Rob Edmunds

Rick Schmitz

How thoughtful and considerate the town planners are in Germany!

Rick Schmitz

I wondered about that, how out of place it might have appeared in a German city. It must be quite a sharp contrast of age, culture and design.

Rick Schmitz

It looks amazing Rick. Thanks for sharing some photos of the interior of the building with me. It's more ornate and detailed than I thought it would be. It must have been quite an experience!

The Roman city gate Porta Nigra in Trier, Germany. It is the finest surviving Roman building north of the Alps. Construction began after 170AD. In 1030 Saint Simeon was enclosed in a cell there. He died 5 years later and was buried in his cell. Miracles were reported at his tomb shortly after. 🏺

Steve Jeffery 🍸😷📚

Those movies were such classics! They were my first exposure to Greek myths too. Cheers Steve!

Steve Jeffery 🍸😷📚

That's such a funny chapter name and no doubt it is a pretty amusing read too. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation Steve!

Star Trek Nonayoutu.be From Star Trek OS S2 E19, "A private little war" Nona, a role capably filled by Nancy Kovack, is a local mind controlling witch who has the chieftain under her thumb. And now she wants to graduate to a star fleet captain. She lures the captain to a secluded spot. She uses her herbs and mental powers on him. Her husband discovers them but can do nothing; cuckooed he throws down his rifle in impotence. Nona has them both enslaved. Nona's colossal bosom is wrapped in orange fake fur. Why can't I meet a woman like Nona? I mean really? Why? August Renfelt

I'll have to watch it again soon on that recommendation. I've not seen the whole movie for many years either. I did see an original Star Trek episode recently which featured Nancy Kovack. It was a miracle William Shatner made it off that particular planet he was so besotted! youtu.be/rCJ1Fs5YQtE?...

Jason meets Medea - "Jason and the Argonauts"youtu.be The legendary Greek hero leads a team of intrepid adventurers in a perilous quest for the legendary Golden Fleece.

That's a great poster. Medea looks a little shocked in it. Here's a much more languorous depiction of her by Nancy Kovack in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts. youtu.be/40TSBMyfik8?...

petipaw

I'm sure it must be. The recent version of It's all quiet on the Western Front certainly was, with many very poignant and heartbreaking moments.

petipaw

I've yet to see that film, aside from a few clips, but I have heard that it's very good.

Dr Anke Marsh

I agree. That novel provides quite a lot of insight and knowledge into an otherwise unimaginable experience.

ione blue

I can see that! There is at least a passing resemblance between us. I'll have to find an old French army uniform and bandage my head to see if I can complete the look and accentuate the resemblance.

You're welcome. It's quite a striking painting isn't it and the period was quite a significant one in Van Gogh's life. I believe Gauguin was living with him at Arles for a while.

Although not my favourite painting, I do like it and feel it would be one you would appreciate. Les Arenes by Van Gogh, the context being that it was inspired by the Roman amphitheatre at Arles. Good luck with your convalescence. All the best!

[TLB] Klaus

His brothers did try but Scipio was a little more successful than his father and uncle in repelling the Carthaginian and Numidian armies as they attempted to advance. It is an odd image isn't it of a frustrated, wandering Hannibal but the Romans were elusive in their own lands.

[TLB] Klaus

I completely agree with you Klaus but Masinissa's army had a lot of successes against the Romans in Iberia and provided Scipio with a formidable North African cavalry to complement Gaius Laelius' Roman forces. Between them they ruined Hannibal's flanks at the Battle of Zama.

Andy Lancelot 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇪🇺

It's a bit of a rabbit hole Andy, the artistic legacy as well as the history. As an example, the last person to play Masinissa in the movies was the actor Woody Strode who was one of the athletes who broke the colour bar in the NFL and was the person after whom Woody from Toy Story was named.

There are similarities I think. On the basis of the art works over the millennia which feature Sophonisba she can be regarded as the second most famous woman in history after Cleopatra. Both she and Masinissa were characters in the very first epic movie in history, Cabiria, which debuted in 1914.

For sure, the Roman legacy is considerable and frames large parts of our world. Masinissa's legacy in North Africa remains substantial too even though he died in 148BC. His mausoleum is still partially intact, his statue is in the centre of Algiers and he features on the money in Algeria and Tunisia

Both Masinissa and the woman he loved Sophonisba fascinate me. Masinissa's decision to abandon Hannibal in favor of Rome can be regarded as one of the most significant decisions in World history. If Carthage had prevailed in that war, so much of the world as it now is would most likely be different.

Martin Smith

That sounds like quite an intriguing project. I have finished and am querying another novel at the moment. It's a little more recent, set in Britain, India and Burma in 1944. There are a few cameos from some pretty famous people, civilian and military, who were in the region during that period.

Because he's a very fascinating and significant figure from history and his story is quite an epic one!

The Library of Babel - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

Neglected Books

The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges perhaps. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lib...

DJ Mac🇨🇦

Thank you! It's all coming back to me now. The lyrics are so incomprehensible. A chorus starting with 'Welcome back to Chipping & Sodbury, you can have another chance' is quite bizarre. I'm from the same part of the world as John Cale so I have great affection for his accent.

DJ Mac🇨🇦

Is that the one when his lyrics include 'having tea with Graham Greene' sung in a particularly thick Welsh brogue?

Brian M. Ross

I don't I'm sorry Brian. It's not my photograph. It was taken from the site in Syria where it had been for thousands of years until very recently. If you google 'Basalt lion Ain Nara' you'll find many similar examples which may have the references you need.

Sarah May

Yes it's a photo from its original location. I suspect it must have been taken relatively recently but I don't know who took it. It has reasonably high definition so the camera must have been of good quality.

Sarah May

Its one of many Sarah from the archaeological site in Syria. Sadly, the statue is no longer there as it's been stolen and perhaps even destroyed. I'm not sure if the site is accessible at the moment as it has been a recent region of conflict.

The giant Basalt lion sculpture from the Ain Dara temple complex in Syria. The temple itself dates from around the 13th century BC and was discovered in 1955. The site was largely destroyed in 2018/19 and the lion sculpture was stolen, it’s condition and whereabouts are now unknown. ancientbluesky 🏺