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6 Child Monarchs Who Changed History
1. Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator Hulton Archive/Getty Images The 13th ruler of Egypt’s Ptolemaic dynasty, Ptolemy XIII rubbed elbows with some of ancient history’s most towering figures during his...
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7 Historical Figures Famous for Something They Never Did
1. Abner Doubleday (for inventing baseball) Abner Doubleday was a Civil War general and abolitionist who famously ordered the first Union shots in defense of Fort Sumter. But while he had a...
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7 Things You May Not Know About Caligula
DEA/G. Nimatallah/De Agostini/Getty Images 1. Caligula wasn’t his real name. Think of it as the ancient equivalent of miniature Nikes and tuxedo-imprinted onesies: Even in Roman times, parents liked to...
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10 Innovations That Built Ancient Rome
1. Aqueducts lillisphotography/iStockphoto.com The Romans enjoyed many amenities for their day, including public toilets, underground sewage systems, fountains and ornate public baths. None of these...
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5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations
1. Babylonian Akitu Getty Images Following the first new moon after the vernal equinox in late March, the Babylonians of ancient Mesopotamia would honor the rebirth of the natural world with a...
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7 Famous Slave Revolts
Depiction of the death of Spartacus. 1. Spartacus and the Third Servile War Spartacus was a Thracian gladiator who commanded a massive slave army during the Third Servile War, the largest and most...
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5 Things You Might Not Know About Julius Caesar
iStockphotos.com 1. He wasn’t born by caesarean section. Gaius Julius Caesar arrived in the world on July 13, 100 B.C., but, contrary to popular belief, it’s unlikely he was born by caesarean section....
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8 Reasons Why Rome Fell
1. Invasions by Barbarian tribes The most straightforward theory for Western Rome’s collapse pins the fall on a string of military losses sustained against outside forces. Rome had tangled with...
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10 Things You May Not Know About Roman Gladiators
1. They weren’t always slaves. Not all gladiators were brought to the arena in chains. While most early combatants were conquered peoples and slaves who had committed crimes, grave inscriptions show...
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8 Ways Roads Helped Rome Rule the Ancient World
DEA / G. DAGLI ORTI/De Agostini/Getty Images1. They were the key to Rome’s military might. The first major Roman road—the famed Appian Way, or “queen of the roads”—was constructed in 312 B.C. to serve...
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6 Infamous Political Conspiracies
1. The Catiline Conspiracy Getty Images One of ancient Rome’s most scandalous conspiracies unfolded in 63 B.C., when the senator Catiline attempted to mount an uprising against the Republic. Frustrated...
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8 Things You May Not Know About the Praetorian Guard
1. They originated during the Roman Republic. Relief showing Praetorian Guard The Praetorian Guard was a fixture of the imperial era, but their origins date back to groups of elite soldiers that...
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6 Ancient Naval Battles
1. The Battle of Salamis In 480 B.C., Ancient Greece was fighting for its life. The Persian conqueror Xerxes had defeated a coalition of Hellenic defenders at the Battle of Thermopylae, and his forces...
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7 Late Life Success Stories
1. Emperor Claudius Claudius being proclaimed emperor. Rome’s fourth emperor led a decidedly un-regal early life. He suffered from several embarrassing physical disabilities including a limp, and his...
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8 Legendary Battle Cries
1. “Remember the Alamo” "The Fall of the Alamo" On February 23, 1836, Mexican General Santa Anna besieged Colonel William B. Travis and some 200 Texas independence fighters at a former Franciscan...
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