What Did the Ancient Romans Eat ?
What Did the Ancient Romans Eat ? – The short answer is … The Romans ate pretty much everything they could lay their hands on.
Mysteries of History : Troy – Was it Real? Did it Exist?
HISTORY RECORDS ACTUAL EVENTS whereas myths spin tales that help explain a culture’s worldview. It’s where history and myth intersect that we find some of the most enduring legends. In this particular article we look at Troy.
The Day the Gateway to the East was Renamed : When Constantinople became Istanbul
On the 28th March 1930 – after 1,599 years, 10 months and 17 days – Constantinople, named after the Roman Emperor Constantine, became Istanbul.
More than Just a Funny Word – The Meaning behind and Origin of Abracadabra
You might be tempted to think that the word ‘Abracadabra’, beloved of magicians and children’s party entertainers, is just a silly made up word – but you’d be wrong. It’s a very real and very ancient word with some sinister connotations.
Guernsey Celts & Guernsey Romans – A Timeline
Since the 1980s there has been a veritable explosion of Archaeological evidence to suggest that Guernsey was very much a part of the Roman World. In this article we look at the interface between the Celtic Worlds and the Roman World in Guernsey and the channel Islands.
The founding of the Eternal City – Rome – Fact & Fiction
On the 21st April 753 BC, according to Plutarch, the city of Rome was founded. In this article we look at the myths and legends surrounding the foundation of the ‘Eternal City’.
Roman Jersey
Unlike Guernsey the Roman presence in Jersey is not so clear cut. In this article we look at some of the new emerging evidence for Roman ‘occupation’ in Jersey or ‘Andium’ as it was probably know by the Romans.
Crossing the Rubicon – Caesar and the Birth of an English Idiom
On the 10th January 49 BC Julius Caesar led one of his legions across a small stream called the Rubicon, thus defying the Roman Senate and breaking the Lex Cornelia Majestatis that forbade a general from bringing an army out of the province to which he was assigned. Turning to his lieutenants just before he crossed, Caesar remarked bitterly, ‘Jacta alea est’ (The die is cast.)
The Diet of the Ancient Romans – More unusual than you’d think
Archaeologists exploring sewers and cesspits at Herculaneum in 2013 made the startling discovery that, contrary to the long-held belief that ancient Romans survived on a basic diet of bread and olive oil, they in fact enjoyed a rich variety of fish, fruit and spicy dishes
The Languages (& Translations) of the Bible – Linguistic Conundrums
Much of the Christian Bible was written in Greek so why don’t we read the Bible in Greek? How many languages has it been translated into? and Why does it matter? It turns out that the answer to the last question is very important indeed when you study the linguistic differences, subtle nuances and context in which writtings can appear within a passage of scripture.
Caesar Decrees a new Calendar – and we’re still using it (mostly)
The calendar we use today is little different to that decreed by Julius Casear over 2,050 years ago. In this article we look at the details surrounding this historic and seminal event.
Ancient Celtic offshore Banking
It looks like Jersey may have been an offshore banking centre for far longer than anyone has suspected. In June 2012 two metal detectorists uncovered a hoard of a staggering 70,000 late Iron Age and Roman coins. Their incredible find has since turned out to be the largest hoard ever found in Jersey.
How did the Romans do the calculations necessary for construction and other purposes using Roman numerals?
The Romans were skilled architects and engineers the likes of which the world had not seen before. They built huge elaborate and perfectly balanced structures that are not only still standing but still in use 2,000 years later. However their number system, whilst useful, was anything but straight forward. So how did the Romans manage to do the calculations necessary for construction using this rather unwieldy number system ?
Why is a circle divided into 360 Degrees ?
Stop and think for a moment , we live in a world where our main number system is in base 10 so why do we have the rather odd base 60 for time and angles. Why not decimal time or decimal segments to represent angles in a circle ?
What have the Romans ever done for us?
For Monty Python fans the question “What have the Romans ever done for us ?” will recall the irreverent comedy of the film ‘The Life of Brian’ . There is a serious question behind this frivolous skit. The Roman Empire and the culture it exported was the most advanced the world had ever seen. Indeed after the fall of the Roman Empire it never got back up to the same level, in Western Europe, until many centuries later.
