February 23 was the date of the Terminalia, the festival dedicated to the ancient Roman god Terminus, the god of property boundaries. Yep, that was a real thing. Agrarian societies like the Roman peasant class took land ownership extremely seriously…. Read More ›
Fresco from the House of Julia Felix in Pompeii, Italy. 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… Read More ›
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 ›
Gone But Not Forgotten, painted by John William Waterhouse (1873). 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… Read More ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
Statue of the goddess Cybele, made approximately in 50 AD. Getty Museum. Public domain image.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Unknown_-Statue_of_a_Seated_Cybele_with_the_Portrait_Head_of_her_Priestess-_57.AA.19.jpg. 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… Read More ›
“Spring”, painted by Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1894)https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alma_Tadema_Spring.jpg April is the month of Venus, the Roman goddess of love, and April 1 was one of several days in the Roman calendar dedicated to her. April is also the month of Apru, the… Read More ›
DINOSAURS AND BARBARIANS 
