February 22 was the ancient Roman holiday called the Caristia, and it was one of the biggest party days in the Roman calendar. Essentially it was Thanksgiving and Christmas put together – a private family get-together with lots of food… Read More ›
history
February 21 – Rest in Peace: The Feralia Festival of the Dead
Classical Sunset. © Jason R. Abdale (August 20, 2021) The ancient Romans had several days in their calendar dedicated to honoring the dead. Among these was a period that lasted from February 13 to 21 which was known as the… Read More ›
February 13 – Rest in Peace: The Parentalia Festival of the Dead
The Parentalia was a private remembrance day for the family’s deceased. The festival, for lack of a better word, lasted from February 13 to 21. During these days, all of the temples were closed and marriages were forbidden because it… Read More ›
Get your Roman history book for the holidays!
Do you or someone that you know love ancient history, Roman history, or military history? Then you should buy a copy of The Great Illyrian Revolt and Four Days in September: The Battle of Teutoburg. These two histories are just… Read More ›
October 11 – The Meditrinalia: The Mid-Autumn Wine Tasting
The days are starting to get a bit cooler, with chilly mornings and soft crisp breezes throughout the day. The leaves are changing color and dropping to the ground, and animals are busily stockpiling food for their long Winter dormancy…. Read More ›
Haplocanthosaurus: An Enigmatic Sauropod from the Late Jurassic Period
Introduction The sauropods are the definitive image of the dinosaur. Almost always, whenever one hears the word “dinosaur”, the image of the long-necked long-tailed four-legged behemoth is what immediately springs to mind. The sauropods were the dominant land herbivores during… Read More ›
August 3 – “Woe to the Vanquished”
On August 3, 390 BC, the unthinkable happened – the city of Rome fell to the barbarians. But first, some background information… After a ten year long civil war, the Roman Republic was officially created in 499 BC. Ever since… Read More ›
June 1 – The Month of Marriage and the Carnal Kalends of Carna
June is the month of Juno, the goddess of women, marriage, and women’s health. Most weddings in ancient Rome took place in June to honor Juno. Even today, there is a tradition of “June weddings”. The poet Ovid states that… Read More ›
May 14 – The Sacrifice of the Argei
This is a follow-up post to another article that I had posted on March 16. I suggest that you read that one before you read this article. To read the article dated to March 16, click here. Ancient writers such… Read More ›
April 4 – The Feast of Cybele
April 4 marked the beginning of a multi-day festival in ancient Rome dedicated to Cybele, the mother of the gods; Cybele is the Roman version of the Greek goddess Hera. Cybele originated from Crete, with her sanctuary atop Mount Berekynthos… Read More ›
DINOSAURS AND BARBARIANS 