Roman Empire

Drawings of a plan of Pompey’s theatre as depicted on a now lost section of the Severan Marble Plan of Rome, 203-311 AD. Sovraintendenza ai Beni Culturali del Comune di Roma.

Pompey’s Greatest Show on Earth

Rome’s first theatre was an enormous spectacle intended to glorify Pompey’s successes. Was it all bread and circuses?

Early Christian martyrs in a Roman arena, Jan Luyken, c.1700. Rijksmuseum. Public Domain.

Diocletian’s Great Persecution

On 23 February 303 Roman emperor Diocletian embarked on his Great Persecution of the empire’s Christians. Why?

‘The Death of Germanicus’, by Nicolas Poussin, 1627. Minneapolis Institute of Art. Public Domain.

Behind Donald Trump’s Palace Walls

The vagaries of palace politics are notoriously difficult to record. Historians should pay attention to rumour.

Silver denarius of Cassius Longinus, depicting a citizen casting a ballot, 63 BC. CNG coins.

How to Win an Election in Ancient Rome

Ancient Roman election advice suggested some uncomfortable campaign strategies. Evidence from Pompeii suggests many candidates followed it enthusiastically.

Silent witness: Ovid, engraving after a coin, undated. Mary Evans Picture Library.

The Birth of Ovid

Writing from exile, the Roman poet Ovid revealed his birth date as 24 March 43 BC. But on the cause of said exile, he was unusually reticent.

Relief showing the construction of a building using a crane, from the tomb of the Haterii, Rome, first century AD. Universal Art Archive/Alamy Stock Photo.

Ancient Rome’s Failed Building Projects

Alongside the great successes of Roman architectural feats were expensive failures. Who was to blame?

Theoderic’s tomb in Ravenna by Robert von Spalart, c. 1804-1811. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain.

‘Theoderic the Great’ by Hans-Ulrich Wiemer review

In Theoderic the Great: King of Goths, Ruler of Romans, Hans-Ulrich Wiemer fully reinforces his vision of Theoderic as a man grappling with challenges which still confront us today.

Bishop John Chrysostom preaching before the Roman empress Eudoxia, by Joseph Wencker, c.1880. Bridgeman Images

Byzantine Bishops at War with Women

Early Christianity brought new opportunities for Roman and Byzantine women – it also brought new reasons to vilify them.

Gold Solidus of the Roman emperor Theodosius I, c.383-88. Art Institute of Chicago. Public Domain.

How Did Christianity Change the Roman Empire?

By 380, a small cult originating near the periphery of the Roman Empire had grown to become its official religion: Christianity. Things would change – but in what ways?