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brittunculus.bsky.social
Brittunculus
@brittunculus.bsky.social
490 followers 130 following 420 posts
History/classics MA. Living with DPDR.

"The climate is wretched” - Tacitus
#RomanBritain
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brittunculus.bsky.social
Brittunculus @brittunculus.bsky.social · Nov 19
A fragment of a military intelligence report from the Roman fort at Vindolanda, on the northern frontier of #RomanBritain. The thin, postcard-sized wooden tablet describes the fighting style of the native Britons, disparagingly referred to as BRITTUNCULI or 'Little Brits.'
#EpigraphyTuesday
Reposted by Brittunculus
lindsaypowell.bsky.social
Come on a virtual tour of the House of the Tragic Poet (also called The Homeric House or The Iliadic House) in #Pompeii care of Flyover Zone's Yorescape. #AncientBluesky
superspl.at/view?id=6431...
House of Tragic poet - SuperSplat
The House of the Tragic Poet (also called The Homeric House or The Iliadic House) is a Roman house in Pompeii, Italy dating to the 2nd century BCE. The house...
superspl.at
January 27, 2026 at 12:54 AM
brittunculus.bsky.social
'Victory' and inscription recording construction of a section of the Antonine Wall, AD140s.

"For the Emperor Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, father of his country, a detachment of the 20th Legion Valeria Victrix built 4,411 feet."

RIB 2208.
#EpigraphyTuesday
#ReliefWednesday
A personification of Victory reclining languidly, framed within a temple. She has a palm leaf in her left hand, elbow resting on a globe, and holds a huge wreath with her right. The inscription is split into three with the name and titles of the emperor in the pediment, the reference to the legion in the wreath and the distance constructed in a tablet at the base. The boar shown running across the tablet was the emblem of Leg XX VV. (And maybe brags of how quickly the legion built their section?) The slab marked the western end of the Wall near Old Kilpatrick. Photo - The Hunterian, University of Glasgow
January 27, 2026 at 8:03 AM
brittunculus.bsky.social
#MosaicMonday
The Orpheus mosaic from Littlecote #Roman Villa in Berkshire. Its obscure iconography has been seen as evidence of the pagan revival in late C.4th #RomanBritain, as Orpheus charms circling animals, seasons & goddesses with his music. Much restored, the floor has significant wow factor.
Overhead view showing the mosaic in its triple-apsed hall, a unique architectural style in Roman Britain. The visitor would have entered the hall from an antechamber bottom right, onto the lower half of the mosaic with 4 geometric flower motifs bordered by panels showing canthari (wine cups) flanked by panthers, sea-panthers and dolphins. An unusual zig-zag panel marked the transition to the upper part of the mosaic, probably representing a pool of water (maybe the 'pool of memory' in Orphic cosmology). The circular Orpheus group in the upper part is framed by the 3 apses, each containing a shell motif. The circle has Orpheus at its centre, playing his lyre, accompanied by a leaping dog (good boy). The 4 quadrants around Orpheus contain goddesses and beasts: Venus and a deer; Nemesis and a panther; Ceres and a bull; and Proserpina with a goat. The animals race round anti-clockwise at full gallop while the goddesses stand (?dance) in front of them. Photo (c) Wilts & Swindon History Centre The animals wheel around Orpheus. A deer and Venus (holding a mirror) are shown in the nearest panel. Proserpina holds out a hand to her mother, Ceres, in the panel to the left, symbolising her descent alone into the underworld bringing death and winter. A spindly-legged goat gallops round behind her.
January 26, 2026 at 8:19 AM
brittunculus.bsky.social
A wonderful combination of Roman realism and Celtic linear decoration. And a decapitated barbarian too. 🤩
lindsaypowell.bsky.social Lindsay Powell FRHistS @lindsaypowell.bsky.social · 2d
"A copper-alloy ornament of a panther resting its paws on a severed head dates from AD43-200 ... [is] a "striking example of a Romano-British design", fusing pre-conquest Iron Age geometric patterns with Roman imagery."
#AncientBluesky
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Why is the discovery of Roman carriage fitting in Essex important?
A Romana-British metal artwork of a panther is believed to show the severed head of a barbarian.
www.bbc.com
January 24, 2026 at 10:56 PM
Reposted by Brittunculus
followinghadrian.bsky.social
Happy 1950th birthday, Hadrian! 🎂 #Hadrian1950
followinghadrian.com/2026/01/24/f...
Felicem diem natalem, Hadriane! 🎂 FOLLOWING HADRIAN
Happy 1950th birthday, Hadrian! In keeping with tradition, I baked Hadrian a birthday cake. This year, I chose Cato’s recipe for savillum (a kind of cheesecake), one of my favourite sweet cakes fro…
followinghadrian.com
January 24, 2026 at 6:05 PM
brittunculus.bsky.social
🤩Online tickets are free🤩
January 16, 2026 at 10:52 PM
brittunculus.bsky.social
Repost for #FindsFriday ⚔️
tonydivey.bsky.social Tony Divey @tonydivey.bsky.social · 12d
For #RomanFortThursday here’s a projectile (ballista bolt?) point from Wroxeter. My 📷 object in care of EH
January 16, 2026 at 9:29 PM
brittunculus.bsky.social
Meanwhile in Gaul...
romaaeterna.bsky.social 🏛️ Roma Aeterna 🏛️ @romaaeterna.bsky.social · 11d
#Ruinoftheday : la « pierre de Couhard » près d’Autun en #Bourgogne. Ce monument en forme de pyramide est un monument funéraire, peut-être du Ier s., dont les vestiges conservés atteignent encore 25m.
January 16, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Brittunculus
davidrobertsarch.bsky.social
Our @antiquaries.bsky.social Low Ham book (myself, Roger Leech and @thepostexcox.bsky.social ) is now available OA - library.oapen.org/handle/20.50... - the first synthetic publication of one of Britannia's largest villas, with reports on strat, finds, & enviro remains, & fully contextualised. 1/10
The purple cover of a large book entitled 'The Romano-British villa and prehistoric settlement at Low Ham, Somerset'. A blurb explaining the contents is on the back, along with sponsors logos. A reconstruction of the villa is the cover image. This image and all others from the book.
January 13, 2026 at 4:49 PM
brittunculus.bsky.social
Like the cheeky gorgoneion peeking out from under her armpit
January 16, 2026 at 4:24 PM
brittunculus.bsky.social
The Roman jackboot
classicalalan.bsky.social Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 10d
Discovered in a bog near Hawick in the south of Scotland in 1820, this larger-than-life bronze leg once belonged to a Roman statue of an emperor or general on horseback. #FindsFriday
A shiny bronze sculpture of a leg and foot wearing a sandal, cut off just below the knee.
January 16, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Reposted by Brittunculus
katesfwriter.bsky.social
One of two of the Roman bath houses at Vindolanda, in the vicus, close to the fort’s west gate.
This fort was occupied by Coh IV Gallorum from the early 3rd C.
The baths served the soldiers and townspeople of #Vindolanda south of #HadriansWall.
#RomanFortThursday #RomanBritain #Archaeology
📸 my own.
January 8, 2026 at 4:35 PM
brittunculus.bsky.social
A sea-panther from the amazing Orphic mosaic at Littlecote #Roman Villa, Wiltshire.
c.AD 350 - 365.

📸 me
#MosaicMonday
#RomanBritain
A sea-monster with the head and fore legs of a panther (or other big cat) and the tail of a fish.
January 5, 2026 at 9:27 AM
brittunculus.bsky.social
Coin of iron-age King Cunobelinus depicting Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings. With one face he looks back at the past while the other peers into future. Appropriately, the month January is named after him.
Early C.1st
Happy new year!
#RomanBritain #IronAge #ReliefWednesday
Bronze coin in the classical style showing Janus, in double faced profile with his hair intertwined and the exergue CVNO beneath. The coin was minted by Cunobelinus, king of the Catuvellauni tribe (Shakespeare's Cymebline). Copyright Trustees of the British Museum.
December 31, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Reposted by Brittunculus
chapps.bsky.social
In the ancient #Roman world, even steelyard weights (counterbalances) could be made with first class artistry. Here, this bronze weight is shaped into the bust of a man, perhaps a Greek philosopher (or maybe the merchant!). 🏺 1/

Romano-British, 1st or 2nd c. CE, from London. #BritishMuseum
📸 me
Bronze steelyard weight in the form of a bust of a bearded and balding man, possibly meant to represent a philosopher. The lid in the head allowed the hollow-cast bronze body to be filled with lead to achieve the desired weight. In its current state it weighs 6.812 kg (15.02 lbs.). The patina of the bronze is a dark brown, with patches of gold bronze peeking through, which is a striking look.
December 29, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Reposted by Brittunculus
romanbritain.bsky.social
#RomanSiteSaturday

Caerwent - Venta Silurum to see the Romano-Celtic temple.

#Archaeology #History
December 27, 2025 at 1:25 PM
brittunculus.bsky.social
Martial also suggested as #Saturnalia gifts a pig, an axe, a parrot and tables. Generous, but awkward to wrap. 🙄
trimontiumtrust.bsky.social Trimontium Trust & Museum @trimontiumtrust.bsky.social · Dec 23
🌟 #Sigillaria, the last day of #Saturnalia, was for gift-giving: candles, figs, figurines, dice, lamps, toys, & pets. On 23 Dec, Larentalia honoured the Lares & Acca Larentia, Romulus & Remus’ nurse, celebrating household spirits and the protection of home & family.
Roman Fresco of a Lar, 15th century depiction of Acca Larentia; photo montage of sigillaria over greenery; sigillaria figurines representing dancers; a collage of Roman artefacts including tablet, perfume bottles, hunting knife, spoons, combs, money box, mask, mosaic Roman Fresco of a Lar, 15th century depiction of Acca Larentia; photo montage of sigillaria over greenery; sigillaria figurines representing dancers; a collage of Roman artefacts including tablet, perfume bottles, hunting knife, spoons, combs, money box, mask, mosaic Roman Fresco of a Lar, 15th century depiction of Acca Larentia; photo montage of sigillaria over greenery; sigillaria figurines representing dancers; a collage of Roman artefacts including tablet, perfume bottles, hunting knife, spoons, combs, money box, mask, mosaic Roman Fresco of a Lar, 15th century depiction of Acca Larentia; photo montage of sigillaria over greenery; sigillaria figurines representing dancers; a collage of Roman artefacts including tablet, perfume bottles, hunting knife, spoons, combs, money box, mask, mosaic
December 23, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Reposted by Brittunculus
colmuseums.bsky.social
Looking for a Christmas gift that’s protective, portable and a little bit outrageous? Adopt a Roman flying phallus.

Perfect for the impossible-to-buy-for friend, AND adoptions help conserve objects at Colchester Museums. Adopt: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/adoptanobject
December 14, 2025 at 7:01 PM
brittunculus.bsky.social
'Winter' from Caerwent, Wales (now in Newport Museum) wears a hooded cloak against the cold & wet, maybe the 'birrus Britannicus' mentioned in Diocletian's Price Edict of AD301.

A birrus was worth 6,000 denarii. Price details of Winter's furry mosaic companions in the ALT texts.
#MosaicMonday
📸 me
Hooded cloak from Britannia - 6,000 denarii "Lion, first class" - 150,000 denarii Hare - 150 denarii
December 22, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Reposted by Brittunculus
kentarchsoc.bsky.social
Its #FindsFriday!

During our curator's work repacking the Trosley Roman Villa & Bathhouse excavation archive Andy came across this lovely little tile fragment with another pawprint on it.

We aren't entirely sure what animal this came from; what are your thoughts?

Let us know in the comments!
December 19, 2025 at 10:01 AM
brittunculus.bsky.social
#FindsFriday: A 'dragonesque' brooch from the British Museum. Its belly is inlaid with coloured enamel, and the pin (missing) would have fitted on the back between the two necks. These wonderfully sinuous brooches were popular in the decades after the Roman invasion.
#RomanBritain
📸 me
The S-shaped metal brooch is thickest in the middle, where blue and yellow enamel has been delicately inserted in chequered and swirling patterns. The terminals look like cute dragon heads, with upright ears, round eyes and an upturned snout. It's about 5cm long.
December 19, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Reposted by Brittunculus
followinghadrian.bsky.social
What are you doing to celebrate the start of the Saturnalia festival? I am having my traditional Saturnalia feast with some delicious ancient Roman food and wine! 🍷
#Saturnalia 🪔
December 17, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Brittunculus
equipmentroman.bsky.social
Testing, testing, 1-2-3. After much fafftootling around in the guts of Wordpress and PHP, prodding of reluctant backups, and many, many very, very naughty words, you can try out our restored website here: rme45762.live-website.com
Roman Military Equipment – From Start to Finish
rme45762.live-website.com
December 16, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Reposted by Brittunculus
devaroman.bsky.social
Io Saturnalia!
December 16, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Reposted by Brittunculus
brittunculus.bsky.social
#MosaicMonday
It's Christmas party time, for mortals and mythical beings alike. Here Silenus, mentor of Bacchus, might be making his way home after a good night out on his long-suffering donkey. Wine cup still in hand.

From a C.2nd mosaic now in @coriniummuseum.bsky.social, Cirencester.
📸 mine 2022
A bald, shaggy-bearded, pot-bellied man rides precariously side saddle on a fiesty looking donkey. He's dressed in only a red robe which has slipped down to his waist and holds a cantharus in one hand and a thyrus (partly lost to damage) in the other.
December 15, 2025 at 8:12 AM