DecimusCaesar

This is very sad news. May he rest in peace.

The eastern peoples are a fascinating bunch, from the Pontians who put up a big fight against Republican Rome, to the Armenians, the Parthians and Sassanids, and even the brief Palmyrene Empire of Zenobia. The Nabataeans are also an interesting people. Their wonders at Petra are among the greatest works of architecture from the Classical World. The Eastern Peoples should have their own section I believe.

Sounds like an interesting project, but I wonder how hey'll handle it. Will it be another Gladiator or will it be a 300 rip off? It seems Hollywood is increasingly turning to Greece (Troy, Alexander, 300 etc) in recent years, and less attention is being payed on Rome in comparison. Still Xenophon's story is fascinating, so I hope the film producers will give it justice.

Have a very Happy Birthday Nephele!

I really don't know what to make of this. On the one hand it sounds interesting, but on the other it just comes across as being tacky and a little bit odd. I can just imagine guys dressed in cartoonish Julius Caesar costumes ala Mickey Mouse, with trireme shaped rollercoaster carriages and who knows what else.

I read an article on Alexander's army that claimed that the Macedonians frowned on the infanty growing beards . Supposedly Alexander III of Macedon had ordered his troops to shave their beards, just in case the enemy grabbed hold of them, according to Chrysaphius. The practice was also outlawed in some parts of the Greek World around Alexander's age. I can't see how a short beard would be a problem for some soldiers, so it might have been acceptable for the Roman Legionary.

I'm looking forward to hearing their results. It's amazing what we could discover about matter and the make up of the Universe from this experiment. Congratulations to all the people at CERN.

I've been searching for books on Galla Placidia for a long time as well. Sadly the best I've come across so far is a Spanish Romance novel about her. So far no readily available modern book is available about her in English, so we'll have to carry on waiting for one. It is a shame, considering she was one of the greatest and most fascinating women of the ancient world, and desrves a lot more recognition.

Hmm...I wonder if it might have belonged to an important Macedonian from Philip or Alexander's time? It doesn't mention dates in the article though. Good find, thought I'd never see a real life ancient wreath.

Thanks for posting the link Doc! Looks like a very useful site for research.

I was thinking about getting this game. I thought that the original Civilization II in the 90s was quite good, but I found the pace too slow. I was young back then, and hopefully I've grown a lot less impatient. I've downloaded the demo recently, but it's incompatible with Windows Vista. The full game does have a patch which makes it work on Vista - But I'm still unsure about its purchase. The game and both its expansion packs are available for the bargain price of

We can't see the d%*? thing in England, so I don't know which one it is!! I got the smae trouble too. By the way, is this the Hannibal documentary by the BBC, the one that starred Alexander Ziddig as Hannibal? If it is then it's worth a watch.

A great review! This sounds like a fascinating book, and one that I'd like to read in the near future, when I get some extra money. I've been interested in ancient Alexandria for some time, and the short segement in Carl Sagan's Cosmos inspired some of that. Thank you for directing me towards this book!

Have a very Happy Birthday Spittle!!

This story is from the National Geographic - An ancient Greek ship recently raised off the coast of southern Sicily, Italy, is the biggest and best maintained vessel of its kind ever found, archaeologists say. At a length of nearly 70 feet (21 meters) and a width of 21 feet (6.5 meters), the 2,500-year-old craft is the largest recovered ship built in a manner first depicted in Homer's Iliad, which is believed to date back several centuries earlier. Carlo Beltrame, professor of marine archaeology at the Universit

One modern and ancient battle that has defiante comparisons is the battle on the Kuwaiti border during the First Gulf War and the battle of Cannae during the Second Punic War. The American General Norman Schwarzkopf utilised Hannibal's tactics against Saddam's army. He also says he was inspired by the Roman general Scipio Africanus.

I saw a trailer for this series on Youtube and I had the same problems with it. I decided to watch a few clips from the series and it was filled with historical errors, including the claim that the Western Roman Empire was destroyed by the Goths in AD 410. The narrator is a bt over top as well, with claims that the Goths were all "dirty, sweaty smelly thugs" who "ravaged the city" and "burnt down it's architectural masterpieces" before slaughtering the Romans in a bloodbath that left "the city streets running red with blood of its own people". Alaric certainly did plunder Rome, but the massacre and destruction on the scale that this series implies never took place. Even historians who are opposed to the downplaying of Alaric's sacking of Rome would find this series a bit over the top. The series also had some big budget reconstructions, although these were a bit off as well. There were incorrect props, sets and costumes, including fifth century Romans in first century clothing (The History Channel never seems to get that right) and barbarians in animal skins and bear skin caps. The Visigoth captain is also dressed in a Viking style horned helmet.

Constantine wasn't the only man to become emperor after overthrowing a rival. Diocletian did the same with Carinus at the Battle of the River Margus. You could even argue that Julius Caesar was a rebel, although some might oppose that idea. But simply put, being a rebel in the late antiquity wasn't much of a big deal, considering the amount of rebellions that took place during that period - Constantine III, Petronius Maximus's usurpation of Valentinian III's throne etc.

That is fascinating> If you have an interest in ancient technology then you must read Ancient Inventions by Nick Thorpe and Peter James. They also have a section dedicated to the Antikythera mechanism.

Hello Nina, Chris and PM! Hope you enjoy the site!

Thanks for the link Chris! This does sound fascinating, and it goes to show that some types of equipment like the Montefortino helmet were still in use until the mid-first century, around the time that most people believe that the switch to Imperial Gallic helmets were made. I only wish they had displayed some photographs of the find, as it does sound very interesting.

This might be slightly off-topic but I'd like to point out that there is a new book about to be published by Graham Sumner on the topic of Roman military dress, and its different styles and equipment throughout the Empire, and at different periods. Link: Roman Military Dress This might explain the use of socks and other items of clothing used by the Romans. Graham Sumner has already written several excellent books on the subject, a few of them for Osprey publishing. Maybe this book might shine a light on Roman gear in colder climes.

Thanks! I was sure that I had made an error with Chichen Itza after writing that post, but I didn't think to check after I had posted it. There is an interesting arguement among Maya scholars on how Chichen Itza might have been greatly influenced by the Toltec peoples, but there is still a lot of debate on the subject.

I'm gonna buy this. I really enjoyed 'Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day'. Looking forward to its release.

I recently watched a documentary about Hadrian's Wall presented by the Scottish archaeologist Neil Oliver. In one section of the programme he discussed the Auxilliaries on the wall with another prominent archaeologist who found the writing tablets at Vindolanda. He discussed the matter of sandals and the other expert said something along the lines of "Don't be daft, the soldiers here wore socks and boots. They were far too clever than to walk around with sandals in this country." (Not the exact words mind you). That said, there was a sandal type boot like the one you described Caldrail in the museum display behind them. I also see reconstructions of soldiers on Hadrian's wall wearing sandals as well, but reconstructions isn't hard evidence.