Roman

Bust of Emperor Alexander Severus

The Library Ancient Rome in crisis

Toilet-2-9b8ba05

Roman toilet seat discovered near Hadrian’s Wall

Gaius Caligula

5 facts about Caligula

A detail of a fresco of Hannibal riding his elephant. It is estimated he took as many as 40 elephants when he marched an army across the Alps and into northern Italy. (Photo by Photo12/UIG/Getty Images)

Q&A How many elephants did Hannibal take over the Alps?

King Alfred The Great's statue designed by Hamo Thornycroft and erected in 1899 stands at the eastern end of the Broadway in Winchester, Hampshire, England. (Photo by Tony Baggett/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Q&A How many English kings were known as ‘the Great’?

Relief of a charioteer

Q&A Who was the highest-paid sportsman in history?

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Delphi and the Spanish empire . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A mosaic depicting the poet Virgil writing the Aeneid. (Photo By DEA / G. DAGLI ORTI/De Agostini/Getty Images)

How to succeed in Ancient Rome

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Q&A Where does the name ‘London’ come from?

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Roman slavery and the man who started the First World War . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Illustration of the Zodiac Man

General ancient history

Q&A Why did physicians ‘bleed’ their patients?

Picture of the last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus

Q&A What happened to the last emperor of Rome?

Rubicon

Q&A What does it mean to 'cross the Rubicon'?

Photo of a bishop's mitre

Q&A Why are bishops called Pontiffs?

1,138: The number of London children recorded as dying of “teeth” in 1685. (Illustration: James Albon for BBC History Magazine)

History’s most surprising statistics