Paestum was the site of a major Greek settlement (600 BC) which was later conquered by the Lucanians (the locals) then in 273 BC Rome moved in. They renamed the majestic Poseidonia, the very diminished, Paestum. It is a 50 minute train ride from Salerno, in southern Italy. (Or 1 & a 1/2 hours on… Read More From Poseidonia to Paestum
The Samnites (or in Italian, Sanniti; Safineis to the Samnites themselves), were an ancient people living in central southern Italy from many hundreds of years BC until they vanished under Roman subjugation from around 80 BC. All photos are my own. I visited Molise in May and June this year and went to some of… Read More Sanniti
In the very north of England near the Scottish border, the remnants of the Roman occupation live on. Vindolanda lies on a flat desolate patch of land exposed to the frigid northern UK winds. There is a pretty gully where the cafe, modern museum, gift shop and toilets sit alongside a wee stream. The main site however, is desolate. Its… Read More A Bleak Roman Outpost
She lives in London at the end of Westminster bridge closest to the Big Ben end. She is magnificent. Boudica, (or Boadicea through the Victorian era), was Queen of the Celtic Iceni tribe. She is flanked by her 2 daughters in this sculpture (but they are not visible in most of my pictures). She lived 25… Read More Boudica
Some friends moved from New Zealand to Bath and so on a recent trip to the UK we just had to go see. The Romans had been here before us. The town was called Aquae Sulis back in 70AD and the waters named for the Celtic goddess Sulis. It flows out of the ground at… Read More A Roman Holiday: in Bath
Classics, Ancient History, Linguistics, Academia and more
Life in small-town central Italy
