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Cato the Elder
Marcus Porcius Cato, better known as Cato the Censor or Cato the Elder (234-149 BCE), was an influential political figure of the Roman Republic. Serving as quaestor, aedile, praetor, consul, and censor, he championed Roman virtues and detested...
Definition
Scipio Africanus the Elder
Scipio Africanus Major (l. 236-183 BCE) received his epithet due to his military victories in Africa which won the Second Punic War for Rome against Carthage. He is also known as Scipio the Elder. He was born Publius Cornelius Scipio in 236...
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Pliny the Elder
Aside from the usual contributions of its noble politicians and military commanders, the story of a nation also records the invaluable literary influences of its poets, dramatists, and historians. The long history of the Roman Empire is no...
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Theophrastus and Pliny the Elder on Silphium
The silphium plant of Cyrene, valued as a seasoning, aromatic, and for its medicinal properties, is referenced by several notable ancient writers, but two of the best-known descriptions come from Theophrastus (l. c. 371 to c. 287 BCE) and...
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Bust of Agrippina the Elder from Pergamon
Agrippina the Elder was the daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder, as well as being the spouse of Germanicus. Marble. First half of the first century CE. From Pergamon, Bergama, in modern-day Turkey. (Museum of Archaeology...
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Scipio Africanus the Elder
A marble bust of Roman general Scipio Africanus the Elder, 236-183 BCE. (Capitoline Museums, Rome)
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Faustina the Elder
Colossal portrait of Faustina the Elder, Roman Empress and wife of Emperor Antoninus Pius, 138-140 CE. (Vatican Museums, Rome)
Definition
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was located on the western coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and built in the 6th century BCE. Such was its tremendous size, double the dimensions of other Greek temples including the Parthenon, that it...
Definition
Orichalcum
Orichalcum ("mountain copper") or aurichalcum ("gold copper") was a metal used in coins during ancient times. Orichalcum was a golden-yellow coloured mixture consisting of both copper and zinc and referred to as brass. The Romans were the...
Definition
Pliny the Younger
Pliny the Younger (61-112 CE) was the nephew of Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE), the author of the 37-volume Natural History. He had a remarkable political career and gained a reputation as an excellent lawyer and orator, but he is most famous...