( To my understanding the Illiad means basically ‘about Illium.’   Welcome to ‘the Robiad.’) 

“Washington Wore a Toga” is on itunes and hipcast.  It is also posted on this blog.  Now I can hear some of you saying…what took you so long?

I admit I’ve been distracted.   I am going to make a very real change of jobs soon…so I am trying to decide what my future is going to be.   I admit I was away from the podcast too long and missed it…but then…I DISCOVERED THE POWER OF SKYPE.  With this new found power I have interviewed Eric Shanower of the graphic novel “Age of Bronze” and Natalie Haynes from London who has written the book “The Ancient Guide to Modern Life.”   Both interviews will be in future podcasts.   

Mark Schauss of the podcast RUSSIAN RULERS HISTORY gave me an interview, and some comparisons between the CZARs and the Caesars.  I strongly suggest that you check out his site as well.

I would very much like to hear from you.  Please pick up the phone and call me at the number 855-209-6230.  No, no, I can hear you from here.  Your saying what would I talk about? 

The following are some suggested subjects, ready?

1.  A movie review on a film about Rome.

2.  A questions about Rome or Greece.

3.  A museum exhibit you went to.

4.  Something on one of the podcasts you either: a) agreed with  b) disagreed with 

(This I will definitely put on the show.  If you think we got it wrong, then discuss it with  us.  Cite your evidence, convince us, educate us on your position.  Just keep it in the house rules:

1. Educate through ideas
2. Share with us what you know
3. No profanity
4. Cite your sources if possible
5. Attack ideas not people

5.  Something about a vacation you went on to a place of antiquity

(I’m not asking for you to sound like a professor, tell us about your vacation.  What was best about it.  Your experiences will let others explore with you, what you thought of the forum, or what you thought of the wine in Italy.  Either way you are exploring and sharing with the viewing audience.) 

6.  A book review.

7.  Or just a shout out, “Hey Rob, I really love the show.”

Title – "Washington Wore a Toga." The Founding Fathers were inspired by the classics in setting up a new country. Dr. Carl J. Richard is interviewed about his new book: WHY WE'RE ALL ROMANS, The Roman Contribution To The Western World.

MP3 File

Last weekend I finished up Season 2, Episode 7 of the podcast, “Washington wore a Toga.”  It will be posting here on the blog and at itunes in a week or so.   In the podcast there is an interview with Dr. Carl Richard (the last name said riSHARD, putting the emphasis on a CAJUN style prounciation on the last name) who wrote the book:

“Why We’re All Romans.”

If you want to know how the Founding Fathers of the United States were influenced by the Romans, listen to this show but definitely pick up a copy of the book.

 I am not stopping there.  Last night I was fortunate enough to interview on Skype the writer and illustrator Eric Shanower who has a dynamic series of graphic novels called:

“The Age of Bronze.” 

If you talk about the Romans you have to talk about the Greeks.  The Age of Bronze is a telling of the war between the Trojans and the Greeks.  It is beautifully rendered and brilliant in its storytelling.   Mr. Shanower’s interview will be included in a future podcast.

Notice the brilliant attention to detail and realism of the artwork.

Mark Schauss

Podcast Logo

And finally I got an interview with Mr. Mark Schauss of Russian Rulers History Podcast.   This interview will talk about the comparisons between the Russian Czars and the Roman Caesars.  

Note * I am willing to take ideas for a future podcast.  If you have any ideas please email me at: rob@ancientromerefocused.org.

My dad used to ask why I had so many books about Ancient Rome.  I can only explain it using a quote from a Japanese 14th Century Essayist.

“The pleasantest of all diversions is to sit alone under the lamp, a book spread out before you, and to make friends with people of a distant past you have never known.”

–Kenko

Time travel at its best.

Added 10 Jul, 2011

Like I said…”I love books.” 

I remember my father pleaded with me to stop buying books.  I think he liked the idea of me being such a book-a-phile, and I would like to point out that we had an entire library by the fireplace in the front room of the house.  I am talking from ceiling to floor of various volumes.  I think he was just worried about the cost.    

I remember I responded with unexpected finality: “I will never stop buying books.  I will continue to do so until the day I die.”

He looked at me with surprize and amusement: “All I’m saying is use a library once in a while.”

Added 11 Jul, 2011

I have a kindle.   I really do.  It’s sitting on my bathroom shelf, and it’s been there for awhile.  I have been using it to download ‘out of print’ books on Roman History.  After all, its free…AND where would I get a copy if NOT electronically.  I still like hard copies, and Nancy and I are a common feature at the book store Barnes and Noble.  Anyway, if they don’t know her, they know her drink.  It is heavenly to sit there in the cafe, work on our books (yes…aspiring novelists), drink tea (Awake Tea for me, and green tea latte, skim, two pumps, for her) and occasionally browze (and buy) books from the shelves.  That is my dream vacation.  Others come as well, every day an elderly couple shows up.  They both eat their lunch amongst the stacks, drink their coffees, and listen to the conversations about books, stories, magazines and life that swirls about them (he is blind but wants to be at the bookstore breathing in the stacks). 

I saw a kindle ad the other day:  A woman passes a man reading a kindle and says: “I’m on my way to the library.”

He says something like:  “I just downloaded your favorite book on my kindle.”

She says: “Let me look.”  She starts to read off the kindle and keeps on reading…hogging it if you will.

He says: ”I thought you were going to the book store.”

Guess what?  I would still go to the bookstore. 

A bookstore is where can you move along the stacks, have the titles shout out at you, drawings, and photos tease you with their contents.  A bookstore is like an Arabian Market, noisy with color and text.   Each of the shelves shouting for your attention. 

One time I discovered a man, flat on his back with his head propped up on the bottom shelf, with a book open on his chest (he was reading), and he was surrounded by stacks of books on the floor.  He had created his own book fort and had planned out his afternoon.  

Just try to do that, Kindle.  

Added 23 August 2011

I was on the Elevated Train (EL) and I saw a man reading a Moby Dick.  The guy was like he was out of the sixities in the way he was dressed.  I don’t mean a Don Drapper look (Madmen), I mean in how someone out of the ‘Beat Generation’ might have looked on their way to somewhere very important.  He wore tight fitting pants, leather pointy shoes, a dress coast with a pattern, thin tie, and a leather hat — unusual by the way, for in the 60s those hats usually manufactured in cloth, black rimmed glasses (square) on his nose, and a ‘soul patch’ under his lip.  He know what I mean – cool. 

He sat there engrossed in his book.  It just wasn’t the fact he was reading Moby Dick, but he had it highlighted throughout this massive book, lines and passages in bright yellow, and page after page of those GM tape like multi colored page markers.  The book was creased, bent, the back broken, and the pages were obviosuly abused in my favorite way, the corners bent.

He had read this book, memoraized it(I’ll take a bet with you on that), referred to it, quoted it, and somehow I could not help to thing lectured on it (maybe?).

Who was he? 

Poet?  Movie Director?  Writer? Teacher (Literature)?  College professor?  Dreamer?

The founding father’s saw themselves beginning again a new Roman Republic.

Season 2, Episode 7 of Ancient Rome Refocused will explore the power of the classics had on the Founding Fathers. 

Imagine you are about to sign a document that is going to declare you independence from the largest empire of the time.  When you are about to start a new country, where would you go for inspiration?  

 The next podcast will attempt to answer that question.   The podcast titled: ‘Washington Wore A Toga‘ will have an interview with Dr. Carl Richard who wrote the book: WHY WE’RE ALL ROMANS. 

Watch for it here or on itunes.