Vale, Britannia!

You might enjoy Mary Beard on the proposed disappearance of Britannia from a coin.

Did the weather cause the decline and fall of the Roman Empire?

At first glance this article by Tim Case looks well argued and worth the attention of anyone interested in the causes of the fall of Rome. An extract:
If we look at history we find some very interesting events surrounding temperature change and agriculture during the last years of the Roman Empire.
For much of the history [...]

Rome and Jerusalem by Martin Goodman

Rome and Jerusalem by Martin Goodman
Tuesday, 29 Jan 2008 17:04
From In the News
Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations by Martin Goodman. Penguin, published January 31, £9.99.
In a nutshell…
An epic telling of the original clash of civilizations
What's it all about?
As the People's Front of Judea concluded after asking “What have the Romans ever done [...]

Pompeii the Panto

This sounds like a Friday night at the ArLT Summer School.

Friends and Romans at city panto
Catherine Phillips from The Worcester Standard
30 January 2008
NAUGHTY goings-on in the Roman Empire are the subject of a pantomime by a popular local amateur group at Claines Church Hall, Cornmeadow Lane from Monday, February 11.
Claines Amatuer Theatre Society (CATS) present [...]

Roman fort found in Cornwall

My uncle lived in Nanstallon, just outside Bodmin, and told me that the Roman fort there was the southernmost in the country. Now apparently there are two more. This is from This is Plymouth. The site has a nice slide show.

RARE ROMAN FORT FOUND IN CORNWALL
A previously unknown Roman fort has been found at Calstock [...]

The Hadrian's Wall cycle track.

I knew about the footpath that has been made for walkers of the Wall – too late for my own epic walk. That was opened in 2003, apparently. But I didn't realise that a track for cyclists was opened in 2006 (sorry, Trevor).
Anyway, there's a lively account from Diane Daniel (also in the Boston Globe) [...]

Premiere of new Asterix film

AFP has a sort of review of the new Asterix film. Not gushing.
PARIS (AFP) — Michael Schumacher racing a Roman chariot, Zinedine Zidane in unlikely Egyptian garb kicking a ball — “Asterix at the Olympic Games”, France's biggest-budget movie ever, was designed with a bit of magic Gallic potion to please any audience.
Whether the slapstick [...]

A pushy parent confesses: I turned my boys into Latin lovers

From the Sunday Times.
A pushy parent confesses: I turned my boys into Latin lovers
Deirdre Fernand finds that her young sons are enthralled by an educational trip to Pompeii — even if they do go somewhat adrift
Pushy parents. Along with social x-rays and stage mothers, we are one of the most maligned groups in our society. [...]

"The Latin Mass Explained"

Whether this book, The Latin Mass Explained, explains the Latin or just the ritual I don't know.

Turkey and the Classics – the argument continues

American Chronicle on Turkey as a birthplace of European civilisation.

By Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
January 26, 2008
Due to an article published 2 weeks ago under the title “Turkey as Birthplace of the European Identity, and Mr. Markus Soeder's Historical Ignorance”
(http://www.buzzle.com/articles/turkey-as-birthplace-of-the-european-identity-and-mr-markus-soeder-historical-ignorance.html), I had the opportunity to receive extensive feedback from various readers; one comment was published online [...]