January is the month of Janus, the ancient Roman god of new beginnings and the patron god of windows and doors – yes, I’m serious. He is depicted as a man with a double face, able to look forwards and… Read More ›
anthropology
January 3-5 – The Compitalia: Ancient Rome’s Winter Street Fair
Pompeii Street, painted by Eduardo Ettore Forti (1897). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pompeii_Street_by_Ettore_Forti.jpg. The Compitalia was an ancient Roman festival celebrated from January 3-5 in honor of the Lares Compitales, the guardian spirits of crossroads; the name Compitalia comes from the Latin word compitum,… Read More ›
December 28 – The Massacre of the Innocents
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, the Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star… Read More ›
December 11 – The Septimontium: The Day of the Seven Hills
Ancient Rome was known far and wide as “the City of the Seven Hills”. The seven eminences which the city of Rome was built upon were known as the Palatine, Capitoline, Aventine, Quirinal, Caelian, Viminal, and Esquiline. For some reason,… Read More ›
November 24 – The Brumalia: The Ancient Roman Winter Fest
Daylight is certainly getting shorter these days, and to commemorate it is the Brumalia, the Festival of Shortening Days. This was not a single feast day, but rather a festival period beginning on November 24 and lasting until the Saturnalia… Read More ›
November 1 – The Kalends of November: The Month of the Hunt
It is now November. The cool crisp breezes skim through the air, wafting the scents of pumpkin spice and apple cider, while the leaves on the trees are ablaze with the full glory of the Autumn colors. Halloween has come… Read More ›
An Ancient Academic’s Rant: My Gripes with Antiquarians of Prior Centuries
I love ancient history, but I hate reading it. That’s a statement that some people may find bizarre. I adore the histories of ancient civilizations and cultures. I fantasize about what it must be like to walk the streets of… Read More ›
October 23 – The Feast of Bacchus, Liber Pater
It’s no secret that the ancient Roman calendar was chock-full of holidays, feast days, and festivals. Any excuse for a party, I suppose. However, determining which days are truly authentic dates for celebrations within the ancient Roman calendar, and which… Read More ›
September 3 – The Bacchanalia: The Feast of Bacchus, God of Wine
“Today is a day to drink and dance! Let us rival the priests of Bacchus with feasts to deck the couches of the gods!” – Aristarchus of Athens, Greek orator, 1st Century BC The quotation that you see above are… Read More ›
October 25-30 – The Potentially Fictional Feast of Vertumnus, the God of the Changing Seasons
For many, the end of October is the height of the harvest season. As October draws to a close, fall fairs and harvest festivals are taking place, apple cider flows freely, pumpkins decorate every front yard, and every coffee shop,… Read More ›
DINOSAURS AND BARBARIANS 
