This Day in Ancient History: pridie kalendas septembres

pridie kalendas septembres

  • 12 A.D. — birth of the future emperor Gaius (Caligula) at Antium
  • 40 A.D. — Gaius (Caligula) celebrates an ovatio after his attempted military campaigns in Gaul and Britain
  • 161 A.D. — birth of the future emperor Commodus (and his twin, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus)

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem iii kalendas septembres

ante diem iii kalendas septembres

  • 490 B.C. — battle of Marathon (according to some reckonings)
  • 37 A.D. — dedication of the Temple of Augustus (and associated rites thereafter)

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem vi kalendas septembres

ante diem vi kalendas septembres

  • Volturnalia — rites in honour of a divinity associated with fountains/waters
  • 479 B.C. — Greek forces defeat Persian forces under Mardonius at Plataea (according to one reckoning)
  • 413 B.C. — lunar eclipse which caused hesitation amongst  Athenian forces under Nikias in Sicily; the subsequent delay  ultimately led to their destruction

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem vii kalendas septembres

ante diem vii kalendas septembres

  • 55 B.C. — Julius Caesar invades Britain, but doesn’t stick around very long
  • 1875 — Birth of John Buchan, 1st Baron of Tweedsmuir and Governor-General of Canada … and author of a decent biography of Augustus

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem viii kalendas septembres

Icon depicting the First Council of Nicaea.
Image via Wikipedia

ante diem viii kalendas septembres

  • Opiconsivia — rites in honour of Ops, an old Italian earth deity and usually considered the spouse of Consus
  • 79 A.D. — death of Pliny the Elder in the wake of the eruption at Pompeii
  • 325 A.D. — Council of Nicaea comes to an end, having come up with the Nicene Creed, the ‘Twenty Canons’, etc..