Toga: Did you mean...?

The emperor Aulus Vitellius (r. 69 CE) had never wanted to be Rome's emperor. Aulus was from a family of court flatterers to the first Caesars, and when his friend Nero (r. 54-68 CE) was dead, and there were no more Caesars to succeed, he...

Ancient views of the afterlife are reflected in literature, tomb inscriptions, and grave goods. Then, as now, a belief in another stage of existence after death was a shared belief by all ancient societies. Initially, the Greco-Roman Hades...

A reconstructed relief panel from the original on the Arch of Titus, Rome, c. 81 CE. The scene, showing the triumph of Titus, is carved in three-quarter view and has Titus riding a four-horse chariot (quadriga) and shows him being crowned...

The so-called Green Caesar, a posthumous bust showing Julius Caesar as a statesman dressed in a toga. Being idealised in contrast to earlier Caesar portraits, this portrait was adapted to the taste of the early Imperial Age. (Altes Museum...

Marble memorial to a soldier named Ares, who died at the age of 29 years. Both figures may represent Ares. On the left, he wears a military tunic and cloak, and makes offerings to Ares (the god of war) to bring victory. On the right he wears...

Mummy portrait of a dark curly-haired young man, from Hawara cemetery, Egypt. 1st-2nd centuries CE. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London (with thanks to The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL). The Petrie Museum has...

This is a mummy mask of Aline's husband. His right hand grasps what appears to be a wreath or garland of rose petals. His arms are wrapped in a toga. The eyebrows are painted (not made of glass) while the eyeballs are made of white and black...

Your vowels were invented in Greece, giving birth to the first "true" alphabet. Watch as your new toga-clad friend turns your consonant abjad into a consonant-vowel alphabet. It's such a useful mapping of letters to sounds that neighbor...