The Third Macedonian War: The Year 171 BCE

Summary Rome declares war on Macedonia; start of the Third Macedonian War; A conflict regarding the recruitment of centurions is resolved through an intervention by the veteran Spurius Ligustinus; The Boeotian League is dissolved, but some former members decide to support King Perseus; Quintus Marcius Philippus is criticised by senior…

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The Third Macedonian War: The Year 170 BCE

Summary Publius Licinius Crassus sacks Koroneia, for which he is severely reprimanded; Some of the Epirotes defect to Perseus; The new consul Aulus Hostilius Mancinus is almost captured en route to Thessaly; Mancinus fails to force his way into Macedonia with his army; Mancinus sends a diplomatic delegation through all…

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The Third Macedonian War: The Year 168 BCE

Summary The Illyrian king Genthios defects to Perseus for 300 talents, although only 10 are actually paid; A Macedonian fleet surprises a Pergamenian transport fleet taking Galatian auxiliary horsemen to Greece; The praetor Lucius Anicius Gallus defeats and captures Genthios, ending the war in Illyria within the month; The consul…

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Policeman of the Mediterranean: The Years 159-154 BCE

Summary The consul Marcus Fulvius Nobilior defeats the Ligurian Eleates and is awarded a triumph (159 BCE); Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica and Marcus Popilius Laenas are elected censors (159 BCE); The Senate twice refuses to release the 1.000 Achaean hostages (159 and 155 BCE); The Romans for the moment decide…

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Lusitanian and Celtiberian Wars: The Year 152 BCE

Summary Death of the pontifex maximus and princeps senatus Marcus Aemilius Lepidus; The praetor Marcus Atilius Serranus defeats the Lusitanians and captures the city of Oxthraca; The consul Marcus Claudius Marcellus recaptures Ocilis and orders the Arevaci, Belli and Titti to send envoys to Rome to ask for peace; Marcellus…

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Lusitanian and Celtiberian Wars: The Year 151 BCE

Summary The Senate decides to continue the war against the Celtiberians, but there are serious problems with the levy of soldiers; The consuls are arrested by people’s tribunes who had been unable to obtain exemption from military service for their friends; Scipio Aemilianus volunteers to fight in Spain; Marcus Claudius…

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Veneto: Asolo

Ah, Asolo! This lovely little town in the foothills of the Dolomites was high on our list during our most recent summer holiday in Italy. And yet for some reason we kept procrastinating visiting it until the very last day of that holiday. We were certainly not disappointed when we…

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Rome: Ara Pacis Augustae

The Ara Pacis Augustae – the Altar of Augustan Peace – is what one could call a monument in the wrong place. The large open-air altar is not in its original position. It can now be found next to the remains of the gigantic circular Mausoleum of Augustus, but it…

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