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Ancient Rome

Welcome to Ancient Origins section on Ancient Rome, one of the most fascinating and influential civilizations in human history. From its legendary founding in 753 BC to its collapse in 476 AD, Rome left an indelible mark on Western culture, politics, law, and architecture, shaping our modern world in countless ways.

Whether you are a student, a history enthusiast, or simply curious about this ancient civilization, this section has hundreds of articles that will take you on a journey through the rise and fall of Rome, its legendary emperors, its iconic landmarks, and its enduring legacy.

Explore the stories of Rome's legendary figures, marvel at the grandeur of its monumental buildings, and learn about the customs, beliefs, and achievements of the Romans, who created one of the most enduring and influential civilizations of all time. Join us as we delve into the world of Ancient Rome, where the past meets the present and the legacy of Rome lives on.

History & Chronology of Ancient Rome

The Roman Kingdom

The Roman Republic

The Punic Wars

The Roman Empire

The Fall of Rome

Byzantium

Roman Figures

Roman Emperors

Other Roman Leaders

Roman Gods & Religion

Other Roman Figures

Roman Places

Roman Cities

Roman Temples & Monuments

Roman Baths & Villas

Roman Entertainment Venues

Roman Life

Roman Society & Culture

Roman Entertainment & Leisure

Roman Politics, Government & Law

Roman Art, Music, Literature

Roman Architecture & Engineering

Roman Colonization & Expansion

Roman Military & Warfare

Roman Economy & Trade

Roman Artifacts

Roman Technology

Roman Writings

Other Artifacts
The Roman-era egg was cast into a watery pit, possibly as part of a funeral rite. Source: Oxford Archaeology.
13 February, 2024 - 21:42 Ed Whelan

1,700-year-old Egg Found at Roman Era Site Still Has Liquid Contents

An extraordinary discovery in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, has stunned archaeologists and scientists worldwide: a 1,700-year-old egg, is the only intact specimen from Roman Britain, and now considered...
Left; Cimex lectularius, bedbug. Center; Wing casings (elytra) of Oryzaephilus surinamensis found at Vindolanda. Right: Almost complete wing casing (elytron) of Aphodius sp. Source: Left; Daktaridudu/CC BY-SA 4.0, Center and Right; Katie Wyse Jackson/Vindolanda Trust
7 February, 2024 - 22:01 Gary Manners

Romans Look to Have Brought Bedbugs to Britain

In a fascinating addition to our understanding of ancient Britain, recent archaeological work at Vindolanda, a key Roman garrison south of Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, has unearthed evidence...
AI image of Emperor Augustus also known as the founder of the Roman Empire. Source: Nevio/Adobe Stock
6 February, 2024 - 23:36 Robbie Mitchell

How Did the Pax Romana Start and End? (Videos)

The Pax Romana, a remarkable era of relative peace in the Roman Empire from 27 BC to 180 AD, marked a pivotal period that shaped the empire's trajectory. Emerging from the political turmoil of the...
Left; One of the Herculaneum scrolls that are being deciphered. Right; Text from the Herculaneum scroll Source: Vesuvius Challenge
6 February, 2024 - 21:15 ashley cowie

AI Tool Deciphers Herculaneum Scroll, and It’s All About Pleasure!

A team of student researchers have combined 3D-mapping and AI to decipher a Greek scroll that was encased in ash during the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The philosophical musing reveals Greek...
Bas relief at Nagsh-e-rostam showing the investiture of Ardashir I, Province du Fars, Iran. Source: Fabienkhan/CC BY-SA 2.5
5 February, 2024 - 20:10 Robbie Mitchell

The Parthian Empire: Rome’s Greatest Enemy (Video)

The Parthian Empire, successor to the Persian legacy, emerged in 238 BC, springing from the Parni tribe's conquest of Parthia in modern-day northeastern Iran. Although initially subdued by the...
The last battle of the Ostrogoths and the end of their influence was fought on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in the Battle of Mons Lactarius. Painting from 1890, by Alexander Zick. Source: Captain Blood/ Public domain
28 January, 2024 - 19:52 Robbie Mitchell

Shaping European History- What Made the Goths Unique (Video)

The Goths , pioneers in military strategy, left an indelible mark on European history. Introducing cavalry to warfare, they confronted the Romans at the Battle of Adrianople in 378 AD, a pivotal...
Rome, Italy: The Roman Forum. Source: krivinis/Adobe Stock
27 January, 2024 - 19:57 Robbie Mitchell

Roman Origins: Did Romulus Really Found Rome? (Video)

The legendary founding of Rome revolves around two key figures, Romulus and Aeneas , whose stories intertwine with myth, geology, and archaeology. According to tradition, Romulus , saved by shepherds...
The Roman city at Silchester with grid road system and building locations map overlaid. Source: University of Reading
27 January, 2024 - 16:52 Gary Manners

Beneath Roman Britain - An Iron Age Settlement Is Revealed At Silchester

Five decades on from the start of an archaeological dig by the University of Reading, the findings of the investigation will be brought to the public, showcasing the incredible discoveries from...
The remains of the Roman triumphal arch found in Serbia. Source: Serbia Archaeological Institute.
25 January, 2024 - 13:47 Sahir

Emperor Caracalla’s Triumphal Arch Unearthed in Serbia

A lesser-known fact about Serbia is that 17 Roman emperors were born in its territory, with Central Serbia being under Roman rule for 800 years. Evidence of this history was unearthed in December,...
Representation of Roman god Bacchus, renowned lover of Roman wine.
24 January, 2024 - 13:59 Sahir

Toasted Bread and Walnuts: The Secret to Sophisticated Roman Wine Revealed

Of the many cultural and physical remnants left behind by the Romans, along with everlasting concrete, a love of wine also endures. When the Roman poet Horace contemplates death, he was more...
Conservator Bethan Bryan with the Roman arm guard. Source: Duncan McGlynn / National Museums Scotland
22 January, 2024 - 23:56 ashley cowie

“Absolutely Amazing” Roman Arm Guard Pieced Together After 1,800 Years

Over 100 years ago, a Scot unearthed over 100 fragments of metal which he thought comprised a Roman chest guard. Now, National Museums Scotland have reconstructed the artifact and discovered that it...
An ancient Roman gladiator. Source: Luis Louro /Adobe Stock
21 January, 2024 - 19:51 Robbie Mitchell

The Reality of Gladiator Life and Their Training (Video)

In the world of gladiators , once perceived as either heroic warriors or despised villains, their existence is marked by brutality and ritualized training rather than the romanticized notions of...
Various shots of the mosaic now confirmed dated to the 5th century at Chedworth Roman Villa. Source: Stephen Haywood/Ian Shaw/ © National Trust Images
20 January, 2024 - 16:53 Sahir

Roman Mosaic Date Brightens Up Britain’s Dark Ages in More Ways Than One

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it’s popularly believed that its fall to ‘barbaric’ forces by the beginning of the 5th century, plunged all of Europe into a ‘Dark Age’, where towns and villas...
The Gracchi, by Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume (19th century). Musée d’Orsay, Paris. Source: Mary Harrsch/ CC BY NC-SA 2.0
20 January, 2024 - 13:47 Ben Shehadi

The Gracchi: How Two Brothers Altered the Course of Roman Politics

The Late Republic was in ruins. Civil war was common. Violence broke out between political factions. Bloody slave revolts erupted. As Rome’s old republican institutions imploded, the Republic began...
Left; the reconstruction imae of Feb=nsatantion Man. Right; The first evidence of Roman-British crucifixion has been found in Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire, England. The heel of a man found with an iron nail pounded through his heel bone was clear evidence of crucifixion. Source: Left; Impossible Factual/BBC, Right; Albion Archaeology
18 January, 2024 - 02:57 Nathan Falde

Face of the Only Victim of Roman Crucifixion Found in Britain is Revealed

Experts have successfully reconstructed the face of a man who was a victim of Roman crucifixion, a discovery hailed as "almost unique" by Corinne Duhig, a bone specialist from Cambridge University...
Temples of Poseidon and Hera in the archaeological site of Paestum, Campania, Italy. Source: Nido Huebl/Adobe Stock
16 January, 2024 - 13:56 Sahir

Two Exceptional Greek Temples Uncovered in 2,600-Year-Old City of Poseidonia Paestum

Archaeologists have unearthed two “exceptional” temples in the historic ancient city of Poseidonia Paestum, a settlement in Magna Graecia on the southern coast of Italy. Constructed in the Doric...
Two of the mummies found in rock-cut tombs in Al-Bhanasa. Source: Egypt Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities
9 January, 2024 - 01:46 Gary Manners

Heart-pounding Tomb Discovery In Egypt Shakes Up Ptolemaic/Roman Traditions

Archaeologists in Egypt have made a heart-pounding discovery in Al-Bhanasa, Minya, unveiling a significant slice of ancient history. This latest find includes rock-carved graves from the Ptolemaic...
An aerial image depicting the interior walls of a Roman temple found in Spello, Italy, which experts believe to be an ancient pagan temple of fourth-century Italy and the late Roman Empire. Source: Douglas Boin/Saint Louis Univiersity
8 January, 2024 - 16:55 Sahir

Pagan Temple Shifts Rome's Narrative of Rapid Conversion to Christianity

The ruins of an ancient pagan temple under a parking lot in central Italy 70 miles (112.65 km) north of Rome, sheds light on the cultural shift during the transition from Roman imperial theology to...
Composite of excavations, burials and artifacts from the Roman necropolis recently uncovered near Rome. Source: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti Paesaggio Etruria Meridionale
4 January, 2024 - 13:45 Nathan Falde

Opulent Tombs & Untold Wealth Revealed at Newly Found Roman Necropolis

Archaeologists involved in a two-year-long excavation project at the site of a planned solar energy plant near Rome unearthed something astonishing and totally unexpected. While exploring under a...
Gladiator mosaic at a Roman villa in Nennig, Germany. Source: Carole Raddato / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED
24 December, 2023 - 17:39 Riley Winters

Spartacus: The Rebel Gladiator and His Final Last Stand – Part 2

(Read Part 1) Led by the Roman gladiator Spartacus, the Third Servile War stretched on from 73 to 71 BC, an attempt by thousands of Roman slaves to escape the gladiatorial ring. As a Thracian, forced...
Photo of a statue of Spartacus by Denis Foyatier, on display at the Louvre, combined with a 4th-century mosaic depicting gladiators. Source: Public domain
24 December, 2023 - 17:38 Riley Winters

Spartacus: Gladiator and Leader of Slaves Against the Romans – Part 1

The Thracian born Roman gladiator known as Spartacus is now considered the stuff of legend. To this day, books, movies and TV shows have been created to highlight the strength of this heroic rebel...
Scene of the Persecution of Christianity in ancient Rome. Source: Monsalvettstock/Adobe Stock
22 December, 2023 - 19:55 Robbie Mitchell

How Did Christianity Survive the Roman Empire (Video)

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...
A computer-generated image of the battle that is thought to have taken place on a remote mountainside south of Chur around 15 BC between Roman troops advancing northwards through the Alps and local Suanetes. Source: Courtesy of Leona Detig
15 December, 2023 - 21:52 ashley cowie

Lost Roman Battlefield in Switzerland Discovered Through Thousands of Artifacts

In 2019, a spectacular Roman dagger was metal detected in a remote region of the Swiss Alps. Now, a team of scientists and students have mapped a 2,000-year-old Roman battlefield representing the...
Drawing of male Pict. Source: Public Domain
14 December, 2023 - 19:55 Robbie Mitchell

The Picts, the Scottish Tribe That Gave the Romans Hell (Video)

The Picts , a group dwelling north of the Forth–Clyde isthmus, in what is now Scotland, remain shrouded in mystery despite their historical notoriety. The term "Pict" emerged around the third century...

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