Beware the Ides of March : The Great Caesar is Assasinated
“Beware the Ides of March!”, the augur Spurinna had warned a few days before the 15 March in 44 BC , but the great Julius Caesar had brushed him aside. Was he not, at 55, the most powerful man in the civilised world?
Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise ?
We’re accustomed to seeing movement in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, such as races, but is there any particular reason why clocks run ‘clockwise’?
The Railway – Not just for Choo Choos
If you thought that the railway was invented along with the steam locomotive then you’d be wrong. Railways existed long before steam, long before even the birth of Christ.
The Origin of Writing
Writing – The invention that enabled science and knowledge to flourish. However it seems that is wasn’t invented for prose or love poems or literature but for the more mundane and prosaic task of taxation and bookkeeping.
Origin of the Months and Days of the Year
We use them everyday to order our lives to record, analyse and make sense of things. We’re talking about the days and months of the year. What are their origins ? You may be surprised in that they all have origins deep within our pagan past.
Invasion – Rome’s Assault on Brittania
Rome’s invasion of Britain in 43AD would change the native Britons lives and culture forever. But this wasn’t the first Roman invasion. There was another nearly 100 years earlier. We look at both in this article.
Glass
A world without glass is unthinkable . Entire buildings today can be made up pretty much entirely of glass. But when did man first discover it, use it and eventually learn how to manufacture it?
Some more historical myths debunked
Every nation has its favourite tales from the past, but how accurate are they? A lot of what we ‘know’ to be historically true can sometimes turn out to be no more than a : Who perpetuated historical myth. We look at a few here. Who really was the 1st US President? Did Mediaeval people really think the Earth was flat ?
How was the order of our alphabet determined?
Is there any particular reason why A comes before B or that Z is the last letter of the alphabet? We delve here into the origins of this and the system of writing.
The Spread of Christianity in the Ancient World
They were unlikely leaders. Most knew more about mending nets than winning converts. Yet 2,000 years later, all over the world, the apostles are still drawing people in.
Roman Alderney – Ruin Found to be Roman Fort
Up until 2011 virtually no trace of Roman occupation or influence had been found in Alderney. That all changed when one of the best-preserved Roman military structures in the world was found.
Some Historical Myths Debunked
Every nation has its favourite tales from the past, but how accurate are they? A lot of what we ‘know’ to be historically true can sometimes turn out to be no more than a perpetuated historical myth. We look at a few here. Did King Harold really die from an arrow in the eye? Did Slaves built the great pyramids in Eqypt ?
Roman Guernsey – Lisia
Contrary to to popular belief the Romans didn’t call Guernsey Sarnia. It is likely that the name they gave it was Lisia.
