top of page


Bocchus II, King of Mauretania
Kings of Mauretania, Bocchus II (or early Juba II) ŠMŠ mint Shemesh, circa 49-33 BC, Æ 16.00mm, 3.53 g Obv: Bearded head left,...

sulla80
1 day ago3 min read
10 views


Roman Style : al-Malik al-Salih
This coin struck me as curious - copying 4th century Roman style portraits in the 12th century. Al-Malik al-Ṣāliḥ, was the Zengid emir...

sulla80
May 310 min read
252 views


Pompey the Great
Head of Pompey the Great, 1st century AD, Marble, 41 cm tall, from the Tomb of the Licinii, Via Salaria, currently at the Ny Carlsberg...

sulla80
Apr 267 min read
19 views


Revolt of Aristonikos (133–129 BCE)
In 133 BCE, King Attalos III of Pergamum died without an heir and bequeathed his entire kingdom to Rome. Aristonikos, who claimed to be an illegitimate son of Attalos’ father King Eumenes II, rose to challenge Rome’s takeover. Aristonikos took the dynastic name Eumenes III, presenting himself as the rightful king and rallying support for his cause.

sulla80
Apr 1811 min read
1,123 views


Land of Sheba
The Queen of Sheba: according to the biblical narrative (2 Chronicles 9:1-12; 1 Kings 10:1-13), the Queen of Sheba learns of King Solomon...

sulla80
Apr 174 min read
20 views


Ancient Phoenicia: Dor
Dora, also known as Dor, was an ancient port city on the Phoenician coast (modern Israel), situated north of Caesarea Maritima. It was a...

sulla80
Apr 27 min read
21 views


Quattuorviri Monetales
Suetonius describes how Julius Caesar broke all norms with his return to Rome in 46 BC, after defeating the Pompeians in North Africa. ...

sulla80
Mar 275 min read
12 views


The Founding of Lanuvium
While Lavinium was building, the following omens are said to have appeared to the Trojans. When a fire broke out spontaneously in the ...

sulla80
Mar 214 min read
13 views


Cornelius-Lentulus
Circa 50 BCE, Marcellinus struck coins honoring his ancestor, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, victor over Viridomarus and conqueror of Syracuse..

sulla80
Mar 1510 min read
21 views


A bird in the hand
Antiochus III was defeated by the Romans in two successive defeats, first at Thermopylae and afterward in Magensia and forced to accept ...

sulla80
Mar 73 min read
10 views


A Stater from Kroton
Kroton (aka Croton, which today is modern Crotone in Calabria, Italy) was founded around 710 BC by Achaean Greek settlers, according ...

sulla80
Mar 114 min read
48 views


Sulla Relinquishes the Dictatorship
Juno-Sospita-Antefix (Latium, c.500-480 BC), Altes Museum, Berlin, Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France, used under CC BY 2.0...

sulla80
Feb 226 min read
93 views


Imitative Denarius of the Eravisci
The Eravisci were a Celtic tribe that settled in the region later known as Pannonia, corresponding broadly to parts of modern-day...

sulla80
Feb 202 min read
20 views


Italy and Rome: The World Turned Upside Down
Rome turned against its allies and against itself, redefining the Roman city-state, and paving the way for future upheavals...

sulla80
Feb 1514 min read
471 views


The Syrian Goddess: Atargatis
Hierapolis, located within Cyrrhestica, northern Syria, was a major religious center dedicated to Atargatis, the "Syrian Goddess"...

sulla80
Jan 276 min read
63 views


Sextus Pompey
The Civil War between Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great ended with Pompey's assassination shortly after his defeat...

sulla80
Jan 258 min read
36 views


Petillius and the Capitoline Temple
There is little known about the moneyer of today's coin of interest, Petillius Capitolinus, one of the last moneyers to strike independent..

sulla80
Jan 158 min read
12 views


Galba : First of Four Emperors in 69 AD
Dionysos leading the Horae (Seasons), marble, Roman 1st century AD ( image public domain ) Today's coins of interest are two...

sulla80
Jan 154 min read
51 views


Sulla Portrait Coin
In Melville's Moby Dick, Captain Ahab stands in his boat, harpoon in hand, and in the final moments of his chase of the great white whale...

sulla80
Jan 114 min read
54 views


Saeculum Frugiferum
Clodius Albinus (c. 150–197 CE) was a Roman general and politician who was briefly emperor during the tumultuous Year of Five Emperors...

sulla80
Jan 103 min read
22 views
bottom of page