Posted on 04/05/2022 2:12:51 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The crew of the Memphis Belle probably had better odds.
Not that we are much better.
Think it has something to do with human nature?
Relatively few of the provinces generated surplus revenue for the Empire as a whole, but Britain was pretty nice, at least one Roman writer remarked on how blessed its climate was, and at some point a big canal was built to both drain new farmland and to provide transport. This is despite Britain's not quite supporting the cost of the garrison, which wasn't all that large btw. Villas abounded, and those are easier to find, so it's likely that there 100s of 1000s of undetected farms, mostly from locals, Romanized locals, and Roman pensioners.
Prehuman nature, probably.
Following happily 🙃
Fairly sure we started talking just so we could tell the other guy he smelled and his mother dressed him funny.
it was regular, they only had extractions and they were practiced by blacksmiths
“They had the satisfaction of carrying out astounding feats of construction, many of which leave traces to this day.”
Aqueducts still capable of carrying water, roads built to a standard (the autobahn of their day), the Romans built to last.
Keeping the Legions busy build things kept the laddies from getting bored and start talking about rebellion and such. Pretty smart of their leaders. Also kept the newly conquered locals amazed at their, by their standards, bright new life.
Has any army , before or since, carried as many engineers with it?
I know we have entire construction battalions, or divisions, but we can’t build with the reliability and permanence of the Roman Legions.
Just about 15% of Roman’s over the course of time got their benefits. Gov workers today are doing better then the romans did. 82% earning benefits upon retirement. The others went into the beltway bandit biz and are doing fine too.
Romani ite domum.
Ask Brian Williams. He was probably there.
lol
I’m still around.
I was at IGMAR doing my ROTC summer camp in 1971, I think. Cadet officers were rotated through leadership positions each day. A fellow in the next company over had the last name of Caesar. One morning he was rotated into the battalion commander's position. We were standing in ranks at attention as the morning report was verbally collected. Someone in his platoon shouted out "Hail Caesar", struck his chest with his hand and then held it out in a salute. Within seconds the entire battalion was doing that in unison; and, it went on for a surprisingly long time. We felt truly wonderful.
After it died down I overheard one of the RA cadre say, "That was really creepy. It was all I could do to keep myself from joining in."
:^) Wow, great story, hair-raising!
AFAIK, none of the assassins of Caesar have known burials; one fake one is sometimes given on one of the Aegean Island.
By contrast, the cremation spot of Caesar is known and can be visited, and to this day generally has various mementoes and fresh flowers left there.
That’s for damn sure.
Great post, thanks. Interesting that Scipio was always viewed with hostility and suspicion by many of Rome’s elite. Rome did rather screw Carthage after the first Punic war, in my opinion, but then it is said that every Roman peace treaty always contained the provisions for them to reopen hostilities if they wished to.
Don’t start nothin’ and it won’t be nothin’.
(that’s directed at the Carthaginians, btw)
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