Rome Articles

In October of 2008, by the banks of the Tiber river, the tomb of the proconsul Marcus Nonius Macrinus, a friend of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, was unearthed. The find generated great excitement in that Macrinus, or aspects of his life, were used as the model for the character Maximus in the film Gladiator (2000). Many who wrote on the find, and mentioned Gladiator... [continue reading]

The Imperial Fora were very important public and ceremonial areas in Rome. These areas had practical use, especially when the population of Rome began to grow rapidly. They also provided more room for government, business, religious worship, and gave the Emperors notoriety and immortality. The Forum Iulium (Forum of Julius Caesar) was the first of the Imperial... [continue reading]

The temples built in the Forum Romanum during the Imperial era (27 B.C. – A.D. 476) were largely built to commemorate mortal men who had been deified after death. These were usually Emperors of Rome who had been particularly influential and popular. Temple of Caesar – Built in honor of Julius Caesar by Augustus in 29 B.C., this temple stood... [continue reading]

The Forum Romanum was the main and central forum of the city of Rome. It became the economic, political, and religious center of the city in early Republican times, around the seventh century B.C. It continued to be an important functional and symbolic area of Rome through the city – and the Empire’s – evolution, and changed along with... [continue reading]

Earth spirits in ancient Rome, as well as the spirits of those who had died, watched over the every day lives of the Romans cheerfully - unless one forgot to give thanks. Spiritual Life in a Roman Household In ancient Rome, although there was regular worship of the better known `state gods' such as Jupiter and Juno and Vesta, individual Roman lives were influenced... [continue reading]

Slavery was an institution established very early on in Rome’s history, and it was extremely common in virtually all ancient civilizations. Slaves were a vast, unlimited source of labor, and even the poorest Romans could usually afford at least one slave.   Slaves could be born into the system or brought into it in a variety ways. Prisoners... [continue reading]

Though the Battle of Cynocephalae in 197 BCE is often cited as the birth of the Roman Empire, the equally famous Battle of Actium is a better candidate. With the overthrow of the last Roman king, the Roman Republic was ruled by a senate and assembly from 509 BCE until Julius Caesar's appointment as Dictator in 44 BCE. The battle of Cynocephalae in 197... [continue reading]

Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus were a pair of tribunes of the plebs from the 2nd Century BC, who sought to introduce land reform and other populist legislation in ancient Rome. They were both members of the Populares, a group of politicians who appealed to the average citizens and that opposed the conservative Optimates in the Roman Senate. They have been deemed... [continue reading]

The Romans were all about appearances, which was obvious by the array of clothing that they wore. Their garments were billboards that advertised their status and wealth to all other Romans and anyone they came into contact with. As such, the clothing industry was a highly important part of Roman commerce. Not only was the sale of clothing a profitable business... [continue reading]

The Roman domus was much more than a place of dwelling for a Roman familia. It also served as a place of business and a religious center for worship. The size of a domus could range from a very small house to a luxurious mansion. In some cases, one domus took up an entire city-block, while more commonly, there were up to 8 domi per insula (city-block... [continue reading]