Most Recent Visit: July 2024 The Roman city of Luna was founded in 177 BCE by the triumviri coloniae deducendae of Publius Aeilus Tubero, Gnaeus Sicinius, and Marcus Aemilus Lepidus. The latter of these, not to be confused with the famous triumvir of the 1st century BCE with Octavian and Marcus Antonius, was responsible for…
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Continued From Messene, Achaea – Part II Just to the east of the sanctuary of Isis and Serapis is another religious building, the so-called Theater Basilica. The three-aisled early Christian basilica seems to have been constructed sometime after the middle of the 6th century CE and made extensive use of existing materials on site. One…
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Continued From Messene, Achaea – Part II Taking one of the staircases from the Theater Quarter leads up into an area above the summa cavea/epitheatron of the theater. Conversely, one can walk back out to the main area and around this retaining wall to access the theater area as well. The theater seems to have…
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Most Recent Visit: July 2022 Located today among the modern city of Astorga, in the province of León in northeastern Spain, was once the Roman settlement of Asturica Augusta. The area of the settlement was inhabited by the Amaci, a Celtic population that was incorporated into the tribal confederation of the Astures at some point…
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Continued From Aquincum, Pannonia Inferior – Part II To the east of Aquincum’s macellum are two large private residences that face onto Street E. The first of the two narrow, but lengthy, houses is the so-called House of the Butcher. Initially constructed in the 2nd century CE, the building underwent a number of renovations and…
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Most Recent Visit: July 2022 Prior to the arrival of Roman hegemony, the settlement of Bagacum (modern Bavay) was located in the territory of the Nervii. The Nervii are not mentioned prior to Julius Caesar’s writings, but he describes them as one of the most formidable of the Belgic peoples. Caesar relates a battle in…
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Continued From Dium Part II From the Sanctuary of Zeus Hypsistos, the Sanctuary of Isis is tantalizingly close to the east, and despite a sign indicating access to the temple through this area, there is none. From here, the Sanctuary of Isis is across the modern course of the river. A bridge apparently used to…
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Continued From Alesia, Gallia Lugdunensis Part I Adjacent to the northern portico of the forum is one of the most interesting elements of Alesia, the so-called Monument of Ucuetis. This structure was built into the hillside, and so much of it is at a lower area than the forum. It seems to have been a…
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Most Recent Visit: May 2022 In antiquity, the chief settlement of the Mandubii was located on the plateau of the Mons Alisiensis, the modern Mont Auxois. It is likely the town which Caesar refers to as the Oppidum Mandubiorum. Today, the remains of the settlement are located just outside the French town of Alise-Sainte-Reine, which…
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Continued From Augusta Rauricorum Part I Directly south out of the museum are two of the most recognizable monuments of Augusta Rauricorum; the theater and temple. The temple is located to the west of the path, while the theater to the east. Before reaching the actual temple, a large retaining wall for the rise on…
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