08-08-2010, 01:49 AM
Please don't make me choose! haha... I am really fascinated by all sorts of different facets and periods of the Classical world. When it comes to Rome though, I suppose if I had to pick a time period, it would be a tie between the late Republic and the early Principate. My primary research interest though is actually the interplay between Rome and the "indigenous peoples" of the rest of Europe. I really get a sort of nerd-rush ( 
) when I start reading and thinking about how most of our ancestors until fairly recently all lived a sort of "tribal existence", and find it interesting how much the experience in Europe in the Iron Age actually sort of mirrors what happened a millennium and a half later in the New World. In the two time periods I specified above, there was a ton of this sort of interplay between "civilization" and "the natives" going on; there was obviously contact going back centuries (trade since time immemorial, Gauls sacking Rome, etc), but after the 2nd Punic War, things really started rolling!
The funny thing is, I am actually sort of a pacifist at heart, and yet I am very interested in the Roman army. Part of it certainly has to do with the "barbarian" connection for sure (whether the enemies Rome faced, or the "friends" who served in her armies as auxilia). Also, perhaps there is for me, at least for war in its ancient idiom, an element of Pindar's famous line: "????? ???????? ???????;" I would never in a million years want to have to actually go after someone with a sword/spear, but pretending is different
Plus I am definitely interested in the ancient psychological aspect of it, too, not to mention the "material culture" angle of what the soldiers wore into battle, what it says about their societies, etc; as I said, I am interested in many different aspects of the ancient world!
Anyway, as for your other question... the emperor in my photo is Trajan. The picture was taken (by me... D Only hard part will be applying to grad school from there, but it seems most things can be done online these days so I should be okay...
Anyway thanks for the warm welcome to the site, guys 8)
) when I start reading and thinking about how most of our ancestors until fairly recently all lived a sort of "tribal existence", and find it interesting how much the experience in Europe in the Iron Age actually sort of mirrors what happened a millennium and a half later in the New World. In the two time periods I specified above, there was a ton of this sort of interplay between "civilization" and "the natives" going on; there was obviously contact going back centuries (trade since time immemorial, Gauls sacking Rome, etc), but after the 2nd Punic War, things really started rolling! The funny thing is, I am actually sort of a pacifist at heart, and yet I am very interested in the Roman army. Part of it certainly has to do with the "barbarian" connection for sure (whether the enemies Rome faced, or the "friends" who served in her armies as auxilia). Also, perhaps there is for me, at least for war in its ancient idiom, an element of Pindar's famous line: "????? ???????? ???????;" I would never in a million years want to have to actually go after someone with a sword/spear, but pretending is different
Plus I am definitely interested in the ancient psychological aspect of it, too, not to mention the "material culture" angle of what the soldiers wore into battle, what it says about their societies, etc; as I said, I am interested in many different aspects of the ancient world! Anyway, as for your other question... the emperor in my photo is Trajan. The picture was taken (by me...
D Only hard part will be applying to grad school from there, but it seems most things can be done online these days so I should be okay...Anyway thanks for the warm welcome to the site, guys 8)
"...atque ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant."
????? ???? ?\' ?????...(J. Feicht)
????? ???? ?\' ?????...(J. Feicht)
