Showing posts with the label Roman

Limes Arabicus, The Chain of Fortifications That Protected The Roman Territory From Desert Tribes

Mar 23, 2023

When we talk about "limes", we usually think of the limits of the Roman Empire in northern Europe, in Germania or Britain. But in ...

Amphitheater of Capua: The First Roman Amphitheater

Sep 13, 2022

Of all the amphitheaters built by the Romans, the Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheater in Rome is the largest of all in dimensions, followed by...

Pont Ambroix

May 25, 2022

Pont Ambroix, also called the Ambrussum Bridge, was a major Roman bridge across the Vidourle River connecting the end of Villetelle to Galla...

Trajan’s Bridge

May 23, 2022

On the east of the Iron Gate Rapids near the present-day cities of Drobeta-Turnu Severin in Romania and Kladovo in Serbia, there once stood ...

Roman Dodecahedron: History’s Mystery

May 13, 2022

It is safe to say that there are secrets to the ancient Roman civilization that even a lifetime of scrutiny will not reveal to us. Yet histo...

Scribonius Longus, The Roman Physician Who Used Electricity as a Treatment

Mar 30, 2022

Scribonius Longus (Latin Scribonius Largus ) was a 1st century AD Roman physician who served at the court of Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD) an...

Acta Diurna: The First Roman Newspaper

Feb 8, 2022

According to Cicero, from the beginning of Roman history the Pontifex Maximus compiled on a white table the most important events that had ...

Ancient Board Games

Jan 28, 2022

Playing games is a great way to socialize with friends and pass time in an enjoyable way. Humans recognized this a long time ago before ther...

Why The Romans Punished Dogs And Honored Geese

Sep 6, 2021

On a warm summer day in August in ancient Rome, a brilliantly decorated litter is carried solemnly in the direction of Circus Maximum. Its o...

46 BC: The 445-Day Year

Jul 14, 2021

For the past four hundred years, much of the modern world has been using the Gregorian calendar. As we are all familiar, this calendar has 1...

Poena Cullei: The Worst Roman Punishment

Jul 1, 2021

Throughout history Man has shown extraordinary imagination in inventing penalties and sentences for crimes committed by fellow man. The Roma...

How Ancient Romans Kept Time

May 12, 2021

That days have 24 hours is a long-established convention, which is also related to the rotational motion of the Earth. Pliny the Elder expre...

Why Julius Caesar Built a Bridge Over The Rhine And Destroyed it 18 Days Later

Jan 4, 2021

In the early summer of 55 BC Julius Caesar had already begun his conquest of Gaul three years earlier. At that time the eastern border of th...

The Barbegal Mills: The Largest Concentration of Mechanical Energy in Antiquity

Dec 21, 2020

About 12 kilometers north of the city of Arles, in the Provence region of southern France, is the small town of Fontvieille. It is a commune...

The Vespasianus Titus Tunnel

Oct 19, 2020

Around 300 BC Seleucus I founded, on the current southeast coast of Turkey, the city of Seleucia Pieria. Located north of the mouth of the O...

Aqueduct of Segovia: The Mortar-Less Miracle

Oct 13, 2020

The aqueduct of Segovia is a classic example of Roman water transport architecture—simple in design, yet magnificent to behold, and surprisi...

The Great Colonnade at Apamea

Jul 14, 2020

One of the main characteristics of the most important cities of Antiquity in the Hellenistic kingdoms, first, and in the Roman territories o...

Scalae Gemoniae: The Stairs of Death

Mar 5, 2020

Not too far from Tarpeian Rock , a cliff on Capitoline Hill in the center of Rome, where convicted criminals were once flung to their deaths...

Circus Maximus

Feb 12, 2020

The Colosseum was the Roman Empire’s largest amphitheater, but it was not the largest stadium. That title belonged to Circus Maximus, situat...

The Mosaics of Villa Romana del Casale

Dec 4, 2019

Many Roman villas, private residences, as well as public buildings, were lavishly decorated with mosaic floors. Mosaics served as a symbol o...