Message: "Vespasia and Callandra"

Vespasia and Callandra

by Siri (guest)

9/13/2004, 7:48 PM

Neither of these names are in the database. All that I know is that Anne Perry used them in her book. The series are set in Victorian times. She normally uses historical names, so I'm fairly sure they're actual names.

Does anyone know of them? I'm curious as their usage. I don't like Vespasia, but I love Callandra.

Siri

#Callandra #Vespasia

Replies

- Anneza (guest) +2

9/14/2004, 1:34 AM

Vespasia was the mother of the Roman emperor Vespasian; he was definitely one of the better emperors, an honest and diligent politician and a good soldier. Definitely a pagan! He completed the pacification of Judaea (i.e. put down the rebellion of the Jews), not for religious reasons but simply as a political action. His modesty and sense of humour have always appealed to me, assuming of course that he wasn't being serious: Roman emperors were regularly deified after their death, and his dying words were: Puto deus fio (I think I'm becoming a god).

Which is another way of saying that the putative link with vespers does not exist!

- Pavlos (guest)

9/15/2004, 5:38 AM

Anneza if you want to read the *ultimate* in Helleno-Roman pagan humor, check out Emperor Julian's *Misopogon* ("Beard-Hater"). It is unbelievable that such a pythonesque, witty, self-effacing was actually written by a *politician* so many years ago! Eat your heart out, Woody Allen!

- Siri (guest)

9/14/2004, 8:04 AM

Beata never said that it did.

She said the author might have made that connection. Not that the name was connected with Vespers.

Siri

- Chrisell +2

9/13/2004, 9:10 PM

Callandra

Callandra is the feminine form of Callander, which is from the Greek - calla meaning beautiful and andros meaning man. So it means "beautiful man". "man" could be taken to mean "human".

- Siri (guest) +1

9/14/2004, 8:03 AM

Thank you so much...

I'm loving it even more!

SIri

- Chrisell

9/14/2004, 5:03 PM

:-) No worries. I like it too!

- beata (guest) +2

9/13/2004, 9:00 PM

I would surmise that it's a feminization of Vespasian. I've also seen Vespa used as a feminine name and believe that would come from the same root.

Callandra sounds very familiar but I can't place it.

- Siri (guest)

9/14/2004, 8:03 AM

Thank you so much Beata.

I'm glad to finally place these names. I'm actually beginning to like Vespasia, too.

Siri

- beata (guest)

9/13/2004, 9:16 PM

about vespers...

just want to add that vesper also has religious connections. This doesn't affect the meaning of the name but perhaps the author gave this consideration when selecting the character's name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespers

- kylasmom (guest)

9/13/2004, 7:54 PM

Callandra mean SINGING BIRD and its Greek
Vespasia i cannot find.

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