Israeli scholar Rachel Elior has rocked the blogosphere with her allegation that The Essenes didn’t exist at all, and Josephus likely made them up to make Jews look tough to the Romans: Elior contends that Josephus, a former Jewish priest who wrote his history while being held captive in Rome, “wanted to explain to the … Continue reading “The Essenes: A Historical Hoax?”
Discovery of Middle Asia Cities Recasts Ancient History LiveScience.com Thu Aug 9, 11:05 AM ET New discoveries at dig sites in Middle Asia are rocking the archaeological world and redefining the origins of modern civilization. Numerous sites in modern-day Iran and the surrounding region suggest that a vast network of societies together constituted the first … Continue reading “New Civilizations Discovered”
One always must be very careful with historical parallels; they are frequently used and abused to score political points.I’ve heard anti-immigration people saying “Rome collapsed ’cause they let in too many illegal aliens who turned on them!” Please! The Roman Empire succeeded because it was so intensely multicultural, not in spite of it. Often the … Continue reading “"Are We Rome?" Part VI: The Final Chapter”
There were many wars between the Romans and the Iraqis / Persians, too many wars to adequately describe here, one time a Roman general even defected to the Parthians and invaded Syria, but suffice it to say, neither side ever gained much territory long-term. The wars continued into the era of the Byzantines vs. the … Continue reading ““Are We Rome?” Part V: The Spoils of Ctesiphon”
Did you know that for nearly 150 years off and on, the Roman Empire fought to conquer Mesopotamia? At the time, the area that is now Iraq, Iran (Persia) and more was ruled by the Parthian Empire. What was the Parthian Empire like, and how did they collide with mighty Rome? The Parthians formed from … Continue reading ““Are We Rome?” Part IV: The First Roman Invasions of Iraq”
American architecture isn’t even subtle in saying that we’re like Rome. The White House The Temple of Hercules Victor in Rome The Washington Monument in DC (left) and Trajan’s Column in Rome (right) U.S. Supreme Court Building Roman Temple of idolatry, built 19-16 BC. Still standing in Southern France. The Colosseum in Rome Los Angeles … Continue reading “"Are We Rome?" Part III: Architecture”
From David Horsey, the Pulitzer-winning cartoonist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Read the rest at Empire Rising: A Satirical History, Part V
“Are We Rome?” the book, by Cullen Murphy If you didn’t catch it, this is the video of Stephen Colbert interviewing Cullen Murphy, author of the new book “Are We Rome?” Stephen comes out in full centurion armor, with an American flag cape, which is hilarious, and the interview is fascinating. It is great someone … Continue reading “"Are We Rome?" Part I: Cullen Murphy”