A superstitious Society Compare to modern society, the Romans seem extremely superstitious. But then today’s major religions have all throughout their past discouraged, even combatted, superstitions. Also our sciences and our technological world allows little room for superstition. The Romans lived in an era previous to this. Their world was full of unexplained phenomena, darkness …
Prayer and Sacrifice in Ancient Rome In the Roman mind, there was a sort of contract between the gods and the mortals. As part of this agreement each side would provide as well as receive services. Thee role of the mortal in this partnership with the gods was to worship the mighty gods. For this …
Flavius Valentinianus(AD 321 – AD 375) Valentinian was born in AD 321 in Pannonia. His father was a certain Gratianus who came from Cibalae in Pannonia. The young Valentinian received a good education, even receiving training in painting and sculpture, arts for which he was to display much talent. After a military career he came …
Romulus Augustulus reign AD 475 – AD 476 Romulus Augustus was the son of Orestes who once had been an assistant to Attila the Hun, and who had at times been sent on diplomatic visits to Constantinople. After Attila’s death, Orestes joined the service of the western empire and quickly achieved senior position. In AD …
For way too long (think thousands of years), women and children had to slap laundry against rocks next to a river and later, work their hands into early arthritis with a scrub board. Thanks to one guy’s lightbulb moment, those days are long gone. Well, not as long as one might think. The act of …
Julius Nepos (Died AD 480) Julius Nepos was the son of Nepotianus, who had been ‘Master of Soldiers’ in the reign of Avitus. Furthermore, his mother was the sister of Marcellinus, the arch-enemy of Ricimer and commander of Dalmatia. After the death of Marcellinus (most likely due to a plot by Ricimer), Julius Nepos in …