#Bridge of Hadrian

[illustratus]

View of Rome at Night by Henryk Cieszkowski

[thesilicontribesman]

Willowford Roman Bridge Abutment, Hadrian's Wall, Willowford, Cumbria

[vintagerpg]

Country Sites (1995) is the last of the site series of sourcebooks (another was planned — Planar Sites, but that turned into Vortex of Madness a couple years later). This is better than Castle Sites but a tiny bit inferior to City Sites, I think? It’s close. The upshot is that this is a book full of high quality material that is just shy of system agnostic, and thus a resource for all sort of RPGs.

There are two sorts of site here, minor and major. All of them include maps, history, NPCs and other necessary information. The minor sites are a bridge over a gorge, a fort, a toll house and a riverside inn. They are brisk little things, peppered with adventure seeds.

The major sites are more like short, open-ended adventures. There’s a haunted temple, a tent city in the caldera of a dormant volcano (is it a caldera if it is dry? I dunno, but this is not a lake), a necropolis, a floating ship’s graveyard (not unlike Hodgson’s Sargasso stories), an island prison, a big old wall and a bizarre castle. A couple of these are immediately identifiable riffs on real-world locations — the last seems like Bavaria’s Neuschwanstein, the wall is obviously Hadrian’s, the necropolis draws from the mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramids of Giza, the prison echoes Alcatraz. These all boast quite a bit more material. The ship’s graveyard seems particularly robust, with ten separate ships detailed (though no seaweed people, alas). I like pretty much all of this stuff, but I like it slightly less for those real world connections. They fix them in my mind in a way that is unhelpful and a bit prosaic. I expect that is my own damn problem, though.

Excellent illustrations throughout by Phillip Robb. Dennis Kauth did all the cartography, which is a clear selling point of the book and does much to evoke the site. I love Jennell Jaquays’ cover here, too. This one feels almost Games Workshoppish.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

SitH thoughts under the cut for the roughly two people that have read that story:

- why is Y/N so shippable with EVERY character EXCEPT FOR COLT (literally the main love interest)

- like the conversation with reiner on the bridge??? so romantic and for what…wdym you wished you knew each other in a world where you weren’t both terrible people. wdym you’ll meet each other in another life some time. WDYM YOU’LL FIND HER IN THAT NEXT LIFE HUH REINER 🤨🤨🤨🤨

- her and hadrian have a narrative reason to be shipped so ig i can’t complain about that but i still can’t get over the impact that he has had on everyone reading the story. bro was there for 1.5 chapters max and he’s still on everyone’s minds even now. those pseudo-italian genetics are strong i suppose

- i have actually tried to figure out why it is that friedrich seems like more of a love interest than colt at times though (besides me being the BIGGEST victim of second lead syndrome) and i think i’ve finally got it!!

- the story is essentially Y/N’s life story, and while it was inspired out of a love for colt, the story more so focuses on the effects of things like war on a person (in this case Y/N), and how “cool girl boss beating up and killing people and getting no trauma from it” is a trope that just doesn’t make sense. so Y/N was created first and foremost to be a way to depict these impacts and to be a character that does questionable things and is faced with real consequences for them instead of just being hailed as a hero

- meanwhile colt is a character i’ve borrowed from isayama, so i can’t do much about his base characterization (although i’ve certainly pushed the limits on that), but i was the person to make friedrich, and as his writer, i can say that he was quite literally created just to love Y/N. of course he does other things and has other relationships and (hopefully) seems like a character that has more to him than just ‘being in love with Y/N’, but that doesn’t change the fact that at his core, being in love with Y/N is his narrative purpose, just like showing Y/N the other sides of war is hadrian’s. this is especially hard for me to navigate when writing because i have to show that while also trying to make sure that he doesn’t take over the story (which is after all a colt fic).

- i would say that in the beginning, her and colt were closer due to their more compatible personalities, but her during (and post) war personality is much more in line with friedrich’s just because he’s a lot more cynical and blunt. i’m somewhat limited by the canon in terms of how things like athyae affect colt because he does have a generally kind and almost naive?? personality in the small crumbs we get of him in the show, so i have to balance that with also making sure that everything he goes through does have an effect on who he is as a person the way it does on friedrich and Y/N

- this story is going to be so sad in the end. like it’s already probably my least happy work just because of the grim stuff that it covers, but i would like to reemphasize that Y/N’s life…is not that great. i think she’s my most tragic Y/N because everything that happened to her was brought about by a choice she made — to be a warrior candidate, which is not something she was forced to do. the L/Ns were decently well off, her parents loved her, and she was generally happy if not bored with her life pre-candidacy. but then she made that one fatal mistake and now she’s become what she is and she can never really leave and it leads to a general life of pain anguish and suffering (although i will say that my best friend heard my plans for the ending and said that it was relatively happy compared to what i normally write, so take that as you will)

- i forgot how self-aware the characters are at some points. there’s this one scene where friedrich and colt literally make fun of how many guys like Y/N (because at the end of the day she’s still Y/N duh ofc she’s beautiful everyone likes her) and it’s so unserious…even despite how heavy the fic can get there is some levity here and there which i forgot about tbh. but the story will literally go from Y/N having a crisis about something to friedrich and colt saying some bs like “i really admire [him] for not being one of the many men to instantly fall in love with you” “true seems like he really had remarkable self-restraint” “what a commendable fellow”

- i love marek and i am very sorry for what i put him through but would i do it again?? yes. also he and Y/N are rlly cute together

- at this point i’ve gotten so attached to these characters that i could genuinely write fics about them. like fanfics about a literal fanfic. fanfiception.

- atm i think writing one of those otome isekai stories (they are my guilty pleasure) with Y/N from this fic specifically would be so fucking funny and honestly i might do it just for personal enjoyment but idk if i would ever post it because it would be such a derivative work that anyone going into it expecting an aot fic would be angry and disappointed because the only aot character in it would be colt and idek if Y/N would end up with him in such an au

- okay most of these were about Y/N’s relationships with every character BESIDES colt but her and colt honestly are really sweet together

- he cares about her so much and honestly there are many times where i’ll be writing and i’m like “nah colt deserves better” because he is SO patient with her it’s insane

- on a similar note i think it’s crazy how we’re almost at 150k words and there’s been ONE kiss (which barely even counts because it WASN’T WITH COLT)

- but at the same time the lack of romance is kind of on purpose because Y/N is NOT in a mental state to be in a relationship atm and i hate that whole trope of ‘getting a romantic partner and getting over your trauma immediately’ as that’s just not realistic. colt and friedrich are there to love and support Y/N but all three of them know that the way they are currently is not conducive to being with someone long term. there’s a lot of trauma there that needs to be resolved and spoiler alert it will not be for a very very long time

- there’s so many interesting dynamics that Y/N will have with future characters that i’m excited to write but they’re all like 200k-300k words away which is killinggg me

- ship in the harbor will definitely be my longest story and i’ve changed a lot both as a writer and a person since beginning it, so it’s super special to me. thank you so much to everyone who reads it and comes up with theories about it and falls in love with its characters — i know it’s such a niche fic and it’s been rough at times and i’m so spotty with updating it, but i really do love this little version of the warrior candidacy program and what was going on in marley while the scouts were busy doing their own thing. here’s to many more chapters (but hopefully not too many more years) of me stealing what i want from isayama and filling in the rest as i please, so that this entire mess of a story comes together into something that’s somewhat comprehensible and makes at least one person cry

[professorpusset]

Free Classics Courses - With Certificates!

Studying "the classics" is a rich, rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable experience. Unfortunately these days, many of us lack the opportunity or resources to integrate ancient civilisations and languages into our formal education.

I, for one, am forever grateful that the advent of the digital age heralded new and interesting ways for society to share a wealth of information. Since the early noughties, I've tracked down free online courses in areas of personal interest. Naturally, the Classics is a subject I gravitated towards, and it saddened me to notice that over time free courses in the arts and humanities dwindled in favour of modern, digital, knowledge.

However, I am gladdened to share that OpenLearn (a branch of The Open University) have a growing selection of free Classics courses! All of these courses offer a free certificate to download and print on completion, and are drawn from the various undergraduate courses provided by the university proper.

These courses vary in length and difficulty, but provide an excellent starting point for anyone interested in the Classics, or who would like to sample university level content before committing to a more formal course of study.

Here is a full list of courses in the Classics category at OpenLearn, though I strongly suspect more will be added over time:

The Ancient Olympics: bridging past and present

Highlights the similarities and differences between our modern Games and the Ancient Olympics and explores why today, as we prepare for future Olympics, we still look back at the Classical world for meaning and inspiration.

Discovering Ancient Greek and Latin

Gives a taste of what it is like to learn two ancient languages. It is for those who have encountered the classical world through translations of Greek and Latin texts and wish to know more about the languages in which these works were composed.

Getting started on classical Latin

Developed in response to requests from learners who had had no contact with Latin before and who felt they would like to spend a little time preparing for the kind of learning that studying a classical language involves. The course will give you a taster of what is involved in the very early stages of learning Latin and will offer you the opportunity to put in some early practice.

Continuing classical Latin

Gives the opportunity to hear a discussion of the development of the Latin language.

Introducing Homer's Iliad

Focuses on the epic poem telling the story of the Trojan War. It begins with the wider cycle of myths of which the Iliad was a part. It then looks at the story of the poem itself and its major theme of Achilles' anger, in particular in the first seven lines. It examines some of the characteristic features of the text: metre, word order and epithets. Finally, it explores Homer's use of simile. The course should prepare you for reading the Iliad on your own with greater ease and interest.

Hadrian's Rome

Explores the city of Rome during the reign of the emperor Hadrian (117-38 CE). What impact did the emperor have on the appearance of the city? What types of structures were built and why? And how did the choices that Hadrian made relate to those of his predecessors, and also of his successors?

The Body in Antiquity

Will introduce you to the concept of the body in Greek and Roman civilisation. In recent years, the body has become a steadily growing field in historical scholarship, and Classical Studies is no exception. It is an aspect of the ancient world that can be explored through a whole host of different types of evidence: art, literature and archaeological artefacts to name but a few. The way that people fulfil their basic bodily needs and engage in their daily activities is embedded in the social world around them. The body is a subject that can reveal fascinating aspects of both Greek and Roman culture it will help you to better understand the diversity of ancient civilisation.

Library of Alexandria

One of the most important questions for any student of the ancient world to address is 'how do we know what we know about antiquity?' Whether we're thinking about urban architecture, or love poetry, or modern drama, a wide range of factors shape the picture of antiquity that we have today. This free course, Library of Alexandria, encourages you to reflect upon and critically assess those factors. Interpreting an ancient text, or a piece of material culture, or understanding an historical event, is never a straightforward process of 'discovery', but is always affected by things such as translation choices, the preservation (or loss) of an archaeological record, or the agendas of scholars.

Introducing the Classical World

How do we learn about the world of the ancient Romans and Greeks? This free course, Introducing the Classical world, will provide you with an insight into the Classical world by introducing you to the various sources of information used by scholars to draw together an image of this fascinating period of history.

Introducing Virgil's Aeneid

This free course offers an introduction to the Aeneid. Virgil’s Latin epic, written in the 1st century BCE, tells the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas and his journey to Italy, where he would become the ancestor of the Romans. Here, you will focus on the characterisation of this legendary hero, and learn why he was so important to the Romans of the Augustan era. This course uses translations of Virgil’s poem, and assumes no prior knowledge of Latin, but it will introduce you to some key Latin words and phrases in the original text.

Icarus: entering the world of myth

An introduction to one of the best-known myths from classical antiquity and its various re-tellings in later periods. You will begin by examining how the Icarus story connects with a number of other ancient myths, such as that of Theseus and the Minotaur. You will then be guided through an in-depth reading of Icarus’ story as told by the Roman poet Ovid, one of the most important and sophisticated figures in the history of ancient myth-making. After this you will study the way in which Ovid’s Icarus myth has been reworked and transformed by later poets and painters.

Getting started on ancient Greek

A taster of the ancient Greek world through the study of one of its most distinctive and enduring features: its language.

The course approaches the language methodically, starting with the alphabet and effective ways to memorise it, before building up to complete Greek words and sentences. Along the way, you will see numerous real examples of Greek as written on objects from the ancient world.

Travelling for Culture: The Grand Tour

In the eighteenth century and into the early part of the nineteenth, considerable numbers of aristocratic men (and occasionally women) travelled across Europe in pursuit of education, social advancement and entertainment, on what was known as the Grand Tour. A central objective was to gain exposure to the cultures of classical antiquity, particularly in Italy. In this free course, you’ll explore some of the different kinds of cultural encounters that fed into the Grand Tour, and will explore the role that they play in our study of Art History, English Literature, Creative Writing and Classical Studies today.

[tanoraqui]

🐝Bridging Mechanicsburg

[ask meme]

Agatha just wanted to build a damn bridge from 66th St Park to Little Monster Island. Did the word "despot" count for nothing anymore?

Characters: Agatha Heterodyne, Vanamonde Von Mekkan, Hadrian Greenclaw, Carson Von Mekkan, Mama Gkika, General Goomblast, Mechancisburger OCs, Castle Heterodyne, Snakkerjape (Girl Genius), Doctor Sun, Violetta Mondarev

Relationships: Agatha Heterodyne & Mechanicsburg, Vanamonde Von Mekkan/Hadrian Greenclaw

Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg City Factions, Organized Crime, Jägermonsters, Guild of Monsters, Background OT3, Background Foglios, The Greatest Enemy: Urban Planning Politics

[guerrerense]

178/365 Hadrian por images@twiston Por Flickr: Hadrian - Jubilee Class 4-6-0 No 45690 "Leander" powering up the "The Long Drag" between Settle and Blea Moor at Helwith Bridge with "The Hadrian"

[redladydeath]

Six actors who's names share a common root

Hannah (12) Jana Larell Glover, Anna Uzele, Hana Stewart, Annamaria Baranyai, Anita Gado, Hannah Lowther, Annabel Marlow, Anna Peller, Gerianne Perez, Analise Rios, Hannah Taylor, Anna Terpiłowska

Elizabeth (9) Ellie Jane Grant, Izi Maxwell, Ella Burns, Bella Coppola, Izabela Pawletko, Analise Rios, Leesa Tulley, Elizabeth Walker, Ellie Wyman

Laurence (8) Laura Dawn Pyatt, Lauren Byrne, Lauren Irving, Lauren Mariasoosay, Laura Blair, Lauren Drew, Loren Hunter, Lori McLare

Margaret (7) Małgorzata Chrusciel, Meghan Corbett, Meghan Dawson, Meg Dixon-Brasil, Megan Gilbert, Maggie Lacasse, Megan Leung

Christos (7) Kirsty "Zara" MacIntosh, Keirsten Nicole Hodgens, Cristina D'Agostino, Kristina Leopold, Christina Modestou, Kristina Walz, Krisztina Magyar

Helen (6) Ellie Jane Grant, Elena Breschi, Ella Burns, Elena Gyasi, Aline Mayagoitia, Ellie Wyman

John (6) Jana Larell Glover, Gianna Grosso, Jaina Brock-Patel, Janique Charles, Janice Rijssel, Lori-Jane McLare

Nicholas (6) Nicole Louise Lewis, Nikki Bentley, Nikolett Gallusz, Collette Guitart, Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert, Nicole Lamb

Alexander (5) Alexia McIntosh, Sasha Renae Brown, Alexandra "Zan" Berube, Aleksandra Gotowicka, Ji-sun "Lexie" Kim

Gabriella (5) Gabbi Mack, Gabrielle Davina Smith, Gabriela Francesca Carillo, Gabriella Stylianou-Burns, Gabriella Boumford

Jasmine (5) Jasmine Shen, Jasmine Smith, Jasmine Forsberg, Jasmine Hackett, Jaz Robinson

Julius (5) Juli Horanyi, Giulia Marolda, Julia McLellan, Julia Pulo, Jillian Worthing

Adal (4) Alicia Corrales-Connor, Alyssa Giannetti, Alize Ke'Aloha Cruz, Aline Mayagoitia

Amy (4) Amy Bridges, Aimie Atkinson, Amy Di Bartolomeo, Kara-Ami McCreanor

Courtney (4) Courtney Monsma, Courtney Stapleton, Courtney Bowman, Courtney Mack

Emil (4) Amelia Walker, Emily Rose Lyons, Emily Harrigan, Emilia "Millie" O'Connell

Katherine (4) Caitlyn De Kuyper, Kathryn Kilger, Caitlin Tipping, Kate Zulauf

Kayla (4) Kala Gare, Khaila Wilcoxon, Kaylah Attard, Kayla McSorley

Monica (4) Monika Nika Veres, Monique Ashe-Palmer, Janique Charles, Mónika Horváth

Sophia (4) Sophie Golden, Sophie-Rose Middleton, Fia Houston-Hamilton, Sophie Isaacs

Abigail (3) Abigail Sparrow, Abbi Hodgson, Abby Mueller

Aenor (3) Ellie Jane Grant, Ella Burns, Ellie Wyman

Danielle (3) Danielle Steers, Danielle Mendoza, Danielle Rose

Eireann (3) Aryn Bohannon, Erin Palmer Ramirez, Erin Caldwell

Hayley (3) Haley Izurieta, Hailee Kaleem Wright, Hailey Lewis

Laura (3) Laura Dawn Pyatt, Laura Blair, Lori McLare

Lucius (3) Lucy Aiston, Lucia Valentino, Lucinda Wilson

Natalie (3) Natalie Pilkington, Natalie Paris, Natalia Kujawa

Oliver (3) Olivia "Liv" Alexander, Olivia Donalson, Oliver Wickham

Rhiannon (3) Rhiannon Bacchus, Rhiannon Doyle, Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky

Sarah (3) Kala Gare, Sadie Hurst, Sarah McFarlane

Theodore (3) Terica Marie, Didi Romero, Dóra Csonka

Agnes (2) Inez Budd, Agnieszka Rose

Aisha (2) Aiesha Naomi Pease, Aisha Kardffy

Alan (2) Lana Zoe Jensen, Alana M. Robinson

Amanda (2) Amanda Lee, Amanda Lindgren

Ashley (2) Ashlee Waldbauer, Ashleigh Weir

Brian (2) Brianna Brito Mooney, Brianna Javis

Cassandra (2) Cassandra Lee, Cassie Silva

Cathassach (2) Casey Esbin, Casey Al-Shaqsy

Ceallach (2) Kelly Sweeney, Kelly Denice Taylor

Cennetig (2) Kennedy Carstens, Kenedy Small

Charles (2) Carly Mercedes Dyer, Caroline Siegrist

Chelsea (2) Chelsea Lorraine Wargo, Chelsea Dawson

Chloe (2) Chloe Zuel, Chloe Hart

Eloise (2) Eloise "Ellie" Sharpe, Eloise Lord

Eric (2) Terica Marie, Erika Herceg

Grace (2) Grace Mouat, Grace Melville

Hadrian (2) Adrianna Glover, Adrianna Hicks

Henry (2) Harriet Watson, Harriet Caplan-Dean

Holly (2) Holli' Conway, Holly Musgrave

Jennifer (2) Jennifer Caldwell, Ji-woo "Jennifer" Kim

Jessica (2) Jessica Niles, Jessica "Jessie" Bodner

Ludwig (2) Lou Henry, Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky

Maia (2) Maiya Quansah-Breed, Maya Christian

Martha (2) Marta Burdynowicz, Marta Skrzypczynska

Mary (2) Annamaria Baranyai, Marilyn Caserta

Matilda (2) Maddison Bulleyment, Maddison Firth

Melissa (2) Melinda Porto, Melissa J. Ford

Rachel (2) Rachel Rawlinson, Rachel "Rae" Davenport

Renatus (2) Renee Lamb, Brene "Bre" Jackson

Shannon (2) Shannen Alyce Quan, Su-jeong "Shannon" Pae

Sidney (2) Cydney Clark, Sydney Parra

Taylor (2) Taylor Iman Jones, Taylor Pearlstein

Victor (2) Victoria "Vicki" Manser, Viki Singh

[anathemafiction]

Game Patch is live!

I've sent HG the updated files, and it’s ready! As requested, I'll leave the patch notes under the cut.

With this, I’m truly done with Book One. Except for typo and bug reports, I won't be adding any more content, or spending more time and energy thinking about it. It is time to set my eyes ahead once and for all.

For Book Two is an even taller mountain.

Game Patch Notes:

Fixed typos and grammatical mistakes.

Fixed Alessa's relationship page bug.

Fixed the error where it wasn't acknowledged the MC already knew of the Ministry Building in the Market and the Cathedral paths.

Fixed Juturna's coin continuity errors.

Fixed the MC forgetting Aurelius' name at the Gates.

Fixed the MC not remembering seeing Neia's initial at the Gates.

Fixed Hadrian's cross being silver in Chapter One.

Fixed the siren continuity error.

Changed the description of Lance's coin box at the square.

Added Lance's crossbow.

Tweaked the Devil's guardian dialogue to make it clearer what she means when she calls you "one of us."

Added a small exposition about Latin in Chapter 1.

Changed the description of the Devil's Bridge in Chapter 3.

Added the Pirate to the relationship panel.

Adjusted Hadrian and Alessa's relationship descriptors. 

If the MC has high enough Combat, they're now able to hurt the Theers' spy in Chapter 7.

Added the option to be grateful to Salina for treating the scar.

MC recalls seeing a certain white spotted horse before.

If the MC has enough Lore, they recognize the word 'Tablinum'.

Added a different version of Lance's conversation outside the Inn based on a past choice.

Chouriça now reacts if you have high enough Corruption.

Added the option to keep Aurelius' cross without wearing it around your neck.

Added the option to tell Hadrian he's your first kiss. 

Added the option to tell Alessa she's your first kiss.

Put the 'A Templar's Heart' and 'The Flame Beneath the Ice' achievements in their proper places.

Added 'A Sight from the Deep' achievement.

Added 'Fearless' achievement.

Added 'A New Champion' achievement.

Added 'A Noble Parade' achievement.

Added 'The Title before the Name' achievement.

Added 'Gold Handkerchief' achievement.

Added 'Green Handkerchief' achievement.

Added 'A Promise of a Date' achievement.

Added 'You'd Rather Not' achievement.

Added 'A Sweet Treat' achievement.

Added 'It Grew' achievement.

Added 'Record Keeper' achievement.

Added 'Human After All' achievement.

Added 'Head in the Clouds' achievement.

Added 'A Sparrow Soaring Too High' achievement.

Added 'A Tight-Lipped Confession' achievement.

Added 'Through the Haze of Embarrassment' achievement.

Added 'The Noose Tightens' achievement.

Added 'Ancient Word' achievement.

Added 'A Bit of History' achievement.

Added 'A Tight-knit Group' achievement.

Added 'No Point in Clustering' achievement.

(It may not be ready on all platforms. I know the game has been updated on the omnibus and the COG website, but I can't know if it has been in all the others. If the patch isn't ready in your platform, it should be in a couple of hours.)

[longwindedbore]

My take

Upper Management: Specialists who have never worked a retail job making the BIG retail decisions.

A Microeconomic example of WHY all civilizations, nations, economies and organizations seem to go through repetitive cycles - each cycle four generations long:

ESTABLISHING new or REBUILDING after the FAFO of the prior generation. Hard times that demands sacrifice and common purpose.

GOOD TIMES thanks to the sacrifice of the prior generation. The new generation retains sense of common purpose but sacrifices are required less. Expansion of opportunities leads to trained/educated specialists. Birth rates are less than opportunities.

GILDED ERA thanks to the sacrifice, common purpose, birth rates, specialized training/education this third generation has a bumper crop of specialists for whom there isnt nearly enough demand. Among the unemployed in their trade/field among this upper echelon grows a sense that they are being discriminated against as they are equal to those who were chosen. Common purpose dies among even the employed. Production/employment hegemonies develop increasing upper tier wealth at the expense of the lowest tiers.

FAFO results from birth rates exceeding opportunities available thus increasing competition and eventually widespread cheating by specialist and the Rich. The System is manifestly corrupt. Sector Hegemonies become more monopolistic insuring that more of the political/economic/cultural spectrum are impoverished.

Repeat until a Norwegian Fortinbras arrives in Denmark in Act V.

Or for that matter the Balkan commanding a legion on sentry duty at Hadrians Wall arrives at the Milvern Bridge in Rome. Or a Corsican cannoneer gives the French Revolution the taste of grapeshot. Or an Austrian working for German Security is assigned to infiltrate a Socialist Workers Party and starts giving speeches.

Or an egomaniacal landlord with exactly zero experience in politics descends a golden escalator.

Are we nationally in a FAFO while Russia is in REBUILDING phase?

[thesilicontribesman]

Chesters Roman Bridge Abutment, Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland

[zanmor]

top 5 roman deaths that could have changed the world

5. quintus fabius maximus verrucosus

hannibal is rampaging across italy, destroying every army the romans raise against him in humiliating defeats. fabian becomes dictator and proceeds to do... nothing. but it works and just keeping a roman army in the field without leading them all to their deaths is important. other commanders adopt his strategy of not engaging unless victory is certain. probably he's why rome survives the second punic war and eventually is able to go on to win it. what if instead he had been assassinated for his 'cowardice' or 'treason' in refusing to confront hannibal head on. what if instead the roman empire had died in the cradle and the carthaginian empire had been born, having conquered its greatest rival.

4. marcus licinius crassus

imagine the dude kicks the bucket on the eve of his debacle in parthia. instead of leading these men and his son to their deaths in the desert sands, the army is mustered and ready to march off but he dies and his son takes over instead. would he have made the same disastrous mistakes as his father or would he have returned to rome a conquering hero greater than gaius julius?

3. constantine the great

diocletian had all his ducks in a row with the previous emperors retiring and their caesars rising to the rank of co-augusti. but constantine (and others who felt their right to inherit the empire was being unduly ignored, but constantine was most successful) is here to fuck all that up. suppose instead he gets trounced at the milvian bridge and even dies or is captured (and then executed). maybe diocletian's succession sticks and becomes a precedent where every 10 years the augusti step down and their caesars step up. and more importantly, maybe the empire never becomes christian.

2. irene of athens

what if instead of blinding her own son and damning her line she had instead kicked the bucket and let the seemingly capable emperor take full control? this period is so wild and so scant for sources that it's even harder to imagine how this counterfactual might play out than any of the others but certainly blinding and killing your only heir isn't a strong play.

antoninus pius

he was supposed to keep the seat warm after hadrian died until marcus aurelis could take over as a capable and long-reigning man. but the 54-year-old kept on kicking for another 23 years, keeping marcus bottled up in the capital with him. even assuming shit still hits the fan upon his death and rome is attacked by those who had been peaceful under the capable emperors hadrian and antoninus pius, rome might have been better able to fend it off a decade earlier. because a decade later a plague was making fighting a war and keeping the army supplied and manned a debilitating task, especially for a man who spend 23 years essentially bookkeeping alongside the emperor.

[salantami]

Ponte Sant'Angelo

Rome

The eighth angel, officially entrusted to Giulio Cartari

In 1669, Pope Clement IX commissioned Bernini to replace the aging stucco angels on the bridge.

Ponte Sant'Angelo, originally the Aelian Bridge or Pons Aelius, is a Roman bridge in Rome, Italy, completed in 134 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus), to span the Tiber from the city centre to his newly constructed mausoleum, now the towering Castel Sant'Angelo. The bridge is faced with travertine marble and spans the Tiber with five arches, three of which are Roman; it was approached by means of a ramp from the river. The bridge is now solely pedestrian and provides a scenic view of Castel Sant'Angelo

Rome

Photo credit :

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[fire-bear]

I'm Not From The US!

@fortheunicornchild tagged me in this ask set, so I'm posting the answers here. (Sorry it took so long, been a busy week.)

1. favourite place in your country? I really loved the times me and my family were on Skye and there was this really nice wee restaurant in Portree. I think I just liked the illusion of isolation (there's a bridge that connects the island to the mainland).

2. do you prefer spending your holidays in your country or travel abroad? When I was younger, we couldn't afford to go anywhere, so I spent all my holidays in Scotland, with a few days out into the very north of England (specifically around Hadrian's Wall). So, now that I work and have money of my own, I prefer to travel outwith the country when I can, especially since I want to go see the world.

3. does your country have access to sea? We're an island, baby.

4. favourite dish specific for your country? Haggis. Usually with broccoli and tatties (not a big fan of neeps).

5. favourite song in your native language? Technically, my native language should be Gaelic and I don't know many specific songs of it. But I do love listening to Gaelic singers. Such a melodic language, really.

6. most hated song in your native language? None, I guess.

7. three words from your native language that you like the most? Failte - means welcome. Usige beatha - literally means water of life, or whisky. Ceilidh - a traditional night of dance, super fun.

8. do you get confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom? Not really. I suppose people just think I'm British, which is also true, but I consider myself Scottish first.

9. which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best? I'd like to go back to Norway. I went once, for a week, on my own, a week before everything really opened up. There was a bit of snow too, and I wasn't really prepared since I somehow thought that it must have been spring by then. Anyway, I'd like to see what I missed and also go to the fjords, since I was mostly in Oslo.

10. most enjoyable swear word in your native language? To be honest, I don't really know any Gaelic swears offhand. I'd have to look it up. But, in English/Scots, I do like "bellend".

11. favourite native writer/poet? Robert Burns. Gotta love Tam O'Shanter and To a Moose.

12. what do you think about English translations of your favourite native prose/poem? Burns's stuff is in Scots. If you translated it to English, that would be sacrilegious.

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders? Up Helly Aa - a Viking festival that happens in Shetland. Most of our superstitions and traditions are probably widely known, or so I think. I suppose people would find it strange that a Viking festival is still being celebrated in a non Nordic country.

14. do you enjoy your country’s cinema and/or TV? Yeah, there's loads of fun things! "There's been a murder."

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get? "Gonnae no dae that?" - "How naw?" - "Just... gonnae no."

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with? I suppose everyone having red hair is something I disagree with - I mean, it's pretty rare. I'm not sure which one I would agree with, probably how friendly we're supposed to be. No idea, really.

17. are you interested in your country’s history? Yeah! I've always loved going around Scotland and learning more about its past.

18. do you speak with a dialect of your native language? Not really. I speak English.

19. do you like your country’s flag and/or emblem? what about the national anthem? They're the best! Love them! And our national animal is a unicorn.

20. which sport is The Sport in your country? Football, unfortunately. But rugby is a close second, I guess. Oh! And we're pretty good at curling. Oh, oh! And we're the home of golf, I guess. But most people are concerned with football.

21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be? Myself with some Irn Bru. Or, a kilt and some bagpipes.

22. what makes you proud about your country? what makes you ashamed? We tried our hardest not to be in the UK centuries ago. And the Treaty of Arbroath was apparently the precursor to the French and American declarations of Independence. And, for ashamed, a lot of Scottish entrepreneurs and businessmen basically became slave traders and I think they kick-started it? Whether they did or not, most of the slave traders were Scottish, I think, though I'd have to look that up to confirm.

23. which alcoholic beverage is the favoured one in your country? Probably beer/cider/lager? I don't really drink, so I don't know which is which. Although, I remember drinking a lot of vodka and soft drinks, so... 🤷🏻‍♀️

24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country? Probably the English/Americans, about equally.

25. would you like to come from another place, be born in another country? Nah, I'm fine with Scotland, even if we're still stuck in the UK.

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal? I suppose. I guess Scottish people get romanticised a fair bit. Or made fun of in the Simpsons, but that's hilarious.

27. favourite national celebrity? Ewan McGregor. He was at a con I was at once and I watched his panel and he seemed lovely.

28. does your country have a lot of lakes, mountains, rivers? do you have favourites? Yup. So, so many. Though we call them lochs. Not got a favourite, really. I love the scenery in Scotland.

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country? I suppose the west of the Central Belt and the east have a sort of rivalry. But it's not that serious, more of a joke.

30. do you have people of different nationalities in your family? Nope. All Scottish. Though, apparently, my ancestors on my dad's side were Irish at once point.

[animeomegas]

Do you have more stories for Matthew?(or any oc)

Hmm, I'm running very low on stuff for Matthew, so...would you like to meet Hadrian instead?

Warnings: Allusions to something bad (unspecified what), original story

...

"Here," you said, closing the bedroom door behind you with your hip, your hands preoccupied with keeping your dinner from toppling to the ground. "The innkeeper gave me permission to bring this up, figured it'd be safer up here."

Hadrian nodded, blanket held firmly around his shoulders. He looked as exhausted as you felt, curled up against the headboard and you could see in his eyes that he was not ready to move past what had happened earlier.

You slid the tray onto the bed and tried to push your fight to the back of your mind. The journey here had been a nightmare and you wanted nothing more than to eat this broth and bread and collapse into bed.

"It's not exactly a five course delicacy, but it's all they had," you kicked off your muddy boots and sat down heavily onto the bed beside him. "Hope that's alright with you, your highness."

Hadrian glared at your mocking words, tightening the blanket around himself.

"You honestly think I care about such things after everything that's happened?" he snapped at you.

You winced at your bomb of a joke.

"Right, sorry," you muttered awkwardly. He had a point; he'd been skin and bones when you found him, far removed from the pampered prince he'd most likely been once upon a time.

You both sipped at your broth in silence until the bowls were empty.

Without speaking, you gathered them back onto the tray and put it on he floor by the door to bring down in the morning.

"How far are we from Anaret?" Hadrian suddenly asked, voice quiet. You turned back to the bed but Hadrian had turned and now had his back to you.

"Tomorrow we're heading to Cyiac, which will take us all day, but it's the closest place with a bridge. If we tried to go directly, we'd never get across the Samap river. I'm hoping we can also buy some horses there. If we do manage to get some horses, we should be in Anaret about three days later."

"Horses would be nice," Hadrian said softly. "Although I'm not sure my bladder would agree."

You snorted in surprise at the joke, but recognised it for what it was: a tentative peace offering after the cold way he'd treated you since last night.

"You do need an almost impressive amount of toilet breaks," you joked, flopping onto the bed and stretching out. Your muscles burnt pleasantly at the stretch.

"That's hardly my fault. I can't exactly tell the baby to stop kicking my bladder."

"Yeah, well, you could try," you chuckled. "It's your baby, not mine, so I'm sure it would listen to you better."

Hadrian didn't respond, he just remained sitting on the edge of the bed facing away from you.

"Hadrian?" you asked, tentatively. "You alright?"

He hummed, but made no attempt to move.

"You should get some sleep, you know," you said, slipping under the blankets yourself. "We've got another long day of walking tomorrow."

"I will in a moment," he said. "I just need to sit for a minute."

"Okay," you replied easily, eyes already closing. "Just don't leave the room no matter what, we can't have anyone recognising you, or we'll never get you home."

"I don't have a death wish despite what you seem to believe," Hadrian snapped, but the animosity wasn't there anymore. He just sounded so very tired.

"I was just... nevermind then," you decided not to restart another argument and let the issue drop. "Goodnight, Hadrian."

"Goodnight," came his quiet reply. And with that, the exhaustion of the day caught up to you and you lost yourself to blissful sleep.

[scotianostra]

Silvanus.

It was a bit of a grubby day on Tuesday, yes I got some good photos of the mist around the Forth & Clyde Canal, but I don't think the conditions lent themselves to showing this Roman Head at it's best.

Anyway, this has been on my to-do list for ages, named Silvanus, Roman god protector of forests, fields and cattle. Three altars mentioning this name have been found along the Antonine Wall, one of them at nearby Bar Hill.

This is part of a trail along the Antonine Wall, I will hopefully be reporting on more of the trail during the coming year, I have already covered sections of it to the east, the first being at Bridgeness, Bo'ness, The Antonine Wall runs pretty close to my Parkhouse, at Callendar, and the third section I have posted about before is close the Falkirk Wheel, at Rough Castle.

 

Working across central Scotland, the project aims to build better connections for communities and visitors along the length of the ancient site.

It is managed by a steering group of five local authorities. The Antonine Wall became part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site (alongside Hadrian’s Wall and the German Limes) in 2008. It runs through 5 Council areas in central Scotland (West Dunbartonshire, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire and Falkirk with both urban and rural sections.

Archaeological discoveries along the line of the Antonine Wall have determined that construction involved carved stone distance slabs which celebrated the achievements of the Roman Legions responsible for each section of the wall.

The sculpture was installed together with five replica Roman distance stones across the length of the wall, to raise awareness of the World Heritage site.

It was designed by artist Svetlana Kondakova and Big Red Blacksmiths of Broxburn

If you want to visit there are different options, there is a small car park near the structure, alternatively, if you fancy a wee walk stop at the Marina at Auchinstarry and take the walkway on the right of the canal, keep heading east, taking the trail to the left after it leaves the canal side. Walk down the wee hill and cross the bridge, you can go back to Auchinstarry and maybe enjoy some refreshments at The Boathouse Restaurant And Pub there.