You are a #Roman soldier born in province of Dalmatia (modern-day #Croatia). Most of your life you've spent on the Adriatic coast, in the warm Mediterranean climate. It is a paradise on Earth. And it is the heartland of the mighty #RomanEmpire.
Your life is about to change... /1
Then, your emperor, great #Hadrian, commands you and your unit to move. Not to the East, where you could still enjoy all benefits of civilization. Or to Africa, also a place to be.
No, Hadrian dispatches you to the ends of the known world. To the cold and hostile Brittania /2
Precisely, you and your unit are sent to man the furthermost part of the northern frontier. To the Hadrian wall, which is nearing its completion. In the following decade, you will guard this remote outpost against the barbarian threat. /3
This is more than a story. It is exactly what happened to the detachment of the Cohors IV Delmatarum from the #Dalmatian coast. Their destination was fort Mediobogdum, located on the western side of the Hardknott Pass in the county of Cumbria. /4
Built between 120 and 138 AD, the fort was briefly abandoned during the Antonine advance into Scotland during the mid-2nd century. It was reoccupied around 200 and continued in use until the last years of the 4th century. /5
One of the most remote and dramatically sited Roman forts in #Britain, the small, three-acre fort at Hardknott enjoyed command of the Eskdale Valley and the Roman road to Ravenglass. /6
And how do we know the story? Well, the Dalmatian soldiers left an inscription in the fort, which survived (in fragments) to the present day, a witness of a fascinating journey from ancient #history. /7
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On August 2, 216 BC, the largest Roman army ever assembled gathered near the ancient town of Cannae. Rome was determined to teach the Punic upstart a lesson.
Instead, at Cannae, #Hannibal Barca painted the battlefield red with Roman blood.
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By the early second century BC, Roman expansion in the Western Mediterranean encountered an obstacle - the maritime power of #Carthage. Romans, however, managed not only to build the fleet (in a remarkably short time).
They also defeated Carthage, taking control of the seas. /1
Carthage was defeated and humiliated but not beaten. In fact, the son of one of Carthaginian leading commanders in the First Punic War - Hamilcar Barca - famously swore to enmity for Rome as a child.
Hannibal stayed faithful to his words, and in 218 BC attacked Rome in Spain. /2
He was the Roman emperor who killed his brother. He spent more time in a military camp than in the capital. And he died en route to Persia, where he planned to gain glory for Rome and himself.
He was Caracalla. But not one from #Gladiator2. He was a soldier-emperor.
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Caracalla was one of the two sons of Septimius Severus, a highly competent Roman emperor, who emerged as the winner of the bloody civil war following Commodus’ death
“Caracalla” was a nickname derived from the Gallic hooded tunic that he habitually wore and made fashionable. /1
His nickname also encapsulates Caracalla's character. To bolster the emperor's position, Septimius Severus militarized the imperial dynasty.
Aware of the power of the Roman legions, Severus made it clear that the army was the basis of his power. /2
So you want to be a Roman legionary? A highly disciplined, trained, and organized member of the famed Roman legion. One of the most renowned ancient militaries.
It is an arduous path, carrying many dangers, but also great benefits. So let's enroll, shall we?
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Before joining the legion, the recruit underwent a rigorous, hard-core training. While the Roman legion was a massive unit - comprising around 5,000 men, the legion was as strong as its smallest part - a legionary. /1
Key recruitment roles belonged to military physicians who evaluated the candidates' health and the weapons instructors who taught the recruits to fight. The physicians and the instructors were part of the "immunes," exempt (or immune) from regular duties, and also better paid. /2
If you visit the Venetian Arsenal, you can see an imposing statue of a lion.
The lion, made of white marble, stands some 3 m high. But this statue has a fascinating history and an even more fascinating secret
To start with, The Lion of Piraeus comes from Greece...
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The ancient Lion of Piraeus, was originally sculpted ca. 360 BC. It was located in the Athens port city of Piraeus, until 1687, when it was brought to Venice.
However, if you look carefully, you can see another layer, giving insight into always wonderful #Byzantine Empire /1
Here is where things start to get interesting. Looking closely, you can see that the lion has scratches on his skin. If you look closer, the scratchings turn out to be runes!
Runes left by the Northmen in the Roman employ, the famed Varnagians, the emperor's bodyguards! /3
#OTD In 1204, Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire, fell to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade.
The Empire never recovered from such a blow.
But how did it come to this? What led to this unspeakable betrayal.
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Following the chain of disasters at the end of the 11th century, the emperors of the Komnenian dynasty managed to restore the #RomanEmpire fortunes. It was not an easy task. To expel the Seljuks from Anatolia, emperor Alexios I had to ask for help from the West... /1
Alexios, who fought the Normans early in his reign, recognized the value of the western knights. A small number of well-trained and armoured cavalrymen could make a difference in fighting Seljuks, or so the emperor thought... /2
As a huge #Tolkien fan, I am amazed at how many artists brought his Middle Earth to life.
Alan Lee, Ted Nasmith, Marc Simonetti, and even the Queen of Denmark!
But my favourite is Denis Gordeev, a Russian who made Tolkien's characters and world truly medieval (and real).
Just look at the vibrant world and colourful costumes of the Gordeev medieval #LOTR characters. We should remember the Middle Ages were a far cry from Holywood's drab and grey world.
Filled with colours, like in this scene of Aragorn's coronation. A crown for the king! /1
Or look at the chaos of the Fall of Gondolin (Gordeev illustrated all Tolkien's books), with wrym employed as a sort of siege weapon while Turgon is wearing full battle regalia. Majestic, isn't it? /2