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Roman Art
June 30, 2009
So you like Roman history, and want to know something about its art? Well, my friend, there are a variety of books out there. There is Roman Art by Nancy Ramage, a very thorough and surprisingly reader friendly study on the subject; unfortunately its hefty price tag is a distinct deterrent to the neophyte. John R. Clarke, on the other hand, writes art books at a cheaper price; however, his studies utilize cutting edge research in social theory and may not greatly endear themselves to someone who wants a quick and fast study. A third choice for those who want a very inexpensive and basic overview can be found in Roman Art, written by Michael Siebler and published by Taschen...
...read the full review of Roman Art by Michael Siebler
Roman Musical Instruments
June 25, 2009
Unfortunately for the study of Classical music only a limited amount of information is known about Roman musical history. Relatively little has survived to be passed down which deals with Roman music specifically. A possible explanation for this is the Church’s suppression and prohibition of the musical culture due to its presence in all things pagan. What is known about the role that music played in Roman society is that, unlike Greece where music was an integral part of life, philosophy and proper education, Rome did not embrace music with the same level of awe, nor was it considered central in its importance to a proper life.
Nevertheless, music did still play a critical and inseparable part in the religious, military and civil realms where it was used by the State, in domestic settings and for entertainment. Its uses continued from accompaniments and large scale performances to smaller employment by taverns and street side buskers...
...read the full article about Roman Musical Instruments
Venus: A Biography
June 22, 2009
Sex. Despite several potentially hazardous side effects, people still seem to practice it regularly, and pursue it with vigor when they are not receiving it. What drives men and women to such madness? Scientists serve us some tripe on hormones and biological impulses, but our ancestors knew the truth. Love and beauty, and the all consuming desire they produce, are the products of a sensual goddess and her boy archer. Really, who could believe otherwise? Andrew Dalby leaves all doubt behind as he serves us a highly readable biography of the goddess Venus...
...read the full review of Venus: A Biography by Andrew Dalby
The Roman Cult of Mithras
June 14, 2009
Imagine you knew nothing about Christianity aside from the mere fact of its existence, but you wanted to know more. Now imagine that all practicing Christians had died two millennia ago and all scriptures sacred to the cult had disappeared. All that remains to reconstruct the cult are some archaeological artifacts scattered across three continents, and a few oblique references in literature from mostly hostile sources. This is precisely the situation that confronts students of Mithraism...
...read the full review of The Roman Cult of Mithras by Manfred Clauss
Surnames of the Fabii
June 11, 2009
The Fabia gens was fourth in producing the greatest number of magistrates for the Roman Republic, following the Cornelia gens (first), the Claudia gens (second), and the Valeria gens (third). I have attempted here to list and define the various surnames used by the Fabii of the Republic, particularly those who served in magisterial positions during the time of the Republic as noted in Broughton's Magistrates of the Roman Republic. For the purpose of this list, I have included cognomina, adoptive cognomina, and agnomina under the collective term of "surnames."
...read the full article of the Surnames of the Fabii
Hadrian's Empire
June 07, 2009
Danny Danziger is an award-winning columnist for The Sunday Times, and is the author of eight books. Nicholas Purcell is a Fellow in Ancient History at St. John’s College, Oxford, and specializes in Roman social, economic and cultural history. The two of them decided to write a social history of the Roman Empire after, as Danziger explains in his introduction, he took an inspiring walk along Hadrian's Wall. "Hadrian's Empire" is an adequate social history on the Roman Empire during the reign of Hadrian...
...read the full review of Hadrian's Empire by Danny Danziger and Nicholas Purcell
Ancient Warfare Magazine
June 01, 2009
Ancient Warfare (Vol.III Issue 2) dropped through my letterbox, and I immediately did what I do with all magazines at first – flick through quickly and look at the pictures. In the minute or so it took me to do this, I could see that this was a magazine that I would read cover to cover, review or no review pending. I was greeted by a series of detailed maps, wonderful reconstruction paintings, detailed articles and mouth watering ads full of enticing books and re-enactment gear...
...read the full review of the Ancient Warfare Magazine
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