But I’m most interested in how the two films misrepresent the way Roman gladiators and their bodies were viewed by their republic-minded contemporaries. In the films, the brawny biceps of gladiators ...

The story of the fall of the Roman republic involves dysfunctional government, political selfishness, and constitutional collapse, played by the usual actors in togas, famously among them Cicero and ...

As the upcoming American presidential election begins to play out, it is impossible to ignore the uncanny parallels between the United States and the fall of the Roman Republic. Are we seeing today a ...

Julius Caesar, an accomplished military general and cunning politician, is perhaps remembered as one of the most consequential figures who rose to power during the Roman Republic – and led to its ...

Cicero composed one of the epigrams by which he is known today as part of his legal defense, in 52 B.C., of a man named Milo: Silent enim leges inter arma, or “The laws are silent amid weaponry.” Milo ...

Neither “Gladiator” nor its cinematic sequel is particularly concerned with historical fact. For one thing, the emperor Marcus Aurelius had no intention of restoring the republic. Gladiatorial ...

The Roman Republic fell roughly 2,000 years ago — the culmination of a series of events including Julius Caesar’s assassination 2,069 years ago today. Yet the republic’s ruin still influences how we ...

Protesters across the United States have brandished placards declaring “no kings!” in recent days, keen to send a message one-man rule is not acceptable. The defeat of the forces of King George III in ...

The Roman Republic built a complex system of checks, balances, and shared power that still echoes in modern democracies. From its Senate to citizen assemblies, it blended aristocratic, democratic, and ...

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more. The Denarius was the basic silver ...