From Alexandria to Brindisium: A Calculated Homecoming In October of AD 70, the 60-year-old Emperor Vespasian disembarked at Brindisi, Italy’s […]
The Making of a Jewish Elite Born in 37 CE during Emperor Nero’s reign, Josephus emerged from Jerusalem’s aristocratic circles […]
The Shifting Balance of Roman Military Power In the latter half of the 1st century AD, Rome’s military presence along […]
The Powder Keg of the Rhine Frontier The year 69 CE, later dubbed the “Year of the Four Emperors,” exposed […]
The Mysterious Leader of the Batavians The Batavian chieftain Julius Civilis remains an enigmatic figure in Roman history. His exact […]
A Republic in Peril: The Fragile Peace Before the Storm The year 69 CE marked one of Rome’s most turbulent […]
The Tumultuous Background of 69 AD The year 69 AD, later dubbed the “Year of the Four Emperors,” marked one […]
From Alexandria to the Roman Legions Tiberius Julius Alexander emerged from one of the most remarkable families in the ancient […]
The Turbulent Transition of Power In the chaotic aftermath of Emperor Otho’s suicide in April 69 AD, Rome witnessed yet […]
A Historian’s Dilemma: Tacitus and the Challenge of Narrating Civil War The First Battle of Bedriacum presents historians with an […]
The Perils of Slow Communication in the Roman Empire In the winter of 69 CE, a critical delay in information […]
Imperial Highways and the Art of Ancient Communication In the vast expanse of the Roman Empire, information traveled at the […]
The Collapse of Nero’s Reign On June 9, 68 AD, the Roman world witnessed the dramatic end of Emperor Nero’s […]
The Rise of Gaius Calpurnius Piso Gaius Calpurnius Piso was a man of noble lineage, born into one of Rome’s […]
The Roman Tradition of Monumental Ambition For centuries, Roman aristocrats had demonstrated their status through an unusual civic practice – […]
The Powder Keg of the East The mid-1st century AD was a period of simmering tension between Rome and Parthia, […]
The Eastern Frontier in Crisis In the mid-1st century AD, the Roman Empire faced a persistent challenge on its eastern […]
The Historical Context of Slavery in Rome The Roman Empire’s economy and social structure were deeply intertwined with slavery. By […]
A Teenager on the Throne: Nero’s Unprecedented Ascension When Nero became Roman emperor in October 54 AD, he was just […]
The Accidental Emperor: Claudius’ Unlikely Rise to Power In the autumn of 54 AD, Emperor Claudius had reached 63 years […]
A Philosopher in Exile: Seneca’s Unlikely Path to Power In the heart of the Roman Empire, finding tutors proficient in […]
The Roots of Roman Slavery: A System Built on “Misfortune” To judge ancient Roman slavery through a modern lens—where the […]
