Did Fred Nurk walk upon Italy's mountains green?

[phil96]

Does Latin have a Joe Blow, Fred Nurk, John Doe, Jean Dupont, Toto, <insert local variant here>, with a bit more personality than quidam? Someone who is the typical soldier/slave/yokel or even senator for that matter? Perhaps in popular plays as a figure of fun?

[adrianus]

"Davus", I think, as a slave or servant // ut servus, puto, phil96.

Vide hoc: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=3vwL ... us&f=false

[adrianus]

...et haec: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irnerio et http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tizio,_Cai ... _Calpurnio (12th century // duodecimo saeculo apud Inerium)

et hoc in Digestis Juris Justiniani, liber tertius (3.5.25): http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/justinian/digest3.shtml

Titius, Gaius et Sempronius = Tom, D_ick and Harry
(+ Seius in Digestis Juris Justiniani)

[phil96]

Gratias tibi, Adriane. The Adam/Wilson reference will be very useful in a wider context too, for one whose knowledge of the Roman Empire has been fed almost entirely by Asterix the Gaul and Robert Graves.

[adrianus]

...for one whose knowledge of the Roman Empire has been fed almost entirely by Asterix the Gaul and Robert Graves.

You haven't seen Gladiator, then? I thought that, as an Australian (presumed), you would be a Russell Crowe fan.
Nonnè taeniolam Gladiator nomine vidisti? Credi australianum (ut sumo) te Russelli Cornicis scaenici fautorem esse.

[phil96]

You haven't seen Gladiator, then? I thought that, as an Australian (presumed), you would be a Russell Crowe fan.

No, didn't see it; must have been doing something else at the time. RC impressed me in A Beautiful Mind but generally I'm not a fan (Russellus Cornix? Russellum Cantumgalli malo). Anyway, he's really a New Zealander.

taeniolam

WIth my background in Biology this mystified me (A little tapeworm? Wotz he on about?) until the penny dropped.

[adrianus]

I didn't know he was from New Zealand. Well, I suppose I myself am less a Rustly Crow, more a Ridley Scott, fan (who isn't really Scottish or the most riddly movie director).
Illum Novozelandum esse ignoravi. Re verâ ego minùs Cornicis Crepantis magìs Scoti Aenigmatistae fautor sum (nec hic Scotus verus nec dispositorum cinematographicorum aenigmaticissimus).