h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Moondancer,

Busy days both. I did not know Livia was only thirteen when she had Tiberius - do you recall where you saw that? Although women getting married very young was certainly not uncommon in Roman times, or indeed in medieval times generally.

Laws to encourage marriage were not just about the institution of marriage as such, even if Augustus went on about that a lot. It was also and perhaps primarily to do with increasing the rate of production of well-born Roman citizens, hence the bonuses and incentives for having three or more children, and the 'penalties' fro not marrying or not having children. I guess we must infer that there was enough of a decline in the aristocratic birthrate to cause substantial concern. A lot of reasons have been advanced: women marrying later in life, women being less inclined to tie themselves down with large families, effective birth-control methods and/or abortions, infertility because of in-breeding. Maybe the problem was one of perception rather than reality, but certainly detailed studies have seemingly demonstrated that an unusually high number of noble families 'died out' in the first two centuries AD.

The emperors do come across as being a bit short on mercy, but that may be a false impression due to the way the sources provide the 'facts'. Even so, you don't get to remain emperor, or king, or ruler, by being a softie; not then, and not now I suspect. Take care,

Walter

This post has been removed.

Moondancer,

Your picture does seem to have disappeared - on my screen there is a thin-lined frame with a little box at the top left with a red X in it where the picture usually is. Why don't you ask h2g2 if they know why it has just vanished?

Walter.

Hi,
I know why it has gone, I was not stolen back. The geociti site that I open to get it in to place, disappeared because I did not go and visit it. I have lost more e-mail sites and photos by not visiting them that I posses. And I have at least 5 or 6 currant, that includes work, that is why I sometimes forget them. Makes me feel like a God, my early catholic teachers said if God ever forgot you, you would disappear. Hahahaha, bad luck to those unimportant web addresses.


Moondancer

Hi Walter,

I fixed my page and you will notice that I put in the School of Athens, I just can't help it I am a little partial to the Greeks .

See ya tomorrow

Moondancer

Hi Moondancer,

Great pic, would be nice to see it blown up a bit. I didn't have a clue what you were talking about with losing and recovering your moon piccy, but am really glad you worked it out. While I'm here, can you please think about adding your voice to our GET SERGEI OFF THE MOST NEGLECTED LIST campaign? You can have your say on any one of three forums ('Prokofiev', 'Most Neglected' or 'h2g2 soapbox'). I don't know how to do those squiffy little addresses like you do, but you can get to the forums via my home page. Take care,

walter.

Hi Walter,

It is a great Pic, all those people are individuals scientists artists philosophers and writers of ancient Greek times. I once saw a list of who each one was, I could only name about half a dozen. It is a big picture it takes up a wall of the room it is in, and there is another one similar opposite it. I think the other one has orators and senators or something, the other picture is not as well known. I had to reduce it to fit it on my page but I can tell you where to find it I just looked in yahoo and typed school_athens and it came up.

I have been watching your discussion on Sergei but I know nothing about him, I'm not in to classical music much.

And what you do with those squiffy little addresses is you highlight them and put them in the address box up the top, if that is what you mean. Since time and necessity being the mother of working things out you obviously don't have the necessity. I suppose I need to read more stuff.

I did not quite finish the I Claudius video but I finished enough, got to take it back today.

I have a picture of Livia that I will put on my front page too

See ya soon

Moondancer


I have added another poem

Hi Walter,

I found this amazing site while I was looking for information. It is called www.ancientsites.com I thought you might be interested to have a look also.

See ya around

Moondancer

Hi Walter,

I see you are having such a great time throwing apples across the Tasman that your not talking to me any more.

Lucky I don't take offence, I will send you some apples and pears so that you can keep throwing.



Moondancer

Hi Moondancer,

How could you say such a mean thing?!! How are you, how was your weekend? Mine was spent mowing in the rain, or in here at work. You haven't mentioned your business recently - are you having any joy with selling it, if indeed you are still trying to sell it? Oh, I did find time to do some research on Ovid, and to read a little of his work. I'm also working through Augustus's Res Gestae but there is not much more in there for me. I also researched some Virgil, because bits of it fit in with the Elizabeth essay I am writing and which is now nearly three weeks overdue. What I would really like to do is explore in more detail that Athenuin picture you have put up on your home page.

Read the new poem. You do have such a gift. Have you ever thought of trying to get something published, like in a magazine or a newspaper? I've been trying to convince Loonytunes that he should put some of his stuff into print, but he won't have a bar of it, which is a real shame because he is a brilliant writer. I put your poetry up on the same pedestal.

Back to work for a few hours. Will talk with you again later.

Walter.

Hi Walter,

Which mean thing were you referring to, the fact that you were having too much fun throwing apples at loony, ro the fact that i was offering you some ammunition to help you throw. .

I was only feeling mean cause no one talks to me on the weekends.

I do like Virgil better but it might be like a class of wine, it depends who you share it with. I read Virgil with the girls that I was at school with, and we studied the Aeneas (and I think I have spelt that wrong) from cover to cover and really brought out all we could. The fact that it was continuos story not just a bunch of poems made it more interesting.

When I had younger children and we all watched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (heroes in a half shell). I had no idea who Raphael was, but when I studied 14th century art he turned up. As well as his paintings, which are magnificent, he also did bronze relief work. I suggest you find a book from the library on Raphael as the internet does not have enough information.

If you have trouble finding things let me know.


I have a friend in Queensland who asks me to send him the rain every time I tell him it is raining here, I tell him I try to send it but it comes back in buckets, now I will tell him it took a wrong turn and went to Tassy in stead, which will make him throw dust storms our way .

I have not had a chance to watch it but I recorded a thing on the Celts on SBS last night I think it is a 4 part series, and I heard them saying for next week that it is looking at the Roman influence on the Celts. On SBS 7.30 Sunday evening I just thought you might be interested.

I discovered that when I was painting things, that it takes the fun out of it when you have to do something for someone and in a hurry. I write because I feel like it and when I feel like it, yes I would like to do it more often but at the moment It is a luxury to relax my mind and to let the words flow. I am keeping track of all my writing and all those written to me and I hope to be able to publish one day, I might have to wait until all the relevant parties are dead though .

Now I must go back to work

Moondancer

Hi Moondancer,

Yes, Raphael, wonderful. I don't pretend to be up to speed with his work, but have seen enough of it to know true genius. It is one of the things that has dawned on me late in life, the glory of the Renaissance, and what that meant in terms of art, music, architecture, sculpture, writing, science and thought. To me it is like one gigantic barrel that you can just keep reaching in to and bring up something fantastic each time but never ever get anywhere near to knowing everything that is in there. It was a time of true re-birth, a rediscovery of grace and form and ideas that had been dormant or lost for maybe a thousand years. It is really strange because although the greats of the Renaissance looked backwards for their inspiration, and drew their lines from the classical period, that stimulus moved them forwards, and dramatically so. You also see it in exploration and expansion, as the Old World comes into contact with the new.

My favourites though: Michaelangelo and Leonardo. And Galileo. And Botticelli. And Shakespeare, who I think is the final but perhaps the greatest product of the Renaissance.

Walter.

Hi Walter,

I am seething quietly underneath, I had a phone call from a friend who has just got back from visiting Rome, Florence, Spain, and a few other places. It is a trip I had planned to go with them on. Along with some of the girls from school, I was going to take my husband this time. But when the time came I didn't have the time or the money. Bugger bugger bugger.

There I have got that out of my system, what I have to do now is start to plan our Australia holiday first then I will do some more study and get my self prepared for our European excursion.

I had better get back to work see ya around

Moondancer

Hi Moondancer,

Gee, I can understand why you are seething. One of my workmates returned yesterday from Europe, and another one heads off on Friday. I was hoping to have been all over Europe about now, too, but it didn't pan out that way. I'm not complaining, because one silver lining replaced another, but I do get very envious. With good fortune, maybe this time next year will be my turn. But what is this trip around Australia that you are planning: is it just an idea at this stage or are you well underway with preparations? Just you and your beloved, or the boys as well? How long for, and all those other relevant questions.

Walter

Hi Walter,

Our trip around Australia is well in the way of planning, It is somewhat reliant on when we sell our business, but we will sell. And the My beloved, my dog and I will, rent the house, drive out the drive way and head north till we cannot go any further, then we will head west, and the same thing. And we will come home when we run out of money or are too old to earn any more, or we get tired of moving.

There is a course on at the local Council of Adult Education that is called "life on wheels", starts in November so we are both going to that. I will also take a bartending and a housekeeping course. My sister who travels all the time with a coach tour company, tells us there is always work if you are prepared to do it.

That is another one I am envious of, my sister probably goes around Australia 6-8 times a year, and she might be working, but I don't see her changing her life for anyone, at 37 she is still not tied down .

Hi Walter,

I got a big pile of work in so I haven't had any time for playing.


See ya around soon

Moondancer

Hi Moondancer,

Gee, that's a relief, I thought I must have upset you or something.

Walter

Hi Moondancer,

I guess you must be flat out. Hope you are coping easily with what ever it is that is keeping you away. I will be in here in the morning (for sure this time) so if you are in and have time for a chat pop by and say hello. Otherwise, I hope you have a realxing and pleasant weekend. Take care,

Walter

Hi Walter,

Yes I did have a very hectic couple of days working, and then I had my mother to stay for the weekend. She hogged the Internet and would not let me on. Lets hope she will get her own computer she can put on the internet soon and won't keep on taking mine.

I will talk to you on Monday.

Moondancer

Hi Moondancer,

Promises, promises.

Hope you are okay.

Walter.