A recent find from archeologists of a fresco in Pompei illustrating what looks very similar to a pizza as well as slices of red round-shaped foodstuff in a plate has prompted some to ask me if Roman emperors consumed tomatoes, or pizza for that matter. Considering the omnipresence of the tomato in today’s Mediterranean diets and Italy’s love affair with the fruit (yes, it is officially a fruit), one could be tempted to believe that this is the case. But it is not. During Roman times, the tomato did not exist in Europe, Asia nor Africa. So, no tomatoes, no pizza for Augustus nor Attila. In fact, the tomato was introduced in Europe by Spanish explorers coming back from the Americas in the early 1520s. This Brief Response talk will discuss the tomato’s journey from the jungles of Mesoamerica to the tables of Rome.
Mario Bartolini is a retired political analyst and officer in the Canadian army reserve, with a long-held interest in Roman military history. He has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in political history from the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada, and a second master’s degree in war studies, obtained at the Royal Military College of Canada. He lives in Ottawa. He is the author of Roman Emperors: A Guide to the Men Who Ruled the Empire
There is a large body of maps of the Americas which cannot be explained by known explorations. Mercator’s 1569 World Map shows all of Greenland without ice at its coasts. Finaeus’ 1531 World Map shows Antarctica without coastal ice, all Greenland without coastal ice and an ancient shoreline of Hudson Bay. No 16th-century explorer could have reached Antarctica and Northern Greenland during this time period, much less have seen them ice free at their coasts.
Les Trager is a retired lawyer with an interest in 13th to 17th European Maps which cannot be explained by European scientific knowledge for that time period or by known European explorations. He is a member of the New York Map Society, Washington Map Society and the Explorers Club. He is the author of Ancient Explorers and Their Amazing Maps
The results of geophysical scanning has just revealed a system of caves and passageways underneath the Mitla archaeological site, considered by the ancient Zapotecs to be an entrance to the Underworld, or Lyobaa. Additionally, the study has revealed evidence of an earlier construction stage of the Palace of the Columns, Mitla’s most important and best preserved ancient monument, as well as several other geophysical anomalies that may be interpreted as tombs or buried archaeological structures.
Dr Marco M. Vigato is an independent researcher into ancient mysteries and megalithic civilizations. He holds an MBA from Harvard University and a B.A. and M.Sc. from Bocconi University. Funding for this project was provided by the Association for Archaeological Research and Exploration, ARX Project A.C., with the contribution of over 60 independent donors that participated in our crowdfunding campaign. Visit www.arxproject.org
The world has just recovered from the Covid 19 pandemic in a reasonably short time span. The Romans were not so lucky. In 165 – 180 BC, for 15 years the Antonine Plague killed 10 percent of the Roman Empire’s population. Although caused by a virus, the Romans believed it to be a punishment for Roman soldiers who has desecrated a temple. Then from 251 to 270 AD raging for about 20 years, the Cyprian Plague decimated the population, with estimates of ,000 people dying per day in Rome, but the worst was to come with the Justinian Plague, although a shorter time span from 541 to 549 Ad, it was estimated 10,000 people per day died in Constantinople.
Mario Bartolini has a master’s degree in political history from the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada, and a second master’s degree in war studies, obtained at the Royal Military College of Canada. He is the author of Roman Emperors: A Guide to the Men Who Ruled the Empire
The British Coronation is a ceremony of three consecrations in one. First is the Germanic tradition confirming that the King is elected, then follows the most sacred part when the king is shielded - the Anointment, which is a Jewish tradition referring back to the anointment of King Solomon. The Old Testament text of’ Zadok the Priest’ was used during the coronation of Anglo-Saxon king Edgar dating to 973. It is now set to music by Handel. The last part is the actual crowning. The original crown was melted down in 1649 after the execution of King Charles I. The crown used now only for the crowning is St. Edward's crown. Thereafter the King wears the Imperial State Crown.
Dr Michael Arnheim is a Barrister at Law, Sometime Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge. He was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1988 and is a Barrister at Law in Britain. He is a former Head of Department and Professor in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Witwatersrand, SA. He is author of 23 published books to date including Why Rome Fell, Decline and Fall, or Drift and Change
