Ancient World Review

Roman Cavalry Helmet Found In Iron Age Shrine May Prove Britons Fought With Legions

"Constructed of sheet iron, the helmet, once decorated with gold leaf, is the only one to have been found in Britain with its silver gilt plating intact." Source: Telegraph.

"The helmet features scenes of Roman military victory, including the bust of a woman flanked by lions, and a Roman Emperor on horseback with the goddess Victory flying behind and a cowering figure, possibly a native Briton, being trampled under his horse's hooves.

"The object is believed to have been buried in the years around Roman Emperor Claudius's invasion of Britain in AD43." More here.

Tomb Of The Scipios Reopens To Public

"The Roman tomb of the Scipioni, a family of war heroes and generals, the most famous being Scipio Africanus, who beat Hannibal, is set to open to the public again after twenty years of restoration." Source: Vancouver Sun.

"The family’s sarcophagi are spread out along a series of underground tunnels dug out of a hill of volcanic tuff near the Baths of Caracalla on the outskirts of the eternal city, which criss-cross a site 11 metres across.

"The tomb, which originally lay under a temple, was built at the beginning of the third century A.D by the consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbato, whose elegant sarcophagus holds pride of place at the end of the central gallery.

"The Scipio family held high political and military positions, but its most famous member, Scipio Africanus, is absent from the tomb."

The Ancient Mediterranean Trireme

Reconstruction of the Greek Trireme Olympias

Movie Review: The True Story Of Alexander The Great from the History Channel

The story of Alexander the Great is one of the most exotic adventures to come down from the ancient world, mostly because of its sheer scale and the larger than life, quasi-mythical personality of Alexander himself.

Alexander's conquest of Asia took him across the Hellespont, past the ruins of Troy through western Asia into Egypt and then on to Babylon and the Hindu Kush. He fought through the Punjab to the outer ocean, traveling on foot and by ship--a fantastic journey into the unknown.

Alexander's army fought Indian war elephants, massive Persian armies and laid siege to the fortified island of Tyre, building a mole across a half-mile of water in the face of fire ships and relentless attacks. His forces marched through almost every kind of climate--deserts, jungles, mountains--creating the largest empire ever seen, an empire that quickly disintegrated when Alexander died at thirty-two, the victim of war wounds and disease (or he was murdered--take your pick).

Armored Indian Elephant (Part One)

Part One of a great two-part video on the first battle tank--the armored Indian elephant.