Apart from vomitoriums and orgies, what did the Romans do for us?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1604024,00.html
Ancient Rome provides a handy non-offensive stereotype for us to define
ourselves against
Mary Beard
Saturday October 29, 2005
The Guardian
The best way to judge a modern recreation of ancient Rome - in film or
fiction - is to apply the simple "dormouse test". How long is it before
the characters adopt an uncomfortably horizontal position in front of
tables, usually festooned with grapes, and one says to another: "Can I
pass you a dormouse?"
The basic rule of thumb is this: the longer you have to wait before
this tasty little morsel appears on the recreated banquet, the more
subtle the reconstruction is likely to be. On these terms Rome, the new
joint HBO-BBC series, does not do badly. It is not until at least 30
minutes into the first episode that anyone pops the dormouse question.
Roman Empire
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.atheism/msg/c8f321ae00aac7c2
Romans
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.atheism/msg/12df24ae66323b85
.
|
