In the picturesque municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni, located in the Italian province of Siena, archaeological discoveries continue to shed light on the rich history of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary of Bagno Grande. In 2002, this site revealed the largest collection of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman periods (article on our Spanish edition) […]
Roman Republic
Posted inAncient Rome
Cannae, the Catastrophic Defeat That Left Rome Defenseless Against Hannibal
The last human sacrifices carried out in Rome—beyond considering the ludi gladiatorii as an acceptable adaptation of the concept—took place in 216 BC. It was during a colossal catastrophe that shook Rome to the point of desperately reviving those ancient practices. The same disaster that caused tens of thousands of deaths, the loss of many […]
Posted inAncient Rome
The Debated Historicity of the Overthrow of the Roman Monarchy and the Birth of the Republic
Traditionally, the history of Rome begins with its founding by Romulus, a descendant of the exiled Trojan Aeneas, and the establishment of a monarchy under which seven kings succeeded one another. The last of these was Tarquinius Superbus the Proud, who was overthrown in the 6th century BCE after his son assaulted a patrician woman […]
Posted inAncient Rome
Marcus Valerius Laevinus, the Roman general who persuaded the senators to donate their assets to fund the war against Hannibal
The name Marcus Valerius Laevinus doesn’t mean much to most history enthusiasts, not even to those interested in Ancient Rome, as he remains overshadowed by other contemporaries who achieved lasting fame due to their roles in the Second Punic War, such as Hannibal Barca, Scipio Africanus, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, or Quintus Fabius Maximus. But Laevinus […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Large Roman Villa Where Falernian Wine, the Most Esteemed in the Empire Was Produced, Found in Campania
Construction work on an agrivoltaic plant has unearthed a Roman villa approximately 2,000 years old in the small Italian municipality of Cancello ed Arnone, in the province of Caserta. The discovery offers an opportunity to study and better understand the settlement dynamics of a historic area of great importance to Roman civilization: the ager Falernus. […]
Posted inAncient Rome
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 […]
Posted inAncient Rome
“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 inArt
Julius Caesar’s Villa in Baiae: Exceptional Mosaics and Frescoes Painted with Pigments More Expensive Than Gold
During the Roman era, the southern promontory of the Gulf of Baia (in Latin Baiae) was the perfect location for constructing villae maritimae for the Roman elite, who chose to spend their summer residences by the sea, while also cultivating fish and oysters. One of these residences is located today in the military fortress of […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
The Oldest Villa in Fregellae, a City Destroyed by the Romans in 125 BC, Uncovered by Archaeologists
Recent archaeological excavations at the ancient site of Fregellae, located around 100 kilometers from Rome, have unearthed the oldest villa discovered in the region, offering remarkable insights into Roman military tactics and the daily lives of the people who lived there before the city’s destruction. Fregellae, once a thriving city allied with Rome, was entirely […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
27 Silver Denarii Discovered on the Island of Pantelleria, Hidden in the Acropolis During a Pirate Attack in the Early 1st Century BC
On the Italian island of Pantelleria, located between southwestern Sicily and the coast of Tunisia, a team of archaeologists led by Thomas Schäfer from the University of Tübingen has discovered a “tesoretto” of 27 Roman silver coins during a campaign of cleaning, restoration, and excavation coverage in the Acropolis of Santa Teresa and San Marco. […]
