Good lecture overall, but his claims about average life expectancy and peoples age is questionable. Infant mortality was high so the averages life expectancy was 35. But if you make it to adulthood people routinely lived until their 60s and 70s. You cannot work this stuff out based on averages
While I have no doubt that there was many a peasant that didn't know their exact age, as a general statement, that is rather silly. The coming of age rituals were practiced by the plebian classes in the city, and were done at a specific and known age. Romans also celebrated birthdays. You don't have to be able to read and write to know how old you are. Ancient Roman writings, both pagan and Christian, are constantly giving the exact ages for people. In addition to that, scoffing at the idea of someone in the ancient Roman world living to be 100 is also rather silly. If a person lives that long, it has as much or more to do with genetic makeup than it does environmental factors. And modern medicine can only extend one's life so far. There are records of people living that long going back through all of history, from the 19th century, to the early bronze age, and everything in between. It's not as though every human starts out with the same blank slate, and your longevity depends on health and hygiene. No, every person is different, and if someone's has the genes to make it to 100, or 110, and no external factors end them earlier, that person *will* live to that ripe old age. There's a guy in New Orleans who is like 110 years old. He smokes cigars each day. He still drinks beer occasuonally, and he drives his truck every day. He doesn't go to the doctor(a common story with people that old). He has an excellent pedigree. Also, can ancient medicine extend an ancient persons life? Yes. Augustus was sickly from birth through adulthood always. He never ate well either, but he had a team of doctors. He lived to his late 70's, and even then, it's alleged that he took poison to ensure a stable succession. He just wouldn't die. This sickly old emperor outlived all of his chosen successors, and had to settle for Tiberius, whom he never wanted to give the purple to. A reliable example that I found is the wife of Cicero, named Terentia, who was born during the Consulship of Metallus Nepos and Didius, and died in the year of the Consulship of Lepidus and Arruntius. That's 98bc-6ad, or 104 years old.
good stuff.,...I like his accent, and would like to hear him say..."hear, beer, bear" 3 times as fast as he can without mispronouncing.,...why?,...just because, that's why.,...get him to do it and you'll find out.🤣😂😅
This channel is a little gem
i like this
good StuffIt!!
Was the lecture about the face of battle ever uploaded?
...and he lived 100 years....yeah...right :D
Good lecture overall, but his claims about average life expectancy and peoples age is questionable. Infant mortality was high so the averages life expectancy was 35. But if you make it to adulthood people routinely lived until their 60s and 70s. You cannot work this stuff out based on averages
While I have no doubt that there was many a peasant that didn't know their exact age, as a general statement, that is rather silly. The coming of age rituals were practiced by the plebian classes in the city, and were done at a specific and known age. Romans also celebrated birthdays. You don't have to be able to read and write to know how old you are. Ancient Roman writings, both pagan and Christian, are constantly giving the exact ages for people.
In addition to that, scoffing at the idea of someone in the ancient Roman world living to be 100 is also rather silly. If a person lives that long, it has as much or more to do with genetic makeup than it does environmental factors. And modern medicine can only extend one's life so far. There are records of people living that long going back through all of history, from the 19th century, to the early bronze age, and everything in between.
It's not as though every human starts out with the same blank slate, and your longevity depends on health and hygiene. No, every person is different, and if someone's has the genes to make it to 100, or 110, and no external factors end them earlier, that person *will* live to that ripe old age.
There's a guy in New Orleans who is like 110 years old. He smokes cigars each day. He still drinks beer occasuonally, and he drives his truck every day. He doesn't go to the doctor(a common story with people that old). He has an excellent pedigree.
Also, can ancient medicine extend an ancient persons life? Yes. Augustus was sickly from birth through adulthood always. He never ate well either, but he had a team of doctors. He lived to his late 70's, and even then, it's alleged that he took poison to ensure a stable succession. He just wouldn't die. This sickly old emperor outlived all of his chosen successors, and had to settle for Tiberius, whom he never wanted to give the purple to.
A reliable example that I found is the wife of Cicero, named Terentia, who was born during the Consulship of Metallus Nepos and Didius, and died in the year of the Consulship of Lepidus and Arruntius. That's 98bc-6ad, or 104 years old.
Yes I agree with you, his conclusions about life expectancy are also questionable.
good stuff.,...I like his accent, and would like to hear him say..."hear, beer, bear" 3 times as fast as he can without mispronouncing.,...why?,...just because, that's why.,...get him to do it and you'll find out.🤣😂😅