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 fragmented state in the yard of St. Margaret of Antioch Church, apparently during restoration work, has generated archaeological interest and debate […]
Ancient Rome
Posted inAncient Rome
The Exceptional Roman Villa “Grotte di Catullo” on the Shores of Lake Garda is One of the Northernmost in Italy
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 archaeological sites from the Roman era in the north of the country. Built between the end of the 1st century […]
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Vercellae, 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 threat arose on the frontier, this time in the north: a coalition of Germanic tribes was preparing to invade the territory of the […]
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“Locationes Censoriae”, the Contracts That Enabled the Construction of Rome’s Great Public Works
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 state power and private interests in managing the public affairs of ancient Rome. The research, conducted by Anna Tarwacka of the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in […]
Posted inAncient Rome, Science
A mathematical model explains how Romanization and the network of roads spread across North Africa
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 revolutionize our understanding of how Roman influence spread in North Africa two millennia ago. The study offers a fresh and quantitative look at one of the most […]
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The Strict Education of Stenographers in Antiquity, a Profession Reserved for Slaves
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’ training, who were mostly individuals from non-elite backgrounds, often slaves. The study focuses primarily on a manual known as the Commentary, widely used for teaching shorthand in […]
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Pallantium, the Legendary Greek City the Romans Believed Existed Where Rome Was Later Founded
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 the Palatine Hill, the same hill that centuries later would become the heart of Rome. The legend of Pallantium is mentioned in several works […]
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Antonine Plague, the First Pandemic that Devastated the Roman Empire and that the Physician Galen Tried to Treat with Milk
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 period represented the most serious public health problem in the history of Ancient Rome—with the exception of the Justinian plague—and some historians believe […]
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The Cadastre of Orange, the Roman Map Showing How Conquered Land Was Divided Among Settlers
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 Narbonensis, as well as across the territories of neighboring cities and colonies. Excavations carried out between 1949 and 1952 near the ancient theater of […]
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Marcus Antonius Pallas, the Treasurer of Two Roman Emperors Who Became Rich Without Ever Embezzling Public Funds
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 freed by their masters, and most of them prospered in their new lives, becoming esteemed literati or secretaries to emperors. A good example could be the […]
