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Without Antony, Octavian would have lost decisively early on. It was only later that his military advisor and confidant, Agrippa, grew into the more confident military mastermind.

Here’s an interesting virtual video on Caesar’s final fateful route to his assassination.

There have been a few threads about the colorful painting of buildings in the ancient world. Recent research “reveals that many Greco-Roman sculptures were not only painted, draped in clothing, and adorned with jewelry, but were even doused in perfume and fragrant substances.” https://archaeology.org/news/2025/03/17/ancient-greek-statues-smelled-of-perfume/ https://greekcitytimes.com/2025/03/07/the-sensory-experience-of-ancient-greek-and-roman-statues/

A Semi-Subterranean Jewish Ritual Bath Found in the Ancient Roman Port of Ostia Antica

Archaeologists have discovered the oldest Jewish ritual bath (mikvah) found outside the Middle East during their excavations of the ancient port city of Ostia Antica in Rome. One particular lamp stands out: it is decorated with a menorah, the seven-branched candelabrum that is one of Judaism’s most recognized symbols. The bottom of the lamp also depicts a lulav, a palm frond used in the Jewish festival of Sukkot. A recreation of ancient Ostia Antica Oldest Jewish Ritual Bath Found Near Rome Changes History

Cat are currently the most popular pet in urban China. Research points to their introduction into China around AD 600 (over 1500 years after their introduction to Europe). These old cats were probably introduced to China from Kazakhstan by the the Silk Road. These recent DNA studies undermines the assumption that cats were prevalent during Han Dynasty (206 BCE to AD 220). https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-study-finds-that-domestic-cats-traveled-the-silk-road-to-china-about-1400-years-ago-180986206/ https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.31.635809v1.full.pdf

Here is the scientific article on the research: Ancient genomes reveal trans-Eurasian connections between the European Huns and the Xiongnu Empire | PNAS Here is a more easily read article on the research: New genetic research reveals the origin of the Hun Empire

Below is the quote from the Wall Street Journal March 8, 2025 (p. 148): The map above shows the % of Yamnaya ancestry: Red is Yamnaya; white is other ancestry This quote was most interesting: The Ancient Horsemen Who Created the Modern World - WSJ

Recent DNA research shows that half of the [Central and Northern European] humans alive today are descended from a Steppe people known as Yamnaya, who lived in Ukraine 5,000 years ago. Note: I think something must have been lost in translation. It is more likely that only 50% of Europeans, not the world population, are related to the Yamnaya. In Sardinia, for example, the penetration of Yamnaya DNA is rare (2.5-7.1%). Likewise, in Sicily, it is also less common (5.9-11.6%). Modern Italians typically have Yamnaya ancestry about 19-33% of the time. It is believed that the Indo-European languages, used by 40% of the world’s population, may have originated from the Yamnaya people. https://intent.press/en/amp/0/dna-study-reveals-half-of-today-s-population-descends-from-yamnaya-culture-in-ukraine/ https://www.science.org/content/article/who-first-spoke-indo-european-dna-points-eurasian-herders-6400-years-ago

Claudius died in AD 54, only a few years before the eruption (AD 79), and I wonder whether Claudius’ works had a widespread readership. If so, his works on Carthage and the Etruscans could be found among the scrolls in Herculaneum. They would certainly give great insights into two relatively unknown civilizations.

A Punic necropolis was found in Sardinia during construction excavations. Six amphorae, dating to the 4th and 3rd century BCE, were discovered and contained bones from both adults and children. The Carthaginians had a presence in Sardinia for more than two centuries, ending with the Roman conquest in 238 BCE. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2025/03/punic-necropolis-discovered-during-gas-construction-works/154692

The suitcase of Howard Carter, the man who discovered King Tutankhamen in 1915, went up for auction, bringing in 12,000 pounds https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24991216.howard-carters-battered-suitcase-sells-12-000/

I will express this with as much "cultural sensitivity" as I can muster these days: The potential for rich and extensive literature and philosophy that provides excellent insight into the Greco-Roman world makes deciphering these scrolls exciting. Although many ancient cultures produced abundant written material, much of it consists of bureaucratic writings like tax statements and other governmental documents. Some poetry from a militaristic culture like the Aztecs, for example, is quite simplistic and unappealing: My heart is a flower, it bursts open, Lord of Midnight, Oaya ouayaye. Already the Goddess has come, our Earthmother has come, Oaya ouayaye. The god of corn, born in Paradise, where flowers bloom, on the day One Flower, Yantala yantata ayyao ayyaue tilili yyao ayaue oayyaue. Aztec Poetry (2): Three Poems

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/03/wine-god-fresco-unearthed-in-pompeii/

Historians have long wondered whether the Huns were derived from the Xiongnu, a group of steppe nomads who threatened China's northern and western borders between 200 and 100 BCE. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/who-were-the-huns-who-invaded-rome-a-new-study-has-revealed-surprising-genetic-diversity-180986143/ Article on the cranial modification of the Xiongnu. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1040618214009033

Here's an interesting video on the naming and numbering of the Roman legions

A previously unknown Roman village complex has emerged from the waters of Lake Fusaro near Naples as a result of the phenomenon of geological uplift known as bradysism. https://www.heritagedaily.com/2025/03/submerged-roman-villa-emerges-in-lake-fusaro/154643 https://archaeologymag.com/2025/03/roman-villa-emerges-from-lake-fusaro/

Here is a scientific article on the transformation of a human brain to glass at Herculaneum as a result of the Vesuvius eruption in AD 79. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-88894-5 A less technical article of the find: Ancient Roman guard’s brain turned to glass after Vesuvius eruption

Almost life-sized frescoes dedicated to the Cult of Dionysus were recently found in Pompeii. Dionysus is the Greek god associated with wine, fertility, theatre and religious ecstasy. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/frescoes-frieze-pompeii-italy-discovery-b2705115.html Videos on Dionysus

Another nice article on the most recent research on the Colchester Vase: https://arkeonews.net/the-colchester-vase-new-analyses-uncover-evidence-of-gladiatorial-combat-in-roman-britannia/ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/britannia/article/gladiators-at-roman-colchester-reinterpreting-the-colchester-vase/6EE3B8C3EB3F6D93423C83E9FA018976

A recent Wall Street Journal article claims that when the Clean Air Act was passed in the United States in 1970 to regulate lead and other air-borne pollutants, children were exposed to even higher levels of lead toxicity, with up to a seven-point IQ decrease. Ice core samples from places like Greenland were used to study the deposits of lead from the Roman era. https://www.dri.edu/lead-pollution-likely-caused-widespread-iq-declinesin-ancient-rome/ https://today.duke.edu/2022/03/lead-exposure-last-century-shrunk-iq-scores-half-americans

Interesting point. As mentioned in the post below, I should add that horses in the ancient world were smaller (and likely slower). Additionally, the riders did not have stirrups.

Here’s an interesting article about the potential effects of lead. The research suggests that the lead levels had a potential 3-IQ point decrease during the height of lead exposure. https://search.app/fsLmsBzxEYmhKBkR9

Roberto Trizio is one of the most impassioned Roman historians on YouTube. However, I think you may have misunderstood what he said. He believes a letter could travel 270 km (170 miles) daily. Florence is 170 miles north of Rome (driving) Milan is 350 miles north of Rome (driving) Paris is 880 miles north of Rome (driving) Hadrian's Wall is 1400 miles north of Rome (driving) However, he believes that a letter from Rome to Caesar in Gaul could have reached him in three days. So, let's assume the best weather and logistics would allow a travel distance about 500 miles away, approximately to Lucerne, Switzerland. (it should be remembered that Milan was part of Cisalpine Gaul during Caesar's time, however.)