Our familiar Christmas customs – decorating our houses with holly and ivy, enjoying chocolate yule logs and giving presents – have, for the most part, their origins in ancient pagan practices. In this special blog, using articles taken from the rich pages of the British Newspaper Archive, we take a look at how our Christmas traditions have evolved through time, with Druid, Roman and Norse influences. Want to learn more? Register now and explore The Archive From Saturnalia to The …
Roman history
Upon recently visiting the Roman amphitheatre at Arles, I marvelled at the scale of the building, and Roman engineering skills. Picture taken of Arles amphitheatre – Image © Edmund MB King During the visit, we came across a notice board: ‘Principaux amphitheatres du monde romain’, which shows a list of dimensions for each one. Arles is number twelve on the list, out of twenty-one. I was intrigued that Pouzzoles ( Pozzuoli/ Puteoli) was even larger than the colosseum in Rome. …