One of the most dynamic heroes of the Trojan Cycle is Aeneas, whose depiction can be found throughout Italy before Rome usurped him as a national icon.

The early history of Rome is dominated by its rivalry with the Etruscan city of Veii, just up the Tiber. Until now, Anglophone readers had few resources to explore the latter’s story.

A well-known legend of early Rome describes Horatius Cocles almost single-handedly defending a bridge against Etruscan aggressors.

Stories about people who run away usually focus on their adventures. But Lucian provides us with a view from the home front when a young person takes an unexpected trip.

Stories from antiquity have inspired later writers for many hundreds of years. For one of the hundred tales in the Decameron, Boccaccio looked to the ancient novelist Apuleius for inspiration.

Special guest Lieve Donnellan joins the regular team to talk about networks in the ancient Mediteranean, with special reference to Cyprian Broodbanks’ book, The Making of the Middle Sea.

A small, but richly decorated house in Herculaneum, features a mosaic depicting the sea-god Neptune and his wife.

Marcus Tullius Cicero was a famous politician and lawyer, whose life was cut short when he was killed at the order of Mark Antony.

One of many beautiful mosaics from a large Roman villa near Piazza Armerina, Sicily, features girls dressed in what look like bikinis.

Any book that attempts to understand Early Rome is fraught with difficulty; some sink while others float. Thomas Dynneson’s work may be found somewhere in between.