guy

Despite the frequent turnover and turmoil in leadership, the Empire did survive. I think this relative stability can attributed to Intact institutions (extended family, a patronage system, religious organizations, etc) and a well-entrenched bureaucracy. In Italy there have been 36 (and counting) Prime Ministers since 1946. Despite these frequent changes of government, daily Italian life is barely affected by these transitions. Similar to Ancient Rome, people merely meet the challenges of life, supported by their local family, relationships, religious affiliations, etc. This might explain why distant communities would continue living a Roman lifestyle long after the Empire and the city of Rome “fell.”

Better article on find: Here, a reconstruction of the Treporti channel road in Roman rimes. The Venice lagoon would have been to the left of the road and to the Adriatic Sea to the right. (Image credit: Antonio Calandriello and Giuseppe D'Acunto/Scientific Reports,) https://www.livescience.com/submerged-roman-road-venice-lagoon.html

I’m always skeptical about these stories, but it is interesting, nevertheless: https://greekreporter.com/2021/07/21/what-did-ancient-greek-athletes-eat-the-diet-of-the-olympians/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.heritagedaily.com/2021/07/archaeologists-discover-roman-road-in-the-venice-lagoon/139722

It’s good to see that things are “returning to normal.” https://news.exeter.gov.uk/army-of-roman-soldiers-and-civilians-will-descend-on-exeter-this-saturday/?amp=true&__twitter_impression=true

Professor Worthington’s arguments against the tomb’s belonging to Olympias are persuasive: https://www.livescience.com/alexander-the-great-mom-olympias-tomb.html

https://www.ancientpages.com/2021/07/18/rare-stone-discovered-outlining-ancient-romes-city-limits/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ancient_native_americans_encounter_with_the_star_people_ankou_breton_angel_of_death_ancient_secrets_of_the_ukrainian_stonehenge_that_is_older_than_the_giza_pyramids_of_egypt_and_much_more_july_16_20_2021&utm_term=2021-07-20

Interesting point. Military brutality can only maintain an extensive and diverse empire so long. It was the enculturation and assimilation by the “conquered” non-Romans and the adaption of outside “foreign” ideas by these “ruling” Romans that proved to be the cement that held the empire together. I don’t like venturing into modern politics, but the contrast of the USSR and the British Empire might be appropriate here. One empire frayed apart despite modern methods of surveillance and repression after less than a century. Another empire has persisted (albeit in a diminished role) after four centuries.

An interesting attempt to replicate meals of Ancient Rome. Patina Cotidiana, a tomato-less predecessor to lasagne, is one of the signature dishes at Hostaria Antica Roma (Credit: Paolo Magnanimi) https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210719-what-did-the-ancient-romans-eat

An interesting evidence of the Christian Visigoth presence in Spain: https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/07/sarcophagus-from-the-visigoth-period-discovered-in-roman-necropolis/139702?amp

https://www.theolympian.com/entertainment/celebrities/article252832973.html

I am looking forward to this series. Hopefully, it will be available on Netflix soon: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domina_(TV_series)

Thanks for reading. My understanding of the article was that the stone, although not an integral part of the wall, was a marker at the wall outlining the pomerium.

presents the ancient artifact known as a "strigil," a historical tool u https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/amp/strigilis-of-ancient-age-at-izmir-museum-166363 https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/ancient-hygiene-tools-of-gladiators-on-display-in-izmir/news/amp

An interesting coin hoard. I may not agree with all the conclusions, however. Some of the ancient Roman coins found by the Aa river in the Netherlands, following their discovery and an initial cleaning. (Image credit: Wim and Nico van Schaijk) I might disagree with the conclusion that these coins were deposited over a long period of time. Coins in the Roman Empire circulated over many years, even centuries: https://www.livescience.com/roman-coin-hoard-by-river.html https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2021/06/roman-coins-as-offering-for-safe-crossing https://www.archaeology.org/news/9845-210713-netherlands-roman-coins

An interesting discovery in Rome: Photographers take pictures during the presentation to the press of an archeological finding emerged during the excavations at a Mausoleum in Rome, Friday, July 16, 2021. The monumental pomerial stone is dating back to Roman Emperor Claudio and was used to mark the 'pomerium' the sacred boundaries of the 'Urbe', the city of Rome, during the Roman empire. Credit: AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis https://www.google.com/amp/s/phys.org/news/2021-07-rare-stone-outlining-ancient-rome.amp https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/ny-rare-stone-city-limits-ancient-rome-unveiled-claudius-emperor-20210716-dloq3xs5gjc65aj4bp6ubtmowu-story.html?outputType=amp The distinction between imperium and pomerium:

King Tutankhamen’s mask is one of the great ancient artifacts. Could (at least part of the mask) been originally intended for someone else (a female such as Nefertiti)? https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1463038/egypt-archaeology-news-tutankhamun-mask-howard-carter-valley-kings-queen-nefertiti-spt

This interesting amulet was found on the banks of the Thames river. It has been dated to late 160s AD, during the Antonine plague. https://greekreporter.com/2021/07/14/greek-immigrant-in-roman-era-london-used-amulet-to-ward-off-plague/

I am currently undecided about the date. In the GreatCoursePlus course "Pompeii: Daily Life in an Ancient Roman City," Professor Tuck mentions that many unused amphorae were unearthed at a winery in Pompeii. Since wine harvesting typically occurs between August and October, it is unusual that so many unused amphorae would be found so late in the harvest season. This provides support for an earlier, August eruption. Professor Tuck mentions that these amphorae were left in-situ after discovery at nearby Boscoreale which was also devastated by Vesuvius. These amporae were stacked, prepared, and ready for use, presumably for the fall harvest of AD 79. These intact and unused amphorae would possibly support the earlier eruption.

Sometimes the archaeology confirms history (in this case, the Bible), sometimes it doesn’t. The exposed section of the First Temple-era protective wall on Jerusalem’s eastern perimeter. (Koby Harati/ City of David) https://www.timesofisrael.com/first-temple-era-walls-razed-in-biblical-account-found-unbreached-in-jerusalem/

Nice pictures: A dormouse jar (right) and other vessels in “Last Supper in Pompeii: From the Table to the Grave” at the Legion of Honor, San Francisco. Photo by Gary Sexton, courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. A carbonized loaf of bread in “Last Supper in Pompeii: From the Table to the Grave” at the Legion of Honor, San Francisco. Photo by Gary Sexton, courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Fresco showing a man handing out bread, perhaps as a bribe for voters (AD 50–79). Photo courtesy of the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. This scene represents either a bribe to voters or a distribution by a patron to residents or visitors. Professor Tuck (from his excellent course “Pompeii: Daily Life in an Ancient Roman City” on Great CoursePlus) discussed this fresco. He notes that there is no money being exchanged and the man doling out the bread is wearing a toga, a sign of an upperclass elite Roman. Professor Tuck feels that this scene represents a distribution by a patron and not the usual commercial transaction at a bakery. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/legion-of-honor-pompeii-show-1986994/amp-page

The Griffin and other creatures of Ancient Greek mythology are discussed: https://greekreporter.com/2021/07/09/famous-creatures-greek-mythology/

https://greekreporter.com/2021/07/11/memorial-tomb-of-ancient-greek-astronomer-aratus-unearthed-in-turkey/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aratus

I’m not sure whether they really found the tomb of Olympias, mother of Alexander the Great and wife of Phillip II (King of Macedonia). But it makes for a great story. https://greekcitytimes.com/2021/07/10/bidas-alexander-the-great-korinos/amp/