The Birth of the Roman Empire
16 January 27 BC is a date sometimes associated with the beginning of the Roman Empire. It was on that day that Octavian received the name Augustus, effectively becoming the first emperor of Rome. Aug...
16 Jan 202250min
The Seleucid Empire: In the Shadow of Rome
At its height, the Seleucid Empire stretched from Thrace (modern day Bulgaria) to the Indus River Valley. Emerging from the tumultuous ‘Successor Wars’ that followed Alexander the Great’s passing, for...
13 Jan 20221h 3min
Spinning in the Roman World
Spinning held an important place in ancient society, and no, we're not talking about ancient exercise classes. A task for women and slaves, it was used to create clothes, ships sails, and ropes, and i...
9 Jan 20221h 7min
Cannibalism
It’s a macabre topic to discuss, but also one that has fascinated people for generations. So what has archaeology revealed about cannibalism among prehistoric societies? And if cannibalism does seem t...
6 Jan 202249min
Alexander The Great vs Julius Caesar
They’ve both been described as the greatest military commander in the ancient world, but who really takes the title (if either of them)? Alexander, the undefeated conqueror of one of the largest empir...
2 Jan 202245min
How Julius Caesar Changed Time
We’re finishing off 2021 with what is perhaps Julius Caesar’s greatest legacy. It’s not a military victory or battle, but one of the many political reforms that truly has stood the test of time: the J...
30 Dec 202146min
Race & Identity in the Ancient Greek Novel
For the first 4 centuries AD/CE, the ancient Greek novel was the most popular literary form in the Roman Empire and at the heart of these popular texts is discussion over race and identity. Could a Ph...
26 Dec 20211h
Hannibal's Winter War
It’s fair to say that winter battles weren’t commonplace in the ancient Mediterranean world. There is, however, one striking exception. A clash that occurred in mid/late December 218 BC, in northern I...
23 Dec 202142min
