A wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Photograph by Connor Kurtz (June 10, 2007). Public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tomb_of_the_Unknowns_crack.jpg. In ancient Rome, a festival known as the Rosalia, “the Festival of the… Read More ›
Today is the first day of December. In the minds of some, this day marks the unofficial beginning of Winter, as the Autumn harvests have been gathered in, most of the leaves have fallen off of the trees by this… Read More ›
Introduction I subscribe to several ancient Roman history groups on Facebook, and on one of these, a conversation arose regarding the Celtic tribes of Britain. Specifically, there was a lot of focus on one tribe in particular – that of… Read More ›
Manes, Lares, and Lemures. © Jason R. Abdale (August 21, 2021). Introduction Halloween is nearly upon us. As October rolls through its days and nights, inching ever-closer towards the 31st, some of us may celebrate the spooky season by indulging… Read More ›
Photo by Jason R. Abdale (June 29, 2018). Trees are wonderful – most people will agree with that. They provide oxygen for us to breathe, they remove pollution and excess carbon dioxide from the air, they give us shade on… Read More ›
Roman soldiers of the late antique period assemble for battle at the Musée Parc Archéologique des Temps Barbares MARLE – Aisne. Photo by Jacques Maréchal (2013). Image used with permission. Introduction In the year 379 AD, an epic battle took… Read More ›
In the ancient Roman calendar, several of the months are named after gods in the Roman pantheon. January is named after Janus, the god of new beginnings. March is named after Mars, the god of war. But what about February?… Read More ›
The date of January 16, 7 BC is important for both Roman and German history. Ten years earlier in the year 17 BC, three German tribes crossed the Rhine and raided Gaul, which was controlled by the Roman Empire. It… Read More ›
The Roman Army was the mightiest fighting force of ancient times from the 3rd Century BC until arguably the 3rd Century AD. Each year, the soldiers were sent out to search for and fight the empire’s enemies. However, the legions… Read More ›
Introduction The ancient Romans named the middle part of each month as the “Ides”, and each of these days was dedicated to Jupiter, King of the Gods. Sometimes, these days were marked for holding special celebrations. The Ides of October,… Read More ›
DINOSAURS AND BARBARIANS 
