Tag Archives: Ancient Rome
Janus: Gates to the Past and the Future Posted by Brittany Britanniae on Jan 11, 2017
Salevete Omnes! Right now, as the new year kicks back into full swing a lot of us are probably thinking about what the new year has to offer. We are thinking about time; the time ahead of us and the time that has just passed. As we reflect on 2016 we are all looking forward…
6 Ways to Celebrate the Winter Solstice like an Ancient Roman Posted by Brittany Britanniae on Dec 21, 2016
The week surrounding the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice, marked the beginning of Winter for the Ancient Romans and so, like any other important time of the year, was brought in by revelry and extravagance. The is the week-long celebration of Saturnalia. Today, let’s look at some of the traditions that we…
You in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life Posted by Brittany Britanniae on Dec 15, 2016
Historians and Classics enthusiasts often pay close attention to the history surrounding the great and legendary figures of Ancient Roman politics, philosophy, and mythology. However, today, let us take a look at the people who made up what was one of the greatest and largest cities in human existence. After all, such a city was…
“Roman Fever”: Did Malaria Bring Down the Roman Empire? Posted by Brittany Britanniae on Dec 7, 2016
A newly published study has just provided compelling genomic evidence in 2,000 year old human bones to show that malaria was, as many have guessed and speculated, present in Rome. For Latin-learners you could see the Medieval Latin roots behind the infamous disease: Malaria = mal + aria = “bad” + “air”. Although the disease…
Horae: Counting the Roman Hours Posted by Brittany Britanniae on Nov 30, 2016
Salvete Omnes! I hope everyone has been well! Right now, everyone everywhere might be noticing the changing times of night and day. The beginning of Winter is coming and with that means the nights are getting longer and the days are getting shorter. Let’s see how the Romans dealt with this phenomenon. For us, we…
Amor Fati: Stoicism in Rome Posted by Brittany Britanniae on Nov 16, 2016
Salvete Omnes! I hope we are all doing well this week! This week, let us take a look at the ancient philosophy of the Stoics. Although Stoicism is generally a Hellenistic philosophy, Ancient Rome picked up the teachings and ways of thinking towards the end of its popularity and have helped preserve the teachings The…
Elections in Ancient Rome Posted by Brittany Britanniae on Nov 9, 2016
Chances are, no matter where you are, you have heard about the election in the United States. While the country is dealing with the results of their votes, we might want to ponder the history of elections and democracy that have influenced the makeup of the United States. Although the Romans are famous for the…