#ancient rome

[kimiko24]

DOG MOSAICS (From Italy and Greece ××)

[sherdnerd]

I think we're really missing the Paretorian guard these days. The secret service should be able to murder the president whenever they feel like it and unilaterally appoint a new one with zero consequences. Sure its not a stable form of government, but its FUN

[wandering-jana]

The Ancient Roman House of the Birds, named for its mosaic with 33 different bird species.

Italica, Spain

Dec. 2019

[crim50n-r8er-reblogs]

Tumblr. I know what we’re gonna do today.

Mammu! Finius and Ferbingetorix built Rome in a day!

[memories-of-ancients]

Blue glass flask in the form of a mouse, Roman, 3rd century AD

from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

[salmonella-destroyer-of-worlds]

Actual roman epitaph for a dog

[lionofchaeronea]

Terracotta jar from Roman Britain in the shape of a woman's head. Now in the Spurlock Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.

[gizromana]

I've only learned that many amphitheaters were built on the hillsides because it was cheaper due to natural slope which made it easier to build spectator seats.

A Temple-theater complex discovered only at the beginning of the 2000s in Monte San Nicola, in Pietravairano of Caserta province. Lying at 410 meters high in the Sannio area, dates back to the late Roman Republican period, 2nd-1st century BCE.

[namedvesta]

Snake Headpieces, by Harumi Klossowska de Rola, for Valentino Couture Show | Spring 2016.

[illustratus]

Battle of Cannae by Igor Dzis

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #430 (7/8/2025)

A chunky Antoninus Pius…

Roman Province - Syria

AE22 - 7.65g

Antoninus Pius 138-161 AD

Hierapolis Mint

Obverse ΑΥΤΟ ΚΑΙ ΤΙΤ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡΙ ΑΝΤWΝΕΙΝΟC CΕΒ ΕΥCΕ

Head of Antoninus Pius right, laureate

Reverse ΘΕΑC CΥΡΙΑC ΙΕΡΟΠΟ …

In laurel wreath

RPC IV ?

[augrippa]

imagine digging auggie up, seeing this little face looking at you, and then promptly burying him back under the dirt again

[zal-cryptid]

Is saturnalia a lord of misrule before the current one

Does that mean there's a lineage of lord of misrules if so who's apart of it

There is a lineage! One of them was the sigillarius named Dion in 431 C.E.

In ancient Rome, the Lord of Misrule was known as the Saturnalicius Princeps (Ruler of Saturnalia).

[important-queer-people]

Elagabalus is the closest recorded person to being a woman ruler in Rome. She is also the only recorded trans (or possibly gender fluid) ruler of Rome. She may be considered one of the worst rulers of Rome, joining the ranks of Nero and Caligula. However most of her crimes were based on the religious, gender, and cultural norms of Ancient Rome. Elagabalus was born male but goes by she/her pronouns according to historical records. Typically she was shown as using cross gender behaviors but she may not have minded what pronouns she was called. According to a story by Dio Cassius, Elagabalus had offered half the Roman Empire to the surgeon who could change her genitalia to that which felt more comfortable to them. This seems to point to her being transgender even if most historians try to cover it up. Unfortunately she couldn't find a surgeon who could change her body in the way that she saw fit. She was born in 203 AD and they took control of the Roman Empire in 218 AD. Unfortunately her reign was cut short, only being a ruler until 222 AD. Her reign was cut short because she was murdered. Elagabalus also worshipped a different god than most. Typically the Romans would build huge statues of their gods in the temples and worshipped gods from Roman mythology. Elagabalus worshiped a different deity named 'El Gabal'. The cult of El Gabal worshipped this deity with meteoric black stones. She succeeded the throne after Caracalla and Geta. Elagabalus was the child of Caracalla and she became famous for surprising reasons. In some ancient writings the authors claim that Elagabalus would dance for young soldiers. Any soldier that saw her was entranced by her beauty. She would dance for the ceremonies for El Gabal. She would wear religious robes and dance because she was a priest for El Gabal. These writings also prove that it was not only girls who were sexualized in the ancient world. Unfortunately Elagabalus was not ready for the power that ruling an empire would hold. She was depicted as being an immature prankster. Elagabalus also upset many conservative Romans. She married a vestal virgin and claimed that the marriage would create divine offspring. A vestal virgin is someone who is sworn to never marry and they were sworn to the goddess Vesta. Vestal virgins were very important to religious practices so many Roman's got upset. The punishment for being a vestal virgin and violating that oath was to be executed by live burial or being buried alive. Also Elagabalus arranged a marriage between El Gabal and Urania who was the goddess of astrology and astronomy. Urania was the most worshipped deity in Carthage which was a much hated enemy of Rome. Also in order to gain her approval, senators had to dress in 'un-roman' ways. They also had to participate in sacrificial ceremonies that they didn't believe in. Another popular topic, although it many sound weird, was Elagabalus's genitalia. The ancient Greeks and Romans wouldn't circumcise their people. However Elagabalus was circumcised as a requirement for her priestly duties. Historia Augusta claims that Elagabalus's dick was infibulated which is where the head of the dick is split in half. According to Dio Cassius castration was Elagabalus's fondest desire. There are very few remains of her reign today. However there are coins and a few statues that serve as a reminder of her. Many coins show the religious changes that went on during her reign. Elagabalus was also said to have invented the whoopee cushion. The Romans tried to cover up Elagabalus's cross gender behavior by making her statues look more masculine. Most appear closer to emperors like Caracalla. Some historians try to use this as proof that she wasn't transgender. It seems more likely that the Roman's may have tried to cover up Elagabalus being transgender. It was likely that they tried to show her in more respectable Roman norms. Also many important people went to feasts at the palace. Elagabalus enjoyed using her whoopee cushions at these events. (I have to make a second post for her 😭)

[ioelombramia]

Euryalus wip.