Gladiators are one of the most popular topics when talking about ancient Rome. However, there are some misconceptions about the gladiator which have stuck around and so here are a few with an explanation as to what’s not exaclty true about them. Gladiators and the whole thumbs up or down thing. I’ll start with the […]
Mythbusting Gladiators. Read More »
In a recent visit to the British Museum I took in the Legion Exhibition. One of the exhibits was highly impactful, it was the skeleton of a man who died at Herculaneum. However, this wasn’t some victim who we knew nothing about. This individual had items which indicated what he was and even what he
Herculaneum and a soldier’s last act. Read More »
Back in 2023 the British Museum announced they would have an exhibition titled ‘Legion’ which would feature a range of pieces allowing the visitor a chance to gain a glimpse at what the Roman military machine was like. It didn’t fail to deliver and wasn’t just restricted to the obvious martial elements. There were a
Legion exhibition at the British Museum. Read More »
Hope you enjoy the episode I’m still unsure what I have let myself in for as there is a lot of content. Anyway, here is some supporting content which I hope helps. I recently received some lovely feedback saying that the reading list gave that person more sources to use and ideas to research. H.M.
Ancient Sicily Part One. Episode notes. Read More »
A testudo and testing times for Caesar. In 57 BC Julius Caesar had a problem. Stationed in northern Gaul he became aware of the activities of the Belgae, a confederation of tribes who occupied what is largely north eastern France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Suspicions were further confirmed when one of the Belgae tribes, the
Testudo, Caesar and a quandry. Read More »
(this piece contains some nasty incidents- just so you know). In 133 BC King Attalus III of Pergamon died. His lands in the west of Anatolia (including coastal areas) weren’t passed to an heir, Attalus III had none. Instead he left his kingdom to Rome and it became the new province of Asia. Though this
88 BC, Mithridates VI and a massacre. Read More »
I hope the below helps with giving more context to the episode on Hannibal and his exploits from the highs of Cannae through to the lows of Zama. In the episode I mentioned previous episodes I have done on Hannibal and his battles (and much more). Here are some links to them. Hannibal in Spain.
Hannibal: from Cannae to Zama episode notes Read More »
A Roman bridgehead into Britain. Recently Richborough Roman Fort has had a new addition, or rather a new version of something which stood there when the invasion of AD43 saw legionaries stepping foot on British soil. This was the reconstruction of a gateway of that period (you can read specifically about this here). The gateway
A visit to Richborough Roman Fort. Read More »
Etruscans – a fascinating people. If you are visiting Rome it’s easy to get overwhelmed with options. One place you need to make time for is the Etruscan Museum. The Etruscans were a formidable influence on Rome and it’s thanks to them that we have many Greek vases – these were found in tombs. Here’s
Etruscan Museum in Rome – a must visit. Read More »
Lupercalia – some notes. I hope you enjoyed the episode on the Lupercalia. The promo I featured was with The Partial Historians – if you want to learn about Rome they are a great resource and you can find them on twitter and other locations (just check the link to their website). In the episode
The Lupercalia: Episode Notes. Read More »
