The Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which followed it controlled most of the Mediterranean world for over half a millennium. That’s twice the length of the time that the United States has existed. At its height in the second century AD, Rome’s power extended from southern Scotland in the north-south to the Sahara Desert […]
How Roman Military Tactics Won Them Their Empire Read More »
Between the third century BC and the fifth century AD, the city of Alexandria, named after Alexander the Great and sitting at the mouth of the River Nile Delta in northern Egypt, was one of the greatest cities in the world. While Rome grew to become the political center of the Mediterranean world, Alexandria was
What Happened to the Lighthouse of Alexandria? Read More »
Rome lasted for over 1,000 years, from around 753 BC to approximately 476 AD. At its height, the Roman Empire spanned most of Europe, from England to the eastern corners of Babylonia (modern-day Iraq). Ancient Rome has had many contributions to modern life, and we still feel the influences of their culture and methods even
The Many Amazing Inventions of Ancient Rome Read More »
All cities have their histories, and these often blend elements of myth and reality, particularly when it comes to their earliest history and foundation. None is more elaborate than the founding of Rome. The myth says that the city was first established on a specific day, the 21st of April in 753 BC. The story
The Strange Myth of Romulus and Remus, The Founders of Rome Read More »
In the 60s BC, the Roman general Gnaeus Pompeius, later known as Pompeius Magnus or Pompey the Great, undertook a series of wars in the Eastern Mediterranean on behalf of the Roman Republic. These were famous conflicts, as Pompey won successive victories, bringing the remainder of the Seleucid Empire in Syria under Roman occupation and
The True Story of Mithridates the Great, the Poison King Read More »
We know how the Roman Republic’s war machine facilitated its rise. By the third century BC, the Roman legions were the most significant fighting force in the Mediterranean. But often less commented upon is how the political institutions of the Roman Republic allowed for the rise of the city on the Tiber to pre-eminence across
What Was a Consul During the Roman Republic? Read More »
In 1810, by which time he had built an empire that spanned most of continental Europe, if the Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, wanted to get a message from Paris to Rome, he couldn’t send it any faster than the Romans were able to nearly 2,000 years ago. By the first and second centuries AD,
The Amazing Engineering of Ancient Roman Roads Read More »
In Monty Python The Life of Brian, a film set in Roman Judaea around the time of Christ, there is a scene where the film’s main protagonist, a reluctant messiah called Brian, is selling snacks at the local amphitheater. His goods were unusual, to say the least, and included larks’ tongues, wrens’ livers, chaffinch brains, and
What Kinds of Food Did Ancient Romans Eat? Read More »
There is a tale about how the famed Spartans of Ancient Greece brought their children into the world. Whenever a child was born, it was brought quickly before the Gerousia, the council of 30 men who essentially ruled the city-state. The Gerousia would then decide if the child was healthy or not worthy of being
What Was Daily Life Like In Ancient Sparta? Read More »
Within the complex system of Roman religion and mythology, few figures were as significant as the Vestal Virgins. These were intertwined with the entire creation myth of Rome itself. The legendary founders of the city, Romulus and Remus, were said to have been raised by a she-wolf on the banks of the River Tiber. Still,
The Vestal Virgins: Rome’s Most Influential Priestesses Read More »
