Viggen

Hello and welcome at UNRV!

...sounds to good to be true...

Any biography of Vipsanius Agrippa has a huge obstacle to overcome, and that obstacle can be summarized in one word – Augustus. On the written page, just as in the reality, the life and deeds of Augustus tend to crowd Agrippa on to the sidelines. So closely were the fortunes of Agrippa tied to those of Augustus that any biography of Agrippa risks becoming merely another biography of Augustus, albeit written from a slightly different perspective. Thus, for all practical purposes, the life of Agrippa began when he met Augustus (then Octavius), for virtually nothing is known of Agrippa before then. Thenceforth for most of the next decade, we only hear of Agrippa because he was at Augustus' right hand when something interesting happened... ...continue to the review of Marcus Agrippa: Right-Hand Man of Caesar Augustus by Lindsay Powell

One of the major processes in the upsurge of interest in Late Antiquity is the translation of hard-to-access sources that are known only to specialists. One of the players in this process is Routledge’s Classical Translations Series. The latest in the series is this translation of the fragments of Peter the Patrician. Although little is known of Peter, he was a person of some importance, acting as a diplomat on behalf of the Eastern Empire and also serving as magister officiorum (Master of the Offices) and receiving the honorary title of patricius, hence the title of this book... ...continue to the review of The Lost History of Peter the Patrician by Thomas M. Banchich

The Antiquities Authority called the discovery the biggest treasure uncovered in at least 30 years. According to the IAA archeologists, “the location of the artifacts and their distribution on the sea floor suggest a big merchant ship which carried metal for reuse likely got caught in a storm near the entry to the port, and crashed against the breakwater and the rocks.” The damaged condition of the metal anchors found at the discovery site suggests the boat’s crew attempted to stop the ship from being dragged by the storm and smashed unto the breakwater. However the force of the waves broke the anchors. The coins discovered in the find are from the reign of the Emperor Constantine, who during his reign (306-337 CE) changed the pagan the Roman Empire to the Christian Byzantine Empire, and moved its capital from Rome to Constantinople. via Jerusalem Post

We won’t ever see the glorious structures of Palmyra again. ISIL/Daesh destroyed the Temple of Bel, the Temple of Baalshamin and the Arch of Triumph in 2015, and beheaded the elderly head of antiquities, Khaled al-Assaad. Thank whichever god you serve for the photographs, the museums that hold ancient reliefs and inscriptions, and books such as Smith’s Roman Palmyra. The outrages of 2015 came after Smith had completed his work on the community that thrived in the Syrian desert, located at an oasis on the frontier between Rome and Parthia. Therefore it stands as a monument in its own right to a rich period (the first three centuries AD) that saw the pastoral settlement develop into an important trading city with influence throughout the Roman empire.... ...continue to the review of Roman Palmyra: Identity, Community, and State Formation by Andrew M. Smith II

i was deleting that post shortly afterwards when i realized it wasnt an actual coach but a "symbolic" coach for the dead person inside the coach going to the afterlife. So they might have modelled it on "existing coaches" at the time but its artistic and not an actual coach model... here the image again

What does the Roman Republic mean to you? A few might admit they've never heard of it. For others it's merely a long period of ancient history before the Romans invented orgies and interesting tyrants. Yet it appears that the system of government adopted by the Romans between the rejection of monarchy and the acceptance of autocracy is something very inspiring to some of us. Time and again writers refer to the Roman world seeking some sort of guidance for their own goals and motives, something I find somewhat ironic because Roman Republicanism was never set in stone. Instead it was cast in bronze, malleable, demanding continual polishing, and ultimately good for material when the original vessel was no longer holding water.... ...continue to the review of The Life of Roman Republicanism by Joy Connolly

Map showing Roman Empire overlaid on one of the USA ...found at authors Brian Igoes website http://www.caesarcato.org/Rome%20USA.html

...i didnt find anything on the coaches at that website....

Viggen: It's so cool that you live around these ancient tracks. They are really deep. So, two men side by side = 4 feet? The wheels on that covered wagon look wider to me but the cabin is smaller in width. I can't imagine traveling for days (especially older people) in something too small. I'm annoyed that this picture is posted on the German museum for Roman artifacts but there's no place that I could see any text that appeared to give an explanation of their replica. If I post the link, could you possibly take a quick look to see if anything is there? I cannot read German. sure, go ahead... btw. there is a currently a "Roman" exhibition in my local musuem, i probably only have time to go in June, but i can ask if they have exact measurements of the tracks...

this is very common in the alps, just a kilometer from were i live we have also a road like this here the google images for Warmbad (warmbaths) near Villach my hometown. (as you can see there are hot springs, and were hot springs were, Romans were not far away https://www.google.at/search?q=warmbad+r%C3%B6merstrasse&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjFnZ75jMbMAhUG2xoKHdTIDdgQ_AUICCgC&biw=1152&bih=535&dpr=1.25#imgrc=pM-UQhqIAoQpgM%3A

in the Alps you have loads of Roman road tracks, here an example in bavaria (via raetia) with two people as reference

Interview by Ian Hughes Ian Hughes for UNRV: Today we have the distinct pleasure to interview noted author and historian Professor Jonathan Harris about his latest book The Lost World of Byzantium. UNRV: The first question to ask concerns your research interests. On the Royal Holloway website it states that these lie in “Byzantine History 900-1460; relations between Byzantium and the west, especially during the Crusades and the Italian Renaissance; the Greek diaspora after 1453”. What made you focus on the Byzantine Empire rather than on the Crusades which appear to have remained far more popular amongst Western historians? ...continue to the Interview with Jonathan Harris on The Lost World of Byzantium

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Experts say the villa is the most significant discovery of its kind in 10 years, and could have been home to a Roman emperor. From their research, archaeologists believe the villa had three-storey structures similar to those found at another Roman villa in Chedworth, Gloucester. This means there is reason to believe the villa belonged to a family of extraordinary wealth and importance. Experts also found hundreds of discarded oyster shells, a perfectly preserved Roman well and the stone coffin of a Roman child. Amazingly, the coffin had gone unnoticed and held flowers until it was identified. via Sky News

Book Review by Guy The young student many times begins his or her studies of ancient Rome by learning only about the famous personalities, the pivotal dates, and the crucial battles. This might leave the student with the sterile impression that the ancient history of Rome was only about shining marble buildings, clean tidy roads, great orators, conquering generals, countless decadent emperors, and innumerable grand monuments. Too often, the mud and the grime, the pungent and putrid odors, the deafening noise from the crowded bustling streets, the many foreign tongues heard at the busy markets, and the sounds and confusion of any major ancient city are forgotten. Only later the student might want to learn the true nitty-gritty of everyday life for the ordinary resident of Rome. ...continue to the full review of The Archaeology of Sanitation in Roman Italy by Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow