N.S.Gill's Ancient History Blog April 2004 Archive

There has been an announcement on the Latin-L email discussion group about a new beginning Latin study group based on Wheelock beginning in May: LatinStudy list named WH2004 Steel Latin

Does the question of whether or not there was a real Troy from which Homer drew in his epic Iliad, the story of Achilles and the Trojan War, intrigue you? ... Read More

The format of About pages has changed and the forum log-in has moved to the left side of the page. Here is the link you need to log in: Ancient / ... Read More

Could Women Divorce in Ancient Rome? Judith Evans Grubbs addresses this question in Women and the Law in the Roman Empire: A Sourcebook on Marriage, Divorce and Widowhood. Could Women Divorce in ... Read More

Two wine festivals were celebrated each year by the ancient Romans. One, in April, according to the William Smith Dictionary, on Lacus Curtius, was the urban wine festival, Vinalia urbana ... Read More

When Mussolini adopted the fasces as a symbol of his new political movement, he was using a very ancient symbol of power in Italy -- possibly as old as the ... Read More

Although he had an insanity excuse for it, Hercules, the greatest of the Greek heroes, murdered his wife and children, and killed a couple of his brother's kids, as well. ... Read More

Steven Saylor says the genre of Roman mysteries came to life in the 1990s, and was given a boost by the popularity of the movie "Gladiator." Read more about The ... Read More

Comparing the USA cable television miniseries with the 1960 Stanley Kubrick production of Spartacus, the Salt Lake Tribune concludes that the lack of a great star, like Kirk Douglas, and ... Read More

Spartacus had been born in Thrace and received training in a Roman army, probably as an auxiliary, before becoming a slave. He was sold, in 73 B.C., into the service ... Read More

Romulus was the first king of Rome. How he died is unknown, but legend has it that he disappeared into a thunderstorm. His successor was a far more peaceful ... Read More

The first of the soldier emperors Septimius Severus reigned for 18 years in Rome. While this was a long reign and one that created some stability to the Roman Emperor, ... Read More

Looking at the Mel Gibson Passion movie from the viewpoint of history raises questions (and answers) on the Ancient/Classical History Forum. From RomaHost: "Not much is known about Pontius Pilatus aside ... Read More

According to BBC news online, the Egyptians may not have been the first to domesticate cats. Instead, Neolithic people in Cyprus may have kept cats as pets 9500 years ago.Dig ... Read More

In ancient Rome, we would have been celebrating the Megalesia from April 4-10. The Megalesia was held in honor of the goddess Cybele who had been imported to Rome in ... Read More

Most people know Spartacus led a band of slaves and gladiators in revolt in ancient Rome, but did you know there were two earlier slave revolts? FAQ: Who led the ... Read More

If you go into Blockbusters to look for a video of the Greek tragedy Antigone, it's likely to be in the drama section. Find out why it's called a "tragedy" ... Read More

The Romans honored spring with a festival, theater, and games in honor of the goddess of flowers, Flora. Participants in the festival wore floral wreaths in their hair like modern ... Read More