Hacker News with Generative AI: Rome

Comparing economic inequality between the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty (phys.org)
A trio of researchers from Bocconi University, in Italy, the University of Cambridge, in the U.K., and Stanford University, in the U.S., has found that there was more economic inequality under the Han Dynasty than during the Roman Empire.

History, Economics, China, Rome, Ancient History

67 points by gradus_ad 16 days ago | 71 comments

The Siege of Syracuse: A Roman General vs. a Greek Genius (2020) (historynet.com)
The Second Punic War, fought between ancient Rome and Carthage, is most well-known for the clashes of the legendary Hannibal with Roman commanders. An often-overlooked engagement during this war is the Siege of Syracuse, from 213-212 BC, which tested strategic military might against feats of engineering. This contest pitted Marcus Claudius Marcellus, a Roman general renowned for his power in single combat, against the Greek mathematical genius Archimedes.

Military History, Ancient History, Siege Warfare, Greece, Rome

6 points by walterbell 40 days ago | 3 comments

The Illusion of a Pagan West (unherd.com)
Inside the Colosseum, in central Rome, stands a giant cross. Erected in 2000 by Pope John Paul II to commemorate the thousands of Christians martyred there, it’s not what you might expect to see on visiting the building once known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, named for the Imperial dynasty which built it.