A collection of 76 letters and charters from 15th-century Wallachian rulers, including eight letters penned by Vlad III, the notorious prince who inspired the legend of ‘Dracula.’
For those trying to win wars in the ancient world, large armies were a neccessity. However, the personal prestige earned from a victory in single combat was still unmatched. Theme: Single combat in antiquity Ross Cowan, 'An introduction to single combat - Honorable scars'. Owain Williams, 'Heroic duels of mass combat - Homeric warfare'. Valentine Belfiglio, 'Rome's greatest soldier - Lucius Siccius Dentatus'. Murray Dahm, 'Titus Manlius versus the Latins - Single combat with consequences'. Ross Cowan, 'Valerius, the Gaul, and the interpreter - Provocat per interpretem'. Lindsay Powell, 'The end of single combat - A final blow'. Features: Jasper Oorthuys, '100 times Ancient Warfare - Doing the homework'. Anneka Rene, 'Diomedes and prophecy - The hero's fate'. Juan Quiroz, 'The impact of political economy - Manpower crisis'. Velite Aquila, 'Roman socii in the Middle Republic - Etruscan style'. Pavel Vaverka, 'Asserting their independence - The Lamian War'. Jo Ball, 'Three standard-bearers' dedication - A parting gift'.
Founded in the war against Sextus Pompeius, the 'Legion of the Strait' spent most of its long history in the provinces of the Roman East with Parthians, Sasanians, and zealots. Theme: Legio X Fretensis Lindsay Powell, 'A history of Legio X Fretensis - Guardians of the Strait'. Lindsay Powell, 'The careers of Legio X Fretensis soldiers - Tours of duty'. Murray Dahm, 'Legio X Fretensis at Masada - Putting an end to resistance'. Murray Dahm, 'Legio X at Amida, AD 359 - Fretensis or Fortenses'. Features: Przemysław Mazur, 'Assyrian-style expansion: Before me, cities, behind me, ruins'. Jo Ball, 'The tombstone of Caius Marius - Death of a citizen cavalryman'. Aquila Velite, 'Italian mercenaries abroad - The Mamertines'. Aaron Beek, 'The rise of the peltast - What's in a name?'. Christina Sponsel-Schaffner, 'Painting techniques for Roman shields - Per aspera ad astra'. Annelies Koolen, 'The tactics of Numidian cavalry - Bridled or unbridled?'. Murray Dahm, 'The sarcophagus of Helena - Puzzle in porphyry'.
Starting February 6th, Berlin’s Bode-Museum will host Dress to Impress: Reconstructions of Medieval Robes from Nubia, an exhibition highlighting the artistry and elegance of medieval African fashion.
The Morgan Library & Museum has unveiled an extraordinary exhibition, The Book of Marvels: Imagining the Medieval World, running from January 24 through May 25, 2025.
Travel in the Middle Ages was anything but easy. From grueling journeys on foot to muddy, impassable roads and slow-moving carts, medieval travelers faced challenges that make modern road trips seem luxurious.
The reign of Augustus was a major turning point in Roman history. Despite claiming to return to Republican traditions, he transformed Rome, from its government to the very city itself, creating a system that would persist for centuries. Theme: The age of Augustus Edward Watts, 'A history of the Second Triumvirate - The rise of Octavian'. Jason Whitmarsh, 'Good old-fashioned values - The Augustan moral reforms'. Lindsay Powell, 'Transforming the city of Rome - Augustus the builder'. Josiah Osgood, ' Livia ad the Augustan principate - Mother of the nation'. Arienne King, 'Queen, warrior, peacemaker - Amanirenas of Meroe'. Features: Jona Lendering, 'A look at the future of papyrology - Dating ink'. Maria Anita Ronchini, 'Was there an ancient Roman Halloween? - Mundus Patet'. Murray Dahm, 'Discoveries from the royal cemetery at Ur - Beyond the standard'. Dominic Rathbone, 'The history of Indo-Roman maritime trade - Pepper and profits'. Trevor Culley, 'The role of Achaemenid kurtaš - Labor and captivity in ancient Persia'. Philip Matyszak, 'Faces in wax, wood, stone, and bronze - Ancient Roman portraiture'.
While associated with deserts and wild animals, the Roman provinces of Africa were densely urbanized. Beyond these towns were rich agricultural lands and wide pastures, with North Africa being known for its grain and horses. Theme: Roman North Africa Andy Merrills, 'The limes in North Africa - Forgotten frontier'. Owain Williams, 'Agriculture in Roman Africa - The breadbasket of ancient Rome'. Jessica Brain, 'Building the Severan dynasty - Septimius Severus and Lepcis Magna'. Eric Fournier, 'Schismatics, heretics, martyrs - The Donatist conflict'. Features: Owain Williams, 'Fantasy fiction and historical inspiration - Against the Gods'. Tim Miller, 'Sun worship in Bronze Age Denmark - The chariot of the sun'. Lee Lanzillotta, 'Passports for the dead or ritual tools for the living? - The Orphic funerary tablets'. Briana Jackson, 'The assassination of Ramesses III - A conspiracy in the harem'. Andromache Karanika, 'Voices and representation - Women and music in ancient Greece'. Ilkka Lindstedt, 'The Arabian Peninsula's religious diversity - Pre-Islamic Arabian religions'. Philip Matyszak, 'Brothels in ancient Rome - Entering the wolf's den'.
Phoenicians ships sailed throughout the Mediterranean world, meeting new cultures and trading with them. They brought new technologies, art styles, and ways of thinking. Without them, the ancient world would have been very different. Theme: The Phoenicians Murray Dahm, 'Exploring Phoenician influence - Overlooked innovators'. Carolina López-Ruiz, 'The ancient Phoenicians - A question of identity'. Eleftheria Pappa, 'From myth to history - Phoenicians in Iberia and Tartessos'. Iván Fumadó Ortega, 'Early history and legends - Phoenician Carthage'. Owain Williams, 'Tyre's control over Cyprus - Trick imperial entanglements'. Features: Roy van Wijk, 'A little frog in a big pond? - Oropus and the Amphiareum'. Gregory Mumford, 'Early Egyptian relations with sub-Saharan Africa - Trade, war, and diplomacy'. Philip Matyszak, 'Measurements and mathematics in Ancient Rome - Practical-minded masters'. Gareth Williams, 'Funerary cult in ancient Athens - Visting rites'. Tim Howe, 'Separating fact from fiction - The founding of Alexandria'. Philip Matyszak, 'Manumission in ancient Rome - How to free your slave'.
For thousands of years, across various societies and cultures, humans have enjoyed consuming alcohol. From beer at a feast in Early Dynastic Ur to wine at a Roman taberna, alcohol has played a major role in civilization's development. Theme: Beer and wine in antiquity Tate Paulette, 'Beer in ancient Mesopotamia - The land of Ninkasi'. Pauline Komar, 'Innovation, libations, and intoxication - Drinking with the Etruscans'. Paula Lock, 'All about Roman drinking culture - Vines, Venus, and vomiting'. Bettina Arnold, 'The politics and ritual of Celtic feasting - Competitive commensality'. Emlyn Dodd, 'The nectar of humans and gods - Winemaking in Roman Italy'. Features: Anthony Adolph, 'Aeneas: prince, refugee, founder of Rome - From Troy to Rome'. Guy Halsall, 'Barbarian settlements in fifth-century Gaul - Imperial policy or imaginative experiment'. Owain Williams, 'Canine aspects of classical sea monsters - Salty sea dogs'. Henriette Broekema, 'The Egyptian origins of the Nimrud Ivories - The "Woman in the Window"'. Trevor J. Davis, 'Tiberius' character in Roman sources - General, emperor, and tyrant'. Philip Matyszak, 'Roman religion beyond state sacrifices - Personal piety'.
Uncover the story of Washington Cathedral’s transformation, as it sheds Confederate symbols and reclaims medievalism to reflect a modern vision of justice and unity.
Recent ground-penetrating radar surveys have confirmed that Karnilshaugen, a large mound in western Norway, is a man-made burial site, validating long-held archaeological theories.
