Conclave's Robert Harris Sees in Rome’s Republic, a Warning for Modern Democracy
A new interview about Agrippa brings Rome’s passage to one-man rule into the present, as the Conclave novelist warns about broken political rules.
Stories from the Roman Empire, every day in your inbox.
Anecdotes, historical facts, fictional stories and news curated from a small team of human writers, fascinated with Ancient Rome and its myriad myths and legends.
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The Battle of the Milvian Bridge: Constantine, Maxentius and the Fight for Rome
On 28 October AD 312, Constantine confronted Maxentius outside Rome in a battle that ended with a disastrous retreat toward the Tiber. Ancient accounts describe fierce fighting, broken bridges and the drowning of an emperor, but disagree over how the final moments unfolded.
Gold Earrings Found in a Roman Child’s Grave in Bulgaria
Rescue excavations outside Augusta Traiana’s walls uncovered a child buried with gold jewellery and a coin of Aurelian among 135 graves.
Roman Coin-Cleaning Session Brings Ancient History to Students in Michigan
Students at Michigan State’s Classical Society worked on late Roman bronze coins, revealing the portraits and inscriptions that make ancient currency a historical source.
Roman Camp in Spain Reveals their Efforts to Erase Local Identity
A newly identified camp near La Peña del Castro links Roman troops with a burned Iron Age hillfort, where researchers are examining whether conquest included deliberate attacks on local identity.
6 Reasons Rome’s Chosen Heirs Didn’t Always Become Emperor
From Augustus’ lost grandsons to Diocletian’s planned abdication, the next reign depended on family arrangements and the people willing to uphold them.
Archaeologists Discover Palace in Burgundy Kept Roman Comforts in Early Medieval Times
At a hilltop settlement in Burgundy, a possible palatial complex combines a large church, Roman-style heating and fine glass across the transition into the Middle Ages.
Watch: Roman-Era Shipwreck off Turkey Yields Thousands of Luxury Dishes
A cargo of plates, bowls and trays off Adrasan preserves evidence of ancient packing methods and a ceramic trade associated with a name in Cicero’s letters.
More Than 1,000 Roman Dice Found at Grand, Raise a Ritual Mystery
Excavations in France have produced an exceptional concentration of bone dice. A possible basin, altar fragments and Fortuna coins offer clues to their use.
Aurelius Victor: The Roman Historian Whose Greatest Work Was Lost
Born into a modest family in Roman Africa, Sextus Aurelius Victor rose to high imperial office and wrote a history of Rome's emperors. His career, sharp observations and the mystery of his lost historical work offer a fascinating glimpse into the fourth-century Roman world.
Roman Toilet Remains Confirm Parasites Persisted, Despite Public Sanitation
Microscopic traces in Roman toilet deposits show infections persisted despite public sanitation. A 2026 chamber-pot study adds evidence from the Danube frontier.
10 Best Roman Movies to Watch, Ranked
From arena spectacles to political intrigue, satire and scientific inquiry, ten Roman films earn their places in our countdown for different reasons.
Maxentius: The Forgotten Emperor Behind Some of Rome’s Greatest Buildings
Maxentius ruled Rome for just six years, yet commissioned some of its most impressive monuments, including a colossal basilica, a restored temple, and an imperial complex with its own circus and mausoleum. After his defeat, several of his buildings became associated with Constantine.
Rome’s Priests Used the Secret Sibylline Books in Times of Disaster
A guarded collection of Greek verses helped Rome prescribe rituals during war and crisis. Its history runs from a royal legend to Augustus’s temple.
Roman Road and Possible Parade-Ground Wall Found at a Welsh School
A seven-metre Roman road, a possible parade-ground wall and a culvert have emerged during building work at Caerleon Comprehensive School.
Roman Camp in Slovakia Reveals Human Remains and Military Gear
A 7.4-hectare camp near Šurany has yielded human remains, armour and weapons. Five entrances and an unusual gate add to its second-century story.
Roman Empire News
Roman Roads VS Modern Highways: Which Are More Straight, Or Bend Less?
A study of Roman road alignments finds they have quite an impressive performance versus modern major roads, with terrain and construction explaining the gap between them.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
What Happened When a Roman Tenant Couldn’t Pay the Rent?
Rent was a familiar worry in ancient Rome, even for people who were far from poor. When the money was not there, what could a tenant expect—and how much depended on the landlord?
Roman Empire News
Marble Torso Linked to Rome’s First Emperors Heads to Possible $12 Million Auction
A first-century marble torso returns to auction on 21 October. Its sun chariot and Victories are clear; the emperor it represented and its exact setting are still debated.
Roman Empire News
Wales Roman Villa Dig Finds Earlier Activity Beneath the Building
At Rossett, excavators found a quern beneath a North Wales villa, intact Roman floors and heating, and signs that its buildings changed over time.
Roman Empire News
Romans Stored or Smoked Hallucinogenic Seeds Using Animal Bone
A Roman-era bone held hundreds of black henbane seeds. Researchers weighed a pipe theory, but its shape and uncharred contents point to deliberate storage.
Roman Empire News
Where Jane Austen was Dancing in Bath, Roman Artifacts Were Found Below the Ballroom
Roman ditches and a trove of finds beneath Bath Assembly Rooms extend the known footprint of Aquae Sulis, below a ballroom Jane Austen knew.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
The Roman World After the Last Emperor
The last western emperor was removed in AD 476, but Roman life did not end with him. Across the former empire, new rulers inherited Roman institutions, laws and communities, reshaping them in different ways.
Opinion
Rome and Greece are the sources and models of our civilization
The past reveals successful systems for civilization survival.
Roman Empire News
10 Best Roman Series to Watch, Ranked
Palace plots, chariot races and spectacularly bad decisions: our countdown ranks ten Roman series for your next binge, from gritty drama to irreverent comedy.
Roman Empire News
Roman Well Mystery: Seven Bodies, Four Different Ancestry Profiles
Ancient DNA from four of seven men buried at Roman Mursa shows varied ancestry. Bone wounds point to violence, while the burial’s exact cause remains uncertain.
Roman Empire News
Kapersburg Brooch Raises Questions About Life After Rome's German Frontier
A brooch and pottery near Kapersburg's Roman temple may point to later use of the site. New research adds context to the changing German frontier.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Horace: The Roman Poet of Friendship, Wine and Knowing When Enough Was Enough
Horace rose from the son of a freedman to one of Rome’s most celebrated poets, writing about friendship, wine, ambition, ageing and the difficult art of knowing when enough was enough.
Roman Empire News
Copenhagen’s Glyptotek Adds Roman Perfume to Its Fashion Exhibition
Four scent stations and three modern products reveal how the Glyptotek and Karmameju interpret Roman fragrance, from ancient texts to a sealed perfume flask.
Roman Empire News
Montenegro’s Roman City Had a Forum Long Before Diocletian
A study of Doclea’s forum and basilica in Montenegro places their main construction in the first century CE, before later work in Diocletian’s era.
Roman Empire News
Wall Paintings Found Near Ancient Smyrna’s Agora and Theater
Three late-antique rooms with mosaic and marble floors accompany newly reported wall paintings around Smyrna’s agora and theater in modern İzmir.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Marcus Attilius: The Novice Gladiator Who Beat Rome’s Veterans
A novice gladiator known from Pompeian graffiti, Marcus Attilius won two remarkable bouts against far more experienced fighters.