- The Library -

[PSEUDO ROMANUS]

Hello, gentlemen. Merry Christmas and happy new year! My best wishes to all of you.
I've been reading the last posts and saw that Gaiten and/or SBH got Kaveh Farrokh's book on the Sassanid army. I was wondering if you guys have had the chance to advance your reading and form an opinion on his book. I'm asking because I'm interested in getting a copy, but I'd like to know your thoughts first.
BTW, does anybody know how I can get my hands on a translation of the Theodosian code (the full text, 16 books)?

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

Greeting! Yes, I have the book and it is packed with a wealth of detail that makes it essential reading in my opinion. I was pleasantly surprised by Farrokh's research but alas I can't testify to how accurate it is. If you have a chance to get a copy, I would.

I have an English translation of the Theodosian Code sitting next to me on my desktop as I am writing this. It is not cheap unfortunately. You would need to look for Clyde Pharr's translation and expect to pay about £150 or so for it.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

It's good. They even used Eran ud Turan for some of it.

[Gäiten]

IMHO it is very accurate. He has used the most recent researchment. Especially interesting is his Iranian background, he can explain much with this cultural knowledge.
Besides the information about the different army services he gives very in-deep information about logistics, religious background, fortresses and fortifcations and so on.

I can strongly recommend ithe book.

[PSEUDO ROMANUS]

Say no more, gentlemen. I'll be getting me a copy as soon as I'm done with two books I should be receiving next week "Athanasius and Constantius" by Barnes and "Rome and Persia in Late Antiquity" by Dignas and Beate. Thank you for your help

It is not cheap unfortunately. You would need to look for Clyde Pharr's translation and expect to pay about £150 or so for it.

Yes, it is true. I checked Amazon and it's around $200.00 over here. It's expensive. I'll see. Thank you though

[Emperor Caesar]

I don't know if it's already been posted about but I recently received "The Roman Emperor Aurelian: Restorer of the World" by John F White. It has been a solid read so far but some of the information can be vague due to his desire to write for both the historian and non-historian. Due to that, the book lacks an academic touch to it and the author is certainly biased towards Aurelian (although so am I). However, the books provides several useful insights into Aurelian's period and does continually question the reliability of the ancient sources in terms of knowing the whole truth. Overall a good book though and I would recommend to anyone interested in the 3rd century.

[Diocle]

I don't know if it's already been posted about but I recently received "The Roman Emperor Aurelian: Restorer of the World" by John F White. It has been a solid read so far but some of the information can be vague due to his desire to write for both the historian and non-historian. Due to that, the book lacks an academic touch to it and the author is certainly biased towards Aurelian (although so am I). However, the books provides several useful insights into Aurelian's period and does continually question the reliability of the ancient sources in terms of knowing the whole truth. Overall a good book though and I would recommend to anyone interested in the 3rd century.

My dear friend, don't be too harsh with Aurelian, consider that being a true Restorer of the World, or "Restitutor Orbis", as they used to say, it's almost impossible in practical terms, in fact I don't think we have any chance of restoring any form of "Status quo ante" in history, this because, as Heraclitus said:

"ποταμοῖσι τοῖσιν αὐτοῖσιν ἐμβαίνουσιν, ἕτερα καὶ ἕτερα ὕδατα ἐπιρρεῖ." ("Ever-newer waters flow on those who step into the same rivers."),
that is, "τὰ ὄντα ἰέναι τε πάντα καὶ μένειν οὐδέν" ("All entities move and nothing remains still"),
so that: "πάντα χωρεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει" καὶ "δὶς ἐς τὸν αὐτὸν ποταμὸν οὐκ ἂν ἐμβαίης", "Everything changes and nothing remains still ... and ... you cannot step twice into the same stream".

So, in my opinion, this is the reason why the past can't be restored as it was before, trying to restore any past condition you're just writing a new page of history, which will be radically different from the past you wanted to restore, but I think we should be generous with Aurelian and the Romans, actually Philosophy has never been their strong point!

[Gäiten]

Two book I bought as my Christmas presents are

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

and

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Both are well written.

Especially the book about Caracalla does have an excellent summary and analysis of the military of the Romans and Parthians of the early 3rd century.

[tomySVK]

The new novel by Harry Sidebottom called The Last Hour will be released next year:The new novel by Harry Sidebottom called The Last Hour will be released next year:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

A lone figure stands silhouetted atop the Mausoleum of Hadrian. Behind him, the sun is setting over the centre of the known world. Far below, the river is in full flood. The City of Rome lies spread out before him on the far bank. Footsteps pound up the stairs. He's been set up. An enemy is closing in; he is cornered. He jumps.

Bruised and battered, he crawls out of the raging river. He is alone and unarmed, without money or friends, trapped in a deadly conspiracy at the heart of the Empire. The City Watch has orders to take him alive; other, more sinister, forces want him dead. As the day dies, he realises he has only 24 hours to expose the conspirators, and save the leader of the world. If the Emperor dies, chaos and violence will ensue. If the Emperor dies, every single person he loves will die.

He must run, bluff, hide and fight his way across the Seven Hills.

He must reach the Colosseum, and the Emperor.

He must make it to The Last Hour.

And now on more serious note:

I also bought Ilkka Syvanne´s Caracalla and it´s very interesting book if I may say so.

Peter Edwell, author of excellent Between Rome and Persia: The Middle Euphrates, Mesopotamia and Palmyra Under Roman Control, will publish new book next year. The book is called Rome and Persia at War and Peace: Competition and Contact in the Near East, 193 to 363 AD and it will be published by Routledge publishing. I´m really looking forward to read this book.

Another book called Lucius Verus and the Roman Defence of the East written by M.C. Bishop is going to be released by Pen & Sword Books. Also another forthcoming Pen & Sword book is called Septimius Severus in Scotland by Simon Elliot. These will be great additions to P&S books about Roman Emperors.

[Gäiten]

IMHO it is very disappointing that Harry Sidebottom does not continue his other two series (Warrior of Rome and Throne of the Caesars).

[Sertorio]

I think the last Hour belongs to the Warrior of Rome series.

[Gäiten]

This would be great. I really miss the adventures of Ballista and his familia.

[Emperor Caesar]

My dear friend, don't be too harsh with Aurelian, consider that being a true Restorer of the World, or "Restitutor Orbis", as they used to say, it's almost impossible in practical terms, in fact I don't think we have any chance of restoring any form of "Status quo ante" in history, this because, as Heraclitus said:

"ποταμοῖσι τοῖσιν αὐτοῖσιν ἐμβαίνουσιν, ἕτερα καὶ ἕτερα ὕδατα ἐπιρρεῖ." ("Ever-newer waters flow on those who step into the same rivers."),
that is, "τὰ ὄντα ἰέναι τε πάντα καὶ μένειν οὐδέν" ("All entities move and nothing remains still"),
so that: "πάντα χωρεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει" καὶ "δὶς ἐς τὸν αὐτὸν ποταμὸν οὐκ ἂν ἐμβαίης", "Everything changes and nothing remains still ... and ... you cannot step twice into the same stream".

So, in my opinion, this is the reason why the past can't be restored as it was before, trying to restore any past condition you're just writing a new page of history, which will be radically different from the past you wanted to restore, but I think we should be generous with Aurelian and the Romans, actually Philosophy has never been their strong point!

Haha I'm not being harsh with Aurelian I'm being harsh with the book. Although it sometimes lacks specifics he is incredibly detailed in other spots all in all the book 8/10. As for the emperor himself Aurelian's amazing, one of the best!

[First Citizen Gallienus]

"ποταμοῖσι τοῖσιν αὐτοῖσιν ἐμβαίνουσιν, ἕτερα καὶ ἕτερα ὕδατα ἐπιρρεῖ." ("Ever-newer waters flow on those who step into the same rivers."),
that is, "τὰ ὄντα ἰέναι τε πάντα καὶ μένειν οὐδέν" ("All entities move and nothing remains still"),
so that: "πάντα χωρεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει" καὶ "δὶς ἐς τὸν αὐτὸν ποταμὸν οὐκ ἂν ἐμβαίης", "Everything changes and nothing remains still ... and ... you cannot step twice into the same stream".

So, in my opinion, this is the reason why the past can't be restored as it was before, trying to restore any past condition you're just writing a new page of history, which will be radically different from the past you wanted to restore, but I think we should be generous with Aurelian and the Romans, actually Philosophy has never been their strong point!

Well said indeed.

[tomySVK]

I think the last Hour belongs to the Warrior of Rome series.

I don´t think that this is new issue of the Warrior of Rome series, but I must also confess that I´m also a huge fan of this series and I can´t wait for the next title. I read somewhere that next trilogy is planned and the next one has working title “The Lords of Atlas”.

In my opinion this book is the bridge between Throne of the Caesars series and Warrior of Rome series.

[Gäiten]

Or it might be the adventure of Ballista fighting the Berbers of the Atlas range. That he fought in his youth is mentioned in the serie.

[tomySVK]

Or it might be the adventure of Ballista fighting the Berbers of the Atlas range. That he fought in his youth is mentioned in the serie.

Yes, I remember this memory. I read books several time We will soon find out.

http://www.harrysidebottom.co.uk/qa-harry/

Here I read about the next trilogy of Warrior of Rome series with working titles as The Lords of Atlas, The Sons of Aetna and The Guardians of Virtue.

[Gäiten]

After some years of waiting they have finally released Ken Broeders Apostata in German.https://media.hugendubel.de/shop/cov...22595_xl.jpgIt is a great deal because in this book issues 1 - 3 are included.Artworks are excellent and story is good.Very recommendable.

[Sigma]

It's been a long long time since I've been here, what goes on around this part of the forum these days?

[Renatus]

It's been a long long time since I've been here, what goes on around this part of the forum these days?

Not much, it seems. We used to have some lively discussions here but most of the disputants appear to have moved elsewhere or else run out of things to argue about.