Roman Empire Historical Facts
10 Things in Ancient Rome That Still Feel Modern
Buildings, objects and ancient texts show ten Roman practices with close parallels in everyday life, from busy streets to shared places of leisure.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
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.
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.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
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.
Roman Empire News
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.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
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 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
Emperor Theodosius I. The Man who Defined Christianity and also Massacred Thousands
Theodosius I inherited an empire shaken by Adrianople and ruled through Gothic settlement, civil war, religious conflict and dynastic change. His reign became surrounded by powerful later legends, but the surviving laws, letters and histories preserve a more complicated emperor.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
Forget Concrete: The Bricks That Built Ancient Rome
Behind Rome’s famous brick walls stood a vast industry of clay extraction, moulding, drying, firing, stamping and transport. Here is how the bricks that built ancient Rome were actually made and moved.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
A Roman’s Manual for Survival
What if one man, standing at the twilight of Rome, believed that the fate of peace depended on the art of war? His words, written more than 1,500 years ago, became the backbone of medieval strategy and echoed in the training grounds of emperors and knights alike.
Roman Empire Anecdotes
Did Ancient Romans Exercise to Keep Fit?
The idea that exercise and physical activity are beneficial is not a recent discovery; it has been recognized and practiced for thousands of years.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
When Rome Went Dark: Life After Sunset in the Ancient City
Ancient Rome after dark was noisy, dangerous, and unequal. Martial heard bakers and crowds from his bed, while watchmen, taverns, lamps, and night workers kept another city alive.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
How Did Romans Cool Their Homes: Surviving a Heatwave with Ancient Strategies
From shaded courtyards to the cooling splash of impluviums, Romans designed their homes to fight the summer heat. Long before air conditioning, they used architecture to live with the sun—not against it.
Roman Empire Historical Facts
The Empire behind Rome: How Society Really Worked
Behind Rome’s marble monuments was a working society of families, slaves, soldiers, engineers, roads, food, baths, festivals, and daily systems.
Roman Empire News
Galerias Romanas 2026: Will the Roman Galleries Open in Lisbon?
The Galerias Romanas, or Roman Galleries in Lisbon are occasionally pumped out and opened to the public for limited viewings, typically twice a year.