re: Decimate >Isn't that from the old Roman practice of rounding up >100 of the enemy of the moment, tying them to posts >arranged in a circle then slitting the throat of >every 10th man until only one survivor was left to >send back to tell the tale?
So much imagination and detail, this definition is lifted from Zena. Decimate in Latin means simply 'a tenth killed' and was used on mutinous Roman legions, leaving 90% forgiven and back in the army. The Roman army never slaughtered conquered people, they were taxed, annexed into the joys of being part of the empire, bringing order and straight roads to Greater Europe and beyond. Less astute marauding armies would pillage and run, as long as they were in the area that season, and carry the treasury away. The Assyrians and Babylonians would, on occassan, when visiting outlying farming towns, kill every male in a community just to show they meant real buisness. Loyalists from other areas would be given the farmland and the women. Ten percent is rather small by today's standards so decimate has come to mean killing a large significant portion of a group. KenK ---------- Duo/2400 List, The friendliest place on the Net! A listserv for users and fans of Mac subportables. FAQ at <http://www.themacintoshguy.com/lists/DuoListFAQ.shtml> Be sure to visit Mac2400! <http://www.sineware.com/mac2400> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Need help from a real person? Try. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ---------- Dr. Bott | 10/100 Ethernet for your 2400 is finally here! MPC-100 | <http://www.drbott.com/prod/mpc100.html> RoadTools $30 PodiumPad available at Apple retail stores, $20 Traveler CoolPad at Staples. Both in white for iBooks at <http://roadtools.com> Midwest Mac Parts ][ <http://www.midwestmac.com> After-market parts for Macs. ][ 888-356-1104 ][ MacResQ Specials: LaCie SCSI CDR From $99! PowerBook 3400/200 Only $879! Norton AntiVirus 6 Only $19! We Stock PARTS! <http://www.macresq.com>
