it happened on the way to the forum: caput mundi or manifest destiny

The fledging republic of Rome was one of many Italian tribes with aspirations of expansion, security and trade—and probably would have been remained just another ambitious but obscure and forgettable clan without very original stories, had not they suffered a crushing defeat early on that tested their mettle and resilience and will for rebuilding and reform. The Roman Republic and Empire endured in the West for nearly a thousand years before the Gothic invasion, which precipitated its ultimate collapse. Imperium and trade were vehicles of culture—as the Latin language spread to ends of the earth, so too did the customs and beliefs that Romans adopted, with cults and dedications to Egyptian Ra and Osiris translated to Britain. We have the Gauls—specifically the Senones who crossed the Alps and occupied lands in northern Italy under the leadership of Brennus—to thank for kicking sand at the Romans. Some believe that the attack on Rome was a conspiracy between the Greek leaders of Syracuse in Sicily and Sparta—using the Gauls as a proxy force, to defeat Rome and gain control of the rest of the Italian peninsula. That is not how the Romans tell it—however, and as all records were destroyed it the siege, we’ll have to rely on the version of the vanquished. 
The Senones had crossed the Apennines and began raiding the Etruscan cities, including Siena. The Etruscan were former enemies of Rome but were now under an uneasy yoke of allegiance after surrendering to Rome. Those former battles probably made this flank of Roman territory vulnerable to incursion. In any case, Rome sent an embassy to negotiate a peace. When talks broke down, however, fighting resumed and the diplomats (against the standards of statecraft and the unwritten ius gentium, the Law of Nations, which addressed such conduct) joined in the scuffle. Outraged, Brennus demanded justice for this transgression and the citizens of Rome responded by appointing the diplomats as Military Tribunes. For this further insult, the Senones resolved to march south towards Rome. The Roman defensive lines fell rather quickly and panicked, the Romans retreated to the citadel—leaving the gates open and the city vulnerable. Not quite believing that success came so easily, the Senones waited a full day before entering the city—unconvinced that it was not a trap of some sort. With all the population holed-up, the invaders decided that they would starve the Romans out and prevail by attrition. The city was looted and with no one to respond, blazes engulfed much of the city. The Senones, however, were not well equipped for this waiting-game either and not accustomed to the hot weather and probably just wanted to go home at this point. Eventually a deal was struck, allowing the Romans to purchase peace at the high price of one thousand pounds (libra or libra pondo—a pound by weight, and hence the abbreviation lb and symbol £) of gold. As the Romans were emptying out there coffers, they noticed that the balance was weighted in Brennus’ favour—taking more gold to make a pound than it should have. When the Romans objected, Brennus slammed down his belt and sword, tipping the scales even more to his advantage, saying “Woe to the vanquished”—“Vae victis.” Dishonoured and their city in ruins, the Romans thought about disbanding and abandoning their capital and starting over, but the Senate rallied the people to rebuild—which gave us the jumbled, crowded Eternal City of today, being that there was little time for civic-planning as opposed to the orderly garrisons and outposts that the legions built as exhibitions began again almost immediately, and adopted new policies towards expansion and empire, having learnt from this experience—also adopting the fighting style and weapons of the Gauls. Of course, Rome would come to one day rule over Gaul and much of the broader expanses influenced by Celtic peoples, rebuilt and refurbished for conquest.

netzpolitik oder policy womp

The German government is releasing a new and comprehensive strategy aimed to make legislation and governance into a framework sufficient to keep pace with connectivity and interconnectedness.
As this commentator writing for Spiegel characterises the agenda (auf Deutsch) a bit like the impossible Christmas wish-list of a precocious child—or the goals, as-stated, of a civic-minded beauty-pageant contestant, what with calls and promises of a high-speed internet connection for all Germans, better protection of intellectual-property, enhanced security for potential vulnerable infrastructure (power-grids and other utilities), support for start-up ventures, smart-homes, smart-roads, etc.

All these ideas are excellent, but I believe a little naïve—not that bold dreaming is something we ought to be timid about—as the law and budget as it stands and it is imagined is inadequate to address all these possibilities, fulfillments and disappointments. There is some language in the programme, speaking of let-downs, however, that seems long overdue and a mandate that can and ought to be met. There is a more timely reporting requirement for breaches that compromise users’ information, plus a sort of minimum liability insurance for companies who would presume to handle such volumes of data so they might not leave the gate unhitched and bigger penalties if they do. This is not creating an information cartel of just a few big corporations that have and hold the dossiers of everyone, but rather—I think—a disincentive for morbid curiosity and records never to be retired and destroyed.

ta-ra-ra boom-de-ay

I certainly hope there is not another massive volcanic eruption in Iceland that will disrupt air-transportation, like in years past.
There is little solace in such disasters, even when far away from civilisation, but it turned out to be a big consolation for us when Eyjafjallajökull (pronounced Kajagoogoo in my head) erupted, and anticipating endless problems with flying, it inspired us to get Old Lady. The volcano in question this time is called Bárðarbunga, which is easier to say and sounds pretty melodious too. It wouldn’t sound really that close to “cowabunga,” owing to the th- sound—which entered American English as the trademark greeting of Chief Thunderthud on the Howdy Doody Show in the 1950s.

buried treasure or spandau ballet

The Local (Germany's English daily) reports that the chief of the German Socialist Unity Party (die Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, the SED dissolved after the reunification of the country and recast as the Party of Democratic Socialism with a cadet coalition of liberal political parties) is demanding that the granite colossal—the head at least, of Vladimir Lenin join an ensemble of other displaced statues in the Spandau Citadel.
The party chief insists that this chapter in German history ought to be acknowledged as any other, and is requesting that the head be retrieved from the spot in Köpenick Forest on Berlin’s outskirts, where it was interred after being dismantled with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The majestic marbles that would keep the giant head company are the likenesses of prestigious Germans that Kaiser Wilhelm II commissioned and displayed along the Siegesallee (Victory Avenue) at the axis of the city’s Tiergarten district. The statues and Siegessäule (the iconic Winged Victory) were relocated during WWII because they were in the way of architect Albert Speer’s designs for Welthauptstadt Germania to another park of the park—where the column remains today. Allied powers feared that the statues could incite imperialist sympathies and wanted to toss them on one of the numerous rubble heaps of Berlin. A museum curator convinced the authorities however to bury the statues on the grounds of Schloss Bellevue—the residence of today’s Bundespräsident. The horde was rediscovered in 1979 and eventually made their way to Spandau Citadel, which will become a showcase and proper home for these statues and others, telling the city’s history through monuments and memorials due to open to the public early next year.

ıstihbarat

Although America has had the good-sense to refrain from comment so far over revelations that the German intelligence agency eavesdropped—though accidentally, of course, but I imaging that the business of spying is always a bit clingy no matter what one's ambitions are—on the US secretaries of State. I wager, however, that the same mute referees are ecstatic that the Turkish government, also apparently overheard as part of a dragnet, are very vocal about their dissatisfaction. Though such behaviour should not come as any measure of surprise for the capable or the willing, Turkey is demanding an explanation for these actions, as if any Germany could deliver any honest accounting of peer-pressure—aside from all the fears adjudged as clear and present. What do you think?  Was the action, response or both what was badgered, goaded-on?

it happened on the way to the forum: proletariat or body-politic

As no reliable, direct records of Roman history are extant prior to the sacking of the city by the Gauls in 390 BC, politicians and historians had considerable license in constructing the mythology, building prophetic parallels and claim firsts that may or may not have happened exactly in the Romans’ favour.
One example was in the creation of the Republic, which preceded the institution of democracy in Athens by a bald year—with the ousting of the city’s final monarch and the pledge of the populace never again to embrace monarch—and pain of death for any usurper. The democracy practiced among both great civilizations is quite different—with citizenship not a birthright, slavery and suffrage vested in only land-owning males—than contemporary democracies and were quite different in terms of leadership from each other. The composition of the consul evolved many times over the centuries, but in general, candidates were elected by their peers to a term of office of one year—no reelection could be sought for consecutive years and often there was the counter-balance of co-magistrates—each with the power to veto (I forbid) any decision of the other. Because the annual election to select new leaders was also subject to veto and considerable delay, usually a compromise was brokered—lest any politician be accused of hording too much power. No duly selected consul could claim emergency powers or institute martial-law, but such situations of course arose quite often. In order to manage the ship of state during war and invasions, a separate individual was selected—no campaigning—as dictator, given absolute power to prosecute the task he was elected for, and then expected to graciously retire. All dictators of Rome kept good to this oath—until Julius Caesar. Even with this new form of government, a large demographic, the majority of the population, were not free from tyranny, however, as the patrician class excluded the plebeians, the artisans and soldiers, from high office, both secular and religious.

Disenfranchised, the plebeians saw little benefit from the wars they fought and had little influence over defensive policy. Insurmountable debt was also a common problem—the common people having become inescapably indentured to the usury of the elite, with a lot of debts piling up while away at war and households bought on credit. The plebeians pushed for social reform in stages, mostly through their most powerful weapon—withdrawal (secession plebis) or a sort of a general strike that left the city defenseless. More than once, the city was invaded and the senate lured them back with rhetoric—saying it was no good for the hands and mouth to begrudge the lazy stomach. Some changes were forth-coming: though not outright land re-distribution or debt-forgiveness but a limit on how much land the wealthy could own, not eligibility to stand for consul but the creation of office of tribune chosen by and for the plebs (also with crucial veto-powers), and perhaps, most importantly the Twelve Tables (Leges Duodecim Tabularum) that listed the laws of Rome on display in the commons for all to read and memorise to protect from capricious justice—which mostly sided with the rich and powerful. There was, however, at least one insult in the codex, committing one unwritten law, a social more, to the bronze tablets forbidding the marriage between a patrician and a plebeian citizen.