Nestled in the heart of the Trastevere district, at the foot of Villa Sciarra and on the historic Janiculan hill, lies one of Rome’s most enigmatic archaeological discoveries: the Syriac Sanctuary. This 4th-century AD structure, built over remnants of earlier buildings dating back to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, reveals a microcosm of religious […]
Rome
Posted inAncient Rome
Stoic Opposition: The Philosophers Who Defied Roman Emperors
Opposing an established government is part of the political game, and democratic systems consider it normal. However, where power is absolute, things become much more difficult, and the problem is that, throughout history, this has been the general trend. That is why it is surprising to discover that in a regime as autocratic as the […]
Posted inAncient Greece
The Revolution of Time in the Hellenistic World: How Clock Time Spread in the 3rd Century BCE
At a time when the passage of time was dictated by the movement of the sun and the seasons, the introduction of “clock time” in Hellenistic Greece, around the 3rd century BCE, marked a radical shift in people’s daily lives. Historian Sofie Remijsen, a researcher at the University of Amsterdam, has delved into this phenomenon, […]
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 inArt, Travel
The Talking Statues of Rome
Statues don’t talk, evidently, and they never have, except when some clever priest of Antiquity used a hollow in the stone to deliver whatever message he was interested in. But that’s not the case we’ll discuss today with the statue parlanti, or talking statues, because these expressed themselves in writing. They are a series of […]
Posted inAncient Rome
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 […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Horti of Agrippina Portico, the Place where Caligula Received a Delegation of Alexandrian Jews, Unearthed in Rome
During stratigraphic excavation and relocation work on the fullonica found at the site for the underground passage of Piazza Pia in Rome, the remains of an interesting landscaped structure were found, which overlooked the right bank of the Tiber. It is a structure consisting of a travertine block wall, terracing the riverbank, behind which a […]
Posted inAncient Rome, Art
Female Figures Identified in Trajan’s Column, Previously Considered Male
In a recent article published in the American Journal of Archaeology, a group of researchers presented an innovative analysis of the representations in Trajan’s Column in Rome. The study, led by Elizabeth Wolfram Thill, Maryl B. Gensheimer, and Elizabeth M. Greene, proposes a significant revision in the identification of certain figures in the friezes of […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A 2nd Century AD “Fullonica” Unearthed in Front of Hadrian’s Mausoleum in Rome
A fullonica dating back to the 2nd century AD, along with mosaics and various artifacts, are part of the archaeological findings that have emerged from the recent excavations in Rome’s Piazza Pia. The discoveries were explained by the Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, the Mayor of Rome, the Special Superintendent of Rome, Daniela Porro, and […]
Posted inArt
Fontana dei Libri, the Fountain of Rome Laden with Symbolism
Although it may seem from afar to be an ancient work, once you get closer, you realize that the Fontana dei Libri is a modern work, but perfectly integrated into the fabric of the city of Rome. Located on Via degli Staderari, in the Rione Sant’Eustachio, it was designed by the Roman architect and sculptor […]
