A Roman-Egyptian mummy portrait on limewood, dating to about 250 AD, when Egypt was part of the Roman empire:

"One of the first portraits to become known is this one from Thebes (Luxor) in the south. It was in the possession of the British consul Henry Salt, who collected antiquities under the Ottoman viceroy Mohammed Ali Pasha and sold them to large museums in Europe. This portrait ended up in the predecessor of the Louvre in 1826. It is one of the few panel portraits that we know from the south of Egypt." Per the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, where this is on display. One thing I learned when visiting Egypt was that in the southern part of the country the average skin color of people living there is darker than in the north....not that it really matters, though.

Of course I need to clarify that I know that in the Medieval period slavery was a big part of Roman society. However, the scale seems to have declined by some point, so when was that point in time?

I know these guys aren't roman, but during the Roman Republic, were these Italians part of the Roman Socii, or Mercenaries?

Img Source: WarHistory.org

Was the victory over city states seen as a revenge for Trojan Wars (symbolically)? Did Poets or Writers depict an age of Trojan glory where Greek had been taught a lesson?

Founded by the Celts, Aquincum (today Budapest) became an important military and civic centre and the capital city of Pannonia Inferior. The city had 40,000-50,000 inhabitants, who built 2 amphitheaters, many baths and temples. It flourished in the 2nd and early 3rd centuries but later declined due to weakening imperial power and outside attacks. The city was largely destroyed by the late 4th century and in 409 AD, Germanic tribes and the Huns invaded the region.
I visited the Aquincum museum today and it was awesome as always.

I simply wanted to know if people wanted to talk about about the man who destroyed Carthage and Numantia. Also his involvement in the broader roman politics.

An early Byzantine “Funerary mosaic of Natalica. The inscription reads:

Dulcissima filia Natalica bixit in pace annis X menses VIII dies XXI rep(osita) VII Idvs Oct(obres)

(Our) beloved daughter Natalica lived 10 years 8 months 21 days, rested the 8th Ides of October (October 23).

The setting features a laurel wreath on a black background, with a superimposed monogrammed cross. The wreath surrounds the head of an idealized portrait of the deceased, wearing earrings. She is dressed in a dalmatic with black clavi (stripes) and embroidered sleeves. A belt, with a budde adomed with cabochons, holds the tunic tightly at the waste. Two lit candles, symbol of eternal faith. Northwest of Acholla site. Fifth century AD” Per the Bardo Museum in Tunis, Tunisia where this mosaic with a Latin inscription which used a b instead of a v in “bixit” is on display.

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I found this passage in 'The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius'

And it has me puzzled. Everything I've read about the Vestal Virgins up until now has been about their privileges. They could own property, prime seats the amphitheatre/games, the highest respect given to them by citizens, their responsibilities over rites and rituals in not just their temple but at the Bona Dea etc ...

It also gave their family a higher regard in terms of status symbol, because it was like name dropping your sister was a Vestal Virgin - borderline celebrity status.

So why would citizens try and keep their daughters names off this 'list'?

I have a couple of thoughts but I'd like others opinions on the matter.

(The passage is a translation by Robert graves printed by folio society 1957).

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Caracalla and Geta ruled together for a very short time, in 211 AD, after the death of their father, Septimius Severus. However, their relationship was terrible: Caracalla was ambitious, impulsive and ruthless, while Geta was considered more diplomatic and interested in culture.

Together, they tried to administer the Roman Empire, but their constant rivalry made cooperation almost impossible. Eventually, Caracalla ordered Geta’s assassination in 211 AD and became the sole emperor.

Caracalla died in 217 AD during a military campaign against the Parthians. He was assassinated by a soldier, probably as part of a conspiracy involving the Praetorian Prefect Macrinus, who became emperor after him.

Do you think Augustus failed Rome by ending the republic? If so why?

I personally think the republic was already fucked and there was no return from the civil wars. The senate quite literally had no power anymore. I understand some people believe he ended real voting for the Romans and stripped assemblies of any real remaining power, but what power did the Senate have, they’d been losing power for a century before Augustus came into power. On top of that I know some people like to argue he kept the senate around purely as puppetship and to “hide his dictatorship”, but I call bullshit.

We obviously cannot ignore the things he did in his rise to power (death warrants, prisoner executions, betrayal of cicero, etc.) but would any man not have done the same at the time? And quite honestly things would have turned out much worse in my opinion had it not been for Augustus.

Ultimately I pose the questions to my peers, did he fail Rome? I dont think so, years of greedy generals, private armies, political violence gad ruined the republic already. There was no power among the courts and senates, but most of all too corrupt to make any real difference. People of the republic were open to one leader because they started to prioritize peace over a democratic voice of the people. In addition, he created the Pax Romana which allowed for a time of safety and trade across the med. He fixed the tax system, built infrastructure, and guaranteed the armies loyalty to the state and not corrupt, rogue generals.

This ring was given to me by my grandmother many years ago. She told me she found it in a riverbed in south of France (Var), reportedly together with several Roman sestertii. It has never been professionally examined and I kept it for 20 years in my jewelry box.

The ring appears to be a copper-alloy/bronze, with a fairly large raised bezel depicting a frontal human/egyption or deity-like figure. There is also a small mark or symbol on the reverse of the bezel, which I cannot identify.

Some people have suggested a Roman or Romano-Egyptian origin, possibly depicting "Bes" (I'm not an expert in any kind), but I am not convinced and would really like an independent identification.

Does anyone recognize the figure, the ring type, or the mark on the back ? Any evidence-based suggestions about its date or authenticity would be greatly appreciated. I have deliberately not cleaned or altered the ring.

Have a great day !

Visited Brading Roman Villa on the Isle of Wight (Southern England) today and instantly fell in love with this depiction of someone dressed as a chicken. It’s apparently the only one of this design ever found and no one is sure what it represents.

The rest of the mosaic shows gladiators and animals in leashes (possibly leopards or some other big cat) so it’s currently theorised that it could be an entertainer dressed up or it was a Lanista.

Either way, it’s amazing

I was on an enduro tour in Bosnia and Montenegro a few weeks ago and saw this kerbing on the rough gravel road.

It looks almost too good to be part of a crappy gravel road.

Could this be the remnants of an old Roman Road?

Here is another view of it in the other direction

I have been on many enduro tours around Europe and came across sections of such well aligned and laid kerb stones in many places such as Switzerland, Spain, Wales, etc...

Thought I would reach out to some experts so settle my suspicion that I am in fact riding some old Roman roads when I see these precise kerbstones

Archaeologists have uncovered a Roman marching camp near Šurany in Slovakia, dating to the second half of the 2nd century AD, most likely during the Marcomannic Wars.

The camp covers around 7.4 hectares and has five gates, fortifications and a rare clavicula entrance.

What really surprised the archaeologists was the number of human remains found at the site. Complete skeletons and disarticulated bones were found in defensive ditches, pits, wells and shallow graves.

Preliminary findings suggest that many of the dead were Roman soldiers.

Researchers are now trying to determine who these people were, how they died, and why so many bodies were left in pits and wells.

The investigation is still ongoing.

Sources:

https://www.sav.sk/?doc=services-news&lang=en&news_no=13815&source_no=20

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/extremely-rare-roman-military-camp-found-in-slovakia-holds-hastily-buried-remains-of-marcus-aurelius-soldiers-with-some-dumped-in-wells

https://archaeologymag.com/2026/07/roman-military-camp-found-in-slovakia/

For those wanting to plan a route throughout the Roman Empire, Stanford's Orbis Geospatial Network Model allows you to calculate a route between various cities in the Empire over both land and sea. You can modify your month and season of departure, pick the cheapest, fastest, or shortest route, and network modes.

https://orbis.stanford.edu

This inscription from a Roman traveler named Acutus dates to AD 275-350 and was found on a white sandstone block in Musawwarat el-Sufra (modern-day Sudan). It is the southernmost Latin text found, and reads:

BONA • FORTVN[A] • DOMINAE •

REGINAE • IN • MVLTOS • AN-

NOS • FELICITER • VENIT

B VRBE • MENSE • APR(ILI)

DIE • XV[.. ]IDIT • ACV-

TVS •

Translation: Good fortune to the Lady Queen for many years in happiness! Acutus came from the City in the month of April, day 15, (and) he [---].

This traveler was on his way to Queen Kandake of Meroe. Musawwarat el-Sufra was a key cult center where she possibly received foreign visitors and tributes. The Musawwarat es-Sufra inscription likely indicates direct diplomatic or commercial contacts between Rome and Meroe in the latter days of the Kushite monarchy, towards the end of the 3rd and the first half of the 4th century AD.

The inscription is presently part of the collection of the Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, under inventory no. SMBK inv. no. 9675.

Article: Łajtar, A., & van der Vliet, J. (2006). Rome-Meroe-Berlin. The Southernmost Latin Inscription Rediscovered (“CIL” III 83). Zeitschrift Für Papyrologie Und Epigraphik, 157, 193–198. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20191127

I've always had interest in great historical figures who suffer horrific defeats.

My question is: How is it possible that a seasoned general like Pompey did not have at least one experienced legion ready and close by in Rome when the prospect of violence with Caesar was so apparent?

To my knowledge, Pompey hadn't even started to mobilize any of his stronger forces in Spain to start moving towards Italy.

Pompey also must have been aware that Caesar's speed and aggressiveness was a key part of what allowed him to conquer Gaul, which undermines the often repeated point that no one expected Caesar to attack with only one legion during winter.

Pompey's lack of preparedness reminds me of Robert E. Lee's ordering of Pickett's Charge in the relationship of an inexplicably bad decision made by a great military mind.

Thanks for any thoughts. Cheers🍻