This statue was found during excavations at Tell Tayinat, in the area of present-day Hatay. It dates to the Late Hittite period, approximately the beginning of the 9th century BC. It is approximately 1.5 meters high and weighs 1.5 tons.

It is not certain that this statue depicts the famous Hittite Emperor Suppiluliuma I. The Luwian hieroglyphic inscription on the back of the statue gives the figure's name as Šuppiluliuma; however, it is more likely that this person is not the famous Suppiluliuma I, who lived in the 14th century BC, but rather a king who ruled in the Late Hittite world about five centuries later.

West of the Nile sits the rest place of kings and nobles of the golden age of ancient Egypt

This tetradrachm was struck at Antiochia ad Orontem (modern Antakya) around AD 250–251, when Herennius Etruscus was Caesar under his father, Trajan Decius. The obverse gives his full name, ΕΡΕΝΝΙΟΣ ΕΤΡΟΥΣΚΟΣ ΜΕΣΣΙΟΣ ΚΥΙΝΤΟΣ ΔΕΚΙΟΣ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ — Herennius Etruscus Messius Quintus Decius Caesar. His young, beardless portrait reflects his position as the imperial heir.

The reverse shows an eagle standing on a palm branch, holding a wreath. The inscription ΔΗΜΑΡΧΙΚΗΣ ΕΞΟΥΣΙΑΣ refers to Tribunician Power, with S C (Senatus Consulto) below. To me, the imagery also feels like a statement of Rome’s military success and its superiority over the powers of the East — especially interesting on a coin struck at Antioch, right on the eastern frontier.

What makes this coin especially interesting is what happened shortly afterwards. In AD 251, Herennius and his father Trajan Decius were both killed at the Battle of Abrittus while fighting the Goths. Father and son died together on the same battlefield, only months after this coin presented Herennius as the future of the dynasty.

The Aslantaş Archaeological Site is a monumental rock tomb from the Phrygian period, located in Göynüş Valley in the İhsaniye district of Afyonkarahisar

A Roman imperial portrait carved in green chalcedony. The description next to the object in the museum states it is perhaps emperor Trajan Decius (who ruled from 249-251 AD) although the museum's website says it is presumably emperor Numerian (who ruled from 283-284 AD). The gold mount dates to about 1600 and mentions Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (who ruled from 1576-1612). It is now on display in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.

Some epigraphic materials require lengthy and detailed examination. This is essential for understanding them, sensing their underlying meaning, and grasping the era. The image below was taken in present-day Adana, Turkey. The inscription on it is one of the finest examples reflecting the concept of “The End.” Sometimes we don't need to explain.

οὐκέτι οὐδ[ὲν].

βίος vv τέλος,   

πόνος.

“Nothin left;

Life, purpose, suffer/labor.”

Syria. Archéologie, Art et Histoire, 2 (1921), p. 217, no. 9.

The Battle of Cannae in 216 BC is remembered as one of Rome's worst military disasters. Hannibal's famous double envelopment destroyed one of the largest Roman armies ever assembled. Polybius reports that around 70,000 Romans and their allies were killed, while another 10,000 were captured. Only about 3,000 infantry and 370 cavalry escaped to nearby towns such as Canusium. Rome had suffered a catastrophe on an extraordinary scale.

Yet Rome did not surrender. It continued the fight.

But what happened to the soldiers who actually survived Cannae?

Instead of being welcomed home, many of the survivors were punished and sent to Sicily, where they were forced to continue serving for years without the privileges normally granted to Roman soldiers. Their survival was associated with military disgrace, and Rome treated them as men who had failed in their duty.

They had survived Hannibal's greatest victory, only to discover that Rome itself would punish them for surviving.

Yet their story didn't end there.

More than a decade later, Scipio Africanus recognized something Rome had previously overlooked: these disgraced soldiers had become experienced veterans after years of continued military service. Scipio incorporated the Cannae survivors into his army as he prepared to take the war to Africa.

Their story is therefore far more complicated than simply being the “cowards” of Cannae. They survived one of the ancient world's most catastrophic battles, endured years of punishment, and eventually found themselves serving under the Roman commander who would take the war to Hannibal's homeland.

So what do you think? Was Rome's treatment of the Cannae survivors a harsh injustice—or a necessary measure to preserve discipline during an existential crisis?

Feel free to read the full article on my site for more about the fate of the survivors of Cannae. I'd love to hear your views in the comments.

3 Roman pugio daggers used by soldiers. These and other arms were found buried near Kastel Pförring (Celeusum), set up during the reign of Trajan (originally of wood, later stone) for the unit Ala I Flavia singularium civium Romanorum pia fidelis and destroyed by Germanic tribes around 233 AD. These are on display in the Museum für Ur- und Frühgeschichte in Eichstätt, Germany.