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partialhistorians.bsky.social
The Partial Historians 🏺
@partialhistorians.bsky.social
5.3K followers 3.1K following 2.1K posts
After surviving exposure at birth, these unconventional academics realised they were destined to found the greatest Ancient Roman History podcast! 🏛📯⚔️

📘‘Your Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire’ is out now! https://linktr.ee/ThePartialHistorians
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partialhistorians.bsky.social
Here’s Bellerophon in all his heroism!

This #MosaicMonday we recognise the glorious artistry of this second century CE mosaic that depicts Bellerophon riding Pegasus while killing the Chimera.
Description from Wikipedia: “The Bellerophon Mosaic is a 2nd century AD ancient Roman mosaic, discovered at Autun in 1830 and now in the musée Rolin. It shows Bellerophon mounted on Pegasus killing the Chimera.”
November 10, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Reposted by The Partial Historians 🏺
partialhistorians.bsky.social
This #FrescoFriday we travel to the tomb of Gaius Vestorius Priscus, Pompeii.

This scene is part the inner west wall of the tomb and depicts gladiators squaring off. It seems reasonable to suppose this fresco captures a fight held in honour of the departed Gaius Vestorius Priscus.
Two gladiators are depicted against a red background. The one to the right is sitting on their shield and seems to be at the mercy of the fighter standing to the left.
November 7, 2025 at 7:41 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
This #FrescoFriday we travel to the tomb of Gaius Vestorius Priscus, Pompeii.

This scene is part the inner west wall of the tomb and depicts gladiators squaring off. It seems reasonable to suppose this fresco captures a fight held in honour of the departed Gaius Vestorius Priscus.
Two gladiators are depicted against a red background. The one to the right is sitting on their shield and seems to be at the mercy of the fighter standing to the left.
November 7, 2025 at 7:41 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
✨New Episode - The Gallic Sack of Rome - Part 1✨

We’re about to embark on a stunning period of Rome’s history in the middle Republic. We begin with some of the important details from the latter part of 391 BCE which will have flow on effects for 390 BCE!

#AncientRome #Podcast
Évariste-Vital Luminais ‘Fight between Romans and Gauls’. A nineteenth century imagining of the Gauls and Romans facing off. This is not a painting for historical accuracy, but more for mood!
November 6, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by The Partial Historians 🏺
drtobydriver.bsky.social
The only reason to be on #AncientBluesky it's #HillfortsWednesday 🥳🍻

Lou Barker facing the majestic cliff castle of Gurnard's Head, west Penwith, #Cornwall. The far end is crowded with houses & dominated by a towering outcrop ⛰️😮

In the care of @nattrustarch.bsky.social

📷 Yesterday
A figure photographs a rocky headland in a storm
November 5, 2025 at 6:58 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
This #ReliefWednesday we celebrate Hecate, the goddess of the crossroads and transitions.

This is a votive relief to Hecate and the inscription warns against defacement of the place where the relief was located. Presumably the relief was originally located in a sanctuary to the goddess.
Description from the Kunsthistorisches Museum: “As guardian of places of transition, statues were erected in her honor, often depicting her with a tripartite body, which could multiply her power. This is also how she is portrayed here in the relief: above the lower body with its long, folded garment, the multiple forms are clearly visible: a total of six arms and three (now partially damaged) heads can be discerned.“
November 5, 2025 at 7:49 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
Watch this space! There’s a brand new episode coming your way later this week. Could the Romans be anymore entangled with the Gauls? Of course they could!

#AncientRome
Dr Rad and Dr G just hanging out by the local temple in their very best Roman off-the-rack costumes. Who doesn’t love a dip dye?
November 4, 2025 at 9:50 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
✨Caracalla’s athletes✨

Among the decorations of the Baths of Caracalla is s sequence of mosaics depicting athletes. The fascination with the bodily prowess of the athlete comes to the fore in such moments. Today these mosaics are held in the Musei Vaticani collections.

#MosaicMonday
In this image the athlete is named as Jovinus Salumnus. He is nude as befits a wrestler in competition. He holds a palm leaf in one hand and a wreath/crown in the other. His stance is contrapposto.
November 3, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Reposted by The Partial Historians 🏺
rogueclassicist.bsky.social
Why the Parthenon Sculptures Belong in Athens –
greekcitytimes.com/2025/11/02/w...
greekcitytimes.com
November 2, 2025 at 6:34 PM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
🎃 Happy Halloween 🎃

May the spirits be settled and placated and the night sit lightly upon you. This blackbird is our pick for #FrescoFriday and #Halloween
From Pompeii, the blackbird perches on the handle of a beautiful urn against a green backdrop.
October 31, 2025 at 7:15 PM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
Is it even podcasting about ancient Rome if there hasn’t been any swordplay or silly shenanigans?

#AncientRome #History
Throwback to Dr G and Dr Rad just playing around with some replica swords after a recording session! Throwback to Dr G and Dr Rad just playing around with some replica swords after a recording session!
October 30, 2025 at 7:29 AM
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partialhistorians.bsky.social
✨The Eleusinian Mysteries✨

Demeter and Persephone flank a young youth thought to be Triptolemos. This beautiful Augustan era rendition based on a Greek relief is our pick for #ReliefWednesday and #ClassicsTober25.
Description from the Met: “Demeter, the goddess of agricultural abundance, stands at the left holding a sceptre. At the right is Persephone, her daughter and the wife of Hades, the god of the underworld. Each goddess extends her right hand toward a nude youth. The boy is thought to be Triptolemos, who was sent by Demeter to teach men how to cultivate grain. The original marble relief was found at the sanctuary of Demeter at Eleusis, the site of the Eleusinian mysteries, a secret cult that was famous throughout antiquity. The original Greek work and a number of Roman copies survive. Here the ten Roman fragments are embedded in a cast of the Greek relief.“
October 29, 2025 at 7:21 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
✨The Eleusinian Mysteries✨

Demeter and Persephone flank a young youth thought to be Triptolemos. This beautiful Augustan era rendition based on a Greek relief is our pick for #ReliefWednesday and #ClassicsTober25.
Description from the Met: “Demeter, the goddess of agricultural abundance, stands at the left holding a sceptre. At the right is Persephone, her daughter and the wife of Hades, the god of the underworld. Each goddess extends her right hand toward a nude youth. The boy is thought to be Triptolemos, who was sent by Demeter to teach men how to cultivate grain. The original marble relief was found at the sanctuary of Demeter at Eleusis, the site of the Eleusinian mysteries, a secret cult that was famous throughout antiquity. The original Greek work and a number of Roman copies survive. Here the ten Roman fragments are embedded in a cast of the Greek relief.“
October 29, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Reposted by The Partial Historians 🏺
greekmythcomix.bsky.social
#ClassicsTober25 27: ERINYES
Drawing of the Erinyes by Greek Myth Comix. Text: ‘The Furies pursue those whom have committed murder and act as agents of Fate t exactly revenge.’ A poster about the agates and other agents of Fate like the Erinyes, by Greek Myth Comix
October 27, 2025 at 8:21 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
Detail from the gladiator mosaics housed in the Villa Borghese.

This #MosaicMonday we bear witness to the gruelling stakes of the arena where death was always a possibility.
The Gladiator Mosaic is a famous set of five large mosaics of gladiators and venators and two smaller ones. The mosaics are dated to the first half of the 4th century CE. In the centre of the action a secutor seems poised to offer the downed retiarius a final blow but the retiarius named Astius also carries the sign of death, so perhaps one more blow is unnecessary.
October 27, 2025 at 8:05 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
✨We are in a documentary - and
it's out now! ✨

We’re part of the National Geographic documentary, “Gladiators: Warriors of the Ancient World”! Each episode explores the world of the arena by focusing on the story of a particular gladiator, like SPARTACUS! Catch it if you can 🥳

#AncientRome
Image is a promotional poster for ‘Gladiators: Warriors of the Ancient World’ by National Geographic. The poster shows a gladiator helmet in the sands of the arena with the documentary title in capital letters above it.
October 26, 2025 at 6:53 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
‼️Riot in Pompeii ‼️

This #FrescoFriday we travel to Pompeii to bear witness to the riot that broke out in 59 CE during the games. This scene shows the arena of Pompeii and fighting breaking out into the surrounding streets.
Description from World History Encyclopaedia: “Fourth Style fresco depicting a riot that broke out in Pompeii in 59 CE during games held in the arena involving Pompeians and inhabitants of Nuceria. The fresco was found in the house of Actius Anicetus in Pompeii.” Now held in the MAN Napoli.
October 24, 2025 at 10:55 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
✨Something exciting is coming✨

We’ve been podcasting together for many years, revelling in our love for the ancient world, and poking fun at those Romans along the way. But our expertise as scholars is in main two topics - the Vestals and Spartacus.
The image is of Dr G and Dr Rad smiling together.
October 23, 2025 at 6:14 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
✨Gladiator Season✨

This #ReliefWednesday we celebrate those who gave their lives (many unwillingly) over to the fighting in the many arenas of the Roman world.

This fragment is part of a commemorative relief depicting the victory of a secutor against a retiarius called Improbus.

#AncientRome
The relief shows two registers of action. In the top register shows a secutor on the left standing triumphantly over a fallen retiarius opponent. The name of the fallen ‘Improbus’ is written underneath him. A third gladiator figure can be glimpsed at the farthest right. In the lower register another secutor (or the same?) can be seem advancing upon an opponent but the detail of the opponent is lost. This piece dates to the 3rd century CE and is held by the National Museum of Rome, Baths of Diocletian. Photo credit to Carole Raddato.
October 22, 2025 at 7:14 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
Sometimes #MosaicMonday is just a reminder that it’s Monday! At least this figure, often identified as the personification of Spring, seems less than happy about the situation… Hopefully your own Monday is going better ☺️

#AncientRome
Description from The Met: “At its center is a panel (emblema) with the bust of a woman, decked out with a wreath of flowers around her head and a floral garland over her left shoulder. Traditionally identified as Spring, the figure is probably the representation of a more generic personification of abundance and good living, well suited to the luxurious atmosphere created at Daphne by its rich patrons.”
October 20, 2025 at 7:33 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
🌿Villa of Livia🌷 is our pick for #FrescoFriday.

Now housed in the Palazzo Massimo, this extraordinary fresco shows all kinds of plants in bloom or with fruit at the peak of ripeness. Birds can be seen amongst the foliage like in this detail.

#AncientRome
Image: a white bird is partially obscured by a bush. There’s a glimpse of orange fruit overhead and plenty of red and pink flowers in the foreground.
October 17, 2025 at 7:47 AM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
✨Special Episode - The Emergence of Rome with Dr Francesca Fulminante✨

Fulminante’s work on the transportation networks that shaped Central Italy in the Bronze Age lends insights into the rise of Rome in the Archaic Period. How did Rome emerge to become the top dog? Let’s find out!
Image of the book cover ‘The Rise of Early Rome: Transportation Networks and Domination in Central Italy 1050–500 BC’ by Francesca Fulminante. Additional text reads ‘Special Episode - The Emergence of Rome with Dr Francesca Fulminante’.
October 16, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Reposted by The Partial Historians 🏺
melissannbee.bsky.social
Extremely excited to have Debby Sneed (@debscavator.bsky.social) here at UMBC today as part of our Ancient Studies Week, giving a talk on "Disability and the Ideal in Archaic Greek Art" dreshercenter.umbc.edu/humanities-f...
Ancient Studies Week Lecture with Dr. Debby Sneed, CSU Long Beach
Part of the Fall 2025 Humanities Forum Location Library and Gallery, Albin O. Kuhn Date & Time October 15, 2025, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm Description Watch this event live on YouTubeThe Department of Ancient...
dreshercenter.umbc.edu
October 15, 2025 at 4:33 PM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
Enter the mid-week in style with The Dance of the Maenads for #ReliefWednesday

This relief of a maenad is a Roman reimagining of an Athenian relief from the late C5th BCE. The flowing lines of the gown and the elegance of the pose are just exquisite!

#AncientRome #AncientGreece
Description from the Museo Nacional del Prado: “The relief shows ons of Dionysus’ followers who, on account of their unrestrained dance, were called Maenads. Wearing almost transparent dresses and jewels, the figure might represent a woman who took part in rites under the appearance of mythical Maenads. Copied many times on marble plaques and vessels, the original reliefs are traditionally attributed to Callimachus (ca. 410-400 B.C.).”
October 15, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Reposted by The Partial Historians 🏺
ullamr.bsky.social
@classicstober.bsky.social Day 24 of #ClassicsTober25: Cocytus or Kokytos is the river of wailing in the underworld in Greek mythology. Cocytus flows into the river Acheron, on the other side of which lies Hades, the underworld, the mythological resting place of the dead. #ClassicsTober
October 14, 2025 at 10:27 AM