When the citizens of Rome ousted their last king in 509 BC, power was divided between the magistrates, the Senate, and the assemblies of the people. This partition of authority, which characterized...
Agrippina the Younger wielded significant influence over her son Nero's rise to power. Initially content with a life of artistry, Nero's path shifted under his mother's ambition. Agrippina's...
In the wake of Emperor Nero's demise , Rome plunged into the tumultuous Year of the Four Emperors , marked by intrigue, betrayal, and bloodshed. Galba, the Senate's nominee, faced immediate...
The history of the Roman Empire is filled with tales of grandeur, conquests, and the rise and fall of mighty rulers. From a small city-state, it rose in power, became a kingdom, a republic, and...
Nero's reign as Roman Emperor, marked by his ascent to power at a young age, was characterized by a complex web of familial ambition, political maneuvering, and personal indulgence. Born into a...
While the extravagant palace of Emperor Nero , the Domus Aurea—which boasted some 300 rooms covered in dazzling polished white marble—was first rediscovered during the Renaissance, in 2009 a team of...
Indulging in extravagant feasts throughout history, these banquets were grand spectacles of excess and luxury. In 1873, a German businessman orchestrated a lavish gathering in New York, featuring a...
The death of Emperor Nero in 68 AD ended the Julio-Claudian dynasty of Roman Emperors. It also initiated a succession crisis which degenerated into a short but deadly civil war. This was the first...
Christianity's survival amidst the stringent Roman Empire highlights the resilience of its early believers. In a time when the Roman stance against new religions was harsh, Christians faced...
The Colosseum , an emblem of ancient Rome, silently narrates the grandeur and brutality of a bygone era. Crafted under Emperor Vespasian's astute vision, it replaced Nero's opulent Domus Aurea,...
The Roman emperor Nero was the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. During his rule, he was disdained by his people because of his vanity and inadequacies as leader. He had one wife executed and he...
In the annals of history, there exist tales of love that transcend the boundaries of time and society, romances that have left a permanent mark on the world. From the passionate but doomed romance of...
Nero’s relationship with his mother wasn’t what you’d call healthy. Agrippina, a woman of remarkable political acumen in a society where women were typically excluded from political roles, played a...
In 49 BC, Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero sent a letter to his friend Atticus informing him about the current gossip in Rome. This time, the big news involved the famous Mark Antony. “ Marcus...
Beneath the refined façade of ancient Rome lie intriguing, lesser-known aspects of this civilization. For ordinary Romans, purple was off-limits. This rich hue, cherished by nobility, symbolized...
One of the ancient world’s most searched-for Roman structures has finally been found. That is the Theater of Nero, a large private entertainment venue built by Rome’s notorious emperor during his...
It may all have started when female sword fighters performed at funerals in the very early days of Rome. There may also be some connection between women participating in chariot racing and women...
Nero , the infamous emperor of the Roman Empire, is known for his cruelty and debauchery. However, one of the most enduring tales about him is that he played the fiddle while Rome burned during the...
Sometimes people just need to let their hair down. Whether you’re a despotic ruler seeking to distract from a major controversy or a downtrodden peasant looking to get away from the daily grind,...
Fierce fighters, enslaved and forced into a world of violence and brutality, Roman gladiators provided gruesome entertainment to the Roman public, training for months in specialized schools managed...
Serial killers are not a new phenomenon. Before Jack the Ripper began his legendary killing spree in London in the 1800s, there is a long list of infamous serial killers active throughout history...
Janus is a deity found in the religion and myth of ancient Rome. The Romans believed that Janus was the god of doors, beginnings and endings, and transitions. In accordance to the role he played,...
History is constantly being rewritten and sometimes the bad guys of ancient times are proven to be better than we were led to believe. In a new book by a British archaeologist and historian, Emperor...
Amphitheaters were a large part of the Roman culture and they were built in many of their cities across their empire, such as El Jem in Tunisia, Nimes Arena in France, and Leptis Magnus in Libya...