Ancient History News Archive January 2013

In 2008, archae­ol­o­gists unearthed an extremely rare and impres­sive mar­ble mau­soleum, along a sec­tion of ancient road, in Rome, Italy. The largest and most ornate tomb was commissioned by a famous Roman general, Marcus Nonius Macrinus (fl. 161 CE), who had loyally served the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180 CE). Macrinus' life and exploits provided... [continue reading]

Queen Salome Alexandra (r. 76-67 BCE) was arguably the most powerful and successful member of the Hasmonean dynasty, which governed an independent but strife-torn Judea. As the wife of King Alexander Jannaeus (r. 103-76 BCE) and then queen-regent in her own right, Salome Alexandra exercised wise judgment and remarkable personal conviction as a stateswoman... [continue reading]

During the Celtic Iron Age (c. 800-15 BCE), the Celts dominated large swaths of the European continent including what is present-day Germany, Switzerland, and France. The World of the Celts: Centres of Power - Treasures of Art (Die Welt der Kelten: Zentren der Macht - Kostbarkeiten der Kunst), displays this forgotten era of European history with astonishing... [continue reading]