Today is cursed, just so you know

or so said one of my history teachers in school. In Rome, for example, April 19th was the day of two of the worst military defeats the Empire saw. One was in what is now Yugoslavia (or at least, was Yugoslavia in the 1990s), where they lost an emperor into a swamp. The other was a defeat in the east when an emperor was killed, stuffed, and set up in a temple. It was one of those amusing anecdotes Dr Gargola was fond of, like the story about the sacred chickens. Before every battle, the Romans would do a divination based on how well the chickens fed. One naval leader, on the eve of battle, was so thwarted by the birds' lacklustre feeding that he first tried to force-feed them and then threw them overboard. Needless to say, the Gods were displeased and it was a terrible defeat. Say what you will about the sacred chickens, but remember the Empire conquered the known world with this technique. I can't remember if that was on April 19th or not. I do know I pointed out that this was the day of the Waco siege fiasco and the Oklahoma City bombing, and he said it proved the day was cursed (granted, there's a calendar difference, but still....)

Here's hoping no major historical event happens today.

An interesting claim that made the news a few days ago

Roman Empire 'raised HIV threat'

French scientists argue that people who lack a particular gene (CCR5-Delta32) seem to be more vulnerable to HIV, and that this is found particularly among those areas that were part of the Roman Empire. It's not because of interbreeding, but rather the result of a disease spread to the areas affected by the Romans. Others argue that other diseases were responsible for the vulnerability, such as bubonic plague.