Roman History

Greetings,

Since I devote a certain space each week to Latin phrases, and have, on occasion, been known to babble on about Roman History, I thought this week we could see what else we owe to the Romans. And what springs immediately to mind? 

Roman numerals! 

There's something vaguely comforting about Roman numerals, they're so solid, so stable, so always-been-there. Of course, the trouble is that many people these days are not taught how to convert them, so, here for your edification.... Rrrrroman Nuuuumerals:

Once you know these basics, you just string 'em all together to make numbers ... like so:

MDCLXVI = 1000 + 500 + 100 + 50 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 1666.

MMI = 2001

It gets just a teensy bit confusing with the practice of subtraction. A lower numeral appearing before a higher one is subtracted from the higher value, not added to the total. For example, IX is the Roman numeral for 9 (that is, 10 - 1); XIX represents the number 19 (X + IX, or 10 + 9).  

The smaller number must be a power of ten (I, X or C) and precede a number no larger than 10 times its own value. The smaller number itself can be preceded only by a number at least 10 times greater (e.g. LXC is invalid) and it must also be larger than any numeral that follows the one from which it is being subtracted (e.g. CMD is invalid). And no, I can't take credit for this explanation - it's from this Conversion Guide.

They always were a practical lot, those Romans, and we've inherited some great things from them (apart from Roman numerals). How's this for a list of I-couldn't-get-by-without-my?

• During the Roman Empire, battle weary legionnaires tried to find a way to recover from their military wounds and ailments and sought out hot wells to soak their weary bones. They then built baths so they could have the benefits of these hot waters all the time. These baths were called 'aquae' and the bathing treatments undertaken there were known as "Sanus Per Aquam" - meaning health by or through water ... Spa ... get it?
• Julian calendar and July and August
• The front porch
• Concrete
• Straight roads
• Arch bridges (Several of the original stout Roman arch bridges lasted through the Middle Ages and on into modern times, even serving General George Patton in the fighting during World War II just as they had served Caesar and Trajan almost two millennia before.)

And that's without even thinking too much about what we owe them.

So next time you sigh and ask yourself what that mad woman from Down Under is doing, rabbiting on about Latin and the Romans ... you'll understand ... won't you?

Here are some mad married names ... thanks for finding these Sam, we needed another excuse to waste some time!

If Oprah Winfrey married Depak Chopra, she'd be Oprah Chopra.

If Sondra Locke married Elliott Ness, then divorced him to marry Herman Munster, she'd become Sondra Locke Ness Munster.

If Bea Arthur married Sting, she'd be Bea Sting.

If Tuesday Weld married Hal March III, she'd be Tuesday March 3.

If Liv Ullman married Judge Lance Ito, then divorced him and married Jerry Mathers, she'd be Liv Ito Beaver.

Nog (Related to Quark on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine") has no other name, so he uses it twice when getting a marriage license. If he married Howard Hughes, and then Pamela Dare, he'd be Nog Nog Hughes Dare.

If Woody Allen married Natalie Wood, divorced her and married Gregory Peck, divorced him and married Ben Hur, he'd be Woody Wood Peck Hur.

Chuckle ...

This week's quiz:

Match the word from the list with its meaning blow: salacious, wend, nostrum, imbroglio, urbane, quail, auspicious, salutary, expostulate, punctilious

1. argue earnestly to dissuade, correct, or protest

2. favourable, successful, prosperous

3. precise, paying attention to trivialities, especially in regard to etiquette

4. remedial, wholesome, causing improvement

5. difficult or embarrassing situation

6. to go, proceed

7. a quack remedy, an untested cure

8. obscene

9. lose courage, turn frightened

10.elegant, refined in manners

Now, I know I've used these before, but I think they're clever and they do fit with this week's topic:

1. intense, zealous - FERVID

2. intimidate, make fearful - DAUNT

3. grow forth, send out buds - BURGEON

4. unexpected, not normal, odd - ANOMALOUS

5. wasteful, reckless with money - PRODIGAL

6.mournful, excessively sad - LUGUBRIOUS

7. harmful, ominous, causing evil - BALEFUL

8. gullible, too willing to believe - CREDULOUS

9. appearing true or real - VERISIMILITUDE

10.cheerful, casual, carefree - BLITHE

Don't forget to use the search box if you're trying to find something from a past issue of the newsletter - I find it saves me hours of going through back issues -  http://www.write101.com 

Jennifer

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