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| Sheep in the English countryside. Credits |
Britannia, 526 CE, in a parallel (and almost identical) universe.
Angles, Saxons and Jutes are invading the Roman province of Britannia from the South-East. All continental Roman soldiers have left – but the Romano-Celtic in the West are resisting bravely. Only Manius Papirius Lentulus from Roma has stayed. He’s with the barbarians but he risks nothing because he's considered innocuous by the Angles (or Angli as he says in his language.)
In such a green but rainy land he doesn't only meet the locals but also strange people from other nations.
Manius being reserved (and living in a tower) prefers to communicate via wax tablets that he sends to every corner of Britannia and of the big world.
This blog will present the content of Manius' letters (along with other fun stuff).
Dove sono gli papiri? Les tablettes se sont-elles perdues dans un bureau de poste italien?
ReplyDeleteLes tablettes vont-elles arriver. Manius has sent a few. One to Canada, a very strange - he said - land. And I was too lazy to post them. But I will.
ReplyDeleteWell it is getting late in Manius's land. Buona notte.
ReplyDeleteBuonanotte Paul. Manlius likes Britannia, he told me. Even if he complains a bit about the rain he added he can grow bigger animals out there than he did in Italia.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Manius, for being, arguably, the only ancient Roman to become a blogger.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that, compared to writing on wax tablets, your managing the intricacies of a technology 2000 years in advance of yours, so that you can write a blog on a computer, must have been daunting.
In choosing Blogger over Wordpress, you chose well, for Blogger is much easier than Wordpress, although it doesn't have quite as many features. For an ancient Roman, such as you, you'll find Blogger will give you all you need.
I see that you wrote your first blogging entry in our 21st century English. I congratulate you. I assume that you first mastered the form of English that the English of your time speak, so that your learning our 21st century variant of the old English was so much easier.
By the way, Manius, you may get comments from people reading these remarks, who will insist that the English people of your time don't speak a prototype of our 21st century English, but a language which we of the twenty-first century refer to as Celtic. Some of these commenters may well be abusive, for it's part of our 21st century belief system that the English of your time, speak Celtic.
You will know as well as do I, that to challenge peoples belief systems, no matter the belief, is to invite violence, for our belief systems incorporate our identities. So you'd best speak gently when answering these linguistic dogmatists
I do hope, Manius, that in addition to telling us about your life in ancient Britain, you'll be giving us, your readers, your insights on the way we 21st centenarians live, and the self-evident truths that we live by.
Fino alla volta prossima.
MANIUS PHILIPPO SAL.
ReplyDeleteTibi gratiam ago Philippe. Mihi solacium gaudiumque duxisti with your wax tablet.
I will reveal bit by bit my exact location in Britannia since my getting here and my being forsaken by my comnrades was so horrible and sudden. I will also narrate how I manage to survive in this beautiful but strange land.
I too at times get heated over language matters, which, I agree, may be part of our belief systems incorporating our identities.
But, hercle, which man is deprived of any belief system, I am asking myself. Nobody that I know, with the exception of the sceptical and the cynical who follow in small numbers two very minor philosophies of my (and your) time.
In any case please do not worry Philippus, I will not grab my gladium in case such people will visit me personally or by mail. I may accept strife but nothing more than that.
Ci sentiamo prossimamente. Sono contento che hai scritto.
Vale,
Manius tuus
Blogger v. wordpress: A debate that will last as long as Rome itself!
ReplyDeleteOne never knows ;-)
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to try this platform Ale.
Zeus is still watching you, even in Britannia.
ReplyDeleteI know Zeus, I felt it. One cannot escape gods.
ReplyDeleteDear Manius,
ReplyDeleteI am drawn into this world and hope that you will also share your observations (but more importantly, your feelings) about this verdant island across my seas, filled with such proud people.
Your earthiness is attractive.
I will, Ladybug, I will, be sure of that.
ReplyDelete