Lost Roman Town with 8,000-Seat Amphitheater Mapped in Austria
Surveys at Stein in Lower Austria reveal a planned Roman settlement and an amphitheater estimated for 8,000 people. Its identification as Claudivium remains uncertain.
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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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Forest Stones in Germany Identified as Roman Temple, Goddess Figure Discovered
Excavations at Kapersburg in Germany’s Taunus reveal a Roman temple, votive stones and a Victoria figure, while later finds raise questions about life beyond the Limes.
Ancient DNA Reveals Different Communities in Post-Roman Pannonia
A study of 314 genomes from seven cemeteries in former Roman Pannonia traces migration and shows how neighbouring sixth-century communities differed.
The Warehouses That Fed Rome
Rome depended on warehouses at Ostia, Portus and along the Tiber to turn seasonal grain arrivals into a steady food supply for the capital.
Video: Pula’s Roman City Becomes a Stage for Light Art
Over three September evenings, Visualia brought projections and installations to Pula’s historic centre. The programme reached the Roman Forum and Small Roman Theatre.
AI Assists in Finding the Rules of Ancient Roman Board Game
A marked stone from Coriovallum fits several simulated blocking games. The study narrows the possibilities without recovering the exact rules Roman players used.
Rome Recycled More Than We Think
Romans gave old materials surprisingly long lives. Glass, metal, pottery, textiles, papyrus and even buildings could be repaired, reused, sold or remade.
Watch: Metal Detectorist Finds 934 Roman Silver Coins Near Cologne
A reported 934 denarii recovered near Wesseling form an unusually large hoard from Hadrian’s era. Archaeologists have not identified who buried them or why.
2,000-Year-Old Roman Kitchen Found in Spain’s Ancient Segisamo
A kitchen from the age of Augustus and Tiberius preserves imported Roman cookware beside pottery rooted in local Turmogi traditions.
Rome Opens the Painted City and Great Mosaic Beneath Trajan’s Baths
Restored first-century wall art beneath the Baths of Trajan is now open in controlled visits, alongside new excavation results from Colle Oppio.
Ancient Roman Building and Metalworking Site Emerges in Ligornetto
Excavators at Stramonte have uncovered part of a second- to third-century Roman building, along with fire damage and evidence for metalworking nearby.
Roman Road Analysis Finds the Empire Did Not Revolve Around Rome
A new study of nearly 300,000 kilometres of Roman roads shows how terrain and provincial cities shaped a network that was not centred on Rome.
How a Roman Emperor Answered His Mail
Roman emperors received petitions, reports, legal questions and requests from across the Empire. Here is how that imperial correspondence actually worked.
Nannies of the Empire: The Wet Nurses Who Raised Roman Children
Roman wet nurses did far more than feed infants. They could shape a child’s speech, habits and earliest education, while sometimes remaining part of their lives for decades.
Wine Is 8,000 Years Old. How Much Had the Romans Already Mastered?
Ancient vineyard practices, cellar instructions and judgements of quality complicate the idea that good wine is a modern achievement.
Edicta Munerum: How Romans Advertised Gladiator Games
Painted across houses, baths and tombs, edicta munerum advertised gladiator games with dates, sponsors, fighters and extra attractions.
Roman Empire News
Annion and the Family Tombs of Roman-Era Chersonesus
A young woman’s probable identification connects human remains with a named family memorial in the cemetery outside Chersonesus.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
Dionysius of Halicarnassus: The Greek who Flourished during Roman Times
Not every account of the past aims to preserve memory alone. Some are crafted to impose order, meaning, and authority on events that resist easy explanation.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Aulus Gellius: The Roman Who Wrote Down Everything He Found Interesting
Aulus Gellius filled the Attic Nights with notes on books, conversations, language, philosophy, law and the curious details he wanted to remember.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
The Battle of Pydna: How Rome Broke the Macedonian Phalanx
At Pydna in 168 BC, Aemilius Paullus defeated Perseus after the Macedonian phalanx lost cohesion and Roman troops entered the gaps in its line.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Roman Astronomers: The Men Who Studied the Stars in Ancient Rome
Roman astronomy was shaped by soldiers, statesmen, poets and natural philosophers who studied eclipses, stars, planets, calendars and comets.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
The Six Men Who Said No to Roman Emperors
From Thrasea Paetus and Helvidius Priscus to Basil, Ambrose and Martin of Tours, six men were remembered for refusing imperial demands. Their stories reveal very different forms of resistance; and very different levels of historical certainty.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Gratian: A Child on the Throne, a Soldier in the Making
Raised to the rank of Augustus at just eight years old, Gratian spent his reign trying to grow into the military and political role his father had prepared for him.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
The Roman Rudis: The Award That Ended a Gladiator’s Service
The rudis marked a gladiator’s release from compulsory service in the arena, but it did not always mean legal freedom. From training weapon to retirement award and referee’s staff, its meaning reveals much about gladiatorial careers, status and life after combat.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Petronius: The Courtier Who Understood How Rome Really Worked
A figure known through fragments, proximity, and performance offers a rare view into how Roman society operated when authority was informal and observation mattered more than power.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
How Did Romans Do Math?
How Romans handled arithmetic without modern numerals, from finger reckoning and abaci to fractions, interest, multiplication, division and engineering calculations.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
2026 August Full Moon is coming. How did Romans “see” the Moon?
The moon's influence was acknowledged and respected in various aspects of Roman life.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Did the Romans Really Massacre the Defenders of Maiden Castle?
Maiden Castle became famous as the scene of a supposed Roman massacre. Later archaeology has complicated that picture, revealing repeated episodes of violence and a much longer history behind the cemetery.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Tiberius Claudius Nero: Caesar’s Officer, Livia’s Husband, Tiberius’s Father
Tiberius Claudius Nero served Caesar, opposed Octavian, fled Italy with Livia, and became the father of Rome’s second emperor.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
Magnus Maximus: The Roman Commander Who Rose from Britain to Rule the West
A Roman commander in Britain rose to imperial power in 383, ruled from Trier, challenged the western emperors, and later survived in Welsh tradition as Maxen Wledig.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
The Great Conspiracy of 367: When Roman Britain Nearly Collapsed
In 367, Roman Britain faced a major military crisis as Picts, Scots and Attacotti raided the provinces, commanders were lost and soldiers deserted. Count Theodosius was sent to restore Roman control.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
No Fridge? No Problem: How Romans Preserved Food
Romans preserved food through drying, salting, smoking, pickling, fermentation and careful storage, using techniques that could keep grain, fruit, cheese, meat and wine usable for months.