Situated around 11 miles northwest of Central Athens, the industrial, oil-refinery town of Elefsina captures little of what used to be one of the Ancient World’s most important cultic centers. For nearly 1,000 years, between the early seventh century BC and the late fourth century AD, it was the site of the annual Eleusinian Mysteries: a strange rite revolving around the grain and [...]
Written by Michel Gybels for Time Travel Rome The Xanten area and the Fürstenberg in Germany on the river Rhine retain the traces of history for thousands of years since the Stone Age. With the occupation of the Rhineland by the troops of Julius Caesar there began a new epoch of intensive settlement and cultural change. This article is about the rich history [...]
Domitian was the younger son of Vespasian, and brother of Titus – he inherited power after the death of his brother in AD 81. Domitian is remembered for his strong tendency toward absolutism: he obtained full control over the Senate, reducing its role to the administrative one. Demonstrating his disdain for the Senate, Domitian used to come there in the garb of a [...]
The Upper German-Rhaetian limes (called in German “German Obergermanisch-Raetischer Limes” - ORL) was part of the Roman Empire border and included a number of defensive structures such as forts and watchtowers. The huge defensive line was erected by the Romans to protect the borders of the Germany superior and had a length of 550 kilometers, passing between the Rhine and the Danube. The [...]
Written for TimeTravelRome by Kieren Johns. All roads lead to Rome, or so the old proverb goes. For those of us with an interest in the ancient world, it’s a saying that still very much rings true to this day. Whether it’s a chance to explore the remains of the ancient city itself in the Forum, or the opportunity to get up close [...]
Michel Gybels for Time Travel Rome Not far from the Belgian border, in the north of France, is the Gallo-Roman site and museum of Bavay - ancient Bagacum (from the Celtic word for ‘beech’). The city was probably founded at the end of the 1st century BC. Situated at a strategic crossroads, it grew to become one of the largest and most important [...]
Michel Gybels for Time Travel Rome The Costa Brava on the Mediterranean coast in Spanish Catalunia is best known for its seaside resorts and nightlife and attracts crowds of tourists every summer. Less well known, however, is that there are also interesting archaeological sites and museums to visit there. In the region of Girona, this includes the Greco-Roman site and museum of Ampurias, [...]
Written for TimeTravelRome by Michel Gybels Description of Mithraeums - Michel Gybels & TimeTavelRome Who was Mithras and why was this outsider in the pantheon of gods so widely venerated throughout the Roman Empire? In this article, we examine this mystery cult, which initially became popular among the legionnaires during the Roman Imperial period and how the cult forged close alliances of loyalty [...]
Continued from the part II... “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety. Other women cloy the appetites they feed: but she makes hungry where most she satisfies.” - Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare Meeting on the Kydnos Cleopatra was not deeply involved in the civil wars that immediately followed the assassination of Caesar, though she stayed in steadfast support of her [...]
Continued from the Part I. ...“So Cleopatra, taking only Apollodorus the Sicilian from among her friends, embarked in a little skiff and landed at the palace when it was already getting dark; and as it was impossible to escape notice otherwise, she stretched herself at full length inside a bed-sack, while Apollodorus tied the bed-sack up with a cord and carried it indoors [...]