The Aurelian Wall is by no means the first wall around Rome. For a while the Empire thought its borders were secure enough effectively to be Rome’s walls, but that changed in the 3rd century AD, when tensions and insecurity permeated Roman society. For the first time in 700 years, Rome needed a n...

There’s more ➢

We interrupt TID (Things I’ve Done) to bring you WIDLS (What I Did Last Sunday). TID is mostly ancient history. WIDLS is all Ancient History.

I was lucky enough to be able to join Professor Jan Gadeyne and the undergraduates of Temple University, Rome, for a walk around the Aurelian walls of Rome...

There’s more ➢

We went into a very local neighbourhood restaurant down in Trastevere, a Mom & Pop place, where Mom was a surprisingly apple-cheeked dame bustling around the tables in a colourful tomato-themed pinafore. In one corner -- their corner -- was a table of older gents; dapper, joshing one another, joshin...

There’s more ➢

] The worst part was the smell of the oilskins. How many people had worn them before? In how many degrees of heat and humidity? Bad enough to have to put them on, moist and clammy at one and the same time. But to then have the funk of all that humanity waft on up was torture indeed. These days, sear...

There’s more ➢

Sunsets are so much easier than sunrises. With a rum and water in hand (just a brief grating of nutmeg, thanks) every evening on a Caribbean island is a sunset watch. And very, very occasionally, a green flash special.

I think I prefer sunrise to sunset. Not that I sit around watching the sun ris...

There’s more ➢