Veientine Wars - 3 Fifth Century Wars Between Veii and Rome
Friday September 30, 2005
The city-states of Rome and Veii fought each other three times during the course of the fifth century B.C. Before being summoned to fight the Gauls, the Roman leader Camillus ... Read More
Roman Emperors
Friday September 30, 2005
If you're looking for general information on the Roman Emperors, try this chronological list of the emperors or one of the alphabetical lists.
God of the Day
Friday September 30, 2005
Today's goddess of the day is the Muse Melpomene. Muses were daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory). The Muses became known as goddesses of the arts and sciences. Read more: ... Read More
Quote of the Day
Friday September 30, 2005
Today's quotation comes from Epictetus (XLVII):In theory it is easy to convince an ignorant person: in actual life, men not only object to offer themselves to be convinced, but hate ... Read More
From the Forum
Thursday September 29, 2005
A forum poster asks"Can anyone direct me to sources about Egyptian fortifications? I'm puzzled by the lack of such in sources about Ancient Egypt. I'm guessing the style of warfare ... Read More
Hunter and Gatherers
Thursday September 29, 2005
Even today, there are a few modern hunter-gatherer societies, such as the Ainu. Do you know what hunter-gatherers are and what distinguishes them from horticulturalists and agriculturalists? Kris Hirst has ... Read More
Military History
Wednesday September 28, 2005
Jim Bloom, who used to be the Ancient/Classical History Forum host for ancient military history and who contributed an article for this site on Josephus Josephus as a Source For ... Read More
The Wheel
Wednesday September 28, 2005
People often wonder how the pyramids or Stonehenge could have been built without the aid of the wheel, but an equally puzzling question is what caused someone to invent the ... Read More
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
Tuesday September 27, 2005
Mohenjo-Daro ("Mound of the Dead Men") was one site of the Bronze Age Indus Valley (or Meluha) civilization that was inhabited between 2500 and 2000 B.C. For more on Mohenjo-Daro, ... Read More
12 Tablets and the 10 Men (Decemviri)
Tuesday September 27, 2005
The end of the Roman monarchy followed the rape and suicide of Lucretia. The end of the Decemvirate, the 10 men who held themselves above the law, ended following ... Read More
Classical Tattoos
Tuesday September 27, 2005
Although the word tattoo is fairly modern, probably coming from Polynesia in the 18th century, the practice is thought to be ancient. Egyptian paintings, according to The History of Tattoo ... Read More
Review of The Quest for the Lost Roman Legions, by Tony Clunn
Monday September 26, 2005
Irene Hahn reviews Tony Clunn's archaeological research into the Varus-led disaster at Teutoberg Wald.Read Review of The Quest for the Lost Roman Legions, by Tony Clunn.
Word of the day
Sunday September 25, 2005
Today's word of the day is "cuneiform".
Read more: Cuneiform
List of the Ecumenical Councils
Saturday September 24, 2005
The first ecumenical council was the Council of Nicea in 325 which fixed the format of a prayer (the Nicene Creed) still used in Christian services today. Other rules created ... Read More
Mongolia Early Development
Saturday September 24, 2005
The Gobi in Mongolia is usually called a desert, but it's more than that. It has mountains, springs, forests, and steppes, as well as desert sands, and is home to ... Read More
Dark Ages Quiz
Saturday September 24, 2005
There are a few more questions on this Medieval History quiz than on most of the quizzes on this Ancient History site, and not all pertain to our time period, ... Read More
The Art of Medicine in Ancient Egypt
Friday September 23, 2005
Shelley Esaak, Art History Guide at About.com, has written an article on a special exhbition on Egyptian medicine that runs from September 13 to January 16 at the Metropolitan Museum ... Read More
Qin Maps
Friday September 23, 2005
An article on the 2200-year old ancient Chinese maps from the Warring Period says of the ink-inscribed pine maps "Experts said that graphics, symbols, scales, locations, longitude and latitude are ... Read More
Archaeology 101
Friday September 23, 2005
Kris Hirst is creating an introduction to Archaeology course called Archaeology 101. From the opening entry: "It’s probably best to think of each archaeologist as a freelance reporter working for ... Read More
Megalithic Cairn Equinox
Thursday September 22, 2005
The Solstices happen winter and summer on the days when the night and day are most uneven in length. In spring and fall, days and nights become even (or close ... Read More
Emperor Qin's Terracotta Army
Thursday September 22, 2005
Ying Zheng was born in 260 B.C. in China during the Qin dynasty. He became emperor in 247, united China, renamed himself Qin Shihuangdi, and created a terra cotta army. ... Read More
Vergil Quiz
Thursday September 22, 2005
Vergil wasn't happy with his Aeneid and didn't want it to be published. Despite the author's wishes it survived and became one of the most important pieces of literature, having ... Read More
Temple in India Shows Signs of Ancient Tsunami
Wednesday September 21, 2005
An article from CANOE -- Hindu temple ruins found in southern India show signs of ancient tsunami -- says that a recently excavated Hindu temple built between the second century ... Read More
Roman Imperial Naval Officer
Wednesday September 21, 2005
A funeral stele of an ancient Roman Imperial naval officer has been discovered at Ravenna. A photo of the stele on Ansa's Ancient Roman navy soldier surfaces article shows great ... Read More
Christopher S. MacKay's Ancient Rome: A Military and Political History
Tuesday September 20, 2005
Darryl A. Phillips reviews
Christopher MacKay's Ancient Rome: A Military and Political History for Bryn Mawr Classical Review. This history is for people without background in ancient Rome and Roman history ... Read More
Major Events Timeline
Monday September 19, 2005
Want an overview of important history-changing events in ancient history? There are many more that could be included, but this list was selected based on my personal Greco-Roman prejudices and ... Read More
God of the Day
Sunday September 18, 2005
The god of the day is known as the Jade Emperor.God of the Day
Nepal Quiz
Saturday September 17, 2005
The Himalaya's tallest mountain is the 29,000 feet above sea level Mt. Everest, which is in Nepal, a country bordered by China/Tibet and India. Nepal was important in ancient times ... Read More
Nepal
Saturday September 17, 2005
"Neolithic tools found in the Kathmandu Valley indicate that people were living in the Himalayan region in the distant past. The Mahabharata and other legendary Indian histories mention the ... Read More
An Ancient Chinese Mother Goddess
Friday September 16, 2005
Si-wang-mu ("Xi Wang Mu" in Pinyin), who lived eternally in the Jade Mountains, was a Chinese mother goddess or "Mother Queen of the West'.Read more about: Si-wang-mu
Lepenski Vir
Friday September 16, 2005
"Probably the best-known archaeological site in Serbia is Lepenski Vir, a series of Mesolithic villages located on a high sandy terrace of the Danube River, on the Serbian bank of ... Read More
Delphic Oracle and the Constellation Delphinus
Thursday September 15, 2005
The Innovations Report article Secret of Delphi Found in Ancient Text reports that
postgraduate students at the University of Leicester who have been reading their Hesiod, have determined that it would ... Read More
Oracle Bones
Thursday September 15, 2005
Oracle bones were found in China beginning in 1899. These tools of divination reveal a developed, written Bronze Age language. Oracle BonesSee Kris Hirst's article: AnYang: Bronze Age Capital in ... Read More
Spoken Latin in the News
Thursday September 15, 2005
Rogue Classicist David Meadows blogged the Latin that John Roberts came up against in his confirmation hearings:
Qui facit per alium facit per se (He who acts for another acts for ... Read More
Memorizing Latin Declensions
Wednesday September 14, 2005
Question from email:"Do you have any tips on memorizing the Latin Noun Case Endings, there are simply too many and I keep forgetting them. Any tips on how to make ... Read More
Pythia and the Delphic Oracle
Tuesday September 13, 2005
In trying to account for the trances of the Pythian priestesses at Delphi, invisible gases were supected, but the idea was rejected about a century ago when archaeologists failed to ... Read More
Vespasian Coin
Tuesday September 13, 2005
Imperial coins can be dated based on the offices listed on the face of the coins. Find out what the following letters on a coin minted under Vespasian mean:
IMPCAESVESPASIANA??PMTRPPPCOSIII.Vespasian Coin
Forum Anti-"Greek" Translation Request
Monday September 12, 2005
Can anyone provide a good Greek translation of these sayings for Valerie O.?"I have all of 2 and a half weeks experience in the language and could not possibly hazard ... Read More
Titus - Quiz
Monday September 12, 2005
In A.D. 64 Titus married an obscure woman named Arrecina Tertulla, who died shortly thereafter, but then he made a social advance for the Flavians when he married Marcia ... Read More
Titus
Sunday September 11, 2005
Titus, the older brother of Domitian and son of the Emperor Vespasian and his wife Domitilla, was born December 30 around 41 A.D. Although he was not from a noble ... Read More
Origins of Roman Numerals
Sunday September 11, 2005
J. E. Sandys, in Latin Epigraphy, describes the origins of Roman numerals. He says the original numeral was a line for 1 and a representation of the hand that looks ... Read More
More on the Forgotten Empire
Saturday September 10, 2005
Forgotten Empire to Challenge the Historical Distortions describes a bit of the controversy the new British Museum exhibit is generating and comments that the Cylinder Seal of Cyrus the Great ... Read More
Book Discussion Reading List
Saturday September 10, 2005
This is the tentative list of dates and times for the Ancient History Reading Discussions through the end of 2005
September 21, October 5 & 19 From the Gracchi to Nero: A ... Read More
Saving Ancient Manuscripts From Their Own Corrosive Inks
Friday September 9, 2005
The Medieval History Guide blogged an article on work being done to counteract the effect of corrosive inks in medieval manuscripts. Organic bath saves paper from decay.
Roman Marriage - Confarreatio, Coemptio, Usus, Sine Manu
Friday September 9, 2005
Living together, prenuptial agreements, divorce, religious wedding ceremonies, and legal commitments all had a place in ancient Rome.Roman Marriage
Curule Aedile Quiz
Thursday September 8, 2005
Magistrates of importance during the Roman Republic, the Curule Aediles were elected in the Field of Mars with a consul presiding. What else do you know about the Curule Aediles? ... Read More
The Evil Empire
Thursday September 8, 2005
An exhibit at the British Museum sparked a response by the Guardian Unlimited's Jonathan Jones. In The Evil Empire, Jones gives a history of the Persian Empire, its dealings with ... Read More
Goddess of the Day
Thursday September 8, 2005
Thursday's goddess of the day is associated both with healing springs and fertility. Can you guess who this Celtic goddess is? Find out here: Goddess of the Day.
Curule Aediles
Wednesday September 7, 2005
On this day in ancient history, the ancient Romans would have been enjoying the entertainment at the Ludi Romani that was put on by officials known as curule ... Read More
Ammianus Marcellinus - Historian of Julian the Apostate
Tuesday September 6, 2005
Wednesday night's book discussion chat focuses on Gore Vidal's Julian. One of the historians who wrote about Julian was actually a soldier in his army. Read more about Ammianus Marcellinus ... Read More
God of the Day
Tuesday September 6, 2005
Today's god of the day is the antler-horned Celtic deity, Cernunnos depicted in paleolithic cave paintings.
God of the Day
Rome and the U.S., Again
Tuesday September 6, 2005
In his aptly named blog entry,
Holy Hyperbole Batman!, Rogue Classicist David Meadows shows the latest comparisons between Rome and the U.S.
August Glossary Entries
Tuesday September 6, 2005
The following are the Glossary entries that have been added or updated since August 1.Battle of the Frigidus | Circus Maximus | Cloaca Maxima | ... Read More
Book Discussion Chat
Monday September 5, 2005
This Wednesday night's book discussion chat is on Gore Vidal's Julian. Historical evidence for the apostate emperor will also be discussed. The chat is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. U.S. East ... Read More
The Pro-Latin Pontiff and the Latin Mass
Sunday September 4, 2005
The ARLT (Association foR Latin Teaching) blog posted that Pope Benedict XVI is going to mend a schism in the Roman Catholic Church by lifting the excommunication of renegades who ... Read More
Length of a Cubit and the Location of the Ancient Temple
Sunday September 4, 2005
The PaleoJudica Blog mentioned the following article: For Jews, a cubit is a great deal, which explains that knowing the actual length of the ancient measure of a cubit (figured ... Read More
Some Almost Random News Items and a Bit of a Rant
Saturday September 3, 2005
Apparently there is a singer named Chris Martin who can no longer remember the lyrics to the songs he sings. Digital Spy, among others, reports that he is going to ... Read More
Ancient/Classical History Quiz: The Roman Circus
Saturday September 3, 2005
Today's Ancient/Classical History quiz is on the Roman circus and particularly the Circus Maximus. What do you know about it?
Quiz: The Roman CircusThe Circus Maximus
A Gladiator Only Dies Once
Saturday September 3, 2005
Steven Saylor's latest Roman historical fiction, a Gordianus the Finder short story collection, is named A Gladiator Only Dies Once after one of the stories in it. This story is ... Read More
Ancient/Classical History Quiz: Amarna
Friday September 2, 2005
Today's Ancient/Classical History quiz is on the ancient Egyptian city known as Amarna. What do you know about it?
Historical Method
Thursday September 1, 2005
When trying to figure out which version of the "facts" to accept, it would help to have a checklist to determine credibility. Peter Kirby, in his Christian Origins Blog, provides ... Read More