Musings on Daily Life in the Ancient and Early Medieval Mediterranean By Sarah E. Bond
tanta vis admonitionis inest in locis; ut non sine causa ex iis memoriae ducta sit disciplina. “Places have so great a power of suggestion that the technical art of memory is with good reason based upon them.” — Cicero, De Finibus, 5.2. "The 'living wolf' inside her enclosure on the Campidogli[o] from (above) L’Illustrazione Italiana no. 49 December... Continue Reading →
Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater, the Roman Colosseum is oftentimes directly associated with the death of Christians; however, as Keith Hopkins and Mary Beard point to in The Colosseum, there is no authentic evidence from the first century to support the notion that Christians were ever martyred within it: The fact is that there are no... Continue Reading →
This week over at the Forbes column [access it here], I discuss an article in the new volume of the Journal of Late Antiquity (10.1) It is a great piece of scholarship written by ancient historian Feyo L. Schuddeboom and is called "The Conversion of Temples in Rome." The article effectively uses archaeological evidence for temple conversion within the city... Continue Reading →
Amnesty International's recent decision to support the legalization of sex work is a controversial one. The group reasoned that because these individuals lived outside of a licit society, they were more vulnerable to physical abuse: "Sex workers are one of the most marginalized groups in the world who in most instances face constant risk of discrimination, violence... Continue Reading →
History From Below 