Isolated in the Venetian Lagoon, Poveglia Island is a place that has long been shrouded in mystery. Geographically, it’s just a few miles from Venice, Italy. The island has a long and dark history, dating back to the Roman Empire. Over the years, it has served many purposes, but ultimately it ended up abandoned and […]
The Horrifying Plague Filled History Of Poveglia Island Read More »
Pontius Pilate was a Roman prefect whose name has become forever entwined with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Despite being a central figure in a story that has been told for over two millennia, we know little about the man himself and the events that shaped his life after the crucifixion. Early works by Josephus,
What Happened to Pontius Pilate, the Man Who Condemned Jesus? Read More »
Many phrases exist today that we normalize as just being run-of-the-mill, as it were. ‘Run of the mill’ is one of them. But it only came into usage in the early twentieth century to say something is ‘average,’ ‘typical,’ or ‘common.’ Before this, it was used in industrial factories packing flour in Britain. So it
The Strange Origin Of The Term ‘Pyrrhic Victory’ Read More »
Ancient empires lasted longer, generally speaking than modern states. For example, the Pharaohs ruled Egypt for a staggering period of 3,000 years. That’s twelve times longer than the United States has been around. Yet, even though these ancient societies constitute the bulk of human history, we often know little about how the average person lived
What Was a Day in the Life of an Average Roman Like? Read More »
Of all of the world’s empires, few have risen from such inauspicious beginnings to such heights as did that of the Romans. For several hundred years following its mythical foundation in 753 BCE, Rome was just one of many towns in Central Italy. It controlled little more than some farmland in the surrounding countryside. In
The History Behind the Cruel Roman Practice of Decimation Read More »
Every age has its celebrities. In early modern England, they were actors on the stages of London’s theatres. In Belle Époque France, it was the dancers of the Moulin Rouge and the Folies Bergére. Forty years after that, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Greta Garbo became the first stars of Hollywood. But before any of
Who Were Ancient Rome’s Most Famous Gladiators? Read More »
