Digging Ancient Rome: Resources

The following lists of books and websites include a number of resources which may be useful both to instructors and to students who wish to learn more about the classical history of the ancient mediterranean world. They are intented only as a starting point but we feel that each of these resources adds value to the story of ancient Thessalonika.

Check back often, this list will continue to grow and, of course, if you have additional items that have worked well in your programs or that you believe should be included please email us.

Books for Young People

Ancient Greece
Ancient Rome
DK Eyewitness Books. Well laid out, illustrated history books designed for ages 9-12.

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
Edith Hamilton: An excellent introductory primer on Greek and Roman mythology.

Daily Life in Ancient Greece
Stewart Ross & Adam Hook: A wonderful book for young people, uses fictional narratives and illustrations to transport the reader into everyday lives in ancient Greece

Life in Ancient Rome
 Kingfisher Books: Tales of battles, myths and adventures in ancient Rome.

Ancient Rome: History of a Civilization That Ruled the World
Timothy R. Roberts: Intended more for teens but suitable for advanced preteens this is an excellent survey history of all aspects of ancient Roman life.

Reference Books

The Oxford History of the Roman World
John Boardman, Jasper Griffin, Oswyn Murray (Editors). Written by a team of specialist scholars, this book traces the rise of Rome from its origins as a cluster of villages to the foundation of the Empire and its consolidation in the first two centuries AD. It includes chapters on social and political history, the Emperors, art and architecture, and the works of the leading Roman poets, historians, and philosophers.

The Oxford History of Greece & the Hellenistic World
John Boardman, Jasper Griffin, Oswyn Murray (Editors). From the same publisher and editors as the above book, this covers the period from the eighth century BC, which witnessed the emergence of the Greek city-states, to the conquests of Alexander the Great and the establishment of the Greek monarchies some five centuries later. Chapters dealing with political and social history are interspersed with chapters on philosophy and the arts, including Homer and on Greek myth

Suetonius: The Twelve Caesars
Translation by Robert Graves:...Writen in the early second century and translated by the British poet and novelist Robert Graves, this book provides the modern reader with a glimpse into the politics and lives of the early emperors of Rome. Highly readable and entertaining.

The Encyclopedia of Mythology
eric Flaum. A beautifully illustrated coffee table book which catalogues the gods, heroes and monsters of Greek and Roman mythology.

The works of our adviser David R. Sear are too numerous to mention in this list but taken together they provide the single best reource. available on Greek and Roman coin age David's complete catalogue can be found at: www.davidrsear.com/books.html

Useful Websites

www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks
www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans
Two informative microsites produced by the BBC with a wide variety of content and interactive activities.

www.romereborn.virginia.edu
A multi-university collaborative project to create a 'virtual reality' picture of Rome as it looked in the fourth century AD.

www.coinarchives.com
A searcheable repository of coins sold in major numismatic auctions. A great site for viewing the variety of ancient coins.

www.wildwinds.com
A very comprehensive online resource for attributing Greek and Roman coins. Includes a searchable database for legends and partial legends.

 Facts & Trivia

Some short pieces of information provided to assist Program Instructors.

The 'Eid Mar' Denarius


The Eid Mar is one of the most famous and rare ancient Roman Coins. It was issued by Brutus to celebrate the freeing of the republic from Caesar's tyranny. The reverse showed two daggers flanking a pileus (or cap of freedom). Only about two gold and around 60 of the silver edition of this coin are known to exist. A silver Eid Mar in good condition recently sold at auction for $120,000! (Replicas are available as part of the Thessalonika program for a lot less.)



The Original Olympics

Everyone knows the Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece but few people realize that they were probably begun around 770 BC, long before what we know as Classical Greek society was born. They ceased to be held shortly after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The Olympic Games were seen as a pagan festival and in discord with Christian ethics, and in 393 AD the emperor Theodosius the First outlawed the Olympics.



Caesar could multi-task

Julius Caesar would often dictate books, letters, official despatches and even poetry to up to four clerks simultaneously.



Telling Time in Ancient Rome

Ancient Romans had two methods of telling time: sundials and the water clocks. The water clock usually took the form of a dish into which water dripped at a steady rate with markings along the side to indicate how much time had passed. The Roman day had 12 hours and the night had 12 hours. Noon was always the sixth hour of the day, and midnight the sixth hour of the night, no matter what the season, or the fact that the length of hours changed according to the time of year. Most people of Rome rose with the sun and went to bed shortly after it set.

© History in Hand, 2007 - Programs in Archaeology for Students.