Arelate, Gallia Narbonensis – Part I

Most Recent Visit: June 2018. The Roman town of Arelate (modern Arles) seems to have begun life as a Greek settlement known as Theline, sometime in the 6th century BCE. In 535 BCE, the settlement was captured by the Saluvii and renamed Arelate, a Gallic language reference to the settlement’s proximity to a marsh. The…

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Colonia Julia Equestris, Gallia Belgica

Most Recent Visit: June 2018 Nestled along the shore of Lake Geneva, about 20 kilometers northeast of the city of Geneva is the small town of Nyon. Prior to the arrival of the Romans, the area was under the control of the Helvetii, who apparently had an oppidum at or near the site of the…

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Lugdunum, Gallia Lugdunensis – Part II

Continued from Lugdunum Part I Theater/Odeon Archaeological Area Adjacent to the museum is a complex that includes the theater, odeon, a sanctuary of Cybele, and a few other miscellaneous remains. This park is open every day from 7:00 to 21:00 during the summer (April 15 to September 15) and from 7:00 to 19:00 the rest…

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Syracusae, Sicilia – Part I

Most Recent Visit: June 2017. Though now overshadowed by Palermo, and even nearby Catania, the ancient city of Syracusae (Syrakousai) was perhaps the most important city on the island of Sicily in antiquity. Syracusae was founded on the island of Ortygia by Corinthian colonists (as well as Locrian or Dorian colonists, though they, as a…

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Catana, Sicilia – Part II

Continued from Catana Part I. The theater (along with the odeon) is arguably the centerpiece of the Roman monuments of Catana; it is certainly the most completely excavated and well-preserved of the Roman remains here. It is located at Via Vittorio Emanuele II 266. The theater is open every day from 9:00 to 17:00 and…

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Thermae Himerenses, Sicilia

Most Recent Visit: June 2017. About 11 kilometers to the east of the modern town of Termini Imerese are the remains of ancient Himera. After a crushing Carthaginian defeat at Himera at the hands of the combined forces of Gelon of Syracuse and Theron of Akragas in 480 BCE ended the First Sicilian War between…

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Tarraco, Hispania Tarraconensis – Part I

Most Recent Visit: June 2016 At the eventual site of the Roman colony of Tarraco was an Iberian settlement, probably called Cissa and belonging to the Cessetani tribe. Other names associated with the city are Cissis, Kesse, and Kosse. Another theory proposed is that it was a Phoenician colony with the name of Tarchon. The…

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Augusta Emerita, Lusitania – Part V

Quick Info: Address: Calle José Ramón Mélida s/n 06800 Mérida Hours: Everyday 09:00-21:00 (April to September) Everyday 09:30-18:30 (October to March) Admission: 6 Euros (15 Euros combination ticket) Continued From Augusta Emerita Part IV In a modern city that is full of intriguing vestiges of the Roman city, the crown-jewel of those remains is often…

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Emporiae, Hispania Tarraconensis – Part II

Quick Info: Address: C/ Puig i Cadafalch s/n 17130 Empúries-l’Escala Hours: Everyday 10:00-17:00/18:00/20:00 Admission: 5 Euro Continued From Emporiae Part I (The Museum) The Roman portion of Emporiae lies to the west of the Greek Neapolis, on a ridge overlooking the Greek settlement, at the location of the encampment of Cato during the campaign against…

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