Anyone seen Aristus?

[CatWoman]

The History Channel focuses on the Roman Empire all this week.

Tonight's installment (at 9 Eastern):

Roman Vice

The flowering of the Roman Empire saw incomparable power and civilization - and at the same time corruption, cruelty and depravity on an unparalleled scale. Emperors from Augustus to Tiberius and Nero built the biggest empire the world had ever seen, while presiding over a way of life riddled with violence, deviancy and excess. This special visits the archaeological sites of ancient Rome, talks to leading historians world-wide and uses stylish reconstructions to describe and explain how good and evil went side by side. TV14 V-S-L-D cc

[Heidi]

1. Aristus wuz here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3962791&mesg_id=3963199

[Aristus]

2. HEY BABE!

:hi:

Thanks for the heads up! I've been watching HBO's presentation of "Rome" for the last couple of weeks. I also caught the History Channel's broadcast of Roman Engineering last night, so I'm pretty excited to see what else they've got coming up. but thanks for thinking of me! B-) :loveya: CatWoman!

[CatWoman]

4. I watched last night too

I didn't know that the coliseum was built with looted Jewish temple treasure, and by Jewish slaves.

[Aristus]

6. Oh yeah. It just shows that everything is relative. Vaspasian and Titus

were considered good responsible rulers and vast improvements over the tyrannical Julio-Claudians. But even they had some darker characteristics; the looting of the temples of Judea, for one.

[CatWoman]

8. That whole clan, the Caesar descendents

were all fucking nuts.

I've read that the Portugese Royal Family was plagued with insanity in their bloodline.

You think the same is with those guys?

[Aristus]

9. Could be. The Julians were stable enough. Responsible stand-up

citizens most of them. Ancient sources have long acknowledged that the Claudian family tree bore two kinds of fruit: Good apples and bad apples. There were good Claudians like Claudius, Drusus and Germanicus, and bad Claudians like Tiberius and Caligula (who despite his name, Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, was actually a Claudian).

Nero's real name was Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, and the Domitius Ahenobarbii were infamous in Rome for their short tempers, brutal dispositions and reckless behavior.

Not to mention that most of the Roman aristocracy had been closely in-bred for hundreds of years by that point. Not incest, but cousins marrying cousins marrying cousins, generation after generation.

[CatWoman]

11. Both the Portugese and the Spanish practiced inbreeding

but it was more along uncles marrying neices and such. I'm quite sure you've heard of Carlos II -- a direct result of centuries of inbreeding.

Nero reminded me so much of Bush. The way he lived extravagantly at taxpayer's expense and so on.

And let's not forget that "fiddling" incident -- tho history hasn't quite proven that true.

[Aristus]

12. Isn't he the one who ws nicknamed "Hogmouth" because of

his huge, deformed mouth? I can't remember if it was him or one of the Hapsburgs.

[CatWoman]

14. It was him, as he was a Hapsburg

the "hapsburg" jaw



http://www.xs4all.nl/~kvenjb/madmonarchs/carlos2/carlos2_bio.htm

[Aristus]

3. By the way, thank you Heidi, for caring enough to look for me!

:hi::loveya:

[Heidi]

5. I'm in love with your username.

;)

[Aristus]

7. Aw shucks!

It is a 'Latinification' of the Greek name Aristocles, which was Plato's real name. I'm not comparing myself with Plato, you understand. I just like the sound of it. I thought I made it up, but I Googled it once, and there was a Saint Aristus about 1,500 years ago. B-)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. Saint Aristus, huh?

Well, babeee...are we going to have some fun, or what? hehehe....

SAINT Aristus....I like the way it rolls off my tongue...

:evilgrin:

[Aristus]

13. CalPeg! Thanks for joining us!

No, I'm not a saint. Never have been. Don't get you expectations too high. B-)

[CatWoman]

15. *grr*

I'm getting jealous now!!!!! :D

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. My dear Catwoman....

Please don't be jealous...Aristus and I are old DU friends...that's all!

You are cool!

:hug:

[Aristus]

18. Cool it, ladies. There's enough of Aristus to go around!

:7

[CatWoman]

19. LOLOLOLOLOLOL

:D

You know I'm just funnin' :D

[Aristus]

21. Oh yeah. But you gotta watch out for CalPeg; she's an

irrepressible flirt.


...and I'm such a hot, devilishly-handsome guy, she can't help herself! :D

[CatWoman]

22. g-r-o-w-l

:D

[Aristus]

23. Down girl! Easy. EASY!

Put your claws in, Cat. :-)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

16. I know full well that you aren't a saint, my dear Aristus...

I just had to make one of my (rare) snarky comments!

You may not be a saint....but you are a first class gentleman, and a doll to boot...

I also love your username, BTW...always was intrigued by it...

I'm glad to have a bit of history on its origins...




:loveya: :pals:

[Aristus]

20. Aw.

This is so much fun. I can't remember the last time someone started a thread in my honor.

O8)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

24. They are fun, aren't they?

The only problem is, to my way of thinking, that you get used to all the adulation...

So when the mob has moved on to the next object of adoration, you can end up feeling a bit blue, or left out...

At least I've felt this from time to time....I'm spoiled!

The only cure for these blues....is more attention! I often will start my own thread to help ....



:loveya: :hug:

[Aristus]

25. Well, when you've been on the site for four years or so, you realize

that sooner or later it'll all come 'round to you again. I used to be good friends with some DU-ers that I never even hear from anymore. So it's cyclical, that's all. Still, don't YOU go anywhere, 'kay, CalPeg? :hug:

[CatWoman]

26. don't forget to watch this

it's on now.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

27. No worries, my dear Aristus....

I plan to be here forever...they will have to pry my keyboard from my cold, dead hands!

And I'm not kidding, BTW....

:loveya: :hug: back atcha...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

28. No, but since you're not busy (evilgrin)....

Could you take a peak at this site and give a a critique....

http://leftandrightfight.com/

Haven't tried one like this before and frigured I'd give it a shot.

Thanks! (& I've been Watching Rome on HBO, the soft porn view of a dynasty.

[CatWoman]

29. I've accessed this site several times

and have yet to get the video to play.

The only sound it plays is Bush Sr's name.

Other than that -- :thumbsup:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

30. Thanks, what browser are you using adn are you dial up or broad band?

I set it up not to play until you punch the play button. I hope this helps... If not, I think my server might be a little slow...

Waaaah. I don't want to upgrade!!!!

[CatWoman]

31. still not working Doll

I'm at work, using windows

my home computer uses Firefox with DSL

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

32. Thanks.... I am puzzled. Something for me to figure out tonight.