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Hellenistic & Roman Agora of Athens
Pericles’ agora of Athens flourished under Macedonian control. After Macedon was defeated by Rome, the Romans added to the district even before Greece was taken as a province and more so afterwards. The Roman version of the agora continued...
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Roman Warfare
Roman warfare was remarkably successful over many centuries and across many territories. This was due to several important factors. Italy was a peninsula not easily attacked, there was a huge pool of fighting men to draw upon, a disciplined...
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The Propaganda of Octavian and Mark Antony's Civil War
Propaganda played an important role in Octavian (l. 63 BCE - 14 CE) and Mark Antony's (l. 83 – 30 BCE) civil war, and once victorious at the Battle of Actium (31 BCE), Octavian returned home to become the first Roman emperor. The decade preceding...
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Reforms of Augustus
Emperor Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE) accomplished much during his time on the Roman throne, far more than many of his successors. According to historian Mary Beard in her book SPQR, he transformed the structures of Roman Empire, including its...
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Marcus Aurelius: The Philosopher & Emperor of the Roman Empire
Marcus Aurelius (r. 161 to 180 CE) was a Roman emperor best known as the last of the Five Good Emperors of Rome (following Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius) and as the author of the philosophical work Meditations. Although it has...
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Roman Philosophy
Roman philosophy played a significant role in the growth and development of Western thought. While not involved directly in the development of original philosophical thought, Rome made significant contributions in two ways: by conveying Greek...
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Marcus Junius Brutus
A depiction of Marcus Junius Brutus (85-42 BCE), the most infamous of the assassins of Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE).
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Sources of History
History (from the Greek ἱστορία, meaning 'a learning or knowing by inquiry') can be broadly taken to indicate the past in general but is usually defined as the study of the past from the point at which there were written sources onwards...
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Gold ring with Coin of Emperor Marcus Aurelius
Roman gold coins were set into rings to be worn. Decorative frames were added to turn others into brooches. The image of the emperor was believed to be a good luck charm, so it made sense to carry it around all the time. Gold coin of Emperor...
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Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was born 12 July 100 BCE (though some cite 102 as his birth year). His father, also Gaius Julius Caesar, was a Praetor who governed the province of Asia and his mother, Aurelia Cotta, was of noble birth. Both held to the...