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Peter Edwell

Peter Edwell

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Israelis are hailing Trump as Cyrus returned – but who was Cyrus the Great, anyway?

One wonders what Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian empire, would think of the comparison.

13.10.2025 30

The Conversation

Peter Edwell

Trump on a coin? When Julius Caesar tried that, the Roman republic crumbled soon after

More than 2,000 years ago, the depiction of living leaders on Roman coins caused similar ructions. It came at a time when the Roman republic was in...

09.10.2025 30

The Conversation

Peter Edwell

Almost unimaginable beauty and opulence: the paradise pleasure gardens of ancient Persia

These gardens also played a religious role, offering a glimpse of what eternity might look like in the afterlife.

22.08.2025 7

The Conversation

Peter Edwell

‘Baths, wine, and sex make life worth living’: how ancient Romans used public baths to relax, work out and socialise

Public baths also often featured gymnasiums, libraries, restaurants and exercise yards. Archaeological evidence suggests even dentistry was performed...

24.06.2025 40

The Conversation

Peter Edwell

‘No kings!’: like the LA protesters, the early Romans hated kings, too

‘No kings’ would effectively be the watchword through the Roman republic’s entire history. ‘Rex’ was a word the Romans hated. It was...

16.06.2025 30

The Conversation

Peter Edwell

Which Roman emperor was most like Donald Trump?

While Roman emperors dominated the institutions of state, they were still constrained by them.

30.04.2025 40

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Peter Edwell

Ancient Rome used high tariffs to raise money too – and created other economic problems along the way

Unfortunately for the Romans, high tariffs often led to higher prices, black markets and other economic woes.

04.04.2025 20

The Conversation

Peter Edwell

Skyrocketing prices are an age-old problem. Here’s how Roman emperors battled runaway inflation

Therefore, who would not know that effrontery hijacks the public interest? […] It ratchets up the prices of things for sale, not fourfold or...

29.12.2024 3

The Conversation

Peter Edwell