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Fighting Emperors of Byzantium by John Carr Book Review by caldrail How could anyone resist a book titled like this? It stirs the eight year old boy within you, but make no mistake, the author of this book isn't writing for children. This is full on power politics across hundreds of years in an empire that picked up where the Roman Empire left off. The story begins with the rise to power of Constantine the Great, the man who invested in the greek dominated city of Byzantium to set up a new Roman capital closer to the heart of the action. As dramatic as it was, that episode is almost a gentle prologue to what follows. Emperors, rivals, usurpers, and no-hopers come and go at a bewildering pace... ...continue to the review of Fighting Emperors of Byzantium by John Carr

...end of an era... Italy to drop use of Roman numerals - which still appear on road signs and official documents - after thousands of years... ...via The Telegraph

..one of the best threads, deserves a bump!

Book Review by Alex JohnstonSunday morning. I’m ensconced in my office and writing a review of The Real Lives of Roman Britain, by Guy de la Bédoyère. I’m staring at the Beavis and Butthead stuffed dolls hanging on one wall, and the Fijian Tiki war mask hanging on another. There’s a Roman Gladiator action figure sitting (standing?) on a shelf (still in the original box!) What would these artifacts tell future generations about me, an otherwise unknown representative of the usual man of my time? That I was a puerile adolescent? Adjectively correct, but I will be eligible for Social Security payments later this year. That I was a fierce aboriginal warrior? Please! Just reading the news makes me want to go hide under the covers. That I wrote historical novellas about the late Roman republic? Bingo – score one for the archaeologists... ...continue to the full review of The Real Lives of Roman Britain by Guy de la Bédoyère

Hello everyone! Please see below the new releases of august 2015. Attila the Hun (Command) by Nic Fields The Roman Wars In Spain: The Military Confrontation With Guerrilla Warfare by Daniel Varga Under Another Sky: Journeys in Roman Britain by Charlotte Higgins Stone Age Sailors: Paleolithic Seafaring in the Mediterranean by Alan H Simmons Constantine the Emperor Reprint Edition by Davis S. Potter Glass of the Roman World by Justine Bayley Rome: A Brief History of an Ancient Empire by Arcangelo Mafrica Monica: An Ordinary Saint (Women in Antiquity) by Gillian Clark Christian Oxyrhynchus: Texts, Documents, and Sources by Lincoln Blumell Language and Society in the Greek and Roman Worlds by James Clackson Great Tales from British History: The Britons Challenge Rome by Patricia Southern The Moving City: Processions, Passages and Promenades in Ancient Rome by Ida Ostenberg

...i wonder if the average Roman in europe gave a hoot about Judea re-captured or not...

A rare coin minted almost 2,000 years ago during the conquest of Jerusalem was recently found at an auction in Zurich, NRG reported. The find has helped shed light upon the Roman attitude at the time over the conquest, resulting in a large commemoration of the Roman victory over the Judean rebels. The coin depicts a Jewess standing and peering across a palm tree and bears the inscription “IUDAEA RECEPTA,” or “Judea is re-captured.” Coins bearing this inscription were used to publicize the news of a captured territory that had been part of the Roman Empire once before. ....via Breaking News

it is fascinating indeed! thanks for that video!

...any historical reference to that?

Paw prints made by a cat 2,000 years ago have been found on a Roman roof tile kept at a museum in south west England. The cat is thought to have run across the wet clay tile when it was left out to dry in about AD100. Despite the feline footprints, the Romans fired the tile, a type called tegula, and used it on the roof of a building in what became the Berkeley Street area of modern Gloucester. It is possible the cat was a Roman army cat, the pet of a Roman soldier who stationed at the site. ...via Discovery News

We have a winner! Congratulations to Dennis L. from Illinois your book should be on your way already!

Macrinus - The rise to power AD 217 - 218 (b. 164 - 218) Marcus Opellius Macrinus was a man who, in more settled times might have made a solid, unspectacular emperor. He was honest, thorough, hard-working and a good administrator. However, in more settled times, Macrinus would never have become emperor at all, for by conventional standards he was completely unqualified for the job.... ....to the full article of Macrinus - The rise to power

An inhospitable sea stack on the Aberdeenshire coast has been confirmed as the site of the earliest Pictish Fort and pre-dates the iconic Dunnottar Castle, carbon dating has revealed. The sea stack to the south of Stonehaven, known as Dunnicaer, was excavated by archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen in April. With the help of experienced mountaineers they scaled the rocky outcrop, which measures at most 20 by 12 metres and is surrounded by sheer drops on all side.Despite its small size, the team led by Dr Gordon Noble, believed it would yield important archaeological finds. Their initial surveys found evidence of ramparts, floors and a hearth and now samples found in the excavation trenches have been carbon dated.This suggests the site dates from the 3rd or 4th century – making it the oldest Pictish fort ever discovered... ...via Past Horizons

...we all learn every day a bit more of life

We are very excited to announce that eLectio Publishing is giving away one copy of The Redemption of Pontius Pilate by Lewis Ben Smith! If you would like to win, reply to newsletter@unrv.com or reply to this forum entry, with the correct answer to the following question; What is the difference in pages between the UK and the USA edition: a. 5 pages b. 2 pages c. both edition have the same amount of pages Hint: You can check the USA edition HERE and the UK edition HERE One winner will be chosen randomly from all correct replies, oh and don't forget to include your shipping address!!, Deadline is the 31st of July 2015. The winner will be notified by e-mail. About the Book: Pontius Pilate. Who is he and why should I read a book about him? Will this book add to my general knowledge of history and Roman history in particular? I know he’s mentioned several times in the Bible’s New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to be specific, and has a 2,000 year reputation as a bad guy. Is there more to know? The answer is yes, quite a bit, as I discovered..., ...you can read our full review here. About the Author: Lewis Smith is a pastor, historian, teacher, husband, father of twins, and a third degree black belt in Uechi-Ryu karate. He is an avid collector of Indian artifacts and a veteran of the U.S. Navy. His first novel, THE TESTIMONIUM, was written in 2012 and published in 2014. His next novel, THE REDEMPTION OF PONTIUS PILATE, was released on May 19, 2015. Good luck

...this competition is on hold due to technical issues and will be repeated soon, all entries up today automatically enter the follow up contest.

The Redemption of Pontius Pilate by Lewis Ben Smith Book Review by Thomas A. Timmes Pontius Pilate. Who is he and why should I read a book about him? Will this book add to my general knowledge of history and Roman history in particular? I know he’s mentioned several times in the Bible’s New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to be specific, and has a 2,000 year reputation as a bad guy. Is there more to know? The answer is yes, quite a bit, as I discovered. I learned that the author did not have to create the story or characters out of whole cloth. Quite a lot is known about Pilate from the accounts of Flavius Josephus, Philo, the Jewish philosopher, who is openly hostile to Pilate, Tactitus’ Annals of Imperial Rome, the writings of several early Christian church fathers such as Tertullian, and Jewish archival records... continue to the full review of The Redemption of Pontius Pilate by Lewis Ben Smith

...dont think all has been answered I for example always wondered about the complete freezing of the Tiber in 177 bc, i mean Hannibal crossed the Alps with Elephants just 40 or so years earlier, pretty violent climatic changes, isn`t it? Is the climate importance/significance something historians tend to neglect?

great stuff, ...having a toddler around it amazes me that those things survived that long

wow, looks pretty cool, although it looks more Greek than Roman to me, (not an expert on brooches though)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...first my sincere apologies, around 20 posts of the last week or so got deleted permanently and some of those are also replies to this competition. I had to do an emergency server switch and in the process of mixed I.P. adresses and new server this unforunately happend. I know of deleted posts by R.Walsh and another gentleman from south africa who posted today. I am going to extend the competition for another two weeks and rerun the promotion in order to give everyone a fair chance. Again i am very sorry Sincerely Vigen ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++