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The Constantinian Excerpts - The 10th Century Byzantine Encyclopedia
The Constantinian Excerpts, or Excerpta Constantiniana is the conventional name given to the mid-10th Century Byzantine palace encyclopedia commissioned by the scholar emperor Constantine VII ‘Porphyrogenitus’ (reign 945-959). It was a work...
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Periplus of the Euxine Sea by Arrian
Beginning of the Periplus of the Euxine Sea by Arrian of Nicomedia, Johann Froben and Nicolaus Episcopius, Basel 1533. Basel University Library. The Periplus of the Euxine Sea (Latin: Periplus Ponti Euxini, Greek: Períplous toû Euxeínou...
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Fall of the Western Roman Empire
To many historians, the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century CE has always been viewed as the end of the ancient world and the onset of the Middle Ages, often improperly called the Dark Ages, despite Petrarch's assertion. Since...
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The Extent of the Roman Empire
Time has seen the rise and fall of a number of great empires - the Babylonian, the Assyrian, the Egyptian, and lastly, the Persian. Regardless of the size or skill of their army or the capabilities of their leaders, all of these empires fell...
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Alexander the Great & the Burning of Persepolis
In the year 330 BCE Alexander the Great (l. 356-323 BCE) conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire following his victory over the Persian Emperor Darius III (r. 336-330 BCE) at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BCE. After Darius III's defeat...
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Battles & Conquests Of The Ottoman Empire (1299-1683)
Spanning across three continents and holding dominance over the Black and Mediterranean Seas, the Ottoman Sultanate (1299-1922) was a global military superpower between the 15th and 17th centuries. From the point of its inception in 1299...
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Hadrian's Travels
No other Roman emperor travelled as much as Hadrian (r. 117-138 CE). The 'restless' emperor spent more time travelling than in Rome, devoting half of his 21-year reign to the inspection of the provinces. His travels provided him with the...
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The Roman Hoxne Hoard
The Hoxne Hoard is the largest cache of late Roman gold found anywhere in the Roman Empire. Discovered by a metal detectorist in Suffolk, in the east of England in 1992 CE, the incredible collection contains 14,865 late-4th and early-5th...
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Map of a Circumnavigation of the Black Sea c. 130 CE - Arrian of Nicomedia's "Periplus Ponti Euxini"
The Periplus Ponti Euxini (“Circumnavigation of the Black Sea”) by Arrian of Nicomedia (c. 86–after 146 CE) is a remarkable example of Roman geographical and administrative writing from the early 2nd century CE. The term Periplus, derived...
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Cavalry Sports Helmet
The Nijmegen Roman cavalry helmet, an iron mask sheathed in bronze and silver discovered in 1915 CE near Nijmegen (Netherlands), second half of the first century CE. (Museum het Valkhof, Nijmegen) According to Arrian of Nicomedia, face mask...