Studying ancient civilizations can help us better understand our own civilizations today. The study of ancient people and cultures can help us better understand humanity and how people interact with one another. Studying them is to learn more about our ancestry. When looking at the early civilizations, we can study how they were formed, what […]
The Forum of Trajan (Forum Traiani) or Trajan’s Forum was a vast complex of different buildings ordered to be constructed by Emperor Trajan sometime between AD 105 and 107. It was located across from the Forum of Augustus. It measured approximately 280m (920ft) by 190m (620ft) and covered an area of 25 acres (10 ha). It was the
The Capitoline Hill (Mons Capitolinus) is located in the heart of the ancient civilization. It is renowned for being one of the most important locations in Roman history. Location Looking at a map of the ancient city, the Capitoline Hill was located on the western side of the ancient city, just inside the city’s first permanent defensive
The Stadium of Domitian was a circus located in the Field of Mars (Campus Martius) in northwest Rome. The Stadium opened in AD 86 and derives its name from the emperor of the day – Domitian. With a similar footprint, it was a scaled-down version of the more well-known Circus Maximus. It was approximately 275 meters
The velites were a light infantry unit in the Roman military during the mid-Republican era. They existed for about a century before being disbanded. The first recorded use of the velites was in 211 BC during the Siege of Capua when the Romans fought the invading Carthaginian army in the Second Punic War. Their lineage can be
These are the gateways to the ancient city and, for a time, gates to the ancient civilization. First, we had gates that made up Rome’s first proper defensive structure – the Servian Wall. Emperor Aurelian built larger and longer walls late in the third century AD to protect the ever-growing city – the Aurelian Wall. Let’s take a look at
The Lupercal is said to be a cave where a she-wolf suckled the legendary founder of Rome, Romulus, and his brother Remus. It would not be easy to describe the cave’s location and the importance of some details surrounding the legend of twin brothers Romulus and Remus without mentioning their origin story. The twins were
Ancient Rome was located on the banks of the Tiber River, and it needed bridges to enter and exit the city easily. Some have quite an illustrious history in their own right. Let’s take a look at the bridges of ancient Rome. Pons Milvius (Milvian Bridge) Let’s start with one of the most famous bridges
The Circus of Nero (also known as Circus of Caligula or Circus Gaius) was an ancient Roman arena that was located where St Peter’s Basilica now stands. Circus of Nero location The Circus was located in what is now the Vatican City, and St Peter’s Basilica now covers much of its footprint. Maps of the
The Scalae Gemoniae (Gemonian Stairs) was a set of stairs connected to the Capitoline Hill that was used as a method of punishment for those criminals who had disgraced Rome. Purpose of Gemonian Stairs Like its gruesome counterpart, the Tarpeian Rock, the Gemonian Stairs were used for criminals that the Romans wanted to disgrace. Whereas the Tarpeian Rock was used
The house that Rome’s legendary founder, Romulus, lived in during the eighth century BC was located on the southwest corner of the Palatine Hill. Archeologists and historians understand where the hut was likely located as the Romans were meticulous when writing about their society. Very helpful when piecing together the history of an ancient civilization.
