Oh, hello the French. Invented the bikini, did you? Think you were the first to think of its classic chic lines, do you? Well? Nah, the Romans got there first. This C4th AD mosaic from Piazza Amerina in Sicily shows Roman women exercising. #MosaicMonday

Oh, hello the French. Invented the bikini, did you? Think you were the first to think of its classic chic lines, do you? Well? Nah, the Romans got there first. This C4th AD mosaic from Piazza Amerina in Sicily shows Roman women exercising. #MosaicMonday

The reverse of this ancient Greek silver coin depicts Protesilaos, most famous for being the first man to die in the Trojan War. Here, we see him stepping off his galley, fully armed, into the surf in the final moments of his life. 🕰️early 3rd century BC 📍 Thessalian Thebes 📷 CNG

The reverse of this ancient Greek silver coin depicts Protesilaos, most famous for being the first man to die in the Trojan War. Here, we see him stepping off his galley, fully armed, into the surf in the final moments of his life. 🕰️early 3rd century BC 📍 Thessalian Thebes 📷 CNG

Enjoying the lugubrious (or coy?) expression of the donkey being fed by a boy from a basket in this Byzantine-era mosaic of daily life, from the Great Palace of Constantinople (5th century onwards, Great Palace Mosaic Museum, Istanbul)

On #FindsFriday, here’s the Battersea Shield, a masterpiece of Celtic bronzework. It was found in the Thames in the 19th century and was probably some kind of votive offering. 🏛️BM 📷 mine

On #FindsFriday, here’s the Battersea Shield, a masterpiece of Celtic bronzework. It was found in the Thames in the 19th century and was probably some kind of votive offering. 🏛️BM 📷 mine

An ancient fresco of Macedonian soldiers from the tomb of Agios Athanasios, Thessaloniki, Greece. You can see the influence of these types of figures stretching all the way from Macedonia to Renaissance Italy. I look at these & see Mantegna. 🕰️ 4th century BC 📷 Wikipedia Commons #FrescoFriday

In #PrideMonth here’s one side of the sexually explicit Warren Cup. It shows an older, bearded man (the erastes) having intercourse with a younger man (the eromenos). To the right, a slave, salaciously smirking, spies on them from a partially opened door. 🕰️early C1st AD 🏛️ BM 📷 mine

An ancient fresco of Macedonian soldiers from the tomb of Agios Athanasios, Thessaloniki, Greece. You can see the influence of these types of figures stretching all the way from Macedonia to Renaissance Italy. I look at these & see Mantegna. 🕰️ 4th century BC 📷 Wikipedia Commons #FrescoFriday

In #PrideMonth here’s one side of the sexually explicit Warren Cup. It shows an older, bearded man (the erastes) having intercourse with a younger man (the eromenos). To the right, a slave, salaciously smirking, spies on them from a partially opened door. 🕰️early C1st AD 🏛️ BM 📷 mine

A powerful scene for #ReliefWednesday Hector’s despoiled body is returned to Troy. Men chatter alarmed in the rear as they now ponder Troy’s fate. Right, women loudly lament. One (Andromache?) reaches out in grief to touch his hair 🏛️ late C2nd AD, Louvre 📷 Marie-Lan Nguyen

A digital reconstruction of an #IronAge hillfort of White Caterthurn, Angus, #Scotland, has been created by a photographer during his during PhD research. Digital reconstruction of White Catherturn hillfort (by Kieran Baxter) #HillfortsWednesday #Archaeology #History

A powerful scene for #ReliefWednesday Hector’s despoiled body is returned to Troy. Men chatter alarmed in the rear as they now ponder Troy’s fate. Right, women loudly lament. One (Andromache?) reaches out in grief to touch his hair 🏛️ late C2nd AD, Louvre 📷 Marie-Lan Nguyen

#FrescoFriday and here’s some beautiful birds from Pompeii. 📷 mine 🏺 #AncientBlueSky

This bronze cuirass is Greek or Italian and dates from the 4th century BC. This type of muscled cuirass was popular from the 6th century BC onwards. The sections were joined at the shoulders and sides, usually by straps and buckles in addition to hinges with removeable pins. 🏛️ BM 📷 mine

Just found one of my daughters has decided to leave pictures of food from old cookery mags on the floor for Herman to nibble on. Herman approves.

This bronze cuirass is Greek or Italian and dates from the 4th century BC. This type of muscled cuirass was popular from the 6th century BC onwards. The sections were joined at the shoulders and sides, usually by straps and buckles in addition to hinges with removeable pins. 🏛️ BM 📷 mine

A Dido and Aeneas #MosaicMonday. The Low Ham #Roman mosaic shows the tragic love story. A 4th century AD piece found in the bath block, the oldest object in Britiain that tells a complete story. shorturl.at/3QrPK 📷 The Museum of Somerset #AncientBlueSky #ClassicsBlueSky #archaeology

This is ludicrously beautiful. It’s a Roman glass bowl made with the millefiori method. It dates to the 1st century AD. 🏛️📷 Thorvaldsen Museum

On #MosaicMonday here’s a basket of fruit and a basket of seafood, including various fish, squid, eel and little prawns. It was once a pavement for a dining room. 🕰️C1-2nd AD 🏛️BM 📷 mine

On #MosaicMonday here’s a basket of fruit and a basket of seafood, including various fish, squid, eel and little prawns. It was once a pavement for a dining room. 🕰️C1-2nd AD 🏛️BM 📷 mine

This is ludicrously beautiful. It’s a Roman glass bowl made with the millefiori method. It dates to the 1st century AD. 🏛️📷 Thorvaldsen Museum

This golden cape was found in Mold, Wales in the 19th century. It dates between c1900-1600 BC. The goldsmith who made this must have been a master. The decoration is precise, technically skilled and beautiful. It’s a tiny thing so may have been used ritually by women or children. 🏛️BM 📷 mine

This golden cape was found in Mold, Wales in the 19th century. It dates between c1900-1600 BC. The goldsmith who made this must have been a master. The decoration is precise, technically skilled and beautiful. It’s a tiny thing so may have been used ritually by women or children. 🏛️BM 📷 mine

These Roman frescoes show Christian worshippers & the chi-rho symbol of Christ. They come from Lullingstone Villa in Kent, 10 minutes drive from where I grew up so I visited it a lot as a kid. They are some of the very earliest Christian frescoes in a residential house anywhere in the Roman Empire.

#RomanSiteSaturday Verulanium (St Albans): not too much remains above ground except the theatre & some walls. Here’s a drone aerial photo of the theatre, some segments of city walls and a reconstruction of a city gate (from an info panel). Aerial 📷 my brother Other 📷 mine

#RomanSiteSaturday Verulanium (St Albans): not too much remains above ground except the theatre & some walls. Here’s a drone aerial photo of the theatre, some segments of city walls and a reconstruction of a city gate (from an info panel). Aerial 📷 my brother Other 📷 mine

I love this fresco so much. It shows a man, with a clamouring child (or maybe a young slave), buying bread. I know the famous old phrase that the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there. But this image is one you’ll still see today in any shop. Feels fresh. #FrescoFriday

Incredible new version of the Egyptian Book of the Dead found. 🕰️ c1850-1550 BC

I love this fresco so much. It shows a man, with a clamouring child (or maybe a young slave), buying bread. I know the famous old phrase that the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there. But this image is one you’ll still see today in any shop. Feels fresh. #FrescoFriday

What a dickhead. #PhallusThursday

What a dickhead. #PhallusThursday

These paintings come from the tomb of Nebamun, an accountant from Karnak. It dates from c1350 BC. The hunting scene in particular is extraordinary; the detail on the birds is so life like, you’d think a 17th century Dutch painter did it 🏛️BM 📷 mine

It’s #ReliefWednesday & this is the Ludovisi Sarcophagus. Its dense, fraught, non-classical style shows a writhing & emotive battle between Romans & Goths in high relief. Mayhem whirls around the sole calm figure of the general (possibly the tenant of the coffin?) 🕰️c230AD 🏛️Museo Nazionale, Rome 📷me

Rage against the machine, man ✊🏻

It’s #ReliefWednesday & this is the Ludovisi Sarcophagus. Its dense, fraught, non-classical style shows a writhing & emotive battle between Romans & Goths in high relief. Mayhem whirls around the sole calm figure of the general (possibly the tenant of the coffin?) 🕰️c230AD 🏛️Museo Nazionale, Rome 📷me

This #ReliefWednesday we honour the fallen murmillo gladiator: Quintus Sossius Albius. This funerary stele commemorates his life with the dedication made by the freedwoman Sossia Iusta. Whether Albius died on the job is not clear… #AncientBluesky🏺

These paintings come from the tomb of Nebamun, an accountant from Karnak. It dates from c1350 BC. The hunting scene in particular is extraordinary; the detail on the birds is so life like, you’d think a 17th century Dutch painter did it 🏛️BM 📷 mine

Rage against the machine, man ✊🏻

This reticulated beaker has an inscription in glass: FAVENTIBVS. It’s an expression of good luck (perhaps short for "Faventibus ventis" – with favourable winds). The ‘cage’ of the beaker is also glass. The Romans were masters of glasswork & this is a beautiful example. 🏛️📷Kunsthistoriches Museum

This reticulated beaker has an inscription in glass: FAVENTIBVS. It’s an expression of good luck (perhaps short for "Faventibus ventis" – with favourable winds). The ‘cage’ of the beaker is also glass. The Romans were masters of glasswork & this is a beautiful example. 🏛️📷Kunsthistoriches Museum

Me getting out of bed in the morning.

This exquisite Minoan jewellery was discovered in Aigina and clearly belonged to elite persons. The craftsmanship is that of a master. Put simply, it’s breathtaking. 🕰️ 1,850-1,550 BC 🏛️British Museum 📷 mine

This exquisite Minoan jewellery was discovered in Aigina and clearly belonged to elite persons. The craftsmanship is that of a master. Put simply, it’s breathtaking. 🕰️ 1,850-1,550 BC 🏛️British Museum 📷 mine

What’s that? Oh, nothing, just a parrot-drawn chariot. 🕰️1st-3rd century AD

What’s that? Oh, nothing, just a parrot-drawn chariot. 🕰️1st-3rd century AD

As Virgil writes in book 3 of the Aeneid: “Etna’s throat thunders nearby with a roar of dread disaster. Now it lifts a tar-black cloud to the land of light, twisting smoke & flaming ash, expelling fiery globules with tongues lapping the stars……” 1/2

If your industry can't survive without exploiting people, then you're in the wrong industry.

This terrific silver stater depicts Heracles wrestling with a lion. It’s a dynamic representation full of energy & emotion. It comes from Heraclea Lucania in south Italy, an unusually late Greek colony founded in 432BC. The coin dates to the 4th century BC. 🏛️📷 British Museum