Roman news, features and articles
The ancient city of Rome became the heart of a sprawling empire that lasted for hundreds of years, and we're still unearthing ship-loads of Roman artifacts, mystifying treasures and even forts around 2,000 years later.
At Live Science, our expert writers and editors follow the work of historians and archeologists to bring you the most compelling discoveries and facts about the Romans. From their unusual superstitions to the rise and fall of the once-mighty empire, check out the latest news, features and articles about the Romans.
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Latest about Romans

Archaeologists find 'unique' blood-red gemstone at Roman fort beyond Hadrian's Wall
By Kristina Killgrove published
Archaeologists discovered the engraved gemstone at Bremenium, a fort north of Hadrian's Wall.

Roman road network was twice as large as previously thought, new mapping project finds
By Kristina Killgrove published
The new digital map increases the Roman road network by nearly 100%.

Memento Mori: A mosaic that predates Mount Vesuvius' eruption in Pompeii and reminds us that we will all die
By Kristina Killgrove published
A famous mosaic from Pompeii holds lessons for today.

French archaeologists uncover 'vast Roman burial area' with cremation graves 'fed' by liquid offerings
By Kristina Killgrove published
A massive Roman cremation cemetery in France is shedding light on diverse burial practices.

'Extremely rare' and 'highly unusual' Roman-era tomb in Germany is completely empty
By Kristina Killgrove published
An unusual stone circle that's likely a tomb is providing archaeologists with more information about life in Roman Bavaria.

'Illegal' metal detectorist found a huge hoard of Roman treasure in Germany — and kept it hidden for 8 years
By Laura Geggel published
A man found a Roman-era hoard in Germany dating to around 2,000 years ago, but he took eight years to tell authorities about it.

'It's really an extraordinary story,' historian Steven Tuck says of the Romans he tracked who survived the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius
By Kristina Killgrove published
"I have found two or three rich guys, but I found a couple hundred middle class and even some desperately poor people who made it out and left records. And that shocked me."

'People made it out of the cities alive': Tracing the survivors of Pompeii and Herculaneum, 2,000 years after Vesuvius erupted
By Steven L. Tuck published
Several lines of evidence, from chiseled inscriptions to missing horses, suggest that thousands of people survived the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79.
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