Matthew Avitabile

2 weeks ago | thecollector.com | Matthew Avitabile

The Byzantine Emperor Justinian I came close to uniting the former Roman Empire less than a century after its fall. However, popular discontent, foreign war, and a plague all combined to bring his dream of reestablishing Roman glory to an end, despite remarkable successes. Rome by Another NameThe fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE proved to be one of the most striking turning points in history.

2 weeks ago | thecollector.com | Matthew Avitabile

The victory of Emperor Constantine during a civil war allowed for some of the most dramatic events in Roman history. The emperor’s tale of divine intervention at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge proved to be the key event in the legalization of Christianity and its subsequent adoption by the empire. The days of the Pax Romana were well over during the decades of instability and conflict that marked the Crisis of the Third Century.

1 month ago | thecollector.com | Matthew Avitabile

The rise of the Mongol Empire under Temujin, or Genghis Khan, was a seminal moment in world history. The conquests of the 13th century helped to spark a cascade of events that created the modern world, in large part due to the terror inspired by the Mongol leader. Genghis Khan proved to be a pioneering ruler, using ideas from Mongolia and beyond.

1 month ago | thecollector.com | Matthew Avitabile

Some of the similarities between ancient Rome at its height and the United States are obvious — from the sheer size of both countries to their forms of government, and the rise of their major historical figures. However, some are surprisingly subtle and require a closer look to discover just how much history sometimes rhymes. Any student who paid attention in high school could tell you at least some similarities between the Roman style of government and the U.S. Constitution.