The early Roman Kingdom was dominated by the descendants of its Latin and Sabine founders. As time went by, people from neighboring Etruria gradually moved in, and Romans of Etruscan origin gained importance. It all culminated with the rise of Rome’s first Etruscan ruler, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, a.k.a. Tarquin the Elder. This post contains affiliate…
The Western World owes a lot to the great Roman civilization. Like most inheritances, parts of it are a mixed blessing—they are essential yet not always pleasant. For instance, we can thank our spiritual ancestors for the existence of bureaucracy, property taxes, and lawyers, among other things. Today, we’ll take a closer look at lawyers…
When I look at old statues and paintings of women, I often fail to see the attraction. While males are depicted with lean, muscular bodies similar to modern ideals, the Venuses of Rome differ from 21st-century divas. It makes me wonder about the ancient Roman female beauty standards. This post contains affiliate links. It helps…
A hundred and fifty years ago, humans were in mortal danger from the moment they were born. The most ordinary infections or food poisoning could be deadly, not to mention measles, polio, and the lot. Moreover, many people had no access to proper sanitation and running water. By comparison, medicine in Ancient Rome was the…
For years, people have been telling me that once you have a child, you see the world with different eyes. They were right! Since I became a father in my early 40s, I have wondered less about historical military equipment and more about everyday things. For instance, were there toys in Ancient Rome? This post…
Much was said about the decadent lifestyle of the Romans, especially by later authors. However, if we look at it pragmatically, they weren’t worse than our modern societies by most metrics. Let’s discuss prostitution in Ancient Rome, for example. This post contains affiliate links. It helps keep our site running at no additional cost to…
We were lucky to have lived, worked, and extensively traveled to different parts of the world. Naturally, we jumped at the opportunity to discover the local cuisine and culinary traditions. If I could travel back in time, I guess the first thing I would do is sample the meals in Ancient Rome. This post contains…
When we last left the Roman Kingdom, its third king, Tullus Hostilius, lay dead along with his entire household, slain by Ancus Marcius. So what happened next? This post contains affiliate links. It helps keep our site running at no additional cost to you. Read more about it on our disclosure page here. Ancus Marcius, Rome’s…
The Roman economy was built on slavery for most of its existence. Yet, modern depictions of slavery in Roman society are colored by stereotypes and prejudices of our modern era. So, let’s discuss some of the facts and myths regarding slavery in Ancient Rome. This post contains affiliate links. It helps keep our site running…
Today, many associate Rome with degenerate sex parties, lewd festivals, and other XXX events. But what is the truth behind the Roman orgies? This post contains affiliate links. It helps keep our site running at no additional cost to you. Read more about it on our disclosure page here. Roman Orgies: Fact or Fiction? I would…