Tuesday, December 3, 2024

The Battle of Alesia: Julius Caesar’s Siege Warfare Masterpiece

The 52 BC Battle of Alesia was the concluding episode of Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul. Implementing a ruthless, classic strategy of siege warfare at...

Tiberius – The Moody Emperor of Rome

Tiberius had the unenviable position of being the successor of Augustus as emperor of Rome. He pales in comparison. Even though he was an able...

The Julio-Claudian Dynasty of Rome

The Julio-Claudian dynasty ruled the early Roman Empire and included Emperor Augustus, Emperor Tiberius, Emperor Caligula, Emperor Claudius, and Emperor Nero. The early Roman Emperors...

Claudius: From Court Fool to Emperor of Rome

Ridiculed and ignored by the imperial family because of poor health and deficiency of social skills, Claudius rose to be an exemplary ruler. Under Tiberius...

Otho: Roman Emperor for Three Months

Apparently well meaning, but surely ineffective, Otho – the second ruler in the Year of the Four Emperors – lasted only three months in...

Swords of the Roman Empire

Although many kinds of swords were used by the military, gladiators and civilians of the Roman Empire the best known are the Parazonium, the...

The Cult of Isis in Imperial Roman Times

The Cult of Isis, long identified with Egypt, spread through the Mediterranean first through Greek Hellenization and later through the patronage of Roman emperors. She...

Constantine I and the Christianization of Rome

How did Constantine set in motion the Christianization of an Empire whose very foundation was built on the respect and worship of its pagan...

Independent Women of Pompeii

Mt. Vesuvius buried Pompeii, and a chronicle of Roman life frozen in time. Excavations have unearthed a wealth of information on the life of...

The Ninth Roman Legion: Myths, Truths and Propaganda

First, let’s take the legend of the disappearance in Caledonia. It is highly unlikely that such a crack unit of the Roman Army as...