Picture i took of my fren yesterday.

BATTLE OF BEDRIACUM, 69 AD “A shout was raised on all sides, and the soldiers of the third legion saluted, as is the custom in Syria, the rising sun.” “A vague rumour thus arose, or was intentionally suggested by the general, that Mucianus had arrived, and that the two armies had exchanged salutations. The men then charged as confidently as if they had been strengthened by fresh reinforcements, while the enemy's array was now less compact; for, as there was no one to command, it was now contracted, now extended, as the courage or fear of individual soldiers might prompt. Antonius, seeing that they gave way, charged them with a heavy column; the loose ranks were at once broken, and, entangled as they were among their waggons and artillery, could not be re-formed.” Tacitus

Thank me later.

Hittite Monuments

A list of monuments from Hittite civilization with images and brief information.

⚪️ TIN ROUTES “Tin also occurs in many regions of Iberia, not found, however, on the surface of the earth, as certain writers continually repeat in their histories, but dug out of the ground and smelted in the same manner as silver and gold. For there are many mines of tin in the country above Lusitania and on the islets which lie off Iberia out in the ocean and are called because of that fact the Cassiterides. And tin is brought in large quantities also from the island of Britain to the opposite Gaul, where it is taken by merchants on horses through the interior of Celtica both to the Massalians and to the city of Narbo, as it is called. This city is a colony of the Romans, and because of its convenient situation it possesses the finest market to be found in those regions.” Diodorus Siculus

I’m tired. GN frens 😴

Man, this must have been something. ⚔️

🟢 EXAMPLE OF AN ORIGINAL SENATORIAL RESOLUTION “WHEREAS THE CONSULS QUINTUS AELIUS TUBERO AND PAULUS FABIUS MAXIMUS BROUGHT FORTH THE SUBJECT THAT CERTAIN PRIVATE PARTIES DRAW WATER DIRECTLY FROM PUBLIC CHANNELS, AND INQUIRED OF THE SENATE AS TO WHAT ACTION MIGHT BE PLEASING ON THIS SUBJECT, CONCERNING THE SUBJECT THE SENATORS RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS: IT IS NOT TO BE ALLOWED FOR ANY PRIVATE PARTY TO DRAW WATER FROM PUBLIC CHANNELS, AND ALL PERSONS TO WHOM HAS BEEN GRANTED THE RIGHT TO DRAW WATER ARE TO DRAW IT FROM DELIVERY-TANKS; AND THE WATER COMMISSIONERS ARE TO DETERMINE AT WHAT LOCATIONS WITHIN AND WITHOUT THE CITY PRIVATE PARTIES MAY SUITABLY CONSTRUCT SUCH DELIVERY-TANKS, FROM WHICH THEY ARE TO DRAW WATER WHICH, WITH APPROVAL OF THE WATER COMMISSIONERS, THEY, IN COMMON WITH OTHER PARTIES, HAVE RECEIVED FROM A PRIMARY DELIVERY-TANK, AND NO ONE OF THOSE TO WHOM PUBLIC WATER IS GRANTED IS TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO ATTACH A PIPE LARGER THAN FIVE-QUARTER DIGITS IN DIAMETER WITHIN A SPACE OF FIFTY FEET FROM THAT DELIVERY-TANK FROM WHICH THEY ARE TO DRAW THE WATER.” Sextus Julius Frontinus, De Aquis

“Bitcoin chooses to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” John Fitzgerald Coinnedy

The Pilate Stone is a limestone block inscribed with a dedication mentioning Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judea. It was found at Caesarea Maritima in 1961, during excavations of the ancient theater. The inscription reads: "[DIS AUGUSTI]S TIBERIÉUM. [... PONTI]US PILATUS. [... PRAEF]ECTUS IUDA[EA]E. [... FECIT D]E[DICAVIT]". This translates to: "To the Divine Augusti [this] Tiberieum. ... Pontius Pilate. ... prefect of Judea. ...has dedicated [this]".

⚫️ THE LOVE FOR OTHO “After learning that his friends had gone, he passed a quiet night, and indeed, as is affirmed, he even slept somewhat. At dawn he fell on the steel. At the sound of his dying groans his freedmen and slaves entered, and with them Plotius Firmus, the prefect of the praetorian guard; they found but a single wound. His funeral was hurriedly accomplished. He had earnestly begged that this be done, that his head might not be cut off to be an object of insult. Praetorians bore his body to the pyre, praising him amid their tears and kissing his wound and his hands. Some soldiers slew themselves near his pyre, not because of any fault or from fear, but prompted by a desire to imitate his glorious example and moved by affection for their emperor. Afterwards many of every rank chose this form of death at Bedriacum, Placentia, and in other camps as well. The tomb erected for Otho was modest and therefore likely to endure. So he ended his life in the thirty-seventh year of his age.” Tacitus, Histories

🟡 ILLYRIAN SPOILS “The Illyrians were a nation formidable both by land and sea, who felt secure in their strong fortified positions, and Anicius had thoroughly subjugated them in a few days and captured their king and all his family. Many captured standards were carried in the procession, together with other spoils, and the furniture of the palace, 27 pounds of gold, and 19 of silver, besides 13,000 denarii and 120,000 silver pieces of Illyrian coinage. Before his chariot walked Gentius, with his wife and children, Caravantius his brother, and several Illyrian nobles. Out of the booty each legionary received 45 denarii, the centurions twice, and the cavalry three times as much. Anicius gave to the Latin allies as much as to the Romans, and to the seamen of the fleet as much as the soldiers received. The soldiers marched more joyously in this triumph, and the general himself was the subject of many laudatory songs. According to Antias, 200,000 sesterces were realised from the sale of that booty, besides the gold and silver deposited in the treasury, but as it is not clear to me how this sum was realised, I quote his authority instead of stating it as a fact. By resolution of the senate, Gentius, with his wife and children and brother, were interned in Spoletium; the rest of the captives were thrown into prison in Rome. As the Spoletians refused to be responsible for their safe-keeping, the royal family were transferred to Iguvium. The remainder of the Illyrian spoils consisted of 220 swift barques. These Q. Cassius was ordered by the senate to distribute amongst the Corcyraeans, the Apolloniates and the Dyrrhachians.” Livy, history of Rome

When Scipio captured Carthage by assault, some soldiers brought him a beautiful captive maiden. He reportedly said, "I would gladly take her if I were a private and not a commander."

A mirror for all of us.

🟤 CASSIUS DIO ON THE NORTHERN BRITONS Cassius Dio speaks of Severus' campaign in northern Britain and the tribes of that land. "There are two principal races of the Britons, the Caledonians and the Maeatae, and the names of the others have been merged in these two. The Maeatae live next to the cross-wall which cuts the island in half, and the Caledonians are beyond them. Both tribes inhabit wild and waterless mountains and desolate and swampy plains, and possess neither walls, cities, nor tilled fields, but live on their flocks, wild game, and certain fruits...They dwell in tents, naked and unshod, possess their women in common, and in common rear all the offspring. Their form of rule is democratic for the most part, and they are very fond of plundering; consequently they choose their boldest men as rulers....They can endure hunger and cold and any kind of hardship; for they plunge into the swamps and exist there for many days with only their heads above water, and in the forests they support themselves upon bark and roots, and for all emergencies they prepare a certain kind of food, the eating of a small portion of which, the size of a bean, prevents them from feeling either hunger or thirst" (LXXVII.12.1-4). Cassius Dio

🔺 THE DEATH OF A GLADIATOR “Spartacus saw the necessity that was upon him, and drew up his whole army in order of battle. In the first place, when his horse was brought to him, he drew his sword, and saying that if he won the day he would have many fine horses of the enemy's, but if he lost it he did not want any, he slew his horse. Then pushing his way towards Crassus himself through many flying weapons and wounded men, he did not indeed reach him, but slew two centurions who fell upon him together. Finally, after his companions had taken to flight, he stood alone, surrounded by a multitude of foes, and was still defending himself when he was cut down.” (Spartacus 103-71 BC was a Thracian gladiator who led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic known as the Third Servile War 73-71 BC). Plutarch

“You always say you have headache, come here.”

🔘 THE FIRST AND NOT THE LAST “Constantine was also the first Christian emperor, with the exception of Philippus who seemed to me to have become a Christian merely in order that the one-thousandth year of Rome might be dedicated to Christ rather than to pagan idols. But from Constantine down to the present day all the emperors that have been chosen were Christians, with the exception of Julian, whose disastrous life forsook him in the midst of the impious plans which it was said that he was devising. Moreover, Constantine made the change in a just and humane fashion; for he issued an edict that the temples should be closed without any shedding of pagan blood. Afterwards he destroyed the bravest and most populous of the Gothic tribes in the very heart of the barbarian territory; that is, in the lands of the Sarmatians.” The Anonymus Valesianus

🔵 THE HEIRS OF SEVERUS Caracalla, whose full name was Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, and Geta, whose full name was Publius Septimius Geta Augustus, were Roman emperors who ruled jointly from 211 to 212 CE. Caracalla, the elder brother, was born in 188 CE. He and Geta were the sons of Emperor Septimius Severus and Julia Domna. While their father was still alive, both brothers were made co-emperors in 209 CE. Their joint reign was marked by intense rivalry and suspicion. Caracalla, known for his cruelty and extravagance, craved sole power. In 212 CE, he orchestrated the assassination of Geta, his own brother, while Geta was seeking refuge in their mother's arms. Following Geta's murder, Caracalla unleashed a brutal purge, eliminating anyone suspected of supporting his brother. He ordered the destruction of all images and mentions of Geta, effectively erasing his brother from history. Caracalla continued his reign as sole emperor, but his rule was short-lived. In 217 CE, he was assassinated while traveling in Edessa, Mesopotamia. His reign is remembered for the brutal murder of his brother and his extravagant spending, which included the construction of the Caracalla Baths, one of the largest and most impressive bath complexes in ancient Rome.

🟣 PLINY ON THE ERUPTION OF MOUNT VESUVIUS “My uncle was stationed at Misenum, in active command of the fleet. On 24 August, in the early afternoon, my mother drew his attention to a cloud of unusual size and appearance. He had been out in the sun, had taken a cold bath, and lunched while lying down, and was then working at his books. He called for his shoes and climbed up to a place which would give him the best view of the phenomenon. It was not clear at that distance from which mountain the cloud was rising (it was afterwards known to be Vesuvius); its general appearance can best be expressed as being like an umbrella pine, for it rose to a great height on a sort of trunk and then split off into branches, I imagine because it was thrust upwards by the first blast and then left unsupported as the pressure subsided, or else it was borne down by its own weight so that it spread out and gradually dispersed. In places it looked white, elsewhere blotched and dirty, according to the amount of soil and ashes it carried with it.” “Then the flames and smell of sulphur which gave warning of the approaching fire drove the others to take flight and roused him to stand up. He stood leaning on two slaves and then suddenly collapsed, I imagine because the dense, fumes choked his breathing by blocking his windpipe which was constitutionally weak and narrow and often inflamed. When daylight returned on the 26th - two days after the last day he had been seen - his body was found intact and uninjured, still fully clothed and looking more like sleep than death.” Pliny the younger

“All warfare is based on deception”. Sun Tzu