Year: 2016
Portugal: Santarém
Portugal: Tomar
Boekbespreking: Willem II, graaf van Holland en Roomskoning
Dit boek van E.H.P. Cordfunke uit 2013 draagt als ondertitel “Een zoektocht naar het koningsgraf in Middelburg”. Met de figuur van graaf Willem II en diens begraafplaats in Middelburg komen twee onderwerpen samen waarover ik al eerder heb geschreven: de politieke en militaire daden van deze Hollandse graaf en Roomskoning…
Boekbespreking: Een korte geschiedenis van de Tachtigjarige Oorlog
Het boek Een korte geschiedenis van de Tachtigjarige Oorlog van auteur Roel Tanja uit 2014 leest gemakkelijk weg. In minder dan 200 pagina’s wordt de lezer meegevoerd langs de belangrijkste gebeurtenissen tijdens dit voor Nederland cruciale conflict, dat tegenwoordig overigens vaker en wellicht ook correcter ‘De Opstand’ wordt genoemd. Het…
Thoughts about the Roman Empire
The Principate was the monarchy created by the first Roman emperor, Augustus. Although he presented it to the Senate and People of Rome as a restoration of the Roman Republic, Augustus and his successors held positions of supreme power, ultimately based on control of the army. I have discussed this…
Portugal: Alcobaça
Portugal: Óbidos
Rome: Santa Maria in Cosmedin
The Santa Maria in Cosmedin is a church that is located on the Forum Boarium, Ancient Rome’s cattle market. Just to the north was another forum, the Forum Holitorium, which was a vegetable market. Both forums were obviously very important trading locations in Antiquity. A reconstruction of early Rome from…
Rome: Santa Maria in Trastevere
Roman cavalry
Book review: Antony and Cleopatra
Adrian Goldsworthy (1969) is primarily known for his authoritative publications on the Roman army. A few years ago, he switched to Roman history in general, with a special interest in political history. Since then, Goldsworthy has written a superb biography of Gaius Julius Caesar, Caesar: The Life of a Colossus…
The Imperial Roman army
Although the Roman army had already been transformed from a conscript army into a professional fighting force during the Late Republic, we must credit Augustus with the creation of a professional standing army. In the year 6, he established the aerarium militare, the military treasury from which the soldiers were…
Augustus and the Republic
The Principate After emerging triumphant from the Civil War, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus created a system of government known as the Principate. It was based on the well-known Republican offices and institutions. The younger Caesar did not become dictator for life (dictator perpetuo), like his adoptive father – the Divine…