All Activity

The Battle of al-Qadisiyyah in AD 363 was a pivotal battle in the Arab conquest of the Sasanian Empire. This defeat of the Sasanians led to the capture of Ctesiphon, the Sasanian capital, the next year. The last Persian emperor was killed a few years later in 651. Using satellite photography, the site of this important battle has been found in modern-day Iraq. Below is a previous thread about a Byzantine coin hoard during a contemporaneous Arab-Byzantine conflict. https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/11/science/al-qadisiyyah-site-satellite-images-scli-intl/index.html https://archaeology.org/news/2024/11/13/ancient-battlefield-identified-in-iraq/

Here is a more meaty talk about the site with outstanding illustrations, cued up a few minutes past the intro formalities:

The Animals "Don't Bring Me Down" on The Ed Sullivan Show

"Gobble, gobble, gobble" Have a good Thanksgiving Day and dinner.

An inscription dedicated to Hadrian has been found in the ancient Roman city of Blaundus, the modern city of Uşak in Western Turkey. https://arkeonews.net/inscription-dedicated-to-roman-emperor-hadrian-found-in-ancient-city-of-blaundus/ Aerial video from drone of the ancient city of Blaundus

Here’s a interesting article that summarizes the archaeological work being done at a Roman forum (pictured above) in Valaria, Spain. https://the-past.com/feature/valerias-hall-of-fame-secrets-from-an-imperial-forum/

Here is a good follow-up article about the Roman fortifications at Colm la Runga in Switzerland. (See post below.) Located at 2,230m (7300 feet), the site wasn’t discovered until 2023 with the help of LiDAR technology. https://the-past.com/feature/on-the-trail-of-the-legions-a-roman-conflict-landscape-in-switzerland/

A Roman villa has been unearthed in South Wiltshire. Recently, “more than 60 volunteers helped to excavate and record mosaics, painted wall plaster, and large stone buildings at the site.” https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/24743822.chalke-valley-major-roman-villa-discovered-volunteers/

Not to belabor the point, but pemphigoid is rare enough, but even more rare under the age of 60, and always associated with some other, usually debilitating condition. Leishmaniasis is another infectious dermatitis causing ulcerations which could get infested secondarily with maggots. It's a protozoal parasite spread by the sandfly-- that fits Sulla's situation. When you hear hoof beats coming down the road, it's probably a horse and not a zebra (unless you're in sub-Saharan Africa). The most likely situation is that Sulla had a nasty, pruritic allergy, scratched himself raw and the open sores got infested.., Pemphigus occurs in 1 in 500,000 people; pemphigoid in 1 in 50,000; leishmaniasis in 1 in 1000 (but very rare in industrialized nations) allergic dermatitis 1 in 5.....I'm putting my money on allergic dermatitis.

Thank you for reading my response. You are correct that Sulla is unlikely to have pemphigus vulgaris (since it has a high mortality rate) and occurs at a younger age. I had suggested, however, that Sulla had bullous pemphigoid, a different type of autoimmune disease. Bullous pemphigoid primarily affects older adults, typically those over the age of 60. (Sulla was 60 when he died.) It is generally considered less life-threatening than pemphigus vulgaris, which usually arises in individuals a decade or two earlier. Bullous pemphigoid often begins with itching (pruritus) and can later develop into hive-like urticarial plaques; these symptoms may persist for months or even years before the appearance of blisters. In contrast, most patients with pemphigus vulgaris experience oral lesions, making eating difficult. However, this particular aspect was not mentioned in the referenced ancient text. Fortunately, patients with bullous pemphigoid rarely experience oral lesions, and when they do, the involvement is much less debilitating. Thank you once again for your thoughtful response. I appreciate being challenged on various topics, which encourages me to reconsider my views. If Sulla had a severe skin disorder, it was likely bullous pemphigoid rather than pemphigus vulgaris since the former is generally less life-threatening.

Here is another article researching the Roman frontiers https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2024/11/archaeologist-tom-hazenberg-seeks-the-frontiers-of-the-roman-empire

A Roman mosaic has been recreated at the Roman villa at Somerset, England https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2024-11-20/villas-roman-mosaic-floor-painstakingly-recreated-over-five-years An older video of the Roman site:

Here is a walkthru of Pontius Pilates pilgrim's road, which has been excavated horizontally for over a third of a mile 50 feet under Jerusalem. I gather it is nearing being opened to tourists, altho excavation is still in progress as you can see by the host disturbingly yanking artifacts out of a wall of dirt. It was super expensive and high tech to dig without disturbing the surface:

Here is an outstanding example of Indian fusion music accented with modern sensibilities. I attempt to drop you into the middle so as not to miss amazing solo vocals, tabla, etc:

Illegal Etruscan items were recovered before going on sale in the black market. Italy recovers Etruscan artefacts dug up by 'amateurish' tomb raiders Italy recovers Etruscan artifacts worth $8.5 billion bound for black market

Interesting old thread-- To summarize Plutarch- Sulla had a generalized skin condition that seemed to start as a severe red rash, became ulcerated and the open sores became infested with worms... Any skin ulcerstions, given the conditions of hygiene of an ancient military operation, would be susceptible to infestation by flies\maggots. It seemed to have started with a severe sunburn....probably that just meant a generalized red rash or a blistering skin condition that looked like a sunburn. Pemphigus (cleverly mentioned above) is a blistering condition that covers large areas of skin, but was fatal within a year in 90% of cases without modern treatment....."Red Man Syndrome," a form of lymphoma affecting the skin is very itchy leading to destructive scratching and then infestation, is another uncommon possibility, and has a longer course. Plutarch also mentions "ulcerstion of the bowels" Who knows what he means? Celiac disease is quite common and can show Dermatitis Herpetiformis, although pruritus severe enough to cause generalized ulcerstion is not typical. Any allergic dermatitis would cause redness, pruritis, scratching and open sores. A severe allergy to wool garments may be the most likely explanation. Secondary syphylis causes odd rashes, but not usually pruritic. It does not seem to be described in Europe prior to 1500AD...(Consorting with harpists and transvestites is bad enough, but MIMES? Sulla, how could you sink so low?)

A suspected Roman forum has been found in Southern Spain. https://archaeologymag.com/2024/10/ancient-roman-forum-in-spain/

An interesting video on Roman coins found far beyond the Roman borders:

Researchers have discovered psychoactive plant compounds in Egyptian Bes mugs. Bes was the Egyptian deity worshiped for protection, fertility, medical healing, and magical purification. Egyptians believed that Bes protected the mother and child during childbirth from malevolent forces. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241115124633.htm https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-78721-8 https://www.ashmolean.org/article/bes-ancient-egyptian-god-fighter-dancer-companion

A Roman knife handle was found depicting a (left-handed) secutor gladiator in a river near the Roman town of Corbridge near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/rare-gladiator-shaped-knife-handle-discovered-by-hadrians-wall Roman Corbridge:

A woman faces arrest after depositing the ashes of a loved one at Machu Picchu, the 15th century Inca city. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14082621/ourist-sprinkles-ashes-deceased-Manchu-piccu-peru.html

Despite efforts to "Christianize" the Roman Empire after Constantine the Great halted the persecution of Christians and legalized their religion in AD 313, pagan cults persisted in Great Britain longer than in the rest of the Empire. Here is an academic article that discusses the persistence and success of pagan cults in late Roman Britain. https://traj.openlibhums.org/article/id/10654/

Modern literature tends to stress a difference between Republic and Empire, but really that's merely a rationale to justify the use of the word 'emperor'. When you read the sources, certain things become obvious - there was no new state. The 'Roman Empire' was nothing more than a continuation of the Roman Republic with evolving leadership. The 'Fall of the Republic' never happened - there's no such event described in the sources. There's no word in Latin for 'emperor' anyway. How could Roman leaders be something for hundreds of years with no word to describe it? It's ridiculous. The words we use in translation now meant something different back in the day, and worst of all, so many people, even academics, insist on trying to define the Roman Empire in modern terms and themes. Rome was a city state that dominated their empire, a patchwork of regions and territories with varying levels of status and relationship to the parent state, from occupied regions administered by the legions to provinces with full citizenship rights. The Italian tribal states, although brought into a formal relationship by Augustus, were never legally provinces at all. When people in the empire said they were Roman, it was their relationship to the eternal city they referred to. That was what Rome wanted. Loyalty and taxes. Although the empire became a full autocracy when Diocletian declared his word was law and ushered in the Dominate, none of his successors ever relinquished republican credibility completely in the West. The East went further though. They started crowning monarchs with Leo I in 457, and within a couple of hundred years later had introduced imperial titles that did mean 'emperor'. But what change did Augustus bring? The Roman Empire? It's nonsense. Rome began its empire two hundred years before Augustus with territory in Western Sicily. Augustus did not sweep the Republic away, he reformed it, and became its leading statesman. Medieval fallacies say something different and are responsible for our romantic ideas about the imperial Romans, but the truth is that SPQR remained the official name of the state until 476. We're talking about a couple of thousand years of history, so yes, there were political changes along the way, and as both Virgil and Polybius predicted, the Roman state went the way of all empires and declined.

Excellent video on the discovery:

--did some minor research: This site gives numerous examples from the lit (without giving reference info) for dictionary entries- https://www.online-latin-dictionary.com/latin-english-dictionary.php?parola=Imperium. As you can see, the vast majority for the word as I described above. A few refer to "sub imperio populi Romani"- under the command or domination of the roman people. The term Imperium Romanorum is listed, but according to Wiki- it's a term used in the Charlemagne era referring to plans to restore the Roman Empire-- Renovatio imperii Romanorum. Don't forget that we're walking about a millennium of language (not to mention, political) evolution.....I wonder if troubadors of the Dark Ages went thru a phase where "mala" meant "bona?"....Dona mihi alta cinque! ...Aliquis?