Rome
History of Constantine the Great
Reading Time: 5 minutesHistory of Constantine the Great The first “Christian” Emperor of Rome was Constantine I, also known as Constantine the Great, who ruled from AD 306 to 337. He ended the Empire-wide persecution of Christians and elevated the faith of Christianity in Rome. Who was he, what did he do, why was he important to…
Read MoreHistory of the Fall of the Roman Empire: the Short Version
Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE On September 4, AD 476, Odoacer captured the city of Ravenna and deposed Emperor Romulus Augustus, marking the Fall of the Roman Empire. What do we mean by the Fall of the Roman Empire? First, what do we mean by the Roman Empire? This part of the statement…
Read MoreHistory of July: Where Do We Get That Name?
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF JULY July was renamed for Julius Caesar, who was born that month. Previously, it was known as Quintilis in Latin, meaning the fifth month in the ancient Roman calendar. However, Marc Anthony changed the name to July after Caesar’s assassination. This was before January became the first month of the calendar year, about…
Read MoreUpdate – History of the Conclave: How a New Pope is Elected
Reading Time: 7 minutesHistory of the Conclave: The Election of a New Pope Today, May 7, is the beginning of the Conclave. Most people, even knowledgeable Roman Catholics, are unfamiliar with the process of selecting a new pope. Much is shrouded in secrecy or obscured behind Latin and Italian terminology. What happens when a pope dies? What is…
Read MoreItaly Tour: Rome in a Day
Reading Time: 8 minutesITALY TOUR: ROME IN A DAY (OR TWO) A friend of mine is going on an Italy cruise and asked me to suggest some places for the cities where he has a day or two. I was going to put together a spreadsheet, but I didn’t have enough time, so I wrote this Italy Tour…
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