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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
“ 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...