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openantiquities.org
Open Antiquities is a forthcoming online library and research resource for the ancient and medieval Mediterranean world https://www.openantiquities.org
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Fun facts about antiquity make easy & popular content on social media, even when they're not true. This "Medusa from Hadrian's villa at Tivoli"? Hadrian definitely never saw it, because it isn't ancient. Sadly, there is almost no info online about this sculpture that isn't repeated clickbait lies

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

Well, looks like Apple uses Julian Day Numbers to store their datetimes. A value of zero in the JDN epoch system is 12pm on 1 January 4713BCE, using a proleptic Julian calendar. Pretty useful if you want to record Ea-nāṣir's birthday in your calendar.

submitted 59 days ago • 1 comment

Throughout Late Antiquity Roman cities became increasingly vulnerable to attack. As a result many cities built walls and defences, and often hastily reused existing structures in their new defensive works, such as C. Cestius' pyramid tomb in Rome, or (ironically) Severus' victory arch at Ammaedara.

submitted 103 days ago • 1 comment

In February 2025 the public beta of Open Antiquities will go live! Launch features will include a multi-edition parallel text reader, digital museum, research assistance tools, and (optional) user accounts and public discussions. Additional features will follow afterwards.

submitted 104 days ago • 0 comments

During his long reign, Justinian fought many enemies: insurgent mobs, Vandals, Goths, Lombards, Franks, Persians, Slavs, his own paranoia, pandemic plague, and so on. Perhaps his most unusual enemy was a whale, named Porphyrios, who terrorised the waters around Constantinople for decades.

submitted 105 days ago • 1 comment

The Basilica of San Lorenzo in Milan was built in Late Antiquity, and like many churches of the era it was richly decorated with mosaics. San Lorenzo's mosaics stand out for an unusual reason though - damage and neglect have exposed the ancient artists' original underdrawings

submitted 198 days ago • 0 comments

Theodoric, Gothic king of Italy, built Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna & decorated it with mosaics, incl. one showing the king and court in front of the palace. After Emperor Justinian's conquest of Italy, the Gothic king & court were erased from the mosaics, all except for a few disembodied hands

submitted 217 days ago • 0 comments

In the coming months Open Antiquities - a new library and research resource for the ancient and medieval Mediterranean - will launch. Updates and further information to follow.

submitted 218 days ago • 0 comments