Treasure from Boscoreale
Almost everyone has heard of Pompeii and Herculaneum – ancient cities that have been buried under the layer of ashes of Vesuvius – a volcano that erupted in 79 CE.
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Articles
The Roman state existed in practice for XIII centuries, being the power which was impacting the history. Therefore, I decided that I would tell the history of ancient Rome in the articles below, which will not necessarily cover only the Eternal City.
I encourage you to send articles and point out any corrections or inaccuracies.
Archimedes – man who put himself against Romans
The Greek thinker Archimedes became famous not only as the author of the exclamation “Eureka!1” (the Greek word for an unexpected discovery). It was mainly due to his ingenious inventions and innovative machines that he managed to defend Syracuse against the mighty Roman war machine for a long time.
Did Nero play lyre during great fire?
To this day, Emperor Nero appears to us as a ruthless and cruel ruler who ordered to start a fire1 to get a space for a beautiful Domus Aurea – a luxurious imperial villa. But what was the truth about the fire?
Assassination of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar took power in Rome after years of civil wars. Further signals indicating that he might wish to restore the monarchy sparked a conspiracy and his death. The assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE is a decisive step towards the fall of the Roman republic.
Black people in ancient Rome
Ancient Romans, who had under their control, huge tracts of land certainly had to deal with the black population on a daily basis. Interestingly, the ratio of the white to the black race was not always beneficial only for the former.
Eruption of Mount Vesuvius
In 79 CE Mount Vesuvius (Vesuvio), unexpectedly resumed its eruption activity, covering the area with a hurricane of ashes, lapels, poisonous gases and eruptive materials. At that time, streams of lava mixed with mud were flowing down the slopes of the volcano, destroying everything on its way.
“Gladiator” – what is true and what is fiction?
General Maximus is the main character of the historical drama “Gladiator” (2000) – which is thought to be one of the best films ever made. The question that every viewer ask is to what extent the plot is consistent with the historical truth. I will try to answer this question.
Aqueduct in Segovia
One of the best preserved Roman aqueducts to our time is located in Segovia to the northwest from Madrid. Despite the initial dating for the first century CE in 2016 some researches (analysing finds from 1998) were added, which point to completion of a building in first decades of second century during the reign of Trajan or Hadrian. Any bronze letters, which could inform us about construction date or constructor’s name haven’t been preserved.
Against Republic. Carthaginian-Macedonian alliance against Romans
During the third century B.C.E Rome continually fought other Mediterranean states. The end of the First Punic War left the Punic empire considerably lessened, and many Carthage’s nobles disgruntled with the peace treaty and expansion into Spain. The resulting clash with Rome influenced both the republic and other states that were in conflict with it at the time, e.g. Macedonia. Hannibal’s victories over the legions convinced the Macedonian leader that Romans can be beaten and routed and that an alliance with victorious Carthage would be politically advantageous.
