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Those are beautiful coins with significant images. The reverse of the coins are portraits of Augustus’ two grandchildren and heirs who would later die (Gaius and Lucius). The lituus was a crooked wand and is used as a symbol of the augurs who used the lituus to mark out the sky for divination by the flight of birds. The simpulum was a vessel or ladle with a long handle that was used at sacrifices to make libations.

Decebalus (r. AD 87-106) was Rome’s great Dacian enemy. He was also Romania’s great hero who fought the Roman Emperors Domitian and Trajan until his defeat and suicide in AD 106. The king’s sculpture is the tallest rock relief in Europe, measuring 55 m (180 ft) in height and 25 m (82 ft) in width. Here’s a good video on the Dacian conflicts: Decebalus - The Brave One' - Last Mighty King Of Dacian People - Ancient Pages

Publius Vergilius Maro (70-19 BCE), usually called Virgil, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is most famous for his epic “Aeneid.” Here is both an article and video discussing whether his work is pro- or anti-Augustan propaganda. https://hisztorycom.wordpress.com/2020/04/29/virgils-aeneid-pro-augustan-propaganda/ https://retrospectjournal.com/2021/10/17/augustan-propaganda-virgil-and-idealism-in-the-aeneid/

Archaeologists assess the find alongside Rob Jones (left), the local man who discovered the artifact. Ian Grant / © Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust The recent news about the Roman lead ingot found in the area was fascinating: In 2020, a large lead ingot, measuring about one and a half feet long and weighing nearly 140 pounds (63 kilograms), was unearthed. The ancient ingot had a cast Latin inscription mentioning Marcus Trebellius Maximus, who was the governor of the province of Britannia from A.D. 63 to 69. https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/06/detectorist-finds-roman-lead-pig-ingot.html?m=1

Wales is increasingly being recognized for its Roman history. The Romans utilized Halkyn Mountain in northeast Wales for lead production. A recent discovery of a small coin hoard confirms Roman activity in the area during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/rare-roman-hoard-dating-back-24346324

Ancient Carthage and the Punic Republic were the Roman Republic’s great rival till 146 BCE. Many of us, however, don’t know about Carthage’s foundation from the Phoenician city of Tyre in 814 BCE. Here is a wonderful background video on the history:

These have been numerous posts on the medicinal value of ancient herbs, including Greek Mountain tea (see below). Here’s a good review of many of those herbs: https://greekreporter.com/2022/06/25/10-greek-herbs-that-will-improve-your-health/

Hadrian. 117-138 CE. AR Denarius (17mm, 3.25 g, 6h). “Travel series” issue. Rome mint. Struck circa 134-138. Laureate bust right, slight drapery / RESTITVTO RI GALLIAE Below are two interesting articles. The first one maps Hadrian’s extensive travels throughout the Empire. The second one delves into the coinage associated with these travels. Hadrian AR Denarius. Rome, 134-138 CE. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head right / GERMANIA, Germania standing facing, head right, holding spear and shield set on ground. https://brewminate.com/hadrians-travels-around-the-roman-empire/ https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/coinweek-ancient-coin-series-travels-with-hadrian/

The most complete mummified woolly mammoth in North America has been discovered in Canada. It is thought to be 30,000 years old. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61936818

“I love the vastness and diversity of Pompeii over the usual tourist favorite of tidy Herculaneum.” I haven’t been to either site, but this article sways me to visit Herculaneum over Pompeii (if I couldn’t visit both). After recently injuring my ankle, I would prefer the less crowded, shadier, and more compact Herculaneum: https://eternalarrival.com/pompeii-vs-herculaneum/

Here's the article by our author colleague Gordon on "The Dogs of War": The Roman Army and their use of Dogs in battle. - GORDON DOHERTY, AUTHOR

(Images from the Getty Villa Museum, California) We have had several previous posts on the dogs (both as pets and working animals) of Ancient Rome. (See below.) Here is a video on that subject:

Thanks for reading my post. Here’s some excellent photos of the ancient tortoise that was also discovered: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61931172.amp

Although most people are familiar with the famous volcano that destroyed Pompeii in AD 79, the earlier devastating earthquake in AD 62 has been forgotten. Below is an article about a villa that was demolished around that time to make way for new construction. Interestingly, a tortoise was also found in the ruins. https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2022/06/24/surprise-at-pompeii-tortoise-with-its-egg-emerge-from-digs_ace99cfe-be36-47ab-b891-1b286d69780d.html https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AD_62_Pompeii_earthquake#:~:text=On 5 February AD 62,and Herculaneum%2C severely damaging them.

The “Gate to Hell” in Hieropolis, Turkey will now be open to the public. It was only rediscovered in 1965 and its “mysteries” explained in 2013: The explanation for this mysterious religious site is fascinating. At the site, healthy animals were led down by priests to the entrance and they died quickly, but the priests who had accompanied them (miraculously) returned unharmed. These “miracles” had geological explanations: Here is a wonderful video on the site: https://greekreporter.com/2022/06/23/ancient-gate-hell-hierapolis/ Hieropolis, Turkey

A nine-foot statue of Hercules sank beneath the waves near the Greek island of Antikythera in the first century BC. The headless ancient Roman sculpture was found in 1900 near the Greek island of Antikythera. It was thought to be intended for a wealthy Roman and sank during the first century of BC. It is thought the head has now been found. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/lost-face-hercules-found-mystery-27298477

Here are good videos on the find:

Dr. Tom brought this article and this information to my attention: Magusanus is a German deity, related to the German word Macht, “power." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_Magusanus Dutch researchers uncover Roman temple complex | News | DW | 20.06.2022

There has been a discovery of a Roman sanctuary in the Netherlands, dating from the early third century AD, probably associated with a military outpost. https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2022/06/archaeologists-uncover-an-exceptionally-well-preserved-roman-shrine/ https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/volunteer-archaeologists-discover-ancient-roman-temple-netherlands-2022-06-21/?rpc=401&

We have discussed the plagues that disrupted the Roman and Byzantine Empires before. (See threads below,) This video is a nice review of the three of the most devastating plagues: The Antonine Plague also known as the Plague of Galen (165-180 AD): Antonine Plague - Wikipedia The Plague of Cyprian (249-262 AD): Plague of Cyprian - Wikipedia The Plague of Justinian (541-549 AD): Plague of Justinian - Wikipedia

There have been previous threads (see below) discussing caltrops, the ancient version of police spikes, used to slow horses, chariots, and even elephants. Above is an ancient Roman caltrop found during a recent excavation in Roman Britain. Here is a good video discussing caltrops and other ancient booby traps.

Numantia was famous for its resistance against Rome (153-133 BCE) during the Celtiberian Wars. After 20 years of hostilities, the Roman Senate gave Scipio Aemilianus Africanus the command to capture the city, which he did after a several month siege. The destruction of the city ended all serious resistance to Rome in Celtiberia. The site is about two hours by car away from Madrid. Here is an interesting video on discovering the ancient Roman roads in the area.

This is an excellent review video on the Sassanian Empire (224-561 AD), perhaps Rome’s most lethal enemy:

Here’s the longer complete video:

Statue of Polybius (Vienna, outside the Parliament of Austria). Here is an excellent article on Polybius (200-118 BCE). Polybius was a Greek historian who described the rise of the Roman Republic to become the superpower of the Mediterranean. His work “The Histories” includes eyewitness accounts of the destruction of Carthage and the defeat of Corinth. https://antigonejournal.com/2022/06/polybius-history-victors/ Here is a nice review of Polybius and a link to his work: Polybius - Livius