To modern ears, the name Cleopatra refers to only one woman – the famed last Queen of Egypt who tragically chose the wrong lover and the wrong side in the Roman Civil Wars. However, this famous Cleopatra was actually known as Cleopatra VII, the last in a long line of kings and queens descended from the Macedonian general Ptolemy I Soter. The original [...]
Originally established by Celtic-Germanic tribes of the region, Augusta Treverorum, or "City of Augustus in the land of the Treveri," was so named during the reign of Emperor Augustus, who visited the region around 15 BC. It became an influential settlement, in part thanks to its location along the Moselle River Valley and also because it was a hub of fiscal and military [...]
Author: Marian Vermeulen “Time brought to us in our time of need the aid and arrival of a god. For there came that mightiest avenger, the victor Hercules, proud with the slaughter and the spoils of threefold Geryon, and he drove the mighty bulls here, and the cattle filled both valley and riverside.” - King Evander in Virgil’s Aeneid Nestled between the Aventine, [...]
Author: Marian Vermeulen The Origins of the Island The island of Aegina lies in the Saronic Gulf of Greece, south of island of Salamis where the allied Greek city-states managed to defeat the invading Persians in a great sea battle. Aegina is predominantly made up of a now extinct volcano, which accounts for Aegina’s fertile landscape. Today, the island produces cotton, grapes, almonds, [...]
Author: Marian Vermeulen No archeological tour of Italy would be complete without a visit to Tibur, modern Tivoli. The city has a long history, dating back to the 13th century B.C., when colonists from Alba Longa settled on the site. Tibur held a tumultuous relationship with Rome before it fell to its southern neighbors. Rome granted citizenship to Tibur in 90 B.C., after [...]
“May I therefore succeed in purifying Fable, making her submit to reason and take on the semblance of History.” - Plutarch, Life of Theseus There is a particular thrill whenever it is discovered that ancient myths and legends have more basis in reality than was previously assumed, the mystical found rooted in reality. Such was the case when Heinrich Schliemann, a devoted lover of [...]
Author: Marian Vermeulen / “He called up informers and incited accusers, invented false offences, killed innocent men, condemned all whoever came to trial, reduced the richest men to utter poverty and never sought money anywhere save in some other's ruin, put many generals and many men of consular rank to death for no offence, carried others about in waggons without food and drink,and [...]
Author: 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 and personal with [...]
Author: Marian Vermeulen Today, the name of Caracalla is most often associated with the magnificent baths in Rome that bear his name. However, in his own era, Caracalla was known as an unpredictable and dangerous ruler. Some of his opponents nicknamed him “beast.” Though they gave him the name in derision, Caracalla embraced it eagerly. Even the name by which we know him, [...]
“Then ensued a most disgraceful business and one unworthy of Rome. For, just as if it had been in some market or auction-room, both the City and its entire empire were auctioned off. The sellers were the ones who had slain their emperor, and the would‑be buyers vied to outbid each other.” - Cassius Dio Successful Career As the son of a prominent noble [...]