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Cicero

AI image of Roman senators deliberating in the Senate chamber, illustrating the political life of the Roman Republic. Source: Sebastian/Adobe Stock

The Five Greatest Ancient Roman Politicians (Video)

The Roman Republic , a crucible of political innovation, incubated the brilliance of figures whose legacies endure through the annals of history. Among these luminaries, Cicero stands as a colossus...
Coriolanus and the Roman matrons by Pieter Lastman (1622) Trinity College, Dublin. (Public Domain)

Tragic Coriolanus, Roman Warrior Or Traitor

William Shakespeare’s Roman play Antony and Cleopatra impresses upon the audience a vast universe which includes Rome, Alexandria, and Athens. In contrast, his other Roman play, Coriolanus, is...
Painting by Paul Barbotti (1821-1867), depicting the scene of Cicero as he discovers the tomb of Archimedes forgotten by the Syracusans. Source: Public Domain

Cicero and the Forgotten Tomb of Archimedes

The Romans were great admirers of the Greeks and their civilization. The emperor Nero, for instance, was a Philhellene who travelled extensively around Greece and even gave a huge tax-exemption to...
Catullo and Clodia, by Giulio Aristide Sartorio (Public Domain)

Cicero Versus Clodia: Stereotyped Roman Character Assassination

Due to the growing independence and complexity of society, the greatest families in Rome met their downfalls. However, the heiresses of those great houses took up the chance to reclaim the power that...
Virgil reading the Aeneid to Emperor Augustus, his wife Livia and fainting sister Octavia by Antonio Zucchi (1767) (Public Domain)

Remarkable Early Life Of Livia, Destined To Become Empress And Deified Augusta

In 29 AD, Livia, the Empress of Rome and the widow of Emperor Augustus, died at the age of 86. Although she was the mother of Tiberius, the current Emperor of Rome , and an Empress through her own...
Cicero with his friend Atticus and brother Quintus, at his villa at Arpinum by Richard Wilson (1771) (Public Domain)

Letters From Cicero To Atticus: Insight Into The Lives Of Roman Scribae

“ Every man can tell how many goats and sheep he possesses but not how many friends ”. Marcus Tullius Cicero Titus Pomponius was neutral both in character and in policy. Perhaps this was his natural...
Cicero Denounces Catiline in the Roman Senate by Cesare Maccari (1889) (Public Domain)

Conspiracy in Rome: Catiline The Eternal Villian?

L. Sergius Catilina (106 BC to 62 BC) was a Roman soldier and politician who attempted unsuccessfully to overthrow the Roman Republic following his second defeat for consul due to the efforts of his...
The Oath of Catiline, by Joseph-Marie Vien (1809) (Public Domain)

Catiline’s Ambition: Born And Bred For Roman Consulship

L. Sergius Catilina (106 to 62 BC), or Catiline, who eventually led a failed revolt against the Roman Republic, embodied the virtues and vices of members of his class and generation. Catiline was...
Gladiatoren im Kolosseum by Eugène Delacroix (Public Domain)

Big Cats For The Fat Cats Of Ancient Rome

Emperor Caracalla kept a favorite lion, Acinaces, as a pet, but not all Romans’ obsession for big feline predators boded well for the animals. “It is believed that a dying lion bites the earth and...
Eaten Alive By Eels: The Infamous Cruelty of Publius Vedius Pollio

Eaten Alive By Eels: The Infamous Cruelty of Publius Vedius Pollio

Cruel masters were somewhat of a staple in history. Through all the ages, particularly evil men were a dime a dozen and often used their positions of power to exert cruelty on undeserving servants...
Roman Elections: The Rise and Fall Of Eccentric Roman Politicians

Roman Elections: The Rise and Fall Of Eccentric Roman Politicians

In the ancient world, the early distribution of political power was dictated by the availability of fresh water, fertile soil and a temperate climate, all of which were important for the development...
Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia      Source: Enrico Rovelli / Adobe Stock

Cult Worship at the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia

The Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia is a religious complex from the time of the Roman Republic . This ancient sanctuary is situated in Praeneste (known today as Palestrina), not far from Rome. The...
Cicero proudly shows his discovery of the 'Tomb of Archimedes' by Martin Knoller (1775) (Public Domain)

The Tomb of Archimedes, Genius of Syracuse, Concealed by a Naiad

First century AD Roman statesman and orator, Cicero’s claim that he had found Archimedes’ tomb may be refuted. In Greek mythology Ciane is a freshwater nymph, who tried to save Persephone from being...
‘The Birth of the Milky Way’ (1636-1637) by Peter Paul Rubens.

Breastfeeding Beliefs: From Invincibility to Universal Creation

Breastfeeding is an infant feeding practice in which a child is fed breast milk directly from breast to mouth. Breastfeeding could be performed by the mother herself or by a wet nurse. Evidence of...
"Ertränken im Fass oder Sack", a 1560 sketch showing ‘punishment of the sack’.

Mythbusting Ancient Rome: Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Early Roman history is full of stories about the terrible fates that befell citizens who broke the law. When a certain Tarpeia let the enemy Sabines into Rome, she was crushed and thrown headlong...
Clodia Metelli

The Infamy of Clodia Metelli

Clodia Metelli lived in the first century BC, a time when the Roman Republic was controlled by a handful of affluent families, whose quarrels would soon lead to civil war and the rise of an empire...