The emperor Caligula lavished attention on his favourite horse Incitatus, holding parties for friends in the steed’s grand stables. But did he make his horse a consul?
A Roman Feast by Roberto Bompiani (late 19th century).
via Wikimedia Commons
For the first time in recent memory the possibility of imprisoning political rivals has entered the political discourse of a modern western election. But ostracism is an ancient democratic tradition that offers an alternative approach.
Being adopted by Julius Caesar didn’t do Augustus any harm.
alessandro0770
Cicero asked: ‘how to become famous?’ Nero sought to know the timing of his death. The Oracle at Delphi offered pronouncements on all manner of topics - yet as with Google today, the question posed was as important as the answer.
A classics professor writes that Trump’s raucous campaign style is nothing new. He introduces us to a chariot-racing statesman from ancient Athens who may have given Trump a run for his money.
A three-dimensional volume rendering of the Tuli mummy.
SA Journal of Science
Modern techniques such as CT scanning and ancient DNA analysis have allowed scientists to discover a great deal about a mummy found in a shallow grave in Botswana.
Beards: powering tech startups since 813 AD.
Wikimedia Commons
Like many great challenges of the 21st century, the science identifying the problems with sugar seems clear. What’s lacking is the will to address them.
Our past is under threat from “nighthawks” - illegal metal detectorists who go out at night to seek their fortune from protected ancient monuments. A Bristol archaeologist investigates.
Plants mentioned in ancient Chinese books helped inspire the latest Nobel Prize for Medicine winner, but testing old remedies isn’t as simple as following the recipe.
It can be difficult to imagine that the antiquities in our museums were once a part of vibrant and cosmopolitan cities. Let our expert take you on a tour of three cities to rival today’s global hubs.
Classical epic can seem particularly alien in the instant gratification culture of Instagram and Twitter, yet there’s a surge of interest in them.
‘Doctor, whenever I get up I feel dizzy for half an hour.’ ‘Then wait for half an hour before getting up.’
Alexander the Great trust to physician Phillip, Henryk Siemiradzki
Lecturer in Classical Studies, Institute of Classical Studies, University of London; Honorary Fellow, Macquarie University, School of Advanced Study, University of London