Rome
History of St. Augustine: Sinner and Theologian
Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF ST. AUGUSTINE he Feast of Saint Augustine is celebrated on August 28, the date of his death in 430 A.D. Augustine is considered the most influential bishop in history; he is the patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, and several cities and dioceses worldwide. Most of what we know about him is from…
Read MoreHistory of August: Who Is It Named After?
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF AUGUST hat’s in a name? The name of this month was not always August; previously, the Romans referred to it as Sextilis. Because the calendar then started in March, this was the sixth month. This was back in the days of Romulus in 753 B.C., when there were originally ten months (… Sept,…
Read MoreHistory of the Founding of Rome: the Short Version
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF THE FOUNDING OF ROME ome was founded on April 21, 753 B.C., according to the Roman antiquarian Titus Pomponius Atticus. The City’s origins are shrouded in legends and myths. One founding myth is about Aeneas, a Trojan War hero, and his descendants, who are believed to have played a role in the City’s…
Read MoreHistory of Herod Antipas: Why Jesus called him That Fox
Reading Time: 2 minutesHISTORY OF HEROD ANTIPAS Podcast version erod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great (whom we met in the Christmas story) and Malthake. After his father died in 4 B.C., he was made tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea in the Trans-Jordan area of Israel, which he ruled as a client state of the…
Read MoreHistory of the Ides of March: Who Should Beware?
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF THE IDES OF MARCH Podcast version ccording to the ancient Roman calendar, the ides fell on the 13th of the month except for March, May, July, and October, when it fell on the 15th. Something epochal occurred on the Ides of March in 44 B.C.
Read MoreHistory of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste: Roman Empire vs. Christian Legionnaires
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF THE 40 MARTYRS OF SEBASTE Podcast version remarkable event took place in the early 4th century Roman Empire. The early church historian Bishop Eusebius tells the story of his contemporary, the Roman Emperor Constantine, who, before a battle against his rival Emperor Maxentius in 312 AD at the Milvian Bridge outside of…
Read MoreHistory of New Year’s Resolutions: Where Did They Begin?
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS Podcast version s I mentioned previously, New Year’s Day celebrations began in pre-Christian times, beginning with the Babylonians in March, but later changed to January by the Romans. Where did we get the idea of New Year’s Resolutions, and why at the beginning of the year?
Read MoreHistory of Telemachus: the Monk Who Ended the Roman Gladiatorial Games – January 1, A.D. 404
Reading Time: 5 minutesHistory of Telemachus: the Monk Who Ended the Roman Gladiatorial Games – January 1, A.D. 404 Podcast version January 1, A.D. 404, marked Rome’s last known gladiatorial games. What part did an obscure Christian monk from the East play in this epic change in Roman entertainment? his is the story of St. Telemachus,…
Read MoreHistory of Jubilee Year: The Holy Year in Rome
Reading Time: 4 minutesHistory of Jubilee Year: The Holy Year in Rome Podcast Version This year, 2025, is a Jubilee Year for the Roman Catholic Church, also known as a Holy Year. In my last article, I discussed how many would make the pilgrimage to Rome from Canterbury along the Via Francigena. What is the origin of…
Read MoreHistory of Via Francigena: Pilgrimage to Rome
Reading Time: 5 minutesHistory of Via Francigena: Pilgrimage to Rome Podcast version During the 2025 Jubilee Year for the Roman Catholic Church, millions of pilgrims will travel to the “Eternal City” of Rome, the seat of the Catholic Church. As I mentioned in my previous article, Rome is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations for Christians.…
Read MoreHistory of Pilgrimages: All Roads Lead to Rome?
Reading Time: 6 minutesHistory of Pilgrimages: All Roads Lead to Rome? Podcast version A pilgrimage is a temporary journey to a “holy” place for a variety of personal or spiritual reasons, including enlightenment, healing, or transformation. Thereafter, a pilgrim returns to their regular daily life. This is the first of three articles on pilgrimages in general and…
Read MoreHistory of the Council of Nicaea: 1700 Years Ago
Reading Time: 6 minutesHistory of the Council of Nicaea: 1700 Years Ago Seventeen hundred years ago this year, the first ecumenical council of the church met in Nicaea, now known as Iznik in modern Türkiye. It was called the Council of Nicaea – actually, it was the First Council of Nicaea. From it came the Nicene Creed, a…
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