Praetorian

Marble busts of Didius Julianus who bought the Roman Empire at the end of the 2nd century AD in a facial reconstruction artwork created by Daniel Voshart. Source: Daniel Voshart / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

28 June, 2022 - 22:44 Jake Leigh-Howarth

Didius Julianus, the Man Who Bought the Roman Empire

In the year 193 AD an auction took place that sent shockwaves throughout the ancient world, as buyers competed for the greatest prize of a generation, the Roman Empire. Following the murder of...

Sultan Mahmud II (Public Domain), and ornament from a Janissary's Cap, 17th century Turkey

21 July, 2017 - 14:58 Cam Rea

Ultimatum from the Sultan to the Powerful Janissary Military - Change… Or Die! Guess what they Chose? The Auspicious Event—Part II

A force of disciplined, elite royal guards of the 15th and 16th century Ottoman Empire grew in size by seizing Christian children and raising them as civil servants and dangerous soldiers. The...

The Nave of one of the salvaged Nemi Ships, Milan Museum of Science and Technology

10 May, 2017 - 01:50 Mark Miller

The Search Is On For Caligula’s Orgy Boats Where His Twisted Fantasies May Have Been Played Out

Caligula ruled as Roman Emperor for just four years from 37 to 41 AD, but tales of the cruelties issuing from his diseased mind have made him one of the most famous ancient Romans. Some of the mad...