The story of the foundation of the Eternal City
In the early years of the newly-established Roman Empire, a writer would forge the story of his nation. Titus Livius, known as Livy today, would compose the Ab Urbe Condita Libri. Known today as the History of Rome, his work was the entire history from the city to the empire. Of his history, only 35 of the original 142 books survive. The first 10 books though lays the foundation of what we know of the birth of Rome as a city.
But what can we learn from these stories that he told? Livy who lived almost 800 years after the…
This day in history, July 25, 306
On May 1st, 305, Diocletian and Maximian abdicated as Emperors of Rome. They rebuilt the system that was in disarray from the infighting that nearly tore down the empire. Diocletian took the throne by force and then reestablished what the government needed to be. Rome needed something that could hold it together and Diocletian had an idea.
The Tetrarchy
Diocletian came together with his friend, Maximian. Together they would split the administrative powers of Rome, splitting the empire. Diocletian added three emperor’s, two of which were juniors. One of those juniors was a man by the name of Constantius.
Constantius…
This day in history: July 23rd, 1914
It began with two shots. The Austrian-HungarianEmpire would decide war before any other action. They wanted Serbia to pay for the wrongdoing to their leader that was only assassinated just weeks before. But why an ultimatum? Why did Austro-Hungary even want a war to begin?
In June of 1914, the heir to the Austra-Hungarian throne visited the city of Sarajevo. His name, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was there to observe military drills. He was also there to see the city, which was given an advance in the rout that he would take. …
This day in history: July 21st, 356 BCE
…but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, and I said, “Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught so grand”.
— Antipater of Sidon
If you go to the town of Selçuk today, you will notice the vast fields where great monuments once stood. Sitting on the coast of Turkey, the city would survive the test of time. They built wonders such as the Libary of Celsus and the Gate of Augustus, which still stand in their glory. But this city was once home to one…
This day in history: July 18th, 64 CE
It was a night like any other. The carts galavanting through the streets. The common people in bed sleeping. Even the people out at night, visiting the local brothels and pubs were making the city light up by torchlight. Ancient Rome was a city that couldn’t sleep. It ruled a vast empire, so why would its capital do something such as settle for the night. But during the summer the winds blew with a fierce vigor. And with most of the city built from wooden and flammable material, it doesn’t take a Nostradamus to see something was bound to happen.
…
This day in history: July 16th, 1945
A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita… “Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
— J. Robert Oppenheimer
Towards the end of the Second World War Japan was fighting to the bitter end to win the conflict. Japan’s allies were no more, with the surrender of Germany in May, but Japan was still fighting. The Japanese formally surrenders on September 2. But why did they capitulate after they were willing to fight so fearlessly?
On August 6th and 9th, 1945, the United States…
This day in history: July 15th, 1799
“For many, the icon of the British Museum is the Rosetta Stone, that administrative by-product of the Greek imperial adventure in Africa.” — Neil MacGregor
A large granite stone sits as a centrepiece of the British Museum. The monolith of stone, encased in glass, is one of the most viewed objects in the country. It is about three feet tall and two feet wide and weighs about 1600 pounds. But on the face of this rock are what seem to be three written languages. When looking at it without a trained eye, one could assume that they are all different…
This day in history: July 14th, 1916
“Every Englishman has a picture of the Somme in his mind, and I will not try to enlarge it.”
— A.P. Herbert
The slog of the First World War would define the terrain. Even today many bodies litter the fields where the war was fought. But in the early days of fighting, there was still hope that the two sides would bring peace. Even before Christmas of 1914. But that was not to be, and after two years of fighting, the Christmas truce that brought them together was long gone. Only winning with a total victory was feasible.
In February…
This day in history: July 13th, 1793
“Help me, my dear friend!”
— The final words of Jean-Paul Marat July 13th, 1973
On September 12th, 1798 a man would take up his pen for his political beliefs in Paris. He would call the paper Publicite Parisian before changing it a few days to L’Ami du Peuple (The Peoples Friend). Being outspoken for cries of liberty and justice for the French people, this man would rally the people. He would do this by emboldened attacks on the French ruling classes and members of the government. These actions would lead to an arrest warrant. Avoiding the law, he would…
This day in history: July 12th, 100 BCE
“Alea iacta est”
— Julius Caesar Crossing the Rubicon
Turmoil brewed in the Roman republic. The city was in a state of crisis as it attempted to recover from the political mayhem of its time. Not only was civil violence occurring on the streets, but foreign wars also brought Romans to clash. This was the beginning of the end for the republic, the end that many thought would never come. Rome was a dominant force that was in the midst of a golden age, not a decline. But, Rome was about to experience a change that would define its history…
