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Roman state existed for nearly thirteen centuries, repeatedly exerting a profound influence on the course of history. I present the history of ancient Rome in the individual articles below, which not always refer solely to the Eternal City itself but encompass the wider world of the Roman Empire.
I encourage you to submit your own articles and to report any corrections or factual inaccuracies.
Functioning in the Eastern Roman Empire since at least the 5th century CE, the so-called Scrinium Barbarorum could be described as a bureau for barbarian affairs. Active both inside and outside Empire’s borders, it dealt with both foreign policy concerning barbarian tribes and the oversight of the population of barbarian origin living within the Empire.
Roman legion conjures up images of a perfectly synchronized formation marching in lockstep. Yet, did legionaries truly move to a rhythm resembling the modern parade step? Historical sources and analyses of the distances covered by the troops suggest a more complex picture: the army of the time was trained primarily for efficient, rapid marching while carrying heavy gear, with pace and distance determined by the type of march and local conditions. What, then, was the legionaries’ actual speed, how far could they march in a day, and how did they maintain the rhythm of a long march?
For centuries, Roman buildings have exemplified the durability of ancient engineering. Many concrete structures have preserved fragments of the material dating back nearly 2,000 years. These include harbors, breakwaters, foundations, domes, and other structures constructed throughout the Roman Empire.
In the Roman state, local administration was based on the so-called curiae (equivalent to modern city councils), assemblies made up of the wealthiest inhabitants in a given administrative area, known as curiales. Interestingly, a council member did not necessarily have to be a Roman citizen, as the only quality necessary to enter the ranks of decuriales, from which councillors were recruited, was enough wealth, so freedmen or merchants sometimes served as councillors, although the latter had to close their businesses before taking up the office.
The Caesar-Pompey War erupted in 49 BCE, a Roman Republic in serious political crisis. The conflict lasted until 45 BCE and was an event permanently etched in the annals of history. The two brilliant generals, who, with the support of their loyal legions, had achieved great victories beyond the borders of the Republic, decided to oppose each other in a decisive battle for control of the Eternal City.
The reign of Emperor Commodus (ruling from 17 March 180 to 31 December 192 CE), son of Marcus Aurelius, began just as the brutal Marcomannic Wars (bellum Germanicum et Sarmaticum) were finally winding down. At its height, according to Marcus Aurelius’s own letters, this conflict involved thirteen legions and dozens of auxiliary cohorts.
Located in present-day Bulgaria, approximately 50 kilometres from the capital city of Sofia, the mountain pass known as the Gate of Trajan (Bulgarian: Траянови врата) formed part of the Via Militaris, a Roman road constructed in the 1st century CE that connected the provinces of Thrace and Moesia Superior, and later linked the territories of the Eastern Roman Empire with the lands beyond its borders, commonly referred to as Barbaricum.
The war between Rome and the Achaean League, waged from 148 to 146 BCE and ending in the complete subjugation of the Greek states to the Roman Republic, was also a personal tragedy for one of the most influential cities in the history of Hellas – Corinth. Why, of all the cities of the League, was Corinth the one that had to pay the ultimate price?
