Roman Empire

Charlemagne, Muhammad and the Fall of Rome

Henri Pirenne transformed the way historians think about the end of the Classical world and the beginning of the Middle Ages.

Stele representing the "paiment of taxes", Jaumont limestone, 2nd-3rd century, Metz. Kept in Musées de la Cour d'Or

Roman Loans

Dealing with debt in the Roman Empire.

A stela with Oscan inscription from Pompeii, first century BC, reading: ‘Vibius Popidius, son of Vibius, chief magistrate, was in charge of this work and the same man approved it.’ (The Trustees of the British Museum)

The Language of the Roman Empire

What language did the Romans speak? Latin was used throughout the Roman Empire, but it shared space with a host of other languages and dialects...

Pompey the Great

The Roman leader was born 29 September 106 BC.

Edward Gibbon: Ambition, Style and Sacrifice

The challenges that Gibbon faced remain much the same for historians today.

Iona Abbey from the ferry, by Phillip Capper.

Sorry, Vice-Chancellor. We need more historians of the sixth century.

Despite shifting priorities in education, the study of ancient and medieval history remains as important as ever.

Tintagel Castle, Cornwall by @Sage_Solar

The 'Dark Ages': The Tintagel Problem

In the debate over the term 'Dark Ages' the importance of Tintagel in early medieval Britain should not be forgotten.

The Eunuch and the Emperor

Was the eunuch Earinus the lover of Domitian, one of Rome’s ‘Bad Emperors’? Llewelyn Morgan pieces together the extraordinary relationship between them.

Bust of Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC), 1st-century BC

Cicero and the Power of Rhetoric

Catherine Steel traces the incredible longevity of Cicero’s great corpus of works, the study of which has helped to illuminate the intellectual and social culture of the late Roman Republic.