Julius Caesar & The DaVinci Code

[Gaius Julius Quartus]

Please, no one fire a ballista at me, but I have a question about something in Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code." I was reading the book, and saw in place where he describes secure encrypted boxes. There is a dialogue about historical figures who were code makers, and Julius Caesar is mentioned. Specifically, that he made or designed a box for secure communications. I was aware of Caesar's intelligence & information policy of opening sealed orders all at the same hour of the same day (Gallic War), but this was the first I've ever heard about such a box. Anyone know anything about it?

[tlclark]

I have no idea,

But I want this bumped because I'm curious if anybody has an answer.

Personally, the art history of "The DaVinci Code" is flat out atrocious, so it wouldn'st suprise me if this story is a fabrication by Dan Brown.

Brown's a great writer, but his penchant to invent stuff is well-documented. It wouldn't bother me so much if he didn't take himself so seriously. He uses the "get out of Jail free" card of saying "It's only fiction" and then he seems to want people to take it seriously at the same time.

Ugh. Just write.

[Praefectusclassis]

IIRC Caesar is known for using the coding method of changing letters (A=B, B=C, etc), but such a box means nothing to me.

[Gaius Julius Quartus]

Theodoros, I agree. Don't know much about art history, but his take on the gnostic gospels and mystery religions (like Mithrasism), what they represent, and how church leaders before Constantine responded to them leaves a lot to be desired. I kept reminding myself - "this is fiction" - and did enjoy it as such. But the "history" he explored through his characters had some holes big enough to march a legion through.

Jasper, thanks for the note on Caesar's coding. Where would I learn about this?

Still waiting for someone who knows something about the secret compartment box....


Gauis Julius Quartus / John Christianson

[Cornelius Quintus]

I kept reminding myself - "this is fiction" - and did enjoy it as such. But the "history" he explored through his characters had some holes big enough to march a legion through.

Ave Gaius Julius Quartus,

that's the best way to have fun with his books. When I read Your first posting, I thought:

Does he mean the famous enigma-box, captured by Roman marines from the sinking Greek bireme-submarine V-DLXXI, just a few seconds before the secret predecessors of the Vatican could get that code-device to usurp mankind’s future? The one, a Knight Templar’s neighbour told me, that Dan Brown is already working on the plot, revealing George Washington’s DNA is totally matching Gaius Julius Caesar’s, in fact being cloned by aliens, which left the ‘G’ in both names as a hidden hint?(Perhaps that’s why I always think of the FBI’s X-files while looking at the design of Roman balcony railings). :lol:

All jokes aside - Brown unscrupulously mixes facts, fakes and fiction as he likes, to get on top of the bestseller list. Very thrilling entertainment indeed, but historically coherent only at the first glance. Even if you find true facts, you might intermix them unknowingly with all the fiction-elements of Brown’s plot. That’s one main ingredient of his formula of success. The other ingredients are various more or less well known myths, legends or common mysteries on which lots of books have been written and movies have been shot before. His research quality is rather poor, being content with 'digging out' sensational catchwords. He won't hinder himself with a deep understanding of the sense or background of his sources. Doubtless Dan is far from reinventing the wheel, but he manages millions of readers to belief in that.

Greetings from Germany

Heiko (Cornelius Quintus)

[tlclark]

All jokes aside - Brown unscrupulously mixes facts, fakes and fiction as he likes, to get on top of the bestseller list. Very thrilling entertainment indeed, but historically coherent only at the first glance.

All of which would be fine, if he just said "Hey, I'm just an author" which he will do if cornered, but elsewhere, he intones this stuff in such deadpan earnestness, knowing that his audience will take him credulously. It's just dishonest. He has fame, money and adulation. Why does ne need to be the keeper of some secret mystery?

Blech. He makes my stomach churn.

[Comerus Gallus]

I knew DaVinci code was a fabrication already, also the bloodline of J. & M.M....

This honest explorer, is one of many wich can prove you that.

DNA testing was taken from one of the royal merovingian tomb that for sure was one & one from a modern priests familly of Jerusalem who claim themselve chilrend of Jesus & Magdalena not just by faith but by blood gene .....again both fail to be fact....the blood of Merovingians proves to be pure european & the one from middle east as middle east one....
[quote]DNA Results: "Jean-Jacques explains that for a conclusive analysis to be made, two independent but identical strains of DNA must come from a sample. Unfortunately, only one strain was successfully recovered from Aregonde’s toes. He’s exploring getting more samples from her body, but for now, we have to work with only partial results. Of course, this is still exciting news--this is the first genetic sequence ever obtained from a Merovingian royal. He says that this strain shows that Aregonde’s DNA does NOT have the markers we would expect from a Middle Eastern population. Rather, her DNA shows she was from Europe. Huh. Well, does this conclusively eliminate the possibility of a royal bloodline? No. Any number of breaks in the genealogy between Aregonde and Sigebert IV could explain this difference. But, given that we’ve proven that so many other “Historical Factsâ€

[Neuraleanus]

As I've told my Christian friends, this book is just FICTION. It's really nothing to bother about. Then again, Aliquid forte sciunt uti non scio :twisted:

[Gaius Honorius Felix]

The book is fiction, no historical value whatsoever. It was a fun read but I was greatly angered by him claiming most of it was "historical". Don't believe anything in the book, its only entertainment. Don't believe what he says of Julius Ceasar.

[Robert Vermaat]

Folks, any more deviation from serious matters and this is going to OT where it belongs. :twisted:

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

just to help it to get to the OT where it belongs...

No coded devices like that have ever existed.

Vinegar does not! dissolve papyrus, nor the ink...

Dan Brown still believes his own nonsense, even though the real Hoaxers behind the priory of Sion have it was a hoax well before 1970!!!

Let uss all rejoice that the Satyrs which later were developed into Satans by the Christians, made his mind go so utterly blind.....

unfortunately too many of Earths people DO believe his total BS.... so I hope a lot more scholars will join tn the fight Dan Brown League.....


M.VIB.M.