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Pompeii: Graffiti, Signs & Electoral Notices
WARNING: This article contains sexually explicit language that might not be appropriate for children or teenagers. The Roman town of Pompeii was preserved in metres of volcanic material following the cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius...
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The House of Marcus Lucretius in Pompeii
View of the raised garden of the House of Marcus Lucretius in Pompeii. The garden features an elegant fountain supplied by a jet of water that gushed from a statue of Silenus. The house is named after a small painting in which writing instruments...
Definition
Roman Science
The Romans assimilated earlier Greek science for their own purposes, evaluating and then accepting or rejecting that which was most useful, much as they did in other fields such as warfare, art, and theatre. This assimilation of Greek thought...
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Oath of Brutus
Black and White photo image of a pre-1845 painting by Francois-Joseph Navez of Brutus, S Lucretius, L Tarquinius Collatinus and Publius Valerius swearing oath to overthrow Lucius Tarquinius Superbus as Lucretia lies dead. (Royal Museums of...
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A Visitor's Guide to Pompeii
Visitors to Naples and its surrounding area could be overwhelmed by the number of archaeological wonders to see. Buried for centuries beneath tons of volcanic ash and debris, the archaeological sites scattered along the coast of Naples are...
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Roman Literature
The Roman Empire and its predecessor the Roman Republic produced an abundance of celebrated literature; poetry, comedies, dramas, histories, and philosophical tracts; the Romans avoided tragedies. Much of it survives to this day. However...
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Democritus
Democritus (l. c. 460 - c. 370 BCE) was a Greek philosopher and younger contemporary of Socrates, born in Abdera (though other sources cite Miletus) who, with his teacher Leucippus (l. 5th century BCE), was the first to propose an atomic...
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Epicurus
Epicurus (341 BCE – 270 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher, the founder of the Epicurean school in Athens, who taught that "Pleasure is the principle and end to a happy life." He was a prolific writer, amassing 37 volumes...
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Roman Philosophy
Roman philosophy played a significant role in the growth and development of Western thought. While not involved directly in the development of original philosophical thought, Rome made significant contributions in two ways: by conveying Greek...
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Etruscan Language
The language of the Etruscans, like the people themselves, has remained somewhat mysterious and has yet to be fully understood. The alphabet used a western Greek script, but the language has presented difficulties to scholars because it is...