Written by Michel Gybels for Time Travel Rome Nijmegen is by far the most important location of Roman Netherlands. This is where the Roman era of the Netherlands began with the arrival of two legions in 19 BCE. The Romans also built here the first, oldest and biggest city of the Netherlands, Ulpia Noviomagus. Nijmegen played an important role as a military, administrative, [...]
Written for Timetravelrome by Michel Gybels The god Mithras originated in Persia but was recovered by the Romans. For more than three centuries the cult was an overwhelming success throughout the Roman Empire, attracting thousands of followers between the first and fourth centuries of our era. More recently, sanctuaries have been discovered at Ostia in Italy, Mariana in Corsica, Kempraten in Switzerland, Alba [...]
Domitian was the younger son of Vespasian, and brother of Titus – he inherited power after the death of his brother in AD 81. Domitian is remembered for his strong tendency toward absolutism: he obtained full control over the Senate, reducing its role to the administrative one. Demonstrating his disdain for the Senate, Domitian used to come there in the garb of a [...]
The Upper German-Rhaetian limes (called in German “German Obergermanisch-Raetischer Limes” - ORL) was part of the Roman Empire border and included a number of defensive structures such as forts and watchtowers. The huge defensive line was erected by the Romans to protect the borders of the Germany superior and had a length of 550 kilometers, passing between the Rhine and the Danube. The [...]
Written for TimeTravelRome by Kieren Johns. All roads lead to Rome, or so the old proverb goes. For those of us with an interest in the ancient world, it’s a saying that still very much rings true to this day. Whether it’s a chance to explore the remains of the ancient city itself in the Forum, or the opportunity to get up close [...]
The Roman road between Boulogne-sur-Mer (France) and Cologne (Germany) is nowadays called Via Belgica. However, it was never known by this name in Roman times. The name appeared in the early 20th century as archaeologists were trying to reconstruct the Roman road system in the province of Germania Inferior. The construction of this road is generally credited to Marcus Agrippa, who was then [...]
Michel Gybels for Time Travel Rome Not far from the Belgian border, in the north of France, is the Gallo-Roman site and museum of Bavay - ancient Bagacum (from the Celtic word for ‘beech’). The city was probably founded at the end of the 1st century BC. Situated at a strategic crossroads, it grew to become one of the largest and most important [...]
Michel Gybels for Time Travel Rome The Costa Brava on the Mediterranean coast in Spanish Catalunia is best known for its seaside resorts and nightlife and attracts crowds of tourists every summer. Less well known, however, is that there are also interesting archaeological sites and museums to visit there. In the region of Girona, this includes the Greco-Roman site and museum of Ampurias, [...]
Written for TimeTravelRome by Michel Gybels Description of Mithraeums - Michel Gybels & TimeTavelRome Who was Mithras and why was this outsider in the pantheon of gods so widely venerated throughout the Roman Empire? In this article, we examine this mystery cult, which initially became popular among the legionnaires during the Roman Imperial period and how the cult forged close alliances of loyalty [...]
Written by Michel Gybels for Time Travel Rome Situated on the north bank of the River Creuse in central Gaul, the city of Argentomagus (meaning ‘money market’) was already a local centre before the Romans arrived around 50 BC. The Romans built a bridge across the river and Argentomagus became a thriving center of trade in the second and third centuries AD. The [...]