The third stage of the Punic Wars was by far the shortest, lasting from 149–146 BCE, and was entirely fought in Africa, resulting in the destruction of Carthage. The decades following the Second Punic War saw the Carthaginians regain prosperity, while the Romans engaged in nearly continuous warfare in Spain, Gaul, and Macedonia. Read more
The second great conflict between Rome and Carthage is the most well-known because of the famous Carthaginian general, Hannibal Barca. While this war, like the first Punic War, ended in victory for Rome, it is Hannibal and his elephants, crossing the Alps into Italy, which has captured people's imaginations. Read more
The Punic wars were a series of conflicts encompassing 43 years of war over more than a century, from 265 BCE to 146 BCE. They led to the Roman Republic controlling much of the Mediterranean world, to the ruin of a great North African civilization, and to many modern people speaking a Latin-based or Latin-influenced language. Our main source for information about the Punic Wars is the historian Polybius Read more
"...it appears, first of all, that Theseus, of his own choice,...of his own accord reached out after great achievements; whereas Romulus, to escape present servitude and impending punishment ... proceeded to perform great exploits under compulsion." Back in February 2019, we read Plutarch's account of practices at Delphi. Now, our next Book Club selection is from Plutarch's Parallel Lives, perhaps his most famous work. Discussion will start and continue in… Read more
Ask most people what the northernmost frontier of Roman Britain was, and they would probably say it was Hadrian’s Wall. But there was, for a short time, a boundary further north: the Antonine Wall, now a World Heritage Site. This ran between the Firth of Clyde in the west and the Firth of Forth in the east. This Gallery features images from one of the bath-houses on its route, and… Read more
