Caesar
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Posts posted by Caesar
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It all depends on which era you want the Romans in 0ad to portray. The Marian reforms completely changed the Roman Army, and all Legionary soldiers became proffessional soldiers and were volunteers (in fact the Romans would pick the volunteers for the army based on physical build, especialy height).
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Most of the modern names for ancient soldiers, and even the ancient civilizations themselves, are their Latin names, or names derived from Latin.
If you were to apply their native names;
Persia- Aryanam (old Persian for "Land of the Aryans"- root of the word Iran)
Greeks (from the Latin Graecus)- Graikos BUT in ancient Greece they were known as Hellenes
Celts (the the Latin Celtus/Keltus although there is no record of the term being used until the 19th century, rather the Romans differantiated between the Britons, Gauls and other "Celtic" tribes)- The Celts didnt generalize their various tribes and groupings into a single race
ect.
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Whoa, I made up that list months ago
I never meant for anyone to actualy consider it- talk to the actual 0ad historians instead; I'm just an amateur
The real Latin names would be good, in which cae there would be no "Legionary", rather a Miles Legatus- but like Paul said, I dont think a Legionary qualifies as a Punic era soldier.
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Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele
Characters
Mefistofele- Bass
Faust- Tenor
Margherita- Soprano
Martha- Contralto
Wagner- Tenor
Elena- Soprano
Pantalis- Contralto
Nereno- Tenor
Mystic choir, celestial phalanxes, cherubs, penitents, wayfarers, men-at-arms, huntsmen, students, citizens, populace, townsmen, witches, wizards, Greek chorus, sirens, naiads, dancers, warriors.
Setting
Heaven; Frankfurt, Germany; Vale of Tempe, Ancient Greece
Middle Ages
Prologue
The Prologue opens in the nebulous regions of space, in which float the invisible legions of angels, cherubs, and seraphs. These lift their voices in a hymn of praise to the Supreme Ruler of the universe. Mefistofele enters on the scene at the close of the anthem, and standing erect amid the clouds, with his feet upon the border of his cloak, mockingly addresses the Deity. In answer to the question from the mystic choir, "Knowest thou Faust?," he answers contemptuously, and offers to wager that he will be able to entice Faust to evil, and thus gain a victory over the powers of good. The wager is accepted, and the spirits resume their chorus of praise.
Musically the Prologue is full of interest. There are five distinct periods of music, varied in character, so that it gives necessary movements to a scene in which there is but little stage action. There are the prelude with mystic choir; the sardonic scherzo foreshadowing the entry of Mefistofele; his scornful address, in which finally he engages to bring about the destruction of Faust’s soul; a vivacious chorus of cherubs (impersonated by twenty-four boys); a psalmody of penitents and spirits.
Act I.
The drama opens on Easter Sunday, at Frankfort-on-the Main. Crowds of people of all conditions move in and out of the city gates. Among them appears a grey friar, an object of both reverence and dread to those near him. The aged Dr. Faust and his pupil Wagner descend from a height and enter upon the scene, shadowed by the friar, whose actions they discuss. Faust returns to his laboratory, still at his heels the friar, who, unheeded, enters with him, and conceals himself in an alcove. Faust gives himself to meditation, and upon opening the sacred volume, is started by a shriek from the friar as he rushes from his place of concealment. Faust makes the all-potent "sign of Solomon," which compels Mefistofele to throw off his friar’s disguise and to appear in his own person in the garb of a cavalier, with a black cloak upon his arm. In reply to Faust’s questionings, he declares himself the spirit that denieth all things, desiring only the complete ruin of the world, and a return to chaos and night. He offers to make Faust the companion of his wanderings, upon certain conditions, to which the latter agrees, saying: "If thou wilt bring me one hour of peace, in which my soul may rest -- if thou wilt unveil the world and myself before me -- if I may find cause to say to some flying moment, ‘Stay, for thou art blissful,’ then let me die, and let hell’s depths engulf me." The contract competed, Mefistofele spreads his cloak, and both disappear through the air.
The first scene of this act gains its interest from the reflection in the music of the bustle and animation of the Easter festival. The score plastically follows the many changing incidents of the scene upon the stage. Conspicuous in the episodes in Fault’s laboratory are Faust’s beautiful air, "Dai campi, dai prati" (From the fields and from the meadows); and Mefistofele’s proclamation of his identity, "Son lo spirito che nega" (I am the spirit that denieth).
Act II.
Opens with the garden scene. Faust, rejuvenated, and under the name of Henry; Margaret, Mefistofele, and Martha stroll here and there in couples, chatting and love-making. Thence Mefistofele takes Faust to the heights of the Brocken, where he witnesses the orgies of the Witches’ Sabbath. The fiend is welcomed and saluted as their king. Faust, benumbed and stupefied, gazes into the murky sky, and experiences there a vision of Margaret, pale, sad, and fettered with chains.
In this act the garden scene is of entrancing grace. It contains Faust's "Colma il tuo cor d’un palpito" (Flood thou thy heart with all the bliss), and the quartet of farewell, with which the scene ends, Margaret, with the gay and reckless laugh of ineffable bliss, exclaiming to Faust that she loves him. The scene in the Brocken, besides the whirl of the witches’ orgy, has a solo for Mefistofele, when the weird sisters present to him a glass globe, reflected in which he sees the earth. "Ecco el mondo" (Behold the earth).
Act III.
The scene is a prison. Margaret lies extended upon a heap of straw, mentally wandering, and singing to herself. Mefistofele and Faust appear outside the grating. They converse hurriedly, and Faust begs for the life of Margaret. Mefistofele promises to do what he can, and bids him haste, for the infernal steeds are ready for flight. He opens the cell, and Faust enters it. Margaret thinks the jailors have come to release her, but at length recognizes her lover. She describes what followed his desertion of her, and begs him to lay her in death beside her loved ones; -- her babe, whom she drowned, her mother whom she is accused of having poisoned. Faust entreats her to fly with him, and she finally consents, saying that in some far distant isle they may yet be happy. But the voice of Mefistofele in the background recalls her to the reality of the situation. She shrinks away from Faust, prays to Heaven for mercy, and dies. Voices of the celestial choir are singing softly "She’s saved!" Faust and Mefistofele escape as the executioner and his escort appear in the background.
The act opens with Margaret’s lament, "L’astra notte in fondo al mare" (To the sea, one night in sadness), in which she tells of the drowning of her babe. Thee is an exquisite duet, for Margaret Faust, "Lontano, sui fluti d’un ampio oceano" (Far away, o’er the waves of a far-spreading ocean).
Act IV.
Mefistofele takes Faust to the shores of the Vale fo tempe. Faust is ravished with the beauty of the scene while Mefistofele finds that he orgies of the Brocken were more to his taste.
‘Tis the night of the classic Sabbath. A band of young maidens appear, singing and dancing. Mefistofele, annoyed and confused, retires. Helen enters with chorus, and, absorbed by a terrible vision, rehearses the story of Troy’s destruction. Faust enters, richly clad in the costume of a knight of the fifteenth century, followed by Mefistofele, Nereno, Pantalis, and others, with little fauns and sirens. Kneeling before Helen, he addresses her as his ideal of beauty and purity. Thus pledging to each other their love and devotion, they wander through the bowers and are lost to sight.
Helen’s ode, "La luna immobile inonda l’etere" (Motionless floating, the moon floods the dome of night); her dream of the destruction of Troy; the love duet for Helen and Faust, "Ah! Amore! misterio celeste" (‘Tis love, a mystery celestial); and the dexterous weaving of a musical background by orchestra and chorus, are the chief features in the score to this act.
Epilogue
We find Faust in his laboratory once more -- an old man, with death fast approaching, mourning over his past life, with the holy volume open before him. Fearing that Faust may yet escape him, Mefistofele spreads his cloak, and urges Faust to fly with him through the air. Appealing to Heaven, Faust is strengthened by the sound of angelic songs, and resists. Foiled in his efforts, Mefistofele conjures up a vision of beautiful sirens. Faust hesitates a moment, flies to the sacred volume, and cries, "Here at last I find salvation"; then falling on his knees in prayer, effectually overcomes the temptations of the evil one. He then dies amid a shower of rosy petals, and to the triumphant song of a celestial choir. Mefistofele has lost his wager, and holy influences have prevailed.
We have here Faust’s lament, "Giunto sol passo extremo" (Nearing the utmost limit); his prayer, and the choiring of salvation.
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The theologian in me has come out again...
So, any plans to incorporate religion into 0ad? I mean, religious beliefs played a very important part in ancient civilization (well, civilization in general) and often governed the decisions and actions of military comanders.
Look at the Battle of Marathon for example- the Spartans were unable to come to the aid of the Athenians because of a religious festival. And there are many instances of rampaging armies being stopped only by an elcipse of the Sun or Moon.
So, in 0ad differant civs could have differant religions and these religions can give bonuses. Or maybe another system, but I was just wondering what part the ancient religions can play in 0ad
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Nobody said anything when Southpark made fun of Joseph Smith and the Mormons (although they did stick pretty closely to the actual story of Joseph Smith- says alot about Mormon beliefs
); not much happened when the Virgin Mary defecated on the Pope (besides some boycotts and a couple bans); but when they poke fun at Scientology (which as we all know has such a large majority of followers ) a main character quits.Heh...
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Technically it is the hoplites who are the strongest in terms of armor, ranking over the various legionnaires. Its a small concession for the sack of balance.
But that said, legionnaires, hoplites, and phalangites are all incredibly strong troop types, regardless of side
The Roman Legionary was a mediocre by himself, but their real strength came from numbers- the Roman Army was built on formations and teamwork that just didnt exist in many other civs of the time, like the Celts, where everyman fights for himself.
So if theres a fight between a single Hoplite and a single Legionary, the Hoplite is gonna win (although the Hoplite's long spear will be useless if the Legionary gets close enough- then a quick thrust of his gladius can end the battle)
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Do you guys think that the Bible is an accurate source of the events leading up to, involving, and after Jesus's life?
Yes, I do. Here is my belief regarding the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John- all 4 gospels were written between 60 and 90 AD (30 to 60 years after the death and ressurection of Christ). They were written by friends of various Apostles (contrary to common myth, none of the Apostles actualy wrote anything, but they did contribute).
Gospel of Mark- written around 60 AD. The secretary of St. Peter in Rome, Mark took most of his information from the words and teachings of the first Pope himself. the Gospel of Mark is the only one to have been written by the person it's named after, and is the shortest Gospel. It is a Synoptic Gospel (meant as a historical record) written for Roman Christians.
Gospel of Matthew- written around 60-80 AD. Based on the words and teachings of Matthew, a Jewish doctor who converted to Christianity by his friends and followers. It is the longest Snoptic Gospel and was written for Jewish converts to Christianity. Much of the information in it is drawn from the Gospel of Mark and various surviving Apostles.
Gospel of Luke- the third Gospel written, between 60-80 AD. Based on the words and teachings of Luke by his followers. Written for gentile converts to Christianity, it too is a Synoptic Gospel. It is widely believed that the writers of this Gospel knew the Virgin Mary before her death and Assumption. Also used Mark's Gospel.
Gospel of John- the last Gospel written, around 90 AD. Based on the teachings of St. John the Apostle. Unlike the others it is not meant as a chronological record of the life of Jesus, but as a theological work that explained the Divinity and actions of the Christ to the entire Church.
Then we have the other Gospels, like the Gnostic Gospels, which were written later. They were not included because of questionable origin, and great deviations from the general consensus. If you ever read one you will see why they were not included when the Latin Vulgate of St. Jerome was assembled.
The oldest copies of the Gospels in existance go back as far as the 3rd or 4th century (before the assembly of the Latin Vulgate), and in comparision the modern Bible is still very accurate to them. We know they were copied correctly because early Christians followed the Jewish tradition when copying religious texts- complete and utter accuracy to the original text, no mistakes are tolerated, and if you dont believe me go ask a Rabbi!
So, if we are to follow the conspiracy that the Gospel texts were tempered with, then the "tampering" would have had to have come well before the assembly of the Latin Vulgate and the Ecumenemical Councils, and before the legalization of Christianity... but wait- dont most conspiracy theories regarding the Bible point to the Church of Rome the newly legalized Christian religion as the culprit? But how when the oldest surviving Gospels date from well before all of this? Hmmm, I wonder....
Conspiracy theories are abound everywhere you look, especialy in religion. Didnt you know that besides the obviousy cover-up of the Church's tamering of the Gospels, the Pope is a secret satanist, St. Peter's Basilica is the gateway to Hell and Jesus was actualy the son of a goat, not God
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In my opinion, religion should never mix with modern politics and vice versa. Politics adds immorality to religion. However, religion should have a say in political decisions to bring morals and values into society.
The situation in Quebec with the Catholic Church was a blemish on the Church. The problem stemmed from a lack of attention the British, and then Canadian, governments were giving to the French Canadians in Quebec (and the unwillingness of the French inhabitants to accept rule from an primarily-English government) up until the 1960s. Rural Quebecers faced with a power vaccum looked towards their religious leaders for political leadership, and the Church unwisely got itself into a situation it should never have been in. The Church used religious doctrine in place of the laws of secular politics, but enforced it as they would a law- big mistake.
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I missed it because of work, but I heard about it
It seems that the guy who plays Chef has quit, and the creators of South Park have tried to leave it open as to whether or not he will be back. Aparently the guy who plays Chef (I forget his name
) has quit over a recent episode that made fun of scientology as he is a scientologist. -
Lol, I'm already back
. I've been too busy to post (work, school, ect.) since I got back on monday, but I have some time now.I did take lots of pictures, especialy of Vatican City. The coliseum is great and huge, but its really decaying from pollution and grime. The Pantheon is amazing and provides us with a nice snapshot of Roman architecture. St. Peter's Basilica is simply breathtaking- I never knew humans could build such things. The Vatican museums are very interesting, but we only saw a small part of them. Probably the best part of the trip is when we met with the Pope himself.
I took pics, but they are all film (lost my digital cam), so I'll get around to scanning and posting them when I have more time.
I'll continue posting more about the trip when I have some more time
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The first of many posts I need to catch up on
I love opera music, although I have never had the oppurtunity to attend one. Mefistofele is one of my favorites, especialy L altra notte. And of course the story is timeless.
Just a note, not particularly politically or socially motivated (mostly just curious): are women allowed to perform? I think it'd be interesting to see them more as they were performed in Shakespeare's time, and it wouldn't surprise me if Bob Jones would.I find it funny (and obviously people then found it funny too) how in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, the character of Cesar is actualy a woman (Viola I believe) pretending to be a man- so in the original performances there would be a guy, playing a woman, playing a guy
BTW, has anyone seen the previews for some new movie coming out based on Twelfth Night?
Well for an opera... let's just say they don't have castrati anymore!Ever hear the recordings of Alessandro Moreschi? He was the last castrato to sing in the Sistine Chapel Choir, and the only one to make recordings. Surprisingly, although the recordings reveal him to be able to reach very high notes (higher than any man today has been able to accomplish), his voice was recorded while he was well past his prime and he was never more than a mediocre singer (in comparission to other castrati). Moreschi died in 1922.
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So this morning at 2am I leave for the airport to go to Roma
I will be visiting the Coliseum, the Pantheon and of course Vatican City among other places. I'll take lots of pics for you all- goodbye!
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its like mideavel napalm .that could be realy cool ingame
Are you reffering to Greek Fire? That was invented around 670AD by the Byzantines and has no historical context in 0ad- although like I mentioned above the Spartans might have used an early type of Greek Fire during the Peloponesian War.
allso making smoke in the woods could have givin a strategic advantage because the archers could have fired in and thos scandanavians or whatever they were wouldnt no they were coming1. They were Germans.
2. Fire, especialy in a forest, can quickly get out of hand and pose a threat to the Romans.
3. The Germans could have used the smoke to their own advantage by using it as a smokescreen for their tactics.
Also, like Belisarivs said, the Romans didnt often break ranks, not forgetting that Maximus Decimus as a general probably wouldnt have fought in the front lines.
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It apears a non-perscription drug was found in Mr. Milosevic... suicide?... assasination?... innocent mistake?
http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/Article...an_autopsy06031
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As some of you may already know I am going on a little trip to Rome this week with my high school choir. We will be paying special attention to the Vatican Museums which house the largest collection of artwork in the world inside some of the most spectacular works of architecture. It is in the Vatican that one may find works by renowned masters like Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael and Leonardo, a large collection of antiquities of ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, Etruscia, and Mesoamerica, as well as the Carriage and Automobile museum which contains the past Papal vehicles. Compiled over a 2000 year period by the Bishops of Rome (with additions still being made), this anthology of art and artifacts is visited by over 3 million people a year.
So I have decided to share with all of you the magnificent features of this museum. Here is a link to the Vatican Museums, which includes among other things information and images (which have zoom and pan features) for many of the works, including the Sistine Chapel.
Enjoy
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Do you realize how stupid and potentially dangerous that goal is?
I suppose I will realize that after my 19th birthday, probably the next morning as I'm lying in the emergency room
Although luckily, I have inherited the family liver, which is a very good and strong liver
Besides, my sister taught me how to do it- eat lots of bread beforehand
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Siege Weapons and Fire, eh?
Interestingly enough, there is evidence that the Spartans used some sort of early flamethrower in the Peloponnesian War, possibly a precursor of Greek Fire.
As for the Romans, it does not seem inprobable that at some time or another a Roman soldier decided to cover the projectile stone in a flammable substance and set it alight before launching it at the wall of an enemy town. But in the opening scenes of Gladiator, I think that had that battle actualy taken place, the Romans probably would have seen that firing a flaming projectile while in a forest would have been a bad idea- obviously the trees would have caught fire in an area where the Romans would have to charge into, and the smoke would have made seeing the enemy difficult
EDIT: I found an animation of an onager
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I agree that there should be more preventitive measures in place rather than reactive measures, but we must also consider how to properly punish war crimminals. And of course there should be measures in place to prevent them from pulling a Hermann Göring before they can be punished.
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Happy birthday man
When I turn 19 my goal is to drink 19 bottles of bear in 10 minutes- my sister did it, so can I
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I would hate to see my Theology Discussion thread fall into the abyss of the Intellectual Discussions forum, so here are three words that always generate a lot of debate in society-
Religion and Politics
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As a student of both religion and history I am very interested in religious architecture (which is why I am really excited to be going on a school to Rome on tuesday with the school choir- we will even be performing for the Pope himself at Castel Gandalfo:D). To me the greatest works of architecture revolved around religion and reflect the piety and faith of their time (it is no wonder that the so-called "Age of Faith" witnessed one of the most spectacular periods of architecture in history).
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Hey, nice topic
. I have a couple days off, so I'll get into this.Well, I am a Thomist- that is I believe in the theological principles of St. Thomas Aquinas that the existance of God can be supported by logic and reason as is demonstrated in Aquinas' great work the Summa Theologica. To me, God is necessary for the existance of the universe; hence the reality of God is tantamount to our own reality.
I don't believe in A God, and therefore I am convinced that people invented a God because they were afraid of things that they didn't understand.Ah, the old "man sees lightning; man doesnt understand lightning; man says God created lightning". From an observational point of view (forgetting about my religious beliefs for a second), the natural phenomenon man "gave" to God is only a byproduct of a greater belief.
What scars do we still have from religious zealotism in the past?To generalize the "scars" into one category, it would be Ignorance.
But we cannot forget how our modern world exists due to religion. If you dont believe me, read How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization by Thomas E. Woods Jr. It was a real eye-opener even to a person like me who was studied both history and religion.
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http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/Article...sovic_ap_060311
Former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic was found dead in his prison cell near The Hague Saturday morning.The Hague, the United Nations tribunal, reported the death.
"Milosevic was found lifeless on his bed in his cell at the United Nations detention unit," the U.N. tribunal said in a statement.
"The guard immediately alerted the detention unit officer in command and the medical officer. The latter confirmed that Slobodan Milosevic was dead."
Milosevic, 65, was on trial facing war crimes charges for his roll in the Balkan wars of the 1990s, which he is said to have orchestrated.
Under Milosevic's leadership, Serbia fought in four Balkan wars, including the bloody 1992-95 Bosnia war, which left 200,000 people dead.
Milosevic had a heart condition and high blood pressure. It appeared he had died of natural causes, but a toxicology report has been ordered and an autopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of death.
Milosevic has been on trial since February, 2002. The 66 war crimes charges against him include counts of genocide in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.
The trial has been interrupted numerous times due to Milosevic's poor health. The tribunal had recently denied Milosevic's request to travel to Russia to receive specialized medical treatment.
Milosevic said his health was worsening and he would challenge the decision.
Milosevic's brother Borislav said the war crimes court was "entirely responsible" for his death, according to the Interfax news agency.
Last week, Milosevic's trial was put on hold until to await his next defence witness.
Milosevic had submitted a subpoena request to force former U.S. president Bill Clinton to take the stand as a witness.
There is a history of suicide in Milosevic's family. Both of his parents took their own life.
But Milosevic's lawyer rejected suggestions his client committed suicide. Steven Kay said the former president recently vowed to him that he would keep fighting his case.
"He said to me a few weeks ago, 'I haven't fought this case for as long as I have with any intention to do any harm to myself," Kay told the BBC.
There was little sympathy from widows and mothers of Muslims who were killed during the Bosnian war in Srebrenica. The Association of Srebrenica Mothers were primarily concerned that Milosevic's death meant he would not have to face justice for his crimes.
Goodbye and good riddance.
Hi from Israel
in Introductions & Off-Topic Discussion
Posted
Welcome to WFG:D
I've always wanted to visit Israel