The Walking Dead of Ancient Rome

by Scott McCulloch on May 9, 2012 in Roman History with No comments
rome-walking-dead

One of my all time favourite comics (and now television show by AMC) is The Walking Dead. The show depicts a post apocalyptic world where the dead have risen and the living fight for survival.

Fortunately in the modern world, interaction with the dead occurs only through popular entertainment or the incessant hawking of so-called TV mediums.

In Ancient Rome it was a different story altogether. The living perceived a very real threat of the dead returning and sought measures to placate the restless spirits of those that had past.

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SEO and Digital Archaeology

by Scott McCulloch on April 30, 2012 in Greek History, Roman History with 1 Comment
library1

The AIRC Unlisted Conference recently featured a video on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in Digital Archaeology. This naturally sparked my interest as someone who is interested in both archaeology and search engine optimisation.

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Debt Slavery in Early Rome

by Scott McCulloch on April 28, 2012 in Roman History with No comments
roman-slaves

While many ‘modern people’ might consider ourselves figuratively slaves to debt, it was literally the case in early Rome. Citizens unable to pay debts were liable to become bonded to the lender or face tougher punishment.

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Secession of the Flute Players (311 BC)

by Scott McCulloch on April 21, 2012 in Roman History with No comments
Secession of the Flute Players (311 BC)

There have been many famous secessions in Ancient Rome (the multiple secessions of the plebeians immediately springs to mind).

However, until recently reading a passage in Livy (9.30.5-10), I was unaware of another potentially damaging secession, that of the flute players!

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Lucius Cornelius Sulla – Career and Reforms

by Scott McCulloch on April 14, 2012 in Roman History with No comments
sulla

The career of Lucius Cornelius Sulla remains an enigma on the political landscape of the Roman Republic. An aristocrat that achieved the ultimate power of the dictatorship and yet abdicated at the height of power (Julius Caesar later labelled him a fool for doing so).

On one hand, Sulla’s exemplary career has been overshadowed by the brutality and illegality of his actions that undermined the authority of the Senate.

On the other hand, Sulla’s legislative reforms were aimed at restoring that same authority, depriving the tribunate of its power and making his own career a political impossibility.

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