Friday, April 9, 2010

A Weekly Format

In the interest of organization, I have decided on a weekly schedule so that I can better plan these posts and keep updates regular. After some thinking, here's what I've decided on:

Military Mondays - For all things martial. Monday's posts will cover tactics, weaponry, armor (or lack thereof), and all manner of warfare. Expect some series' out of this day, like The Punic Wars and The Marian Reforms.

Technology Tuesdays - Ancient technology will be the center of Tuesday's discussions. From triremes to pulleys, we will examine every aspect of ancient technology in all its amazing forms. Here is where I'll also discuss the war technology in greater detail (though I'll probably 'synergize' this with Monday's post e.g. posting about the invasion of Britannia on Monday and writing about the design and brutal effectiveness of the scorpion siege weapon on Tuesday).

Culture Wednesdays - C-C-C-Combo Breaker! Yeah, I couldn't think of anything that started with 'W' that would both relate to the ancient world and be important enough to warrant its own day, so Wednesdays got stuck with culture. But hey, we'll talk about Togas, superstitions, mathematics and education. And don't forget: you can't spell culture without spelling cult!

Theology Thursdays - Belief in the divine other was central to life in the ancient world, and the Roman Empire saw plenty of change on that front. And no, I'm not just referring to the advent of Christianity. Get ready to learn about Emperor worship, proper sacrifice techniques, and how the Philosophers tried to tie it all together.

Famous Fridays - The one day of the week when I will sell out and write about some well-known figure of antiquity in all their glory, hypocrisy, and glorious hypocrisy. Seriously, though, I will be investigating sources to formulate theories on how common people thought of, say, Julius Caesar during his time and long after his death. The Romans especially had a serious jones for hero worship, but they were not alone in that regard. I'll probably also touch on the paradigms for ancient heroes because they are very different from modern standards.

Feel free to leave a comment on any post you feel like. I want this blog to be a conversation - not a lecture. If you think I'm wrong, or being unfair, please let me know and I'll adjust my position (or tell you how you're wrong and being unfair. Doesn't feel good does it?). If you think I'm right, send me some kudos. Like all writers, my poor little ego is fragile and needs constant praise to prop it up.

Pax Vobiscum

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Why I'm doing this

Because I am a historiphile, I always have been. I love reading about antiquity in all its glory as well as its brutal shame. I do not romanticize the past, but I always seek a balance between recognizing savagery and tipping my hat to the truly great accomplishments of our predecessors.

This blog will focus, at least for the time being, on Ancient Roman history, from the 700's BCE to the 500's CE. And yes, though I am a Christian, and a very serious one at that, I will be counting years using the BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) system. It's what good scholars use, and though I'm just a dude sitting on a couch with his laptop, I would like to follow the practices of good scholarship.

That being said, I will by no means simply report history as it is told to me by Tacitus or any other aristocrat. They have their stories, but their stories revolve around themselves, and I would like to find and reveal the hidden stories; the legionnaire who has been digging a trench for three days for a temporary fortification and dies of exhaustion, the people who lived in peace until salt was discovered in the nearby mountains. Of course, I won't completely ignore the wealthy and victorious (who typically have told the story of Rome), but I won't be relying on their word alone.

The most important question that Historians should answer is, what can we learn from the past? While many see similarities between Rome and the modern-day United States, I will balance my conclusions with practical realities. The Romans did not have satellite technology, they didn't have firearms, and they had little to no notion of the liberty of the common man. While I do think there is much we can learn from them, we should not get carried away in any kind of Battlestar Galactica "All of this has happened before . . ." kind of philosophy. While I do believe that history repeats itself, I don't believe it ever repeats itself the same way.

I will also write extensively about Rome's neighbors and competitors. Expect some huge posts about Carthage in the future, as well as the early Spanish and Bythinians. For now, or at least the next few months, I will be focusing on early Rome, that is the BCE Rome. How did a city on the western side of the Italian Peninsula become so important to so many? This and other questions will be answered (in part) next time. Pax Vobiscum.