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Divine hare
There are six species of hare found in Europe (Lepus europaeus, L. timidus, L. granatensis, L. castroviejoi, L. corsicanus, and L. capensis). Unlike their close relatives, rabbits, they have never been...
View ArticleNero’s night watchmen. How the vigiles fought fires and crime
Densely populated Rome was a city under constant threat from fire. Tall, tightly packed residential buildings and the widespread use of fire in everyday life meant that fires ranked among the greatest...
View ArticleRoman concrete was incredibly durable. Scientists have discovered how the...
For centuries, Roman buildings have exemplified the durability of ancient engineering. Many concrete structures have preserved fragments of the material dating back nearly 2,000 years. These include...
View Article“Patcham Woman”– mysterious woman from Roman Britain
The “Patcham Woman” is one of the most intriguing figures from the Roman period in Britain. Her remains were discovered in 1936 in Patcham, now part of Brighton, southern England. Bone analysis, DNA...
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Tax collectors: slaves of their own offices
In the Roman state, local administration was based on the so-called curiae (equivalent to modern city councils), assemblies made up of the wealthiest inhabitants in a given administrative area, known...
View ArticleEmperor who invented new letters: Claudius’ forgotten alphabet reform
Emperor Claudius, regarded by his contemporaries as a harmless eccentric, a stammerer, and a reclusive scholar, surprised Rome after unexpectedly coming to power in 41 CE with a decision that even many...
View ArticleGladiator games under Trajan – thousands of warriors in arena
During the reign of Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE), gladiatorial games reached a massive scale. One of the most spectacular events was the games held in 113 CE, during which 2,000 gladiators fought in the...
View ArticleRoman bronze medallion with Perseus and Andromeda discovered in India
A small bronze disk depicting Perseus freeing Andromeda is an interesting example of a Roman artifact found outside the Roman Empire. The artifact dates to the 1st century CE and was discovered during...
View ArticleOne last moment without a guard: A Germanic captive in a Roman latrine
A Roman spectacle began long before the first roar of the crowd, before the arena gates opened, before the animals, gladiators, and condemned prisoners were brought into view. It began behind the...
View ArticleLaurel on Arlia: How “Dragon Ball Z” combined Roman munera with damnation ad...
In pop culture, Rome is often recognized more quickly by its gesture than its name: the ruler sits above the arena, a red robe flowing from his shoulder, a laurel appears above his head, and the...
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Julius Caesar’s Civil War with Pompey the Great
The Caesar-Pompey War erupted in 49 BCE, a Roman Republic in serious political crisis. The conflict lasted until 45 BCE and was an event permanently etched in the annals of history. The two brilliant...
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Bellum desertorum: Commodus versus Maternus
The reign of Emperor Commodus (ruling from 17 March 180 to 31 December 192 CE), son of Marcus Aurelius, began just as the brutal Marcomannic Wars (bellum Germanicum et Sarmaticum) were finally winding...
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Military law (ius in bello) of republican period
In Republican Rome, there were no legal acts regulating conduct during warfare. However, in ancient times, warring states applied generally accepted customary law in this matter. There were no...
View ArticleCeremonial chariot was discovered during excavations of Roman villa just...
Ceremonial chariot was discovered during excavations of a Roman villa just outside the walls of ancient Pompeii. The four-wheeled vehicle, made of wood and iron, with bronze and tin decorations, was...
View ArticleRoman lead seals as trace of everyday administration
Rome is associated with legions, aqueducts, and great emperors, but the empire’s efficiency is equally revealed by small objects: seals, plaques, and stamps. Lead bullae, used to secure shipments and...
View ArticleOldest lorica segmentata discovered in Kalkriese
The archaeological site in Kalkriese, Lower Saxony, Germany, presented the results of the conservation of a unique artifact: the oldest and best-preserved example of Roman lorica segmentata, or...
View ArticleRemarkable fresco from Pompeii has been restored to its former glory. It...
Pompeii has once again proven that even after nearly two thousand years, it can still surprise archaeologists. This time, researchers have unveiled the partially reconstructed vault of the banqueting...
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Gate of Trajan
Located in present-day Bulgaria, approximately 50 kilometres from the capital city of Sofia, the mountain pass known as the Gate of Trajan (Bulgarian: Траянови врата) formed part of the Via Militaris,...
View ArticleMarble sculpture of woman’s head
During archaeological excavations in ancient Corinth, a marble sculpture depicting a woman’s head was discovered. The monument dates back to the 2nd century CE, a period when the city was one of the...
View ArticleScientists recreate face of Vesuvius’ victim
After nearly two thousand years, scientists have used artificial intelligence for the first time to recreate the appearance of one of the Pompeii residents who died during the eruption of Mount...
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