Saturday, November 30, 2024

Thugga – Ancient Multicultural Town?

The mausoleum of Ateban in Thugga, fifty miles to the south-west of Carthage in what was Numidia, stands an impressive 69 ft/21 metres high. Built...

Elite Gladiators – Rock Stars of Ancient Rome

Roman gladiators can be classified in various ways. One such way is by considering their star power. The gladiators with the biggest draw were considered...

Curious Kinds of Roman Gladiators

These particular fighters with very specific functions can be sorted in six groups: 1. Andabatae They were Noxxi (see below), who fought each other wearing helmets...

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...

The Administrative and Governmental Buildings of the Roman Forum

The Forum Romanum was the main and central forum of the city of Rome. It became the economic, political, and religious center of the...

Famous Roman Gladiators

But, not all notorious gladiators won fame for their prowess in the bloody competition that entertained the Roman masses. Several of the best known...

Territorial Expansion of the Roman World

Expansion during the Early Roman Republic (509 - 265 B.C.E.) The Italian peninsula was inhabited principally by several native tribes before the Greeks settled there...

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...

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...

Romans And Barbarians – Part 2

Roman literature contains many instances of barbarians being led by their emotions and not considering the consequences of their action. This is presented as...