slave.

She doesn't know about the three shells

MartinWisse — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:39:35 -0800

Caroline Lawrence looks at ten things the Romans used instead of toilet paper, Roman pee and poo and what's the deal with the sponge stick. All part of the research done for her series of young adult historical mystery books set in the ancient Roman world.

The Conclave to elect the 266th Pope of the Catholic church has begun

CrazyLemonade — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:29:56 -0800

The 115 cardinals under 80 years old, who can vote and can be voted for are now in Conclave. You can watch a Live Stream, mostly a shot of the Sistine Chapel chimney, who apparently is now on Twitter. You can get acquainted with the 2013 Papabili using Wikipedia's List of Papabili.

30 PRINT "Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres.."

Chrysostom — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 06:09:30 -0800

"That got me thinking: Could the Romans have built a digital computer using only the technology and manufacturing processes available to them?"

Looking Good, Ancient Rome

Miko — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:28:21 -0800

Amateur archaeologist and "forensic hairdresser" Janet Stephens has discovered how to recreate the Seni Crines, the elaborately braided hairstyle worn by the vestal virgins. Don't miss Stephens' other classical hairstyle videos.

"We need this everywhere, at all times."

quin — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 08:20:04 -0800

Andrew Hales and his sister Jacqueline made videos of hugging strangers at Venice Beach and in Rome. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it's can be very heartwarming. [via]

Banter about Dildoes

Chrysostom — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:20:43 -0800

What were things like in the bars and shops of the ancient Romans?

"Cats may not vote," Ms. Viviani observed, "but cat people do."

Kattullus — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 06:39:31 -0800

The Torre Argentina Roman Cat Sanctuary has been taking care of the multitude of felines that haunt the Largo Argentina archeological site in Rome since 1995. Their website has a page about its history, videos of their cats, and all the things you find on cat shelter websites. But they also have a blog dedicated to their fight with local authorities. Italian archeological administrators have demanded that the feline sanctuary be evicted [NYT] from the location of Julius Caesar's assassination, but the cat shelter is fighting back. In the blog of the New York Review of Books, the almost certainly pseudonymous Massimo Gatto points out that the archeological site is a hodgepodge of actual ruins and bad reconstructions dating back to the Fascist era.

Why Must I Be A Roman Tribute In Love?

The Whelk — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:58:17 -0800

An animated depiction of Teenage life in Anicent Rome

Corpora delicti

Diablevert — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 10:53:48 -0800

CSI: Parthenon: A questioner asks historians how a murder case would be solved and prosecuted in the era of their expertise. Answers for : Colonial Boston, Norman Ireland, 19th Century Imperial China, Ancient Athens, 14th-Century England, 13th century England, Victorian England, Rome. (Via Reddit's AskHistorians; whole thread.)

“politics is full of deceit, treachery, and betrayal.”

the man of twists and turns — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 03:37:23 -0800

Sunt tibi necessaria consilio pro electione? Q. Ciceronem, frater M., habet quaedam verba pro vobis in Commentariolum Petitionis Some of Quintus Cicero's advice to his brother Marcus Tullius Cicero: I. “Broken promises are often lost in a cloud of changing circumstances so that anger against you will be minimal." II. Build a wide base of support. III. "You desperately need to learn the art of flattery—a disgraceful thing in normal life but essential when you are running for office." Some notes on Roman politics Slate: Advice from Ancient Rome for the 2012 Candidates, 3 March 2012.

"It has been your lot to achieve that the obedience to manifold rules should not hamper poetry."

Kattullus — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:40:30 -0800

During the reign of Constantine the Great, the Roman senator and poet Publilius Optatianus Porphyrius was sent into exile for crimes unknown. He succeeded in regaining favor and his good name by composing a series of poems in praise of the emperor which looked like nothing else. His poetry was an evolution of the Greek tradition of pattern poetry, but he took it a much more complex level, as Arrigo Lora Totino explains. In an illustrated article, John Stephan Edwards goes through the poetry of Porphyrius, showing the evolution of his craft.

Talking Heads: Live in Rome 1980 full concert

BoringPostcards — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 18:57:49 -0800

Talking Heads, Live in Rome, 1980 The Talking Heads concert film you haven't seen: the show that would eventually be recorded in the (awesome) concert film Stop Making Sense 3 years later, recorded while it was still a bit weird and uncertain. And therefore, wonderful. Several individual songs from this show were compiled a few years ago in an excellent post by Meatbomb.

The Writing on the Wall

msalt — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:52:54 -0800

The Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum is a massive, 17-volume catalog of 180,000 inscriptions and graffiti found across the Roman Empire in classical times. It's available for free online now, starting with the parts published before 1940. I'm fond of volume 4, which covers Pompeii and Herculaneum. (Pompeii graffiti prev) It's not easy to navigate yet. I had the best luck clicking the link above each front page that says "Show all pages of this book as search result" and browsing around.

Bless me Father, for I have sinned

hermitosis — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 08:24:47 -0800

The Calendario Romano, aka "the most typical souvenir from Rome," is looking for a few good men: "single clergymen and seminaristi" who wish to be featured are welcome to contact the being followed author of the Calendar to deliveries. Inevitable video tribute! According to a message on their Facebook page, the 2012 calender's images were all repeats save for one, due to a lack of fresh participants.

The History of Byzantium podcast

Kattullus — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 10:16:32 -0800

The History of Byzantium is a podcast that picks up where The History of Rome left off, detailing happened to the eastern half of the Roman Empire after the last Western Emperor was dethroned. The podcaster, Robin Pierson, does a good job explaining the often, ahem, byzantine politics and thorny theology of Byzantium. So far there are five episodes, taking us from the chaotic years following the decline and fall of the West into the reign of Anastasius (491-518). [iTunes link]

If you're going to run away from home - fly Jet2

2manyusernames — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:35:03 -0800

Kerouac as an 11 year old? Many of us have ran away from home. Most make it to the first street corner before coming back home. Liam Corcoran of Manchester made it all the way to Rome. He managed to board a plane without a passport or boarding pass.

Watch out for that volcano!

suburbanbeatnik — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 18:06:10 -0800

The Last Days of Pompeii, written by the infamous Edward Bulwer-Lytton, was a Titanic size blockbuster novel back in the 1830s--- but it has not aged well. It is most well known for its many film versions-- there was the silent landmark film from 1913, an adaptation in 1935 and a spaghetti peplum with Steve Reeves from 1959-- but perhaps the most memorable (and exhaustive) version was the colossal star-studded miniseries made in 1984. This movie made a big splash when it was released-- and got lots of extensive press coverage, if not the best reviews--but was forgotten for many years (except by die-hard fans). However, lovers of cheesy 1980s TV can now rejoice-- The Last Days of Pompeii has not only been finally released this month on DVD, but it is also available in its entirety on Youtube. It has everyone and everything! Zorro is in love with Fonzie's girlfriend, but she's in love with Lancelot from Excalibur, but he's in love with Juliet, whose virtue is being menaced by another Lancelot. There's also Georgina Worsley as a hooker with a heart of gold, dancing at the mansion owned by Bobby from Deliverance… and to add to the love polygons, there's this other guy who's in love with Bobby's daughter, none other than Lady Oscar from the live-action Rose of Versailles movie. Let's not forget Laurence Olivier, Ernest Borgnine, Duncan Rehgehr, Siobhan McKenna and not to mention, the one and only BRIAN BLESSED!!! The Last Days of Pompeii episode 1: 1 1/10 1 2/10 1 3/10 1 4/10 1 5/10 1 6/10 1 7/10 1 8/10 1 9/10 1 10/10 The Last Days of Pompeii episode 2: 2 1/7 2 2/7 2 3/7 2 4/7 2 5/7 2 6/7 2 7/7 The Last Days of Pompeii episode 3: 3 1/7 3 2/7 3 3/7 3 4/7 3 5/7 3 6/7 3 7/7

The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World

Blasdelb — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:13:03 -0800

Spanning one-ninth of the earth's circumference across three continents, the Roman Empire ruled a quarter of humanity through complex networks of political power, military domination and economic exchange. These extensive connections were sustained by premodern transportation and communication technologies that relied on energy generated by human and animal bodies, winds, and currents. Conventional maps that represent this world as it appears from space signally fail to capture the severe environmental constraints that governed the flows of people, goods and information. Cost, rather than distance, is the principal determinant of connectivity. For the first time, ORBIS allows us to express Roman communication costs in terms of both time and expense. By simulating movement along the principal routes of the Roman road network, the main navigable rivers, and hundreds of sea routes in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and coastal Atlantic, this interactive model reconstructs the duration and financial cost of travel in antiquity.

Clawdius Caesar

lemuring — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:47:17 -0800

City of the Wildcats 1 2:
A documentary about the urban kitties of Rome narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

NOS OPERTUIT TUNC VERTISSE. ALIQUEM DE VIA CONSULAMUS

ricochet biscuit — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:56:15 -0800

Salve! Do you have trouble finding your way from Brindisium to Antium or planning a vacation at your villa in the Appenines because no one produces an online map with directions in good Latin these days? Well, be of good cheer, friend, OmnesViae has what you need. Alas, the map has place names in Italian. Still, if you need to find your way hinc illuc, it is the best I have seen.

VSA! VSA! VSA!

overeducated_alligator — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:55:32 -0800

Q: Could I destroy the entire Roman Empire during the reign of Augustus if I traveled back in time with a modern U.S. Marine infantry battalion or MEU? A: It might be harder than you expect.

Si qui futuere voluit Atticen, quaerat a(ssibus) XVI.

sonika — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:51:03 -0800

The Lost City of Pompeii : A snapshot of ancient Roman life via the ruins of Pompeii. Some decor NSFW.

Europe on fifteen hundred yuan a day.

WalterMitty — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:38:19 -0800

Evan Osnos joins a tour group from China as they traverse Europe. In the front row of the bus, Li stood facing the group with a microphone in hand, a posture he would retain for most of our waking hours in the days ahead. In the life of a Chinese tourist, guides play an especially prominent role—translator, raconteur, and field marshal—and Li projected a calm, seasoned air. He often referred to himself in the third person—Guide Li—and he prided himself on efficiency. “Everyone, our watches should be synchronized,” he said. “It is now 7:16 P.M.” He implored us to be five minutes early for every departure. “We flew all the way here,” he said. “Let’s make the most of it.” We settled into coach on an Air China non-stop flight to Frankfurt, and I opened a Chinese packet of “Outbound Group Advice,” which we’d been urged to read carefully. The specificity of the instructions suggested a history of unpleasant surprises: “Don’t travel with knockoffs of European goods, because customs inspectors will seize them and penalize you.” There was an intense focus on staying safe in Europe. “You will see Gypsies begging beside the road, but do not give them any money. If they crowd around and ask to see your purse, yell for the guide.” Conversing with strangers was discouraged. “If someone asks you to help take a photo of him, watch out: this is a prime opportunity for thieves.” I’d been in and out of Europe over the years, but the instructions put it in a new light, and I was oddly reassured to be travelling with three dozen others and a guide. The notes concluded with a piece of Confucius-style advice that framed our trip as a test of character: “He who can bear hardship should carry on.”

Vox Roma

Bora Horza Gobuchul — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 14:32:30 -0800

Over 143 episodes of audio, Mike Duncan has covered the founding of Rome through the Crisis of the Third Century in his History of Rome podcast [previously], having now reached the last pagan Emperor, Julian The Apostate. Enlivened by drawing on comparisons to popular culture, from The Empire Strikes Back (when Hannibal makes his appearance) to The Godfather (as a metaphor for Rome's social client system), Mr Duncan's work makes for fun, informative 25-minute sessions with the greatest empire of the ancient western world. If you're interested in more, the podcasts could be handily supplemented with... In his "Hardcore History" podcast (previously), former broadcaster Dan Carlin covered the fall of the Roman Republic (episode I, II, III, IV, V and a suitably epic final five-hour part VI). He also dramatically addressed the wars against the Carthaginians as the "Punic Nightmares" series (now sadly behind a paywall). Much of the same era was covered by Melvyn Bragg with an In Our Time episode on the destruction of Carthage. IOT has also recently broadcast an episode on Cleopatra (as NPR's All Things Considered did in a brief interview with the author of Cleopatra: A Life) along with episodes on Roman Britain, the broader influence of Rome on European civilization, and the decline and fall of the empire. From another angle, Professor Bob Packett has just summarized the life of Ceasar (MP3) after an extensive audio biography [recent archive]. The penultimate episode of the series, on Ceasar's funeral, was his very first broadcast, almost 2000 episodes ago. If you're more the visual type, Mr Duncan (recent BBC profile) has nicely illustrated many of his podcasts with maps, but you may wish to add:

An obsessive model of the city of Rome
A 24-lecture series from Yale on Roman Architecture
The changing Roman frontier in 100-year increments
A wander down the streets of Pompeii in Google Street View, or this thorough guide to Herculaneum.

Of course, you might also want to consult the original sources, from the Perseus Digital Library: Livy's History of Rome, the Annals and History of Tacitus (about whom there is another IOT episode), and Caesar's Gallic War. And if you want to know what happened after Romulus Augustulus, the fittingly named last emperor of Rome, at least for the eastern half of the empire you could do worse than turning to the podcast that inspired Mr Duncan to produce his own work: 12 Byzantine Emperors, by Lars Brownworth, who has since turned to covering the history of the Normans (previously).