On this day in AD14 Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, died aged 76 (Part I)
August 19, 2015
Text by Mike Welbourn Image © Mint Imperial In this first part we look at Augustus’ rise to power. In the second part, we will look at his time as emperor. Augustus had risen to power in the aftermath of the assassination in 44 BC of his great-uncle and adoptive father, the dictator Julius Caesar. In concert with Marc Antony, …
On this day in 48 BC was the Battle of Pharsalus
August 9, 2015
The battle was fought between the forces of Julius Caesar – who only nineteen months earlier had marched on Rome and installed himself as master of the city – and the Republican armies under Pompey the Great.
On this day in AD306 the emperor Constantius I died in York
July 25, 2015
His troops, rather than await a new leader to be appointed for them, hailed the emperor’s son Constantine as Augustus but it was not until 324 that he would gain control over the entire empire.
Tonight in AD64 the Great Fire of Rome started
July 18, 2015
On the night of the 18th July, AD 64, in the reign of the emperor Nero, the Great Fire of Rome broke out. It raged for six days and seven nights destroying more than half of the city; many citizens were killed and many survivors lost everything.
Happy Birthday Julius Caesar! Part II
July 13, 2015
The date is not absolutely certain, and the year is subject to slight question but… happy birthday from us, nonetheless!
Happy Birthday Julius Caesar! Part I
The date is not absolutely certain, and the year is subject to slight question but… happy birthday from us, nonetheless!
On this day in AD138 the Emperor Hadrian died and was succeeded by Antoninus Pius.
July 10, 2015
Coming to the throne in 117, Hadrian was the third of the so-called ‘Five Good Emperors’, who were known for their peaceful and prosperous reigns. Hadrian was also well known for his love of learning and his extensive building works; he was especially loved by the Greeks, who named him as the second founder of the city of Athens because of his many building projects there.
On this day in AD175 Commodus took the toga virilis, the sign he had entered adulthood
July 7, 2015
The denarius shows Apollo leaning on a column, a type known only under this emperor.
On this day in AD69 Vespasian was acclaimed emperor by his troops in Judaea
July 3, 2015
This sestertius beautifully illustrates Vespasian’s distinctive portraiture.
On this day in AD221 the emperor Elagabalus adopted Severus Alexander
June 26, 2015
What prompted the notorious emperor to adopt his young cousin as his heir?
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