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 ›

Roman Army
October 15 – The Ludi Capitolini: The Capitoline Games of Ancient Rome
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 ›
October 5 – The Opening of the Pit of the Underworld
Manes, Lares, and Lemures. © Jason R. Abdale (August 21, 2021) “Then I saw an angel coming down from Heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that… Read More ›
October 1 – The Kalends of October
The Kalends of October, by Jason R. Abdale (October 1, 2021) It is now the month of October in ancient Rome. The weather has begun to cool, the Autumn harvest is ready to be gathered, and the soldiers are preparing… Read More ›
The Battle of Teutoburg: A Problem with Dating
September 9 to 11 of the year 9 AD is often attributed in modern sources as the date for the legendary Battle of Teutoburg, more commonly known as the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest – except the battle lasted for… Read More ›
The First Roman-Illyrian War, 229-228 BC: Ancient Rome’s First Armed Conflict in the Western Balkans
Introduction For many people learning about ancient history in any detail for the first time, the title “civilization” is largely confined to the civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome. In the West, especially, the Greek and Roman civilizations are… 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 ›
March 23 – The Tubilustrium: Hear the Trumpet’s Call
Ancient Roman re-enactors marching at Xanten, Germany. Photograph by Judith Meyer (June 23, 2012). CC0 Creative Commons. March 23 was the date for an ancient Roman festival called the Tubilustrium. This was a day of important social and military significance,… Read More ›
My book “The Great Illyrian Revolt” is on sale – order today
Hello everybody. I am happy to report that I have received hundreds of congratulations messages from people all over the world regarding the publication of my latest history book The Great Illyrian Revolt: Rome’s Forgotten War in the Balkans, AD… Read More ›
My book “Four Days in September”, 2nd Edition, has been released!
Two years ago, the first edition of my history book Four Days in September: The Battle of Teutoburg was published by Trafford Publishing. Since then, my book has been taken on by a well-known military history publisher based in Britain… Read More ›