Marcus Aurelius was born Marcus Annius Verus on 26 April AD 121 of an aristocratic family of Spanish origin (from Ucubi, a small town southeast of Cordoba in Baetica). He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors" of Rome and a major Stoic philosopher. When Marcus Aurelius was a young child, he gained the… Continue reading Felicem diem natalem, Marce Aureli!
Category: SPQR
Walking Hadrian’s Wall
Read ⇒ Top 10 Sights along Hadrian's Wall --- Hadrian's Wall has long attracted hikers and history fans and is now the heart of an 84-mile (135 km) long National Trail through some of Britain's most beautiful countryside. Stretching across the country from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway on the… Continue reading Walking Hadrian’s Wall
Felicem diem natalem, Luci Vere!
Lucius Ceionius Commodus, the future Lucius Verus, was born on December 15 in AD 130. He was the son of Lucius Aelius Caesar, Hadrian's first choice as heir, but Lucius' father died when he was only seven years old. Having lost his successor, Hadrian designated Antoninus Pius to be his successor and required him, in… Continue reading Felicem diem natalem, Luci Vere!
Artefact: Bronze caliga from an over life-size statue of a Roman cavalryman
Caligae were heavy hob-nailed military boots worn by the Roman legionary soldiers, auxiliaries and cavalrymen throughout the Roman Republic and Empire. This bronze caliga was part of an over life-size statue of a Roman cavalryman from the 1st or the 2nd century AD. It is exhibited at the Museo Civico Archeologico of Bologna. However this… Continue reading Artefact: Bronze caliga from an over life-size statue of a Roman cavalryman
Picture of the week: The arches of the Burnum principium in Dalmatia (Croatia)
I just got back from a one week holiday in Croatia. I had a fabulous time exploring wonderful places which will certainly be the subject of future posts. This photo was taken at the archaeological site of Burnum, a Roman Legionary camp located nearby the natural beauties of the Krka National park. The camp was… Continue reading Picture of the week: The arches of the Burnum principium in Dalmatia (Croatia)
The death of Trajan and accession of Hadrian
On 9th August 117 AD (or it might have been the 7th or 8th), the Emperor Trajan died suddenly from a stroke at Selinus in Cilicia on his way from Syria to Rome. This event prompted the renaming of the city as Trajanopolis and the building of a cenotaph to Trajan. Trajan lived 63 years and… Continue reading The death of Trajan and accession of Hadrian
Picture of the week: Head of Medusa, bronze fitting of the Nemi Ships built by Caligula at Lake Nemi
Ahead of tonight's programme about Caligula (BBC Two 21:00) presented by Mary Beard, here is a picture of a bronze fitting head of Medusa that decorated one of the Nemi Ships. The vessels were built on the orders of emperor Caligula around AD 37-41. The bronze fittings are the most important set of objects found… Continue reading Picture of the week: Head of Medusa, bronze fitting of the Nemi Ships built by Caligula at Lake Nemi
Marble head of Hadrian, Römisch-Germanisches Museum, Cologne
In February 98 AD, Hadrian travelled from Moguntiacum (Mainz) to Colonia Agrippinensis (Cologne) to inform Trajan, the then governor of Germania Inferior, of the death of his adoptive father Nerva (who had died on 27 January) and to congratulate him on his accession to the imperial throne. Hadrian's first visit to the German provinces as… Continue reading Marble head of Hadrian, Römisch-Germanisches Museum, Cologne
Wandering along the Appian Way – images from milestone I to VI
"O Appian way, which Caesar consecrates under the form of Hercules, and renders the most celebrated of Italian roads..." Martial, Spectacula 9.101 Via Appia Antica, ancient Rome's "Queen of Roads", was once one of the world's most important roads. It was originally built in 312 BC by Appius Claudius Caecus, the then-censor of Rome, who began… Continue reading Wandering along the Appian Way – images from milestone I to VI
The Temple of Venus and Roma, Upper Via Sacra, Rome
The Temple of Venus and Roma (Latin: Templum Veneris et Romae) was the largest temple in Ancient Rome. It was located at the far east side of the Forum Romanum, near the Colosseum. It was dedicated to the goddesses Venus Felix (Venus the Bringer of Good Fortune) and Roma Aeterna (Eternal Rome). The designer was… Continue reading The Temple of Venus and Roma, Upper Via Sacra, Rome