rome

Nov 1, 2022

6 things to know about the Gallic Wars

Julius Caesar is known as one of the greatest generals of all time. He was so inspiring that he persuaded his army to cross the Rubicon River and march on…

Nov 1, 2022

Sep 10, 2022

8 things you didn’t know about the Battle at Teutoburg Forest

In the year 9 AD, the Roman Empire suffered a devastating military defeat. In the dark forests of Germania, three entire legions were wiped out in the span of a…

Sep 10, 2022

Dec 20, 2022

These were the most famous female gladiators to step into the Colosseum

Roman gladiators are regarded as some of the most significant masculine figures in history. Most are aware of the famous gladiator, Spartacus, who fought diligently in Ancient Rome. However, not…

Dec 20, 2022

Apr 5, 2022

This is what the funeral of a roman general would look like

A funeral in the Roman culture was a crucial passage rite that implied the transformation through the phases of life and death. It was imperative to perform the correct ceremonies…

Apr 5, 2022

Nov 27, 2021

This is when the Pope’s Swiss Guard was deadlier than 300 Spartans

Military history is full of famous last stands – the Greeks at Thermopylae,

Nov 27, 2021

Oct 22, 2021

Why this Byzantine emperor’s death started the fall of Eastern Rome

The Byzantine Empire was the largest and most powerful civilization with roots that point back to 330 A.D. when Constantine first brought forth a New Rome on the area occupied…

Oct 22, 2021

May 5, 2021

This is what it was like to be a Roman soldier on holiday leave

Just like today, when it comes to leave, the leadership will reluctantly approve leave only when they’ve run out of excuses not to. In ancient Rome, if commeatus (leave) is…

May 5, 2021

May 4, 2023

This is how Julius Caesar started a civil war

The title of Caesar and everything that it represents stems from the actions of a heroic man who had an undying thirst for advancement. That man, Julius Caesar, had a brilliant, tactical militant mind that he joined with the political shrewdness of …

May 4, 2023

Jan 25, 2021

This is how the Praetorian Guard of Rome held so much power

Few military units have ever had the effect on world history as did the Praetorian Guard. From the foundation of the Roman Empire until the reign of Constantine in 306, the Praetorians protected – and sometimes controlled – the leader of the mos…

Jan 25, 2021

Jan 21, 2021

7 facts about the Gracchi Brothers of Rome

In the late second century BC, the Roman Republic seemed to be flourishing. After over a century of war with its ancient enemy Carthage, Rome now stood as the sole…

Jan 21, 2021

BYJessica Manfre

Dec 30, 2021

New year, new you? Thank Caesar for that.

Many of us will collectively roll our eyes as we scroll our social media in January. Between the “New Year, New Me” posts and detailed resolutions our friends and family…

BYJessica Manfre

Dec 30, 2021

Oct 20, 2020

7 things you didn’t know about Marcus Aurelius

General James Mattis once called Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations the one book every American should read. Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher, but he was also a Roman emperor, who bore trials and tribulations throughout his life with a quiet st…

Oct 20, 2020

Oct 15, 2020

In Ancient Rome, purple was worth more than gold

In the world of the ancient Mediterranean, there were plenty of ways for the upper class to flaunt their wealth. Just like today, the elites lived in massive houses, wore luxurious clothing, and dined on decadent delicacies. But for the 1 percent of…

Oct 15, 2020

BYExplore The Archive

Apr 29, 2020

Worst Roman emperors, from incompetent to insane

Ancient Rome is credited with major contributions to modern day language, religion, law, art, and government. Indeed, the Roman Empire was filled with breathtaking architecture and an intricate and fascinating socio-economic culture. But it was also fu…

BYExplore The Archive

Apr 29, 2020

Apr 29, 2020

Why ancient Romans built statues of their greatest enemy

Imagine the U.S. building a statue of Ho Chi Minh in the middle of New York City. Or one of Nikita Khrushchev in Washington DC. As unlikely as its sounds for a mighty empire to build such a monument to a once-great, potentially vanquished foe, that…

Apr 29, 2020

Apr 29, 2020

This is how the Roman economy funded military expansion

In the early days of Rome, the city collected its own taxes. They would assess an individual’s wealth, impose a 1% tax, and then place them into a property class. The higher your wealth class, the more you paid in taxes, which were then used to buy…

Apr 29, 2020

Sep 12, 2019

Why ancient German women yelled at male warriors in combat

At the 58 BC Battle of Vosges, Julius Caesar was surrounded. He had to force the Germanic army under Ariovistus into combat because the German was content to starve the Romans out. Cut off from supplies, Caesar’s legions may not last long enough to…