⚫️ JULIUS CIVILUS SPEAKING TO HIS PEOPLE “At the orders of Vitellius a levy of the young Batavians was now being made. This burden, which is naturally grievous, was made the heavier by the greed and licence of those in charge of the levy: they hunted out the old and the weak that they might get a price for letting them off; again they dragged away the children to satisfy their lust, choosing the handsomest — and the Batavian children are generally tall beyond their years. These acts aroused resentment, and the leaders in the conspiracy, on which they were now determined, persuaded the people to refuse the levy. Civilis called the leaders of his tribe and the boldest of the common people into a sacred grove under the pretext of giving a banquet, and when he saw that the night and revelry had fired their spirits, he began to speak of the honour and glory of their tribe, then passed on to count over their wrongs, the extortion practised on them, and all the rest of the misfortunes of slavery. "For," he declared, "we are no longer regarded as allies, as once we were, but as slaves. When does a governor come to us with full commission, even though his suite would be burdensome and insolent if he came? We are handed over to prefects and centurions: after one band is satisfied with murder and spoils, the troops are shifted, and new purses are looked for to be filled and varied pretexts for plundering are sought. We are threatened with a levy which separates children from parents and brothers from brothers, as if in death. Never has the Roman state been in direr straits than now, and there is nothing in their winter camps but booty and old men. Simply lift your eyes and do not fear the empty name of legions. But on our side are our strong infantry and cavalry, our kinsmen the Germans, the Gallic provinces that cherish the same desires as ourselves. Not even the Romans will regard this war with disfavour; if its outcome is uncertain we shall say that it was undertaken for Vespasian; for victory no account is ever rendered." Tacitus, Histories

I think every person is a high value person because they have a soul.

🟡 THE ASCENT OF CAMILLUS “Bad omens from Jupiter were observed after the capture of Veii. The soothsayers said that some religious duty had been neglected, and Camillus remembered that it had been forgotten to appropriate a tenth of the plunder to the god that had given the oracle concerning the lake. Accordingly the Senate decreed that those who had taken anything from Veii should make an estimate, each one for himself, and bring in a tenth of it under oath. Their religious feeling was such that they did not hesitate to add to the votive offering a tenth of the produce of the land that had already been sold, as well as of the spoils. With the money thus obtained they sent to the temple of Delphi a golden cup which stood on a pedestal of brass in the treasury of Rome and Massiliat until Onomarchus melted the cup during the Phocæan war. The pedestal is still standing. Camillus was afterwards accused before the people of being himself the author of those bad omens and portents. The people, who had been for some time set against him, fined him heavily, having no pity for him although he had recently lost a son. His friends contributed the money in order that the person of Camillus might not be disgraced. In deep grief he went into exile in the city of Ardea, praying the prayer of Achilles that the time might come when the Romans would long for Camillus. And in fact this came to pass very soon, for when the Gauls captured the city, the people fled for succor to Camillus and again chose him Dictator, as has been told in my Gallic history.” Appian, the foreign wars

🟤 JUGURTHA JOINS SCIPIO AT NUMANTIA “While passing through the territory of the Caucæi, whose treaty with the Romans Lucullus had violated, he made proclamation that they might return in safety to their own homes. Thence he came again to the Numantine territory and went into winter quarters. Here Jugurtha, the grandson of Masinissa, joined him with twelve elephants and the body of archers and slingers who usually accompanied them in war. While Scipio was constantly ravaging and plundering the neighboring country, the enemy laid an ambush for him at a certain village which was surrounded on nearly all sides by a marshy pool. On the remaining side was a ravine in which the ambuscading party was hidden. Scipio's soldiers were divided so that one part entered the village to plunder it, leaving the standards outside, while another, but not large party, was coursing around it on horseback. The men in ambush fell upon the latter, who began a desperate fight. Scipio, who happened to be standing in front of the village near the standards, recalled by trumpet those who had gone inside, and before he had collected a thousand men went to the aid of the horsemen who were in difficulties. The greater part of those who were in the village rushed out and put the enemy to flight. He did not pursue the fugitives, however, but returned to the camp, a few having fallen on each side.” Appian

🔶 CONTRACT WITH STONE CUTTERS Greek text:   Date:   2nd cent. A.D. “Copy. To Antonia Asclepias also called Cyria, through her guardian Apollonius, from Aselas son of Alexander and Apollonius son of Amois and of Tauris, both of Oxyrhynchus. We undertake to cut the squared building-stones transportable by camel, to be taken from the northern quarry for the house of you, Antonia, in the quarter of Pammenes' Garden, at the following rate of payment: the outer squared camel stones at 4 drachmas for 16, the inner at 4 drachmas for 20, the antiblemata at 3 drachmas for 100 squared camel stones, oblong corner-stones at 8 drachmasfor 16 outer squared camel stones and at 8 drachmas for 30 inner ones, axe-hewn squared camel stones at 4 drachmas for 50 and axe-hewn squared camel corner-stones at 8 drachmas for 50. All the aforesaid stones we will cut, but no ornamentation shall be required of us. Each of us shall also receive for each day that he works one loaf and relish. If the builders need assistance from stone-cutters, we or one of us will assist them, each man receiving 4 drachmas as wages for each day's assistance and each of us likewise one loaf and relish for each day. Until the 22nd of the present month of Epeiph you have the right to transfer to others this contract for cutting the aforesaid squared camel stones from the northern quarry. . . The engagement is valid. Year . . .”

🔺 THE PARTHIAN CAMPAIGN BEGINS “Now Crassus was sixty years old and over, and looked older than his years. On his arrival, things went at first as he had hoped, for he easily bridged the Euphrates and led his army across in safety, and took possession of many cities in Mesopotamia which came over to him of their own accord.  But at one of them, of which Apollonius was tyrant, a hundred of his soldiers were slain, whereupon he led up his forces against it, mastered it, plundered its property, and sold its inhabitants into slavery. The city was called Zenodotia by the Greeks. For its capture he allowed his soldiers to salute him as Imperator, thereby incurring much disgrace and showing himself of a paltry spirit and without good hope for the greater struggles that lay before him, since he was so delighted with a trifling acquisition. After furnishing the cities which had come over to his side with garrisons, which amounted in all to seven thousand men-at‑arms and a thousand horsemen, he himself withdrew to take up winter quarters in Syria, and to await there his son, who was coming from Caesar in Gaul, decorated with the insignia of his deeds of valour, and leading a thousand picked horsemen.” (Crassus 115-53 BC was a wealthy Roman politician and general. Defeated Spartacus, part of the First Triumvirate, died in a disastrous Parthian campaign). Plutarch

🔘 JUSTINIAN BUILDS THE HAGIA SOPHIA “Some men of the common herd, all the rubbish of the city, once rose up against the Emperor Justinian in Byzantium, when they brought about the rising called the Nika Insurrection, which has been described by me in detail and without any concealment in Books on the Wars. And by way of shewing that it was not against the Emperor alone that they had taken up arms, but no less against God himself, unholy wretches that they were, they had the hardihood to fire the Church of the Christians, which the people of Byzantium call "Sophia," an epithet which they have most appropriately invented for God, by which they call His temple; and God permitted them to accomplish this impiety, foreseeingº into what an object of beauty this shrine was destined to be transformed. So the whole church at that time lay a charred mass of ruins. But the Emperor Justinian built not long afterwards a church so finely shaped, that if anyone had enquired of the Christians before the burning if it would be their wish that the church should be destroyed and one like this should take its place, shewing them some sort of model of the building we now see, it seems to me that they would have prayed that they might see their church destroyed forthwith, in order that the building might be converted into its present form. At any rate the Emperor, disregarding all questions of expense, eagerly pressed on to begin the work of construction, and began to gather all the artisans from the whole world. And Anthemius of Tralles, the most learned man in the skilled craft which is known as the art of building, not only of all his contemporaries, but also when compared with those who had lived long before him, ministered to the Emperor's enthusiasm, duly regulating the tasks of the various artisans, and preparing in advance designs of the future construction; and associated with him with another master-builder, Isidorus by name, a Milesian by birth, a man who was intelligent and worthy to assist the Emperor Justinian. Indeed this also was an indication of the honour in which God held the Emperor, that He had already provided the men who would be most serviceable to him in the tasks which were waiting to be carried out. And one might with good reason marvel at the discernment of the Emperor himself, in that out of the whole world he was able to select the men who were most suitable for the most important of his enterprises.” “So the church has become a spectacle of marvellous beauty, overwhelming to those who see it, but to those who know it by hearsay altogether incredible. For it soars to a height to match the sky, and as if surging up from amongst the other buildings it stands on high and looks down upon the remainder of the city, adorning it, because it is a part of it, but glorying in its own beauty, because, though a part of the city and dominating it, it at the same time towers above it to such a height that the whole city is viewed from there as from a watch-tower. Both its breadth and its length have been so carefully proportioned, that it may not improperly be said to be exceedingly long and at the same time unusually broad. And it exults in an indescribable beauty.” Procopius, buildings

🔵 SPEECH OF SCIPIO He called upon them, "Remembering their former victories, to show themselves to be men of mettle and worthy their reputation and their country. To put before their eyes that the effect of their victory would be not only to make them complete masters of Libya, but to give them and their country the supremacy and undisputed lordship of the world. But if the result of the battle were unfavourable, those who fell fighting gallantly would have the record of having died for their country, while those that saved themselves by flight would spend the rest of their days as objects of pitying contempt and scorn. For there was no place in Libya which could secure their safety if they fled; while, if they fell into the hands of the Carthaginians, no one who looked facts in the face could doubt what would happen to them. May none of you," he added, "learn that by experience! Since, then, Fortune puts before us the most glorious of rewards, in whichever way the battle is decided, should we not be at once the most mean-spirited and foolish of mankind if we abandon the most glorious alternative, and from a paltry clinging to life deliberately choose the worst of misfortunes? Charge the enemy then with the steady resolve to do one of two things, to conquer or to die! For it is men thus minded who invariably conquer their opponents, since they enter the field with no other hope of life." Polybius, histories

🟣 (EASTERN) ROMAN DINES WITH ATILLA “After the songs, a Scythian entered, a crazy fellow who told a lot of strange and completely false stories, not a word of truth in them, which made everyone laugh. Following him came the moor, Zerkon, totally disorganized in appearance, clothes, voice and words. By mixing up the languages of the Italians with those of the Huns and Goths, he fascinated everyone and made them break out into uncontrollable laughter, all that is except Attila. He remained impassive, without any change of expression, and neither by word or gesture did he seem to share in the merriment except that when his youngest son, Ernas, came in and stood by him, he drew the boy towards him and looked at him with gentle eyes. I was surprised that he paid no attention to his other sons, and only had time for this one. But the barbarian at my side, who understood Italian and what I had said about the boy, warned me not to speak up, and said that the seers had told Attila that his family would be banished but would be restored by this son.” (448 AD) Priscus

Hello fren 🖐🏼

⚪️ SAVED BY THE SACRED GEESE OF HERA “A certain Cominius Pontius undertook to get the cheerful news to the men on the Capitoline. Starting out alone and swimming the river by night, he got unseen to a cliff of the Capitoline that was hard to climb and, hauling himself up it with difficulty, told the soldiers on the Capitoline about the troops that had been collected in Veii and how they were watching for an opportunity and would attack the Celts. Then, descending by the way he had mounted and swimming the Tiber, he returned to Veii. The Celts, when they observed the tracks of one who had recently climbed up, made plans to ascend at night by the same cliff. Consequently about the middle of the night, while the guards were neglectful of their watch because of the strength of the place, some Celts started an ascent of the cliff. They escaped detection by the guards, but the sacred geese of Hera, which were kept there, noticed the climbers and set up a cackling. The guards rushed to the place and the Celts deterred did not dare proceed farther. A certain Marcus Mallius, a man held in high esteem, rushing to the defence of the place, cut off the hand of the climber with his sword and, striking him on the breast with his shield, rolled him from the cliff. In like manner the second climber met his death, whereupon the rest all quickly turned in flight. But since the cliff was precipitous they were all hurled headlong and perished. As a result of this, when the Romans sent ambassadors to negotiate a peace, they were persuaded, upon receipt of one thousand pounds of gold, to leave the city and to withdraw from Roman territory.” Diodorus Siculus

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”

🟢 SERVILIA CAEPIONIS Servilia Caepionis was a prominent Roman woman from a distinguished family. She was the daughter of Quintus Servilius Caepio, a Roman general, and the maternal half-sister of Cato the Younger. Servilia married Marcus Junius Brutus, with whom she had a son, also named Marcus Junius Brutus, who would later become famous for his role in the assassination of Julius Caesar. After Brutus's death, she married Decimus Junius Silanus. Servilia is best known for her affair with Julius Caesar. Plutarch, the ancient biographer, suggests that Servilia was deeply in love with Caesar. This affair adds a layer of complexity to the events surrounding Caesar's assassination, as her son Brutus was one of the conspirators.

Praise God. 🙏🏼

⚫️ SWIMMING WITHOUT BREAKING FORMATION “The Batavians formed part of the Chatti so long as they lived across the Rhine; then, being expelled by a civil war, they occupied the edge of the Gallic bank which was uninhabited, and likewise an island close by, which is washed by the ocean in front but by the Rhine on its rear and sides. Without having their wealth exhausted — a thing which is rare in alliance with a stronger people — they furnished our empire only men and arms. They had long training in our wars with the Germans; then later they increased their renown by service in Britain, whither some cohorts were sent, led according to their ancient custom by the noblest among them. They had also at home a select body of cavalry which excelled in swimming; keeping their arms and horses they crossed the Rhine without breaking their formation.” Tacitus, histories

🟡 MARCIUS, VOLSCI AND ROME “While he was still speaking, she [his mother], in a burst of anger, and holding her hands up to heaven, invoked their household gods. "Two processions of women," said she, "have set forth from Rome in the deepest affliction, one in the time of King Tatius, the other in that of Gaius Marcius. Of these two Tatius, a stranger and downright enemy, had respect for the women and yielded to them. Marcius scorns a like delegation of women, including his wife, and his mother besides. May no mother, unblessed in her son, ever again be reduced to the necessity of throwing herself at his feet. This I must submit to. I must prostrate myself before yours." So speaking she flung herself on the ground. He burst into tears, sprang forward and lifted her up, exclaiming with the deepest emotion: "Mother, you have gained the victory, but it is a victory by which you have lost your son." So saying he led back the army, in order to give his reasons to the Volsci and to make peace between the two nations. There was some hope that he might be able to persuade the Volsci, but on account of the jealousy of their leader Attius he was put to death.” Appian, the foreign wars

🟤 AEMILIANUS AND THE NUMANTINES The Numantine War (143-133 BC) was the final and most devastating conflict of the Celtiberian Wars. It centered around the city of Numantia, a fiercely independent Celtiberian stronghold in Hispania (modern-day Spain). The Romans had struggled to subdue the Celtiberians throughout earlier conflicts, and Numantia proved to be an especially formidable challenge. Repeated Roman attempts to conquer the city met with fierce resistance and ultimately failed. In 134 BC, Scipio Aemilianus, a general who had previously triumphed in the Third Punic War, was appointed to command the Roman forces in Hispania. Scipio implemented a plan to isolate and starve the city into submission. He constructed a series of fortified camps that encircled Numantia, cutting off the city's access to supplies and reinforcements. He also limited water access, further restricting the city's resources. Roman engineers utilized battering rams and other siege engines to breach the city walls. The Numantines mounted frequent sorties against the Roman camps, and endured prolonged periods of starvation and hardship without surrendering. After a protracted siege, facing starvation and despair, the Numantines chose a tragic path. They decided to commit mass suicide rather than surrender to the Romans. In 133 BC, the Romans entered the city and found it largely deserted, with many of the inhabitants having taken their own lives. The fall of Numantia ended the Celtiberian Wars and solidified Roman control over Hispania.

🔶 CHRISTIAN PRAYER 5TH OR 6TH CENTURY AD “Greek text: Date:   5th or 6th cent. A.D. O God almighty, holy, true, benevolent, Creator, Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, reveal to me your truth, whether it is your will that I go to Chiout. Shall I find you aiding me and gracious? So be it; Amen!”

🔺 WHAT WAS A SIGNIFER? The signifer was a non-commissioned officer within a Roman centuria (a unit of around 80-100 men). Their primary role was to carry the signum, the standard specific to that centuria. This signum served as a visual identifier for the unit and a rallying point in battle. the signum often consisted of a pole topped with a manus (an open hand) made of bronze or silver. Below the manus, there might be a number of phalerae (metal discs or medallions) awarded to the centuria for valorous deeds or to individual soldiers.
Sometimes, small religious images or other symbolic decorations were also attached. Importantly, the signifer also acted as the paymaster and banker for the soldiers within their centuria, holding their savings. They were typically experienced and trustworthy veterans, earning double the basic soldier's pay.