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Remarkable words of wisdom :
“Order and efficiency replaced freedom and instability.” -- M.F.F.
Reading is one of the highlights of my existence. I read a few leaves of papyri every single day. When the opportunity arose to arrange employment for one of my liberati, the idea of putting him in charge of a bookshop came to mind at once. You will also find here some contributions of my closest friends, as well as my own. My particular historical interests in Ancient Rome are all aspects of the interacting of Roman and Hellenistic culture, especially the Eastern provinces during the Principate until Marcus Aurelius. Most Useful Books : The City Guide to Roma and the Country Guide to Italia and Sicilia, by far the most enjoyable guide books I have ever read.
These delightful poems are a Saturnalia gift from Senex Caecilius.
 And this card is the work of Antinous Flavius.
34 Articles
Hercules, Evander, Aeneas and the Triple Triumph of Augustus, Sep 2, 2011 - 15:01
On 13 August 29 B.C.E., Augustus began his three-day triumph as
victor over Marc Antony and Cleopatra. The date chosen had three-
fold significance for Augustus. It was associated with Hercules
Invictus, the earliest Hercules cult in Rome, celebrated at the Ara
Maxima in the Forum Boarium. It was equally associated with Evander
to whom legend attributed the establishment of that cult. Finally, it
was also associated with Venus Victrix to whom Pompey dedicated a
theatre on that day to celebrate his triumph. Venus was held to be the
mother of Aeneas, ancestor of the gens Iulia. How were the
three figures of Hercules, Evander and Aeneas brought together to
symbolise the advent of a new golden age, the Age of Augustus ?
Hannibal’s Use of Elephants, May 7, 2011 - 15:18
Perhaps the most-repeated anecdote concerning Hannibal is his
crossing the Alps from Gaul into Italy with thirty-seven elephants.
That feat made a profound impression on ancient writers such as Livy
and Polybius. Ultimately, however, the famous general of Carthage
had a relationship with these animals that resulted in tragedy rather
than triumph. Why ?
Seleukos IV, the Romans and the Temple of Jerusalem, Mar 31, 2011 - 16:00
In 70 C.E. Titus Flavius Vespasianus captured the beseiged city of
Jerusalem, putting an end to four years of Jewish revolt. That uprising
was one of a series of conflicts of Jews between themselves and with
the Greek- and Latin-speaking worlds. One of the longest conflicts
began after the reign of Seleukos IV Philopator (187 - 175 B.C.E.) and
is narrated from the point of view of strict, pious Jews in the Jewish
Bible (2nd Maccabees 3.1 - 4.6). Though relations between Seleukos
IV and his subjects in Judaea had been excellent at the start of his
rule, inter-Jewish rivalry and a desperate financial situation disrupted
their entente. A recent archaeological discovery sheds further
light on the genesis of the souring relationship.
Tips For Creating A Personalised Garden, Jun 4, 2010 - 19:19
From the Society of Labourers of the Hortus Reatinus. Like a
domus,
gardens have their own characters and atmospheres. Some are
instantly
familiar, such as the haphazard abundance of Cicero’s gardens in
Baiae,
others are more formal such as those of Pompey’s Portico in Rome. It
is not
enough to know what kind of plants you like. Below are a few
guidelines to
help create a unique style, a personalised garden.
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Historical Summary
Recent Historical Posts
09:45 Jan 11, 2012
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