Re: The indo european "race"

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Michael J Smith <lookwhoscross-
eyednow@...> wrote:

> Hi John, how you doing.
> I just thought it was interesting to note that in Mycenaen times,

the

> average height of Greeks was about 5'7, while in Classical times

they

> were about 5'5. Is this less than the decrease in Roman stature

from the

> 6th century to the late Republic?
> I wonder to what extent diet was a factor here (among the Greeks.)
> Also, I believe Roman stature had increased in the Late Roman

period.

> And also, you wrote:
>
> - the
> > typical Roman soldier was likely to be an unemployed urban

dweller,

> > runaway slave or a small peasant almost taxed out of existence

by

> > some rich land-lord. As a person living on a diet of coarse

bread,

> > lentils and fish paste (garum), stature falls.
>
> This wouldn't apply to all the soldiers would it?
> , and I would think to less of an extent among tribunes, consuls

and

> officers. Although Julius Caesar was about 2 or 3 inches taller

than the

> average Roman of his day.

Childhood health has a lot to do with stature. So far as I am
aware, Europeans are still increasing in height. (The increase in
girth, however, is largely due to diet.) This is not because our
diets are improving - it is because childhood diseases are being
eliminated. For example, when I was a child, having measles and
having mumps were expected. Nowadays, British children are
routinely immunised against them, establishing (only just) 'herd
immunity'.

As for Julius Caesar, height correlates with authority. Tall people
are given (or take) authority disproportionately, Napoleon-complexes
notwithstanding.

Richard.