Course: Rome: A Virtual Tour of the Ancient City

Being remembered by the living was fundamentally important to the dead, and tombs were an important commemorative gesture for both the rich and the everyday people of ancient Rome. Rome …

Whilst the ruins of many grand Roman monuments still remain, very few artefacts survive to give us a sense of the appearance and interconnections between the sprawling, everyday residential and …

We heard in the video that, as in almost any city, there were marked differences between the housing of the rich and the poor in ancient Rome. There was a …

Welcome back. In previous weeks we’ve explored some of the ‘superstars’ of Rome – including the Forum and the Pantheon – but what about the lesser-known buildings? How did the …

Rome’s hills were alive with the sound of music, and it played an important part in worshipping the gods. In temples and ceremonies and also in the city’s theatres, streets, …

Rome’s monumental temples inevitably attract much attention, not only due to their architectural grandeur, but also their central role in elite performative religion. Nevertheless, for the majority of the population …

Jupiter is called the Best (Optimus) and Greatest (Maximus) for this reason, not because he makes us just, moderate, or wise, but because he makes us safe, unharmed, rich and …

The Pantheon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rome today, and for good reason. It’s a deeply impressive structure, which took huge resources of manpower, money and …

Am I mistaken, or do weapons sound? I am not mistaken, weapons were sounding: Mars is coming, and as he comes he has given the signal for war. The Avenger …

At first glance the Pantheon shares may of the same features as the Republican temples we looked at earlier this week, such as the columns or the large porch. But …

Join me on a tour of what would have been one of the most dominant and overwhelming structures in ancient Rome: the Capitoline Hill. As you explore the model in …

The religion of Rome was profoundly polytheistic, with all manner of gods, lesser deities and guardian spirits influencing almost every aspect of life. So many deities were known that, writing …

In the second of our ‘Encountering the Evidence videos’, I meet with Dr Luke Houghton in the Ure Museum at the University of Reading to discuss poetry in ancient Rome. …

Welcome back. Last week, we looked at political architecture in Rome and explored how the designs for these magnificent structures went hand-in-hand with religion. If we were to step back …