In this series, we examine the various units that made up the Roman war machine. Armies were the backbone of any ancient civilization, and the Romans did it better than anyone else over a long period of time. Let’s examine the hastati. The hastati (singular hastatus) were an ancient unit formed in the republic’s early days in the late sixth […]
This article is part I of a series that will cover some of the more common types of armor worn in ancient Rome. That is not to say that these types of armor were not used by other ancient civilizations (in fact, there is evidence that the Romans took many types of armor from other civilizations). Let’s
Roman Armor: Lorica Segmentata, Hamata, Squamata Read More »
Panem et circenses (bread and circuses) is a term coined by Juvenal to explain the willingness of the populace (mainly plebeians) to give up their rights and responsibilities in order to have their immediate wants and needs met. It is used by those in power to distract the populace when something that would normally earn
When studying ancient civilizations, we tend to focus on the things that get the most attention – famous generals and famous battles, while writings on events that changed history are fairly easy to find. This article is about a much less talked about subject – the domestic and civil units that were the firefighters, intelligence
In part two of this series, we take a look at more figures that proved to be troublesome to the Romans. Some brought about significant changes to this ancient civilization – whether that be a change to the governmental structure or an acceleration of its downfall. Here is the second part of our Enemies of
In this series, I have gone through the history of the Roman civilization and compiled a list of the people / other civilizations who I would consider to be a detriment to, or a “thorn in the side” of this ancient civilization. This could be a tribe, competing civilization, a military commander outside the empire
Germanicus Julius Caesar (original name Nero Claudius Drusus) or simply Germanicus, was a much-celebrated Roman general who proved to be pivotal in the history of the Roman Empire. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus or Drusus the Elder (who had the name Germanicus bestowed upon him after he died due to his own feats against
The remains of the Roman civilization are all around you when travelling through Italy. Rome’s dominion expanded in Italy throughout the centuries, absorbing other tribes and city states along the way. When they conquered new territory, they made sure that the area was quickly “Romanized”, with the construction of Roman buildings and the organization of
The rich history of the Roman civilization means that not only did they dominate the ancient world, but they also continue to leave a footprint on our world today. From architecture, law, culture and religion to philosophy and engineering, the Romans left a lot behind. We can still see remnants of their masterful engineering feats
Largo di Torre Argentina (Argentina Tower Square) is in the ancient Campus Martius (Field of Mars) and dates to the times of the Roman Republic. It is about a 20-minute walk from the Colosseum and the Vatican. At the same time, it is also located near the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. These sites can also
