If at first the games of the early Roman republic had religious significance, then later the ‘secular’ games were purely for entertainment, some lasting a fortnight. There were two kinds of games: ludi scaenici and ludi circenses. The theatrical Festivals(ludi scaenici) The ludi scaenici, the theatrical performances, were hopelessly overwhelmed by the ludi circenses, the …
With the potential to completely reshape a range of industries, Bitcoin (and cryptocurrency in general) is one of the most polarizing inventions in recent history. The king of crypto, Bitcoin, was launched in 2009 and has increased in value dramatically since then, albeit in volatile fashion. The crypto has grown to be valued at over …
For Romans being civilized very much meant living in a home. If the saying states that ‘an Englishman’s home is his castle’, then this very much also was true for the Roman. And the very spiritual center of his home was the hearth. This will no doubt have gone back to ancient times, when the …
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 …
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 …