Life Among the Ruins
Tall tales of Pompeii’s lost lives form part of a long history of sensationalism.
Roman Empire
Springs Eternal
The image of Roman Bath was the creation of 18th- and 19th-century archaeologists. Only now are new perspectives revealing a more complex and accurate history of the city.
The Goths Take Rome
The distinction between centre and periphery was vital to the Roman Empire’s conception of itself. For centuries a rugged frontier, the land north of the Danube would produce one of Rome’s greatest foes.
How To Get Away with Murder
Contradictions in Roman law left incurable headaches for its judges.
Nero Versus the Christians
Was Nero the Antichrist? The bestial image of the Roman emperor persists in popular culture, but the truth is more complex.
Fallen Idols
In the ancient world, statues were not symbols of virtue and could take revenge on those who attacked them.
Pandemics: Now and Then
As human populations expand and their exploitation of the globe increases, so does their vulnerability to certain diseases.
The Brothels of Ancient Pompeii
The largest of Pompeii's legalised Lupanars is the only surviving ‘purpose-built’ Roman brothel.
Building the Roman Republic
The little-known republic was a short-lived experiment in constitutional democracy.
Theft is Property
Antiquities were high stakes and high profit in 16th-century Rome, and no one was above breaking the law for loot.