Commemorating Rome on the Danube
Interesting press release from the Austrian Mint: For some five centuries the River Danube formed an essential part of ancient Rome’s northern border against the barbarian tribes of Germania. The Austrian Mint’s new silver series called “Rome on the Danube” breathes life back into the ruined remains of the towns and forts that played such [...]
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem iii idus maias
ante diem iii idus maias Lemuria (day 3) 177 A.D. — martyrdom of Glyceria
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem v idus maias
Image by DivesGallaecia via Flickr ante diem v idus maias Lemuria (day 2) — a private and public appeasement of the dead; the Roman paterfamilias would rise at midnight to conduct a ritual involving beans and bronze rites in honour of Mania – a Roman divinity who was considered the goddess of the dead; she was also [...]
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem vi idus maias
ante diem vi idus maias 214 (?) A.D. — birth of the future emperor Claudius II Gothicus 232 A.D. — martyrdom of Felix and Palmatius 238 A.D. — murder of Maximinus Thrax (by one reckoning) 250 A.D. — martyrdom of Epimachus at Alexandria 251 A.D. — martyrdom of Alphius, Philadelphus, Cyrinus, and Benedicta at Leontini (?)
Carin Green on Tutulina, Sessia, and Messia
Image via Wikipedia I think this will be the last one from the Toledo series that I post today … one could kill a lot of time with these: The Circus Maximus is generally considered a place of spectacle where emperors indulged an impotent public with displays of power and largess to ensure public complacency. [...]
Andrea Mall on Roman Domestic Decor
Image by Tintern via Flickr I suspect this one from the Toledo Museum of Art will be popular among our readers: Andrea Mall discussed room groupings in Roman domestic architecture and their decoration at the Toledo Museum of Art. These suites of rooms, or diaetae as they were called in Latin, likely had their origin [...]
Sinclair Bell on Chariot Fans
Image via Wikipedia Here’s another one from the Toledo Museum of Art … here’s the official description of an interesting talk on the fanaticism of fans ar Roman chariot races: Dr. Sinclair Bell, Professor in the Department of Art History at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, presented his program “Fans and Fame in the Roman [...]
Iris (Summer 2010) is Available!
The Summer 2010 edition of Iris is out this month, and the theme of this issue is crime and punishment in the ancient world. Contents include: * Romans behaving badly: crime and punishment in Rome * Iris chat: Andrew Irvine, author of ‘Socrates on Trial’ * CSI Athens: the crime scene in ancient Greece * [...]
This Day in Ancient History: nonas maias
nonas maias 431 B.C. — the “Peloponnesian War” began (according to one reckoning) 399 B.C. — death of Socrates (according to one reckoning) 1941 — death of Sir James Frazer (The Golden Bough)
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem v kalendas maias
ante diem v kalendas maias ludi Florales … a.k.a. Floralia (day 1) — a festival originally ordered in response to an interpretation of the Sybilline books in 238 B.C., it fell into desuetude only to be revived in 173 B.C.; it was a general festival of drinking and other merriment in honour of Flora, who presided [...]
Finds from Strumica in Eastern Macedonia
No relevant photos, alas: A unique lamp from the fourth century with the image of Alexander the Great and gold jewellery from the second century BC were discovered by archaeologists in the Tsarevi Kuli area over the town of Strumica in eastern Macedonia. The new finds discovered at the necropolis of the southern wall of [...]
Roman Temple in Southwell (Iterum)
This one seems to be making the rounds again: Remains unearthed in Nottinghamshire could be an unknown Roman temple, archaeologists have claimed. Excavations on the Minster C of E School site in Southwell between September 2008 and May 2009 revealed walls, ditches and ornate stones. The team analysing the finds said the shape and quality [...]
