What makes this statue of Buddha so different from any others? Location, location, location: it was recently unearthed in Egypt, where it had been buried at an ancient temple at the seaport city of Berenice Troglodytica. The state dates to the second century CE from the Roman occupation of Egypt, and showcases the far-flung trading […]
Buddhist Statue in Christian Ancient Egypt Read More »
Any gastro-historians out there? This post is about a favorite component of Ancient Roman cooking that likely was as pervasive as kimchee in modern Korean cuisine, and I am talking about garum, a sauce and made out of decaying, briny fish. The picture you see here is of a garum-producing factory in the Ancient city
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Just a reminder — since 2017, the Ancient Roman city of Pompeii (which was infamously buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE) has undergone extensive excavations in several new areas. And in “Regio IX” this week, the first scholarly analysis of this painting appeared, and the interwebs are all a-flutter as to
Ancient Roman Focaccia? Read More »
These are oil lamps found in a mountain cave called Te’omim, (“cave of the twins” in Hebrew), located about 15 miles west of Jerusalem. Archaeologists have studied the place for years, finding ruins from many points of human history. But in a paper published this month in _Harvard Theological Review_, a team of archaeologists argues
Ancient Roman Necromancy in Te’omim Cave Read More »
“Now all shame is exhausted. . . For in the weakened state of the [Roman] commonwealth, things came to such a pass that . . . A foreigner, Zenobia by name, proceeded to cast about her shoulders the imperial mantle, [and was] ruling longer than could be endured from one of the female sex .
Queen Zenobia of Rome Read More »
IN CASE you were wondering whether Ancient Romans worshipped a God of genitalia, the answer is yes, yes they most certainly did. Let me introduce you to the deity Priapus. He is really not difficult to miss. Priapus was originally introduced to the Romans via the Greeks, as per usual. His gigantic erection was a
General Flavius Aetius, considered by many to have been the last capable Roman leader in the Western Empire, defended Rome from the invasions of the Huns. He was assassinated by a weak Roman Emperor who allegedly boasted how well he had done by the act. Supposedly, one of the emperor’s courtiers responded: “whether you have
