The magnificent ancient Persian city of Ctesiphon with its mythical culture-heroes was the Roman emperors' ultimate prize in their wars against Persia. The capture of the enemy capital meant prestige, loot, and the symbolic humiliation of the Persian king.
Situated...
Most people assume the Greek and Roman pantheons were essentially mirror images—same gods, different names—but how accurate is such an oversimplification?
For instance, we all know Zeus became Jupiter, Athena morphed into Minerva, Poseidon became Neptune, and so on. But...
The mysterious Sibylline Books were a number of secretly kept Greek oracle collections that the rulers of ancient Rome consulted in times of crisis.
Only fragments of the Sibylline Books have survived. They were partially destroyed in a fire in...
The alliance between Philip V of Macedon and Hannibal Barca in 215 BC was one of the most potentially dangerous diplomatic efforts to stop the Roman expansion in the Adriatic.
Hannibal had already inflicted catastrophic defeats upon Rome in the...
In ancient Greek society, the concept of identity was closely tied to citizenship, as the Greeks—founders of democracy—defined each individual’s rights and obligations within their organized city-states.
Citizens in ancient Greece and Rome had to be documented and identified within...
"Greece, conquered Greece, her conqueror subdued, And Rome grew polished, who till then was rude."
Horace, the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.
In 146 BC, Greece yielded to the military might of the Roman Republic. Sixty years...
Dental care was a vital part of daily life for the Ancient Greeks and Romans, who recognized the importance of maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Although these societies lacked toothbrushes, fluoride toothpaste, and professional dentistry as it exists today,...
Italian police officers have begun patrolling central Athens alongside members of the Hellenic Police, while Greek officers are carrying out similar duties in Rome under a new bilateral security program between Greece and Italy. This is aimed at assisting...
Ancient Greek historian Polybius chronicled Rome's rise to power and became one of the first political theorists by drawing on historical knowledge to analyze politics.
Greek philosophers such as Plato developed theories on politics and envisioned what an ideal political...
Delos is a tiny, sun-scorched islet in the Cyclades archipelago of Greece with a profound and deeply unsettling story behind its famous ancient Greek pilgrimage saga. It’s a story most people know, but few realize how the sanctity of...
