Among the many things that the Romans have left us no less important is the calendar with the names of the months, days and seasons. To understand the logic and coherence of the names “september= September; october= October; november= November and december= December,” which etymologically means “seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth” we must know that the primitive Roman year had ten months and began in March.
If you want love, do not make war
Love and war seem incompatible, at least for Greek women
Mare clausum (the sea is closed)
We are witnessing these days of autumn inhumane spectacle of dozens, hundreds of shipwrecked, Subsharian generally, on European shores of the Mediterranean. Attracted by the European welfare, these people are thrown into a sea always dangerous to reach the coast of an alleged near paradise.
The fascinating source of the word “fascinating”
Sometimes we are “fascinated”, attracted, impressed, or touched (touché in French) to find out the origin of a word, as if as we removed the curtain we could look at what was behind or buried in the deepest part of valley. That is the strength of the etymology of the words, the knowledge of which provides us basic information on which their later extended meaning sits.
We continue to be governed by the calendar of Julius Caesar
The calendar is a necessary tool to organize time in relation to agricultural activities, to religious obligations and to social and civil life.
Androcles and the grateful Lion
Androcles and the Lion is a famous story that has enchanted the interest of many people from antiquity to the present day.
The ox as a monetary standard
At some point in the hominids’ evolution must appear the goods exchange or barter. This so simple and straightforward system can be used even today for exceptional trade operations, but certainly it would be very cumbersome for the development of an economy with large trade or huge commercial exchanges. It was necessary then to find a valuation system based on a pattern or unit. That is, it was necessary to invent the money, the coins and the currency and this happened in the Bronze Age, in the second millennium BC.
Beati hispani quibus vivere est bibere. Lucky the Spaniards, for whom living is drinking
“Lucky the Spaniards, for whom living is drinking” – A reference to the Spanish pronunciation of the Latin, in which “v” (“vivere”) was pronounced as “b” (“bibere”).
What is an epigram?
The word comes from the Latin epigramma, and this from the Greek ἐπίγραμμα (from ἐπί = on and γραμμα =, writing, letter), which means “inscription”. Its etymology refers to burial or votive inscriptions on stone or other material, naturally short
is very difficult to refute the errors
It is very difficult to combat the rumors, especially if malicious. So today, but also in antiquity. We discuss a case that historians and the ancient chronicles collected because it affect Julius Caesar.