Kingdom of the Bosporus, the Longest-Lasting Greek State of Antiquity
Greeks and Romans referred to the current Kerch Strait as the Cimmerian Bosporus, the strait that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch and Taman peninsulas in the vicinity...
View ArticleMarcus Antonius Pallas, the Treasurer of Two Roman Emperors Who Became Rich...
Callistus, Terentius, Hyginus, Narcissus, Asiaticus, Neophytus, Phaon, Pallas… What do these names of historical figures from Ancient Rome have in common? All of them were freedmen, that is, slaves...
View ArticleThe Cadastre of Orange, the Roman Map Showing How Conquered Land Was Divided...
The Cadastre of Orange is an ancient plan that shows the Roman centuriations (land distributions) that extended across the territory of the colony of Arausio (modern-day Orange in France) in Gallia...
View ArticleAntonine Plague, the First Pandemic that Devastated the Roman Empire and that...
A terrible epidemic swept through the Roman Empire in the second half of the 2nd century, between 165 and 180 AD, claiming nearly five million lives—ten percent of the population. That fifteen-year...
View ArticlePallantium, the Legendary Greek City the Romans Believed Existed Where Rome...
One of the most fascinating and perhaps lesser-known stories of Rome’s history is that of Pallantium (in ancient Greek Παλλάντιον), a legendary city that, according to various ancient sources, stood on...
View ArticleThe Strict Education of Stenographers in Antiquity, a Profession Reserved for...
A recently published study by Ella Kirsh from Brown University analyzes shorthand manuals from antiquity preserved in papyri and wax tablets, revealing the complexity and diversity of stenographers’...
View ArticleA mathematical model explains how Romanization and the network of roads...
A multidisciplinary team of researchers from several German institutions, including the Zuse Institute Berlin and the Free University of Berlin, has developed a mathematical model that promises to...
View Article“Locationes Censoriae”, the Contracts That Enabled the Construction of Rome’s...
A recent study published in the Hungarian Journal of Legal Studies reveals interesting details about the system of public contracts in the Roman Republic, highlighting the delicate interaction between...
View ArticleVercellae, the battle that led to the demise of Teutons and Cimbri peoples
In the year 105 BC, while Gaius Marius was awaiting a triumph for crushing the rebellion of the Numidian Jugurtha and hoping his contested candidacy for another consulship would be accepted, another...
View ArticleThe Exceptional Roman Villa “Grotte di Catullo” on the Shores of Lake Garda...
Located at the northern tip of the Sirmione peninsula, on the shores of majestic Lake Garda in Italy, the ruins of the Roman villa known as Grotte di Catullo represent one of the most valuable...
View ArticleAn Enigmatic Roman Altar Found in England Was Dedicated by a Soldier...
A Roman altar dedicated to Mars, found in Marton, Lincolnshire, has revealed a fascinating connection to a soldier of the XI Claudia Legion of the Roman Empire. The altar, which was discovered in a...
View ArticleMarcus Valerius Laevinus, the Roman general who persuaded the senators to...
The name Marcus Valerius Laevinus doesn’t mean much to most history enthusiasts, not even to those interested in Ancient Rome, as he remains overshadowed by other contemporaries who achieved lasting...
View ArticleThe Debated Historicity of the Overthrow of the Roman Monarchy and the Birth...
Traditionally, the history of Rome begins with its founding by Romulus, a descendant of the exiled Trojan Aeneas, and the establishment of a monarchy under which seven kings succeeded one another. The...
View ArticleCannae, the Catastrophic Defeat That Left Rome Defenseless Against Hannibal
The last human sacrifices carried out in Rome—beyond considering the ludi gladiatorii as an acceptable adaptation of the concept—took place in 216 BC. It was during a colossal catastrophe that shook...
View ArticleHow Emperor Hadrian Created a New Constellation in the Firmament
Those who enjoy the history of the Roman Empire are well acquainted with the story of Antinous, the young man of extraordinary beauty who deeply captivated Emperor Hadrian. Not only did Hadrian love...
View ArticleThe First Internal Rebellion of the Eastern Roman Empire Happened Because a...
In the early 4th century AD, the newborn Eastern Roman Empire became the stage for a shadowy plot involving numerous figures from various spheres. Two of them, Romanized Ostrogoths, managed to threaten...
View ArticleStoic Opposition: The Philosophers Who Defied Roman Emperors
Opposing an established government is part of the political game, and democratic systems consider it normal. However, where power is absolute, things become much more difficult, and the problem is...
View ArticleLead contamination caused a generalized decline in the IQ of Europeans during...
Lead contamination has long been recognized as a significant public health hazard, even at low exposure levels. A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) sheds...
View ArticleTitus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus: The Rivalry of Two Roman Centurions as Told...
We know the names of very few Roman centurions and legionaries, mostly those found on inscriptions and commemorative steles, along with a few mentioned in written sources. However, there are two whose...
View ArticleThe Legacy of the Roman Empire in Germany: A Surprising Study Reveals How It...
A recent study published in Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology has shown that Roman rule, which occurred over two thousand years ago, continues to leave deep marks on regions in...
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