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There has long been a debate in the numismatic world based on coin evidence whether there was a “forgotten emperor usurper” named Sponsianus. Recent forensic studies of a coin bearing his name has possibly confirmed the authenticity of the coin. A coin of Sponsian was located at the Hunterian museum in Glasgow and has recently undergone a close evaluation. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0274285 Despite some impressive and extensive evidence that possibly proves the authenticity of the coin, there does not seem to be any consensus that Sponsian was either a potential usurper or even a real person. There was a suggestion that the coin was an ancient barbarous imitation. Below is a numismatic thread that delves more deeply into the Sponsian controversy: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/the-legend-of-sponsianus.364019/ Excellent video on the controversy:

There have been a few posts before about the unusual strength of Roman concrete. Here is an excellent short video on the subject. (The secret seems to be the use of volcanic ash): The amazing strength and durability of many ancient Roman structures, especially those submerged in water, has amazed researchers. Many believe that it is the chemical reaction between seawater with a mixture of volcanic ash and quicklime that creates a highly resistant mineral known as aluminous toberormorite.

We have looked at the fourteen-year Gallic Roman Empire before. (See the previous post below). Here’s an excellent video on this breakaway empire (AD 260-274): Here’s an excellent video of the coins of that era:

Quicksilver Messenger Service were the most underrated group from the psychedelic 60s. They had excellent guitars, vocals, and a message that still resonates: You poisoned my sweet water. You cut down my green trees. The food you fed my children Was the cause of their disease. My world is slowly fallin' down And the airs not good to breathe. And those of us who care enough, We have to do something....... [Chorus] Oh... oh What you gonna do about me? Oh... oh What you gonna do about me? Your newspapers, They just put you on. They never tell you The whole story. They just put your Young ideas down. I was wonderin' could this be the end Of your pride and glory? [Chorus] I work in your factory. I study in your schools. I fill your penitentiaries. And your military too! And I feel the future trembling, As the word is passed around. "If you stand up for what you do believe, Be prepared to be shot down." [Chorus] And I feel like a stranger In the land where I was born And I live like an outlaw. An' I'm always on the run... An I'm always getting busted And I got to take a stand.... I believe the revolution Must be mighty close at hand... [Chorus] I smoke marijuana But I can't get behind your wars. And most of what I do believe Is against most of your laws I'm a fugitive from injustice But I'm goin' to be free. Cause your rules and regulations They don't do the thing for me [Chorus] And I feel like a stranger In the land where I was born And I live just like an outlaw. An' I'm always on the run.

This is a good video that challenges the belief that the early legionary was vastly superior to the late Roman soldier:

Here is an interesting article that suggests that ancient Egypt developed the early study of chemistry, predating the Greeks. Close analysis has shown a high level of chemistry sophistication in fields of cosmetics, medicine, mummification, and metallurgy. Ancient makeup was analyzed showing compounds that were synthetically produced. Egyptian blue is believed to be the first synthetic pigment. Natural deposits of Natron, used to preserve bodies. https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/unwrapping-ancient-egyptian-chemistry/4016457.article

Here’s a good video review on the Third Century of Rome. It reviews the causes of the crisis: and it’s consequences: A nice review course: This is a thorough review of the emperors of the Third Century Crisis:

This looks like an interesting free lecture this week Wed, 23 November 2022, 18:30 – 20:00 GMT n the mid-3rd century AD Roman Britain's regional fleet, the Classis Britannica, disappeared. It was never to return. Soon the North Sea and English Channel were over-run by Germanic pirates preying upon the east and south coast of Britain, and the continental coast up to the Rhine Delta. The western augustus (senior emperor) Maximian turned to a seasoned naval leader called Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Valerius Carausius to restore order. Dubbed the pirate king, he initially thrived, seeing off early attempts by Maximian to defeat him. Here, for the first time, historian and broadcaster Dr Simon Elliott tells the full story based on his most recent book. Join us to find out more. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-roman-britains-pirate-king-tickets-410399464847

A Celtic ring, possibly of Iceni origin, went up for auction: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-63660018 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-63590575

Interesting observation. That said, I’m not totally convinced that the Roman image was derived from Hittite mythology. There were many gods in the Hittite pantheon. Most of the Hittite gods seemed to have unusually shaped hats. The Roman image resembles a typical scene of a farmer, farm tools in hand, working with his herd. The Roman image is also bareheaded. Maybe I would be more convinced if the military unit originated from Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), the ancestral home of the Hittites. Interesting article, however. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hittite_mythology_and_religion

Here is a great video about a legionary’s chance of surviving into retirement:

I saw the video and I'm a skeptic. That said, I sometimes wonder why the Carthaginian Empire collapsed so totally and disappeared from history after the Roman conquest of the city in 146 BCE. I can only attribute it to two factors. First, the Carthaginian Empire was so centralized that the capture of the capital city meant the end of their civilization, Second, the Carthaginian Empire was based more on political alliances than a true extensive and integrated empire like Rome. Rome survived three sacks (Gauls 387 BCE, Visigoths AD 410, and Vandals AD 455) before its collapse in AD 476. Even after "the fall of Rome," the legacy of Rome survives to this day. The fall of Carthage would be similar to the fall of the Aztec Empire: Capture of the capital city was the end of the empire.

Dormice were considered a delicacy in Ancient Rome. Below is a nice short video on them. First, some background information from Wikipedia: Glirarium, the Roman dormouse fattening jar Nice article on the dormouse: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/dormouse-jars-glirarium-rome https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dormouse

Excavation team 2022 investigating a newly-discovered Etruscan temple. Vulci was one of the the twelve cities of the Etruscan Federation and an important city in the pre-Roman era. Excavations and discoveries continue of this pre-Roman society. Aerial view on the new temple Recreation of the Tempio Grande https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/estruscan-temple-0017513 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221111103037.htm Map of the Etruscan cities, including Vulci.

The British county of Kent is rich in Roman history. More evidence of Roman settlements in Deal, Kent have been found during excavations for a housing development: https://webapps.kent.gov.uk/KCC.ExploringKentsPast.Web.Sites.Public/SingleResult.aspx?uid=Tke1062 https://premierconstructionnews.com/2022/11/11/roman-settlement-uncovered-in-archaeological-dig-in-deal/ There was a previous post about nearby Richborough:

Here is the BBC video concerning these fabulous Etruscan-Roman statues that were well preserved in the microclimate of the hot springs:

A fine-toothed ivory comb with a Canaanite inscription was found in Northern Israel. It is thought to be the earliest example of a Canaanite sentence. It is believed that Canaanite is the earliest language to use an alphabet. I found two aspects of this find interesting. First, the ivory to make the comb would have been imported, possibly from elephants from Egypt. This would suggest that the comb was the possession of a wealthy person who could afford such luxury. Second, the comb had remnants of an ancient head louse. This might suggest that head lice were ubiquitous in the ancient world, including among the wealthiest. Remains of the head lice between the teeth of the Lachish comb. (Vainstub et al., Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology, 2022) https://www.sciencealert.com/this-ancient-inscription-is-the-oldest-sentence-in-the-worlds-first-alphabetm https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/11/11/comb-first-sentence-canaanite-alphabet/10668203002/

The use of Lidar technology has discovered a 2nd century AD wine press next to a Roman fort of Gorgio, Georgia https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/11/1800-year-old-wine-press-uncovered-next-to-roman-fort/145151?amp

The amount of material found at the site continues to amaze: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63564404.amp https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/11/ornate-collection-of-ancient-bronze-statues-discovered-in-tuscany/145145?amp

Excavations of the healing bath sanctuary of San Casciano dei Bagni north of Rome continues to produce new discoveries. (See the previous post below.) Many bronze statues were well-preserved in the unusual microenvironment of the sanctuary waters: https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/2022/11/08/archaeologists-find-exceptional-bronze-statues-in-italian-thermal-baths/

Here’s some follow-up on the famous Tomares, Spain coin hoard of 2016. There were 19 amphorae containing more than 50,000 coins and dating from AD 294 to 311. https://english.elpais.com/culture/2022-11-03/researchers-unveil-secrets-of-the-largest-stash-of-roman-coins-ever-found-in-spain.html A good review of the coins in the hoard:

Here’s a nice review article on the Roman-Parthian wars: https://www.thecollector.com/parthian-empire-roman-empire-160/

A base of a massive Roman-era column has been found the foot of Mount Hermon in Israel. Surprisingly, the column's material was limestone, unlike the local stone of basalt. It is thought that the column was neither built nor carved on location. https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-720666 (Thanks to Lapham's Quarterly for bringing this article to our attention.)

This is a fantastic video on the structure of the Roman army:

Obviously, the letter “c” is pronounced with a “k” sound in Classical Latin. In Ecclesiastical Latin Cicero would be pronounced as “Chi-che-ro.” This is similar to modern Italian. In English the “c” before “i and e” are usually pronounced with an “s” sound. To pronounce it otherwise would be pretentious. The link below attributes the sound shift to Medieval French influences. I don’t know about that. Spanish is similar to English: casa /k/; cena /s/; cine/s/; correr /k/; cuando /k/ I have failed to grasp most of Latin, but certain rules are mostly immutable. https://www.pronounceitright.com/pronunciation/cicero-15272