“It was the confidence with which he had in this way inspired his fellow-citizens that led them to entrust to him, young as he was, a task of enormous difficulty, and a command which involved the gravest responsibilities.” - Livy, History of Rome A deep despair hung over the city of Rome following the death of the Scipio brothers. The Roman Senate planned [...]
Ephesus has a continuous and complex history which begun some nine thousand years ago. Ephesus location is very favourable, but the shoreline was constantly moving from east to west due to sedimentation, which led to several relocations of the city. Excavations have revealed splendid monuments of the Roman Imperial period including the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre. But the most famous [...]
The city of Pergamon holds a rich history. Legends claim that Telephos, son of Hercules, established the city after the Trojan War. Many cities make a claim to ancestors connected with the Trojan War, but Pergamon’s may hold some truth. It was around 1200 B.C. that the first people settled its acropolis. Pergamon sat near a river, and had its own port city, [...]
A fascinating ancient people lived in the northern regions of Africa, to the west of Carthage. The Romans initially met them during The First Punic War, employed as mercenaries of Carthage. They called them the Numidians, possibly derived from the word nomad. During the Punic Wars, there were actually two main tribes, the Massylii and the Masaesyli. When the 2nd Punic War broke [...]
Our next coins-related post is about Temple of Vesta. Many tourists who visit Rome think of it as one of the best-preserved buildings on the Forum. In reality, authentic remains are scarce. The standing structure with columns dates from Mussolini-era restorations and materials used are of Severan era. Many visitors associate Vesta Temple with Vestal Virgins and sacred fire, which is true. But [...]
Despite being so close to Rome, few tourists visit Ostia. For those that do, it’s a relaxed suburban train ride from Ostiense (near the Piramide Metro station) and a leisurely 5-minute walk to an archaeological site that recreates the past in a way that Rome cannot. Where the grand temples and monuments of the ancient Roman capital have undergone centuries of modification, and [...]
We are starting a new series of posts dedicated to Roman coins. Our focus will be places and monuments that are shown on ancient coins. The first post is about the most emblematic monuments of the Ancient Rome: Rostra. Get our app on Apple store Get our app on Google play A rostrum was not a mere platform or podium for the talkers, [...]
In 1776, Edward Gibbon published his massive, six book, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. In it he popularized Niccolò Machiavelli’s classification of the “Five Good Emperors.” Though a subjective opinion, the five emperors who took power via adoption stand out as wise and just rulers. Their reigns marked the Golden Age of Rome. This post offers a short history [...]
“Though my mind shrinks from remembering, I will begin.” Pliny the Younger quoting Virgil’s Aeneid Pliny the Younger and his mother, Plinia Marcella, watched with trepidation as the Roman navy sailed away from Misenum. Plinia was a widower. Her brother had taken her in and adopted his seventeen-year-old nephew as his son and heir. Now, the man of the household was heading into unknown [...]
Falling rock and blocked shallows had forced Pliny the Elder and his navy from the shore at Herculaneum. Skirting the edge of the rock fall, they made their way down the coast to Stabiae, which lay south even of Pompeii. An area of numerous ornate villas, both for leisure and farm estates, it lay at the base of the peninsula. The blast from [...]