An ad alluding to the vulva is sparking controversy, but there are few objections to phallic symbols. What explains this difference in treatment?
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Articles on Ancient Rome
Displaying 61 - 80 of 101 articles
When the founders wrote the Constitution, they had to devise a punishment fitting for a civil servant’s impeachment. One possible punishment: banishment from the community.
The Roman senate declined from a long-held position of authority under the Roman Republic to become almost wholly reliant on the whims of a given emperor, writes a classics scholar.
Writing has only been a part of the human story for the last 5,000 years. In comparison, humans began to communicate using speech some 50,000 years ago.
Ancient Rome and its empire had the concept of asylum at its heart. Its legacy provided inspiration for centres of power around the world, but today outsiders are no longer welcome.
December is named for the Roman word for “tenth”. So, why is it the twelfth month?
Tacitus’ Annals is a powerful and darkly humorous examination of imperial Rome. Though his work was little read in the Roman world, it has influenced great thinkers such as Hobbes and Montesquieu.
As Congress and President Trump struggle to devise a coherent immigration policy along the US southern border, there are lessons from ancient history that could prove instructive.
Juvenal wrote 16 satires, divided into five books, each with their own target from decadent aristocrats to Egyptian cannibals.
Augustus’s long line of high-profile admirers see him as a great statesman who brought peace to a Roman Republic long afflicted by civil wars. But how admirable was he, really?
From about age seven, Spartan children learned to fight and practise obeying orders. They also staged pretend battles. Boys and girls were trained separately.
Tapping into ancient knowledge can help us feel connected to our ancestors – but that doesn’t mean we should take their advice.
The earliest surviving example of man-to-wolf transformation is found in The Epic of Gilgamesh, from around 2,100 BC. But the werewolf as we now know it first appeared in ancient Greece and Rome.
Anything is possible in the world of computers games – except women who fight, apparently.
A major exhibition of treasures from ancient Rome presents a distinctly old-fashioned tale of the empire’s rise and expansion, which is out of step with contemporary scholarly thinking.
When Spartacus and 70 or so of his comrades revolted and escaped from their gladiatorial school near Capua in 73 BC, everyone imagined the matter would soon be dealt with. But his rebellion has continued to inspire political movements.
Without the scientific knowledge we have today, ancient cultures turned to myths and legends to understand celestial objects.
Erotic spells were a popular form of magic in ancient Greece and Rome. Ancient spells were often violent, brutal and without any sense of caution or remorse.
Excavations on the site of Rome’s greatest natural disaster can tell us a lot about attitudes to death.
From the Temple of Heliopolis to the centre of Rome, the massive stone column has boosted the egos of several powerful men.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Classics and Head of the Centre for Classical Studies, Australian National University
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Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Cambridge
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Honorary Professor, The University of Queensland
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Lecturer in Classical Studies, Institute of Classical Studies, University of London; Honorary Fellow, Macquarie University, School of Advanced Study, University of London
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Professeur d'histoire ancienne, Université de Lorraine
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Lecturer, Classics, University of Glasgow
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Associate Professor of Classics, College of the Holy Cross
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Head, Public Engagement, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney
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Professor, Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Sydney
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Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland
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Lecturer in Roman Archaeology and Art, Royal Holloway University of London
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Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Melbourne
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Lecturer in Ancient History, Cardiff University
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Professor of Classical Studies, Brandeis University
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Emeritus Professor of Roman Archaeology, University of Birmingham
