guy

Roberto Trizio is one of the most impassioned Roman historians on YouTube. However, I think you may have misunderstood what he said. He believes a letter could travel 270 km (170 miles) daily. Florence is 170 miles north of Rome (driving) Milan is 350 miles north of Rome (driving) Paris is 880 miles north of Rome (driving) Hadrian's Wall is 1400 miles north of Rome (driving) However, he believes that a letter from Rome to Caesar in Gaul could have reached him in three days. So, let's assume the best weather and logistics would allow a travel distance about 500 miles away, approximately to Lucerne, Switzerland. (it should be remembered that Milan was part of Cisalpine Gaul during Caesar's time, however.)

Although originally discovers in the mid-19th century, Baden-Baden’s Roman baths, known as Aurelia Aquensis, are being invested after long neglect. These baths were supplied by geothermal waters. Replacement of modern water pipes gave investigators a chance to examine the historic site closer. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2025/02/archaeologists-revisit-baden-badens-roman-imperial-baths-after-180-years/154566

Here’s an intriguing article about the innovative use of cervical cytology swabs to noninvasively date parchment manuscripts by detecting DNA. Manuscripts dating as far back as AD 700 have been examined. Parchment is a writing material made from the skins of animals (primarily sheep, calves, and goats). Although it has been used for over two millennia, parchment slowly replaced papyrus beginning in the second century AD, and by the fifth century AD, it was preferred over papyrus as access to quality Egyptian papyrus was constrained. Honestly, this technique seems simple enough, and I’m surprised it wasn’t used earlier. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-cytology-decipher-dna-parchment-pages.html

A Roman spatha has been found (in three pieces) in Southern Poland. https://notesfrompoland.com/2025/02/13/roman-sword-discovered-in-poland/#:~:text=A Roman sword dating back,Częstochowa after undergoing conservation work. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2025/02/detectorists-find-roman-sword-while-searching-for-ww2-relics/154561 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatha

These ancient coin casts are now on display in Castleford. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8yer43562o

There were a few posts on this subject in the distant past (see below): The Wikipedia entry on the cursus publicus, the state mandated courier system of the Roman Empire, was pretty good, also. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursus_publicus A good video by Garrett Ryan that adds insight to your question.

London's first basilica, dating back to AD 80, was discovered during excavations at the site of a recently demolished office building. It is believed that the basilica was in use for only about 20 years. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2jdnv0ywyo

Archaeologists unearthed a Roman mask mold dated to between 133 and 31 B.C. at the site of Finziade in southwestern Sicily, in a building that may have been a mask workshop. The mold is thought to depict the mythological Greek gorgon Medusa. Archaeologists Uncover 2,000-Year-Old Mask Mould Believed to Depict Medusa Archaeologists Uncover Roman Mask Mold Depicting Medusa, Say It Was Used as a Protective Charm

A suspected Roman soldier from the 2nd to 3rd century AD has been discovered in Spain. (Legio VII is reportedly the only Roman legion stationed in that region then.) A Roman pugio (dagger) has also been found at the site. It was suggested that the pugio had been placed near the victim's back, possibly a symbolic part of a punishment. Man buried with Roman pugio found at ancient fortress Copper Age fortress, odd Roman burial found in Spain – The History Blog Roman soldier found buried face down with a dagger on his back in newly revealed fortress in Spain

Here’s a good video on Constantine III, the great rival usurper of that era, who was defeated by Constantius III:

Studies have shown that one of Norfolk’s medieval churches reused Roman building material. The church is close to Brancaster (80 miles or 130km), one of Rome’s eleven Saxon Shore forts. It is believed, however, that the stone was from a Roman lighthouse or signal station closer to the church. https://the-past.com/feature/roman-recycling-at-reedham-exploring-the-imperial-origins-of-a-norfolk-church/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00665983.2024.2412412 Here are interesting videos on Brancaster, including one from “Time Team” excavating the Brancaster (Branodunum) Saxon Shore Fort:

At least from YouTube, the large cat sanctuary in Rome (Largo di Torre Argentina) still has a very thriving presence. This video is from 2023. A previous post (2020) about cats in Rome today

I suppose that deciphering a single word from recent texts after nearly two thousand years is noteworthy. This is part of the Vesuvius project aimed at examining the charred scrolls discovered in Herculaneum. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2466940-volcano-scorched-roman-scroll-is-read-for-the-first-time-in-2000-years/

Cat Mummy; 750‐400 BCE; animal remains, linen and pigment I found an interesting anecdote from Herodotus about the respect that people had for cats and other animals in Ancient Egypt, including the practice of shaving their eyebrows when a cat died. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/88/herodotus-on-cats-in-egypt/ https://arce.org/resource/cats-bastet-and-worship-feline-gods/#:~:text=Cats are among the most,character traits with the animals.

A rare 4th-century Roman helmet has been found in Hedensted, Denmark (on the map below), far north of the Roman borders. Could this have been booty captured by a barbarian attack? The helmet was found at a burial site that included many weapons and chainmail. https://arkeonews.net/a-first-in-denmark-rare-4th-century-roman-helmet-and-chainmail-found/

Here is the academic article on the find: https://tyche.univie.ac.at/index.php/tyche/article/view/9224/9369

A Roman sanctuary has been discovered in a cave at Cova de les Dones in Valencia, Spain. Along with fifteen Roman inscriptions, a coin of Emperor Claudius was found on the ceiling (pictured below). This suggests the site may have been used for ritual purposes by the Romans during the first century AD. The cave was utilized before the Romans, but these findings confirm its later use by the Romans. https://arkeonews.net/a-roman-sanctuary-with-inscriptions-discovered-in-cova-de-les-dones-one-of-the-largest-rock-art-sites-in-the-iberian-peninsula/

Claudius’s disabilities were manifest since earliest childhood. Cerebral palsy would be most likely. It has been suggested he may have also suffered from Tourette’s syndrome: https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.13070163 And throw in a dysfunctional thyroid ….

I don't like many Emperors on the list, especially the Emperors from the last half of the third century. Claudius Gothicus, for example, should be considered a success (not a failure). During his short two-year reign, he defeated the Goths and Alemanni, helped to reform the military, and was important in the reconquest of Gaul. Probus defeated the Alemanni, the Goths, the Franks, the Longiones, and the Burgundians—hardly a failure. Gallienus witnessed the Empire splinter but defeated several usurpers, including Macrianus Major, Lucius Aemilianus, and Aureolus. Domitian is frequently on these lists of "Worst Emperors." He did rule for 15 years and was crucial in many building projects in the forum and the construction of the Arch of Titus. He strengthened the borders along the Rhine and Danube. I think much of his bad reputation came from the harsh treatment by the Senate.

Although first discovered in the 1950s in the Judean Desert, this Greek papyrus has finally been translated. It is a memorandum for a judicial hearing before a Roman official in the province of Judea right before the outbreak of the Bar Kokhba Revolt in AD 132. “The papyrus details a case involving forgery, tax evasion, and the fraudulent sale and manumission of slaves in the Roman provinces of Judea and Arabia.” https://www.sci.news/archaeology/papyrus-cotton-13616.html#:~:text=The papyrus details a case,stand accused of corrupt dealings.

Taylor Swift appears to be fascinated by Ancient Rome now. She's wearing ancient Roman coins, which suggests she is going for the "gladiator vibe." Taylor Swift's current boyfriend is Travis Kelce, a professional American football player who plays tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, who are going to the Super Bowl. He was recently featured in a cringe-worthy Pepsi gladiator-themed commercial. https://pagesix.com/2025/01/28/style/taylor-swift-keeps-wearing-ancient-coin-jewelry-and-it-could-be-an-easter-egg/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&utm_source=message_app

Interesting question. The reverse of that Claudius aureus has been described as a praetorian camp. Here is some information I found:

Thank you for reading my post. Some people believe the swelling depicted in Claudius’ neck was indicative of his having a goiter. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=26074.0&srsltid=AfmBOopzs5D_su_nC993MbXUWT5BQHFP7enx_Fbxdmhsbvsp4mefTjoc A goiter is caused by an iodine deficiency. The thyroid requires iodine for normal function so it enlarges if there is an iodine deficiency to capture all the iodine it can. Below is a picture of someone with a goiter Compare the picture above with this other coin of Claudius (from Wildwinds.com) Of course, no one knows for sure, but it is an interesting observation. Addendum: It’s interesting to see the progression of neck swelling of Nero as he grew older (and fatter).

A large hoard of Roman-era coins (404 gold and silver) was discovered near Utrecht in the Netherlands. The latest Roman coin of Claudius dates from AD 46-47, but the hoard also includes forty-four British gold coins from the reign of King Cunobelin (AD 9-40). Coin of Juba I, King of Numidia (60-46 BCE) found in the hoard: It is unclear why this unusual hoard of coins from Britain, Rome, and Africa, discovered in the fall of 2023, was buried in the Netherlands. They will be on permanent exhibit at the Rijksmuseum van Oudhaden (The Dutch National Museum of Antiquities) in Leiden, Netherlands. This collection illustrates the complex relationship between Rome and the indigenous populations of Britain. Unique Hoard Of Roman-British Coins Found Near Utrecht, The Netherlands - Ancient Pages Over 400 gold and silver Roman-era coins unearthed in the Netherlands depict rulers from Rome, Britain and Africa | Live Science Major hoard of Roman-British coins found near Utrecht (the Netherlands) – Popular Archeology

Here's a video on the investigation: