Ancient Rome

Language Map of Ancient Italy

Shows where in Italy: Gaulish, Greek, Oscan, Ligurian, Messapic, Etruscan, Umbrian were spoken. Aeq.- Aequian; Aur.- Auruncan; Fal.- Faliscan; Hern.- Hernican; Lat.- Latin; Marr.- Marrucinian; Mars.- Marsian; Nov.- Novilara; Pael.- Paelignian; Vest.- Vestinian;...

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The gardens of the Villa Borghese

The gardens of the Villa Borghese are on yet another hill: a beautifully landscaped large park with just the right density of tempietti, fountains and statues. If you are a non-Italian visitor to Rome, you're probably not even giving this place a thought -- mistake. The place to get some cool air surrounded by Roman families on their day off. [ 3 p...

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Trajan's Column

built in the early 2d century AD to commemorate the emperor's campaigns in Dacia, this 30m column was once the centerpiece of a major urban complex including libraries, a temple, a basilica, and markets: only these last remain in anything like their ancient state. The column, however, is virtually intact. Recognized as the single best extant exampl...

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The Arch of Constantine

The Arch of Constantine: built in the early 4th century AD to commemorate Constantine's tenth year in power, the arch was intended as yet another great monument of Roman propaganda. Over the long term, however, it fails miserably: in cobbling together for it some excellent sculpture of previous centuries and adding a few crabbed friezes of its own,...

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A Gazetteer of the Roman World

A very large collection of info, images, and resources....

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The Pantheon

The best-preserved of all Roman temples, and an astonishing feat of engineering. (Other than a major scholarly article cribbed from an 1875 book, this is a rather weak site for the moment, put up on 2/10/99.) [ 3 pages, 7 images ]...

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A Gazetteer of the Roman World

A very large collection of info, images, and resources....

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The Amphitheatrum Castrense

The Amphitheatrum Castrense is one of those flukes of archaeology: built by Elagabalus, this brick amphitheatre was very likely one of many in ancient times. Today, however, it's a rarity, having survived because it was incorporated into a great work of fortification. [ 1 page, 3 images ]...

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LacusCurtius: into the Roman World

A very large collection of info, images, and resources....

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A Topography of Ancient Rome

A Topography of Ancient Rome by Samuel Ball Platner (as revised by Thomas Ashby in 1929), is a solid resource now in the public domain. A scholarly encyclopedia with hundreds upon hundreds of articles on the remains of antiquity within the city of Rome, it is an excellent reference work for hills, streets, roads and monuments of all kinds, providin...

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