After the people of ancient Rome expelled the despotic Tarquinius Superbus in 509 BC, they vowed never again to serve another king. Reassembling the remnants of their kingdom into a republic, Tarquinius’ traumatized subjects adopted a constitution whose checks and balances would prevent power from concentrating in the hands of any individual. Inste...

There is a story from the 1970s often told by Roman historians of gender. It goes like this: students at an American college approached their male professor, a revered Roman historian, to request a course on women in Roman history. They, being among the first women ever to study ancient history at this university, wanted to see themselves on their...

With the victory of Octavian Caesar, the heir of Julius Caesar, over Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of Actium in 31 B.C., the greatest of Rome’s civil wars came to an end. Indeed, the whole era of civil war, which had torn apart late republican Rome for over half a century, was now over. A fter decades of reckless violence, political instabilit...

Rome is a true open-air museum: its millennial history can be seen at every corner, walking between monuments, ancient walls and majestic squares. You can admire its wonders just walking through the streets of the centre, but perhaps you do not know that one of them is hidden under the city's most famous fountain: the Trevi Fountain. The Vicus Capr...

To many, Rome is the city of seven hills. Others regard it the destination as the city of love, or that never ends. Rome exists in the Lazio region of central Italy. The coordinates of Rome are 12.4964°E and 41.9028°N. The Romans built a road network spanning 53,000 miles by the early fourth century, with a milestone indicating every 4,800 feet. Th...

No great empire is truly functional without a proper system of communication and transport. Logistics are what keeps a vast realm ticking like a good mechanism, and what brings it together into one well-ordered nation. Throughout history, every large empire had its own system of couriers, road networks, and transportation, ensuring its success and...

For the first time, the Vatican is allowing the public to enter a necropolis. On November 17, it opened a gate along its walls to enter the Via Triumphalis Necropolis, an ancient Roman burial ground that lies beneath Vatican City. It is replete with marble sarcophagi, open burial graves, and Roman mosaics and frescoes. The tombs date between the 1s...

When the holiday season approaches, Rome transforms into a magical city, illuminated by twinkling lights and enveloped in a festive atmosphere that captures the hearts of visitors and residents alike. The Eternal City offers a unique experience during the Christmas season: from Christmas markets to artistic nativity scenes and illuminations adornin...

One of the simplest, yet greatest, pleasures of living in Rome: taking a leisurely stroll to a local bakery of the likes of Regoli, indulging in a maritozzo for breakfast, and witnessing the Eternal City gradually awaken from its slumber. Yes, the flaky cornetto and crunchy biscotti have their allure, but there’s something uniquely delightful in si...

Dear friends, 2023 is coming to an end. It has been a year full of events and content, but in this last part of 2023 we are preparing big news for 2024, which for We the Italians will be a different, better year from the previous ones. Stay tuned! Since the last editorial, We the Italians has had the pleasure of participating in three different eve...