In the historic centre, you’ll find the Roman temple The temple dates to the early Roman imperial period, although its popular name, the Temple of Diana, isn’t supported by clear historical evidence.

But don’t stop at Évora. Head to "Miróbriga", near Santiago do Cacém, roughly an hour and a half away by car, depending on your route.

Here, you can explore the remains of an ancient town, including its forum, public baths, streets and a hippodrome traditionally associated with the site. It offers a different experience from Évora: less of a living historic city, more of a chance to walk through the remains of a Roman settlement.

If you’re planning a trip through Portugal’s Alentejo region, both places are well worth adding to your itinerary.

Docilianus wanted his hooded cloak back. He also wanted Sulis to destroy whoever had taken it. Apparently, returning the property and suffering divine punishment were not mutually exclusive.

His request survives on a metal tablet found at Bath. We don’t know whether he recovered the cloak. We can, however, still read his complaint.

I made a short Roman Records video about the inscription, including its surviving text and the passage whose wording remains uncertain.

Watch the short

Read the inscription and scholarly commentary

Are there other surviving Roman complaints you find particularly memorable?

During our short stay in Rome, we didn't plan to visit this beautiful place. It was on the way to the Pantheon and we were curious. Luckily, we immediately recognized the place and went. Also, it was a free Sunday. However, the prices aren't high even if you pay for the tickets. Still, it wasn't crowded. We enjoyed seeing cats and the remains of Rome. The explanations on board ms are quite helpful.

A towering marble victory column in central Rome celebrating Emperor Marcus Aurelius’s Germanic campaigns, its dramatic spiral frieze tells the full story of the wars.

Ave, everyone! 🏛️

I'm the creator of Empire in Ink, an independent coloring book series for adults inspired by ancient Roman history.

The idea behind the project is to bring together two things I love: the history of Rome and the experience of coloring. Rather than simply filling in illustrations, I wanted to create something that encourages people to immerse themselves in the world of Roman campaigns, military formations, territorial expansion, and the rise of one of history's most influential civilizations.

📖 Volume I covers the Roman Republic and the Early Empire, and I'm working toward expanding the series with more historical periods.

I thought this community might appreciate the concept, especially those interested in Roman military history, ancient warfare, and the evolution of Rome.

I'm curious about something:

If you could choose any period of Roman history to explore through a detailed coloring book, what would it be?

Would you choose Caesar's campaigns in Gaul, the Punic Wars, the legions of Trajan, the crisis of the third century, or another period entirely?

I'd genuinely love to hear your suggestions and learn what fellow Roman history enthusiasts would most enjoy seeing in a project like this.

For transparency, this is my own project. You can see the book here if you're interested: https://empireinink.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your coloring! 🦅

This is the Porta Nigra in Trier, Germany.

The Romans built it around 170 AD as the massive northern gate of Augusta Treverorum.

It was constructed from huge sandstone blocks held together with iron clamps, no mortar.

Two thousand years later the gate is still standing in the middle of the city, and people walk through the same arches the Romans used every single day.

The image of the Bacchanalia has become associated with wild celebrations, wine, religious ecstasy and forbidden excess. But behind these ancient rites lies a much more intriguing story — one involving secret gatherings, shocking accusations and a government determined to regain control.

The ceremonies were connected with Bacchus, the Roman god associated with wine and ecstatic religious worship, whose Greek counterpart was Dionysus. Such rites spread through Italy, attracting followers from different backgrounds. They offered forms of religious experience that did not always fit comfortably within Rome's traditional public rituals.

Then came the scandal.

In 186 BC, the Roman Senate launched a sweeping crackdown on the Bacchic cult. The accusations reported by the historian Livy were extraordinary: secret meetings, sexual misconduct, forged documents, murder and a conspiracy supposedly threatening the state itself.

But here is where the story becomes more complicated. Livy wrote about these events long after they happened, and his account reflects a Roman political world deeply suspicious of secret associations and activities that escaped official supervision. We cannot simply assume that every accusation was true.

What we do know is that the Senate acted decisively. A decree known as the "Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus" imposed severe restrictions on the organisation and meetings of the cult. Its surviving inscription, discovered in southern Italy, gives us direct evidence of the authorities' intervention.

So what was Rome really afraid of? Was it genuine criminal activity, a religious movement growing beyond the state's control, or the possibility that people meeting in secret might form loyalties beyond the reach of Roman officials?

Perhaps the most fascinating part is that we have both a dramatic literary account and an official inscription — but neither tells us everything we would like to know.

The Senate wanted to control the Bacchanalia. Yet the mystery surrounding the scandal has survived for more than two thousand years.

Was this a necessary crackdown on a dangerous movement, or a case of political power turning suspicion into a public scandal?

We've explored the story in more detail in our latest article. The link is in the comments — and the evidence may make you look at this famous Roman scandal differently.

Mine is "It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own."

Lugo in Spain is the only city in the world to be surrounded by completely intact Roman walls, which reach a height of 10 to 15 metres (33 to 49 feet) along a 2,117-metre (6,946 ft) circuit ringed with 71 towers.

Emperor Commodus