The Death of Lucius Verus and the End of Dual Rule In the early months of 169 CE, the Roman […]
A Greek Historian in the Roman World Appian of Alexandria remains one of the most intriguing figures of the 2nd […]
The Unprepared Emperors When Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus ascended to the imperial throne in 161 AD, Rome faced an […]
The Dawn of a Philosopher-King Rome in the 2nd century AD operated on a rhythm dictated by sunlight. Senate meetings […]
The Origins of the Pantheon: A Temple Unlike Any Other The Pantheon stands as a singular architectural and philosophical marvel […]
The Making of a Philosopher King In the pantheon of Roman emperors, Marcus Aurelius stands apart – not for military […]
The Origins of Roman Education For centuries in early Rome, education remained primarily a parental responsibility. Only in the 3rd […]
A Cartographic Time Machine: Decoding the “ROMA URBS” Map The “ROMA URBS” map—measuring 95 cm by 115 cm—is more than […]
The Origins of Rome’s Water Supply System Contrary to popular belief, ancient Rome was not a city starved of water. […]
The Military Origins of Rome’s Highway System The Roman road network, one of antiquity’s most enduring engineering feats, was initially […]
From River Crossings to Imperial Highways Since the dawn of civilization, humans have settled near water sources, necessitating the construction […]
The Foundations of Roman Mobility In the Latin language of ancient Rome, road construction was called viam munire – a […]
The Philosopher-King and His Literary Gift to Posterity Among the surviving works penned by Roman emperors, Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations stands […]
The Paradox of an Uneventful Reign Antoninus Pius stands as history’s most successful uneventful ruler. His 23-year reign (138-161 CE) […]
The Emperor Returns: Triumph and Transformation In early 134 CE, Emperor Hadrian concluded his brutal suppression of the Bar Kokhba […]
The First Encounter: Pompey and Judea In 63 BCE, during his eastern campaigns, the Roman general Pompey Magnus became the […]
The Powder Keg of Judea The relationship between Rome and Judea had been fraught with tension long before Emperor Hadrian’s […]
A Powder Keg of Religious Tension For two centuries following Rome’s initial encounters with Judea, an uneasy accommodation existed between […]
The Philosopher-Emperor’s Journey to Alexandria In 130 CE, Emperor Hadrian embarked on a transformative voyage to Egypt, accompanied by his […]
The Origins of the Pantheon: A Monument to Loyalty and Devotion The Pantheon stands as one of ancient Rome’s most […]
The Foundations of Roman Legal Thought Roman jurists famously defined law as “the art of the good and equitable” (ars […]
The Rebirth of Carthage: From Ruins to Roman Prosperity When Emperor Hadrian departed from Ostia, Rome’s bustling port, his destination […]