Submitted by Rebecca Jones on Tue, 11/24/2009 - 19:57
Review Rating:
7
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The Usborne Official Roman Soldier’s Handbook is a great introduction to the dynamics of the Roman Army. Military manuals are known to have been used by the Roman Army, and this book provides an educational but entertaining way of putting ancient history into modern hands.
While the book predominantly concentrates on the army and warfare, it also touches on other aspects of Roman life, including religion, housing, clothing, health and leisure pursuits.
The core target audience here is undoubtedly younger boys, an often reluctant reader group, and one that would benefit from the publication of more books written specifically with them in mind. Included here, for example, are all the gory details one might expect of a Roman soldier's handbook, including such joys as the firing of the severed heads of spies over the walls to bombard people under siege.
Submitted by Bija Knowles on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 13:54
For any solider fighting wars away in foreign lands, letters to and from family and loved ones take on enormous resonance and importance. We've all seen the TV and movie versions of army life in the world wars, in which the handing out of letters is a ritual frought with excitement, emotion, and rivalry. The same situation was probably played out thousands of years earlier, as some remarkable ancient letters attest.
While the first letters ever written were probably cuneiform imprints onto clay tablets, penned in Mesopotamia and Egypt, by the time the Roman civilization began to expand around the Mediterranean, papyrus was being used as a lightweight and durable alternative.
Highlighted Quote:
you neglectful man, who have sent me not even one letter
Also on display is a crate-full of unused Samian pottery, part of a complete dinner service. This came out of one of the fort ditches in beautiful condition and is presumed to have arrived at Vindolanda broken in transit and was then thrown into the ditch.
The display contains a large collection of jewellery such as this medusa ring. Other items include a jet betrothal medallion showing the happy couple on the front, and on the back is an image of clasped hands, the Roman sign for an agreement or a promise, as well as a collection of gold and silver finger rings, some depicting gods and goddesses, and some with messages on them.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Fri, 10/09/2009 - 12:30
A longstanding mystery has been laid to rest this week, as experts finally solved the riddle of a 1,600-year-old body discovered in Gloucestershire 37 years ago. The identity of the 25-30-year-old man, unearthed in a mausoleum in Kingsholm Square in 1972, had long evaded archaeologists. Yet now thanks to chemical testing, a team has revealed him to have been an eastern European Goth warrior from around 400 AD.
