Rome Info Day Two

Wow. This was a long day. So I'm going to cut to the chase and throw down some more cool facts about Rome.

Here are a few facts about Roman customs -

- Roman women would have been repulsed by our tanning beds. For them, it was quite fashionable to be extremely pale, showing that they were wealthy enough to have hired outside help. They even went so far as to wear white makeup. Unfortunately, the makeup contained lead and many Roman women suffered from lead poisoning.

- In Rome, it is not considered rude to cut in front of someone in line. Most Italians do not follow the idea of a line and believe more in the idea of first come, first serve.

- Graffiti is perfectly acceptable in Rome. "Graffiato," which means "scratched," dates as far back as the ancient Roman Empire and has provided historians with a tremendous amount of information about ancient Roman customs and daily life.

So there are a few good ones for you.

See you later.

-Red

www.jeffjake.com

Rome Info Day One

I came across a cool paper this weekend called "Know More Ink". It had several really cool things about Rome. I thought I would share several of them with you over the next few days.

-Just like we have our unlucky number 13, the number 17 in Italy is considered bad luck. The Roman numerals for 17, rearranged, spells VIXI which, in Latin, means I lived, and therefore am dead

-The Capuchin Crypt in Rome has a corridor which is decorated with the bones of 4,000 deceased monks.

The Colosseum:

-On the first day that the Colosseum opened, over 5,000 animals were put to death for the pleasure of the crowds.

-It is estimated that over 500,000 people and over a million animals were killed in the arena.

-The Colosseum took 12 years to build and was a marvel of engineering. Even though it held more than 70,000 spectators, the entire crowd could exit in only 3 minutes.

-The structure also had a large sun roof that would be stretched over the crowd and keep them in the shade while they enjoyed the entertainment.

More to follow! Have a great week.


-Red
www.jeffjake.com

How the Ancient Roman's Built a Space Shuttle Booster

First let me say that I got this topic from a good friend of mine. I'm not sure why I haven't shared it with you yet... but here it is. As those of you who are regular to Ramblings know, I'm a bit of a sucker for history. So this was right up my alley.

In a discussion, my friend made the comment that the Roman's had an impact on our space program. Of course I was like... "Say what?" Come to find out, it's true. You see, in ancient Rome, the powers that be came together to agree on a standard width of a chariot's wheel base. Okay you say... what does that have to do with our space shuttle? I'm getting there... hang on. So, with a standard width set, the Roman roads were built with that measurement in mind. As the years past and other people started using wagons and carts, it was easier to just use that same standard width so that the wheels would ride in the groves worn into the road from the chariot's. (Some of these roads still exist today.)

So when the peoples of Europe came to the new world, they brought their tools and standards with them... and so, our first roads also were based on the chariot's wheel base. Now here is the cool part. When the railroads came into existence, guess what.... Yep, they used the same measurement. So our train tracks are based on the wheel base of a Roman chariot.

Now here is where it gets to the bread and butter. The tunnels the train track go through are based on those dimensions. The rocket boosters for the shuttle had to be taken by train through those tunnels. Viola, the Romans decisions almost two thousand years ago, affected our space program.

You can go here to read the article that I found.

-Red
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Email Jeff at:  author@jeffjake.com

Bath Time - Where's My Rubber Duckie?

The Roman empire was an impressive beast. Some of the engineering marvels that they accomplished are absolutely staggering. Plumbing, concrete that would set up under water, aqueducts, and so on. While some things are quite obvious about the ancient Roman civilization, some things are still hard to discern.

For instance what did they like to eat? What was a favorite past time? Did they play games? Those are the kinds of things that can be really difficult to uncover. (It's easy to look at an aqueduct and figure out it's purpose.) Sometimes you get lucky and find some writings about what went on, however, even those can be incomplete pictures of the daily activities.

Researcher Alissa Whitmore, a doctoral candidate in archaeology at the university of Iowa has come up with an ingenious way to take a look at the habits of the Roman's while using the bath houses.

Pompeii Bath

By studying the material lost in the drain of these bath houses, they have been able to speculate about some of the activities that took place. They found the obvious items such as jewelry, perfume vials, and nail cleaners. They also found pieces of dish-ware and bones that suggest that they took meals at the baths. Additionally, they found teeth and a scalpel, suggesting that some medical procedures may have also taken place. 

Of course we will probably never know for sure all that went on at the baths, however, research such as Whitmore's is certainly giving us a better picture.

Here is the full article:

http://www.livescience.com/26202-drain-lost-items-roman-baths.html

-Red

www.jeffjake.com

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Martyr

Man yesterday got away from me quick. It's amazing how fast the hours can tick away and next thing you know it's almost midnight. I wasn't even really doing any one thing that had me wrapped up. Other than relaxing... a lot. (Gives a sheepish grin)

So for today, I'm going to share with you an excerpt from my new short story Martyr. Available on Amazon.com and Smashwords.com now.

If you like what you see here, email me at author@jeffjake.com. I have ten coupon codes for a free download of the story at Smashwords.com. The first ten that I receive will get one of the codes (Also please note that I will only give out coupons to those that email me before the end of 2012. I will not be giving out coupons past 12-31-2012 @ midnight).

ROME 92 A.D.
   Marcus stumbles and falls to the ground. The impact is violent enough that he sees stars when his face hits the cracked, dry earth below his feet. Behind him the guards laugh. As he starts to climb back to his feet, one of the guards plants a foot to his side, knocking the wind from his lungs. Lying on his back, trying to catch his breath, the other guard kicks him again. A sickening pop accompanies the blow, as one of his ribs gives way under the strain of the centurions boot. The fractured rib slips, causing immediate pain and difficulty breathing. The guards laugh and point. It feels like a dagger has been thrust into his side. The pain is so intense he breaks into a clammy sweat.

   Slowly, painfully, Marcus rises to his feet. Looking skyward, he asks for strength. The centurion called Thaddeus notices the gesture and stops laughing. Pulling the scourge from his belt he rears back and rakes it across Marcus’s back. Lightning white-hot pain shoots to his core as the barb encrusted leather straps pull chunks of flesh from his back. Blood flows freely from the jagged wounds. Marcus drops to his knees, tears streaming down his face from the pain and sorrow of what lies ahead for him. His second guard, Celsus, grabs him by the hair and drags him to his feet.

   Celsus's pockmarked face leans close to Marcus’s ear, his rancid breath washing over his face, “Let’s see your God save you now Christian dog.” Pulling away Celsus spits in his face.

   From outside the gate, the roar of the crowd can be heard. Chants calling for death reach the waiting men’s ears. The rhythmic stomping of feet send vibrations that can be felt as the people demand the death of another gladiator. The screams and shouts crescendo into a frenzy as the man is put to death. In front of Marcus a large iron gate rumbles and recedes into the ceiling. Two attendants drag the body of the vanquished man off the field and past the waiting trio. Grabbing Marcus by each arm, Thaddeus and Celsus drag him to the threshold of the gate.

   Before him lies the greatest arena of all times, the Anfiteatro Flavio or better known as the Coliseum. From here, Marcus can see that the stands are full of people today. Even without cheers for blood, the crowd of 50,000 generates a hum that makes it difficult to hear. Looking down at his feet, he sees the smear of blood left by the man that was dragged from the field. The sight causes a pang of fear to shudder through his body. From across the field, atop the fifteen foot wall, a man’s voice carries and echoes down the almost 300 feet.

   “Citizens! Today we have an execution for your entertainment!” Cheers go up from the crowd.

   Thaddeus and Celsus shove him out into the arena; the bright sun causes him to shield his eyes. Behind him the two continue to push him further onto the dusty field, puffs of dust rising from his bare feet with each step. From the stands, Marcus can hear calls of hate and death.

   “KILL HIM!”


   “FEED HIM TO THE LIONS!” 

   “KILL ALL THE CHRISTIANS!”

   The calls for death catching on and spreading until hundreds are chanting for his demise. Talons of fear grip him and work on his sanity. Marcus thinks of his wife and two little girls. What has he done to them? Now they wouldn’t have a father or husband. He couldn’t believe that his faith had brought him to this place. The stress upsets his stomach and he vomits what little he has had to eat and drink. His two handlers simply laugh and kick him to spur him further into the stadium. In the stands, the crowd picks up on his fear, taunting and jeering at the man about to die.

   At the center of the arena, his guards stop him. Celsus grabs the back of his hair and kicks his legs out from under him, driving him to the ground. With a violent jerk of his hair, he then forces Marcus to his knees. Celsus wiggles his fingers in front of Marcus’s face to clear his hand of the hair he has pulled from his head. With a brutal backhand, Thaddeus instructs Marcus to look at his emperor. The crowd continues its cheers at the brutality. 

-Red

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Email Jeff at author@jeffjake.com

Spartacus

I'm not just a nerd that loves science fiction and cool gadgets. I also like history. Specifically, ancient Rome and World War II history. I'm always poking around looking up stuff that strikes my fancy. Well today I was kicking around the myth of Spartacus. Come to find out... He ain't no myth. I was shocked to find out that he was in fact a real person.

Turns out he was a gladiator that lead a slave revolt against the Romans in or around 70 BCE. At one point he actually commanded some 70,000 men. The conflict was called the Third Servile War. His main camp was around Mount Vesuvius. He was finally bested by the forces of Marcus Licinius Crassus in 71 BCE. Six thousand of Spartacus's men were captured and crucified, their bodies lining the Appian Way from Rome to Capua.

It makes a person wonder how many legends actually have true origins.

You can read more about Spartacus here.

-Red


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