🟡 SUPERSTITION The Ancient Romans were a deeply superstitious people, believing that the gods and goddesses of their pantheon influenced every aspect of their lives. They sought guidance through divination, interpreting omens from the flight of birds, the entrails of sacrificed animals, and even the patterns of lightning. One common superstition involved the number thirteen. It was believed to be an unlucky number, possibly due to its association with the witches' coven. The Romans also had a strong aversion to the left side, considering it sinister and unlucky. This is reflected in the word "sinister" itself, which comes from the Latin word for "left." Other superstitions included the belief that breaking a mirror would bring seven years of bad luck, the importance of carrying a lucky charm, and the practice of knocking on wood to ward off evil spirits. The Romans also believed in the power of amulets and talismans, which were thought to protect their wearers from harm.

🟤 ROMAN CONDITIONS “The conditions were these: All Roman prisoners and deserters held by the Carthaginians were to be delivered up; Sicily and the small neighboring islands to be surrendered to the Romans; the Carthaginians not to initiate any war against Syracuse or its ruler, Hiero, nor to recruit mercenaries in any part of Italy; the Carthaginians to pay the Romans a war indemnity of 2000 Euboïc talents in twenty years, in yearly instalments payable at Rome. The Euboïc talent is equal to 7000 Alexandrine drachmas. So ended the first war between the Romans and the Carthaginians for the possession of Sicily, having lasted twenty-four years, in which the Romans lost 700 ships and the Carthaginians 500. In this way the chief part of Sicily (all of it that had been held by the Carthaginians) passed into the possession of the Romans. The latter levied tribute on the Sicilians, and apportioned certain naval charges among their towns, and sent a prætor each year to govern them. On the other hand Hiero, the ruler of Syracuse, who had coöperated with them in this war, was declared to be their friend and ally.” Appian. The Foreign Wars.

🔶 ANTIPATER THE EDOMITE “The praise bestowed by Caesar at the time on the hero of the day and the hopes which it excited  spurred Antipater to further ventures in his service. Showing himself on all occasions the most daring of fighters, and constantly wounded, he bore the marks of his valour on almost every part of his person. Later, when Caesar had settled affairs in Egypt and returned to Syria, he conferred on Antipater the privilege of Roman citizenship with exemption from taxes, and by other honours and marks of friendship made him an enviable man. It was to please him that Caesar confirmed the appointment of Hyrcanus to the office of high-priest.” “After escorting Caesar across Syria, Antipater returned to Judaea. There his first act was to rebuild the wall of the capital which had been overthrown  by Pompey. He then proceeded to traverse the  country, quelling the local disturbances, and everywhere combining menaces with advice. Their support of Hyrcanus, he told them, would ensure them a prosperous and tranquil existence, in the enjoyment of their own possessions and of the peace of the realm.” “He took the organisation of the country into his own hands, finding Hyrcanus indolent and without the energy necessary to a king. He further appointed his eldest son, Phasael, governor of Jerusalem and the environs ; the second, Herod, he sent with equal authority to Galilee, though a mere lad.” Flavius Josephus

NO BARBARIAN “Now, we are told that Pyrrhus, when for the first time he beheld from a look-out place the army of the Romans in full array (280 BC), had said that he saw nothing barbaric in the Barbarians' line of battle; and so those who for the first time (198 BC) met Titus (Flamininus) were compelled to speak in a similar strain. For they had heard the Macedonians say that a commander of a barbarian host was coming against them, who subdued and enslaved everywhere by force of arms; and then, when they met a man who was young in years, humane in aspect, a Greek in voice and language, and a lover of genuine honour, they were wonder­fully charmed, and when they returned to their cities they filled them with kindly feelings towards him and the belief that in him they had a champion of their liberties. After this Titus had a meeting with Philip (who seemed disposed to make terms), and offered him peace and friendship on condition that he allowed the Greeks to be independent and withdraw his garrisons from their cities; but this proffer Philip would not accept. Then at last it became clear even to the partisans of Philip that the Romans were come to wage war, not upon the Greeks, but upon the Macedonians in behalf of the Greeks.” (Titus Quinctius Flamininus (c. 229-174 BC): Roman general; victor in the Second Macedonian War (Cynoscephalae, 197 BC); proclaimed Greek freedom (196 BC), establishing Roman influence in Greece.) Plutarch

🔘 WHY IN ANCIENT DAYS DID THE ROMANS NEVER DINE OUT WITHOUT THEIR SONS, EVEN WHEN THESE WERE STILL BUT CHILDREN? “Did Lycurgus introduce this custom also, and bring boys to the common meals that they might become accustomed to conduct themselves towards their pleasures, not in a brutish or disorderly way, but with discretion, since they had their elders as supervisors and spectators, as it were? No less important is the fact that the fathers themselves would also be more decorous and prudent in the presence of their sons; for "where the old are shameless," as Plato remarks, "there the young also must needs be lost to all sense of shame." Plutarch, Roman Questions

🔵 GALLIC WOMAN TAKES VENGEANCE “It chanced that among the prisoners made when the Romans won the victory at Olympus over the Gauls of Asia, was Chiomara, wife of Ortiago. The centurion who had charge of her availed himself of his chance in soldierly fashion, and violated her. He was a slave indeed both to lust and money: but eventually his love of money got the upper hand; and, on a large sum of gold being agreed to be paid for the woman, he led her off to put her to ransom. There being a river between the two camps, when the Gauls had crossed it, paid the man the money, and received the woman, she ordered one of them by a nod to strike the Roman as he was in the act of taking a polite and affectionate farewell of her. The man obeyed, and cut off the centurion's head, which she picked up and drove off with, wrapped in the folds of her dress: On reaching her husband she threw the head at his feet.” Polybius, histories

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Beautiful building

“It has come to the Triarii”.

🟣 ARTAVASDES OF ARMENIA “His successor Artavasdes was indeed prosperous for a time, while he was a friend to the Romans, but when he betrayed Antony to the Parthians in his war against them he paid the penalty for it, for he was carried off prisoner to Alexandreia by Antony and was paraded in chains through the city; and for a time he was kept in prison, but was afterwards slain, when the Actian war broke out. After him several kings reigned, these being subject to Caesar and the Romans; and still to‑day the country is governed in the same way.” Strabo

⚪️ AVENGING HAMILCAR “Hasdrubal, the son-in‑law of Hamilcar, immediately upon learning of the disaster to his kinsman broke camp and made for Acra Leucê; he had with him more than a hundred elephants. Acclaimed as general by the army and by the Carthaginians alike, he collected an army of fifty thousand seasoned infantry and six thousand cavalry, together with two hundred elephants. He made war first on the king of the Orissi and killed all who had been responsible for Hamilcar's rout. Their twelve cities, and all the cities of Iberia, fell into his hands. After his marriage to the daughter of an Iberian prince he was proclaimed general with unlimited power by the whole Iberian people. He thereupon founded a city on the sea coast, and called it New Carthage; later, desiring to outdo Hamilcar, he founded yet another city. He put into the field an army of sixty thousand infantry, eight thousand cavalry, and two hundred elephants. One of his household slaves plotted against him, and he was slain after he had held the command for nine years.” Diodorus Siculus

🟢 CALIGULA, BLOODBATH, HORSE RACES “Now at this time came on the horse-races [Circensian games.] The view of which games was eagerly desired by the people of Rome. For they come with great alacrity into the hippodrome [Circus] at such times; and petition their Emperors in great multitudes, for what they stand in need of. Who usually did not think fit to deny them their requests: but readily and gratefully granted them. Accordingly they most importunately desired that Caius would now ease them in their tributes, and abate somewhat of the rigour of their taxes imposed upon them. But he would not bear their petition: and when their clamours increased, he sent soldiers, some one way, and some another, and gave order that they should lay hold on those that made the clamours; and, without any more ado, bring them out, and put them to death. These were Caius’s commands: and those who were commanded, executed the same. And the number of those who were slain on this occasion, was very great. Now the people saw this, and bore it so far, that they left off clamouring: because they saw, with their own eyes, that this petition to be relieved, as to the payment of their money, brought immediate death upon them.” Flavius Josephus

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⚫️ A ROMAN TEMPLE REPLACED “The haruspices when assembled by him directed that the ruins of the old shrine should be carried away to the marshes and that a new temple should be erected on exactly the same site as the old: the gods were unwilling to have the old plan changed. On the twenty-first of June, under a cloudless sky, the area that was dedicated to the temple was surrounded with fillets and garlands; soldiers, who had auspicious names, entered the enclosure carrying boughs of good omen; then the Vestals, accompanied by boys and girls whose fathers and mothers were living, sprinkled the area with water drawn from fountains and streams. Next Helvidius Priscus, the praetor, guided by the pontifex Plautius Aelianus, purified the area with the sacrifice of the suovetaurilia, and placed the vitals of the victims on an altar of turf; and then, after he had prayed to Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, and to the gods who protect the empire to prosper this undertaking and by their divine assistance to raise again their home which man's piety had begun, he touched the fillets with which the foundation stone was wound and the ropes entwined; at the same time the rest of the magistrates, the priests, senators, knights, and a great part of the people, putting forth their strength together in one enthusiastic and joyful effort, dragged the huge stone to its place. A shower of gold and silver and of virgin ores, never smelted in any furnace, but in their natural state, was thrown everywhere into the foundations: the haruspices had warned against the profanation of the work by the use of stone or gold intended for any other purpose. The temple was given greater height than the old: this was the only change that religious scruples allowed, and the only feature that was thought wanting in the magnificence of the old structure.” Tacitus, Histories

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🟡 FILIAL AFFECTION “Of filial affection there have it is true been unlimited instances all over the world, but one at Rome with which the whole of the rest could not compare. A plebeian woman of low position and therefore unknown, who had just given birth to a child, had permission to visit her mother who had been shut up in prison as a punishment, and was always searched in advance by the doorkeeper to prevent her carrying in any food; she was detected giving her mother sustenance from her own breasts. In consequence of this marvel the daughter's pious affection was rewarded by the mother's release and both were awarded maintenance for life; and the place where it occurred was consecrated to the Goddess concerned, a temple dedicated to Filial Affection being built on the site of the prison, where the Theatre of Marcellus now stands, in the consulship of Gaius Quinctius and Manius Acilius.” Pliny the Elder