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# nick        = twitter-optimoprincipi
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# updated_at  = 2021-11-30T14:41:17Z
#
2020-07-10T10:24:48Z	**1) A stranger than fiction Roman ring mystery thread**
1) A stranger than fiction Roman ring mystery thread: this enigmatic Roman gold ring was found in a ploughed field near Silchester in 1785. The square bezel has a portrait of the pagan goddess Venus, inscribed backwards SUNEV for use as a signet ring by the owner. Curiously...

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcjtATXXsAAb987.jpg)](https://t.co/Ls0QcDVNzq) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1281534833320222721)
2021-10-15T18:11:14Z	**On his birthday**
On his birthday, take a road trip with Virgil across Roman Italy👇 🧳 ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449075410084446208)
2021-10-14T18:34:33Z	**The spectacular gold diadem of Princess Meda**
The spectacular gold diadem of Princess Meda, wife of Alexander the Great's father, Philip II. When Philip died in 336 BC, Meda committed suicide so that she could accompany Philip to the afterlife - her gold myrtle diadem was found in Philip's tomb in Vergina, Greece in 1977.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FBrh85LXEAIcE-5.jpg)](https://t.co/BwPtx6911g) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1448718887760039938)
2021-10-14T15:44:34Z	**Make sure to visit some of Jordan’s incredible ancient sites @RealChalamet**
Make sure to visit some of Jordan’s incredible ancient sites [@RealChalamet](https://twitter.com/RealChalamet) [https://t.co/UCzvC6Z8Gv](https://twitter.com/optimoprincipi/status/1373284542711263236?s=21) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1448676110670213123)
2021-10-17T15:27:12Z	**Very geeky and involved Roman coin posts inbound if anyone is interested**
Very geeky and involved Roman coin posts inbound if anyone is interested?

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FB6T8ZGWUAkcvCD.jpg)](https://t.co/v4vVmUoBZB) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449758902346727433)
2021-10-17T16:56:05Z	**1) New coin**
1) New coin: Though I only recently added an excellent example of Publius Satrienus’ she-wolf denarius minted around 77 BC, I was drawn back to the series when I was able to acquire another intriguing example that offers a rare insight into the processes of the Roman mint..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FB6oSm7XoAIIu4A.jpg)](https://t.co/bWKuejwqNe) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449781273803825160)
2021-10-17T17:03:19Z	**3) As with many other Republican issues**
3) As with many other Republican issues, the coin type is notable for its use of 'control marks', numbers or symbols designating the precise dies used to strike obverse and reverse, possibly as a means of quality control or a systematic method to keep track of large coin issues..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FB6qBW3WQAc2RjW.jpg)](https://t.co/3e99OoV0nd) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449783092437192706)
2021-10-17T16:59:41Z	**2) Having explored the imagery of the type in my previous blog post**
2) Having explored the imagery of the type in my previous blog post, I won’t pause to re-examine its depiction of the famed she-wolf here. Do read my recent post here for an in-depth look at Rome's fierce but nurturing matriarch: [https://t.co/7ym7ytfWHH](https://www.harneycoins.com/post/publius-satrienus-and-the-she-wolf-mother-of-rome) ... ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449782177424621572)
2021-10-17T17:13:12Z	**5) My last Satrienus denarius was struck with the 34th obverse die of what we know were around 105 created for the issue**
5) My last Satrienus denarius was struck with the 34th obverse die of what we know were around 105 created for the issue. Below it is shown with a surviving example from the first numbered die, labelled simply “I”, which you would be forgiven for assuming was the first die made.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FB6sQZlWEAIiEyd.jpg)](https://t.co/uaqNxrT9Kd) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449785581496586253)
2021-10-17T17:11:40Z	**4) Control marks can provide evidence towards intriguing questions**
4) Control marks can provide evidence towards intriguing questions: How many coins were struck within a series? How long did coin dies last? Did obverse or reverse die wear out more rapidly? How many engravers were employed at the mint and how much artistic variation was allowed?

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FB6r22BWUAIJiqC.png)](https://t.co/efCqLtp9lz) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449785192961429504)
2021-10-17T17:17:17Z	**7) The denarius then**
7) The denarius then, while enjoyable for its artistry and symbolism in its own right, may be seen as evidence of Roman mint workers following a production process that involved 'master' copies, examples of which might even have been made available to subsequent engravers?

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FB6tM9bXoAEtDmb.jpg)](https://t.co/ZtX4DAk86Z) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449786608375541767)
2021-10-17T17:15:35Z	**6) My new coin is a fascinating rarity**
6) My new coin is a fascinating rarity: one of about 10 surviving examples with no numerical control mark and one of the finer condition specimens. The lack of any numeral and its fine style suggest this obverse die may be the 'master' or prototype engraving for the series..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FB6syIcXIAcWia5.jpg)](https://t.co/7rUeXGXxhY) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449786181277962241)
2021-10-17T17:22:43Z	**9) Please visit my blog post on the new coin for a more detailed exploration of its background and significance**
9) Please visit my blog post on the new coin for a more detailed exploration of its background and significance. (3 mins reading) [https://t.co/gNmphs3rAl](https://www.harneycoins.com/post/another-publius-satrienus-denarius-insight-into-the-roman-mint) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449787975445983235)
2021-10-17T17:20:29Z	**8) It is even tempting to imagine engravers working from a large-scale artwork for each coin issue**
8) It is even tempting to imagine engravers working from a large-scale artwork for each coin issue, displayed in the engraving room for the men to use as their model, though this is just imaginative conjecture!

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FB6tyfSXoAQ7nE4.jpg)](https://t.co/iRUsi00I4F) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449787413249863682)
2021-10-17T17:31:39Z	**10) A couple of final views of the denarius in hand - since with modern photography it is easy to forget that these intricate designs**
10) A couple of final views of the denarius in hand - since with modern photography it is easy to forget that these intricate designs, engraved by hand and eye with simple tools over two millennia ago, are only millimetres across!

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FB6wZSPWEAo_nRr.jpg)](https://t.co/KAxI9HKLEu) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449790223366377472)
2021-10-17T18:48:33Z	**Hellenistic gold diadem with elaborate floral motifs in gold wirework and granulation**
Hellenistic gold diadem with elaborate floral motifs in gold wirework and granulation, inset with a precious stone in the form of Medusa the Gorgon. Found in the vicinity of modern Ukraine, kept in Ukraine's Platar collection.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FB6_-9OXsAIMKN3.jpg)](https://t.co/ap0zJXNoUk) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449809577063632902)
2021-10-17T19:07:23Z	**Explore this denarius and my other Roman coins in my galleries here**
Explore this denarius and my other Roman coins in my galleries here: [https://t.co/k0JRX92J6m](https://www.harneycoins.com/republican?pgid=kb3tu085-3e176978-196c-4405-bd2d-ba6459f22072) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1449814316279115787)
2021-10-19T16:40:51Z	**A truly spectacular book 👇🏛**
A truly spectacular book 👇🏛 ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1450502215861424131)
2021-10-19T17:07:43Z	**Ancient gold swivel ring with finely carved rock-crystal scarab**
Ancient gold swivel ring with finely carved rock-crystal scarab. The scarab beetle was a protective symbol associated with vitality and rebirth. The gem can be rotated to also reveal an engraved snake, a symbol of fertility and good health. c.500 BC

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCE7CdWXMAILPmG.jpg)](https://t.co/uM2qhz0Yhe) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1450508976957927429)
2021-10-20T18:44:46Z	**Greco-Scythian gold bracelet**
Greco-Scythian gold bracelet, a masterclass in ancient gold embossing, filigree and granulation - fastened with interlocking protomes of Sphinxes. Found during excavations in 1830 in the Kul-Oba royal barrow located near Kerch in eastern Crimea. c.400 BC, Hermitage Museum

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCKaJ0nWEAwqDrY.jpg)](https://t.co/6czBOJMQm3) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1450895786007478277)
2021-10-21T18:05:17Z	**Roman gold ring with a carnelian intaglio gem depicting a scorpion**
Roman gold ring with a carnelian intaglio gem depicting a scorpion. The scorpion was the emblem of the Praetorian Guard, the Roman emperor's personal elite unit. It is not inconceivable that this ring might have been worn by a praetorian. 1st-3rd century AD

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCPcAsPWEAIzhZ9.jpg)](https://t.co/ZzazdvxzqI) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1451248238992953345)
2021-10-24T16:31:25Z	**Currently exploring ancient Malta and Gozo**
Currently exploring ancient Malta and Gozo. 🇲🇹

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCel2UpWEAwGzh6.jpg)](https://t.co/jXgJzO9mn4) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1452311778369605632)
2021-10-25T16:13:27Z	**Salt pans (salina) at Xwejni Bay**
Salt pans (salina) at Xwejni Bay, Gozo, the earliest of which date to Roman times. Salt pans have been hand-carved into the limestone rock here for 2000 years - filled with seawater to be evaporated by the sun, leaving behind crystalline salt to be collected and sold.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCjrSE4XoAIfE-M.jpg)](https://t.co/tx9b381Sz9) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1452669646029611018)
2021-10-26T16:33:18Z	**A choppy pilgrimage to Fort Ricasoli at the entrance to Valletta’s Grand Harbour**
A choppy pilgrimage to Fort Ricasoli at the entrance to Valletta’s Grand Harbour, where Gladiator was filmed in the spring of 1999. [@russellcrowe](https://twitter.com/russellcrowe)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1453036719314513920/pu/img/6RWYEefH5dgkBR3W.jpg)](https://t.co/KoCwycTbFd) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453037028011122689)
2021-10-26T17:49:47Z	**Sailing round Fort Ricasoli where all the Rome and Colosseum portions of ‘Gladiator’ were filmed in the spring of 1999**
Sailing round Fort Ricasoli where all the Rome and Colosseum portions of ‘Gladiator’ were filmed in the spring of 1999. [@russellcrowe](https://twitter.com/russellcrowe)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCpK-DDWUAMufSX.jpg)](https://t.co/6ZTpAYFUFK) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453056276745887753)
2021-10-27T16:17:49Z	**Raised a glass to Oliver Reed at “The Pub” in Valletta**
Raised a glass to Oliver Reed at “The Pub” in Valletta, Malta. On 2 May 1999, during production of ‘Gladiator’ in which he played Proximo, Reed collapsed and died in the bar after drinking eight pints of lager, twelve double rums and half a bottle of whiskey.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCt_fuGWQAk8stA.jpg)](https://t.co/GUaDIli8OP) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453395519645048844)
2021-10-27T16:25:17Z	**link**
[https://t.co/voElweB7vz](https://twitter.com/optimoprincipi/status/1256225991770476545) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453397397703479303)
2021-10-27T16:23:22Z	**link**
[https://t.co/8fUqsjqZiO](https://twitter.com/optimoprincipi/status/1256343423596015616) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453396916511838212)
2021-10-28T07:29:25Z	**Suit of armour**
Suit of armour, shield and horse chanfron of Malta’s Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt (1601), likely made by the Milanese armourer Geronimo Spacini. Valletta Palace Armoury

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCxQIxpXsAM8IJD.jpg)](https://t.co/hKL7JaETF2) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453624932894654465)
2021-10-28T10:48:40Z	**The ‘Batavia’ set sail on her doomed maiden voyage on this day in 1628**
The ‘Batavia’ set sail on her doomed maiden voyage on this day in 1628, with a spectacular Roman treasure in its cargo. Read the almost-unbelievable story here ☠️ ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453675074641399818)
2021-10-28T10:53:31Z	**The ‘Batavia’ set sail on her doomed maiden voyage on this day in 1628**
The ‘Batavia’ set sail on her doomed maiden voyage on this day in 1628, with a spectacular Roman treasure in her cargo. Read the almost-unbelievable story here ☠️ ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453676296568020993)
2021-10-28T11:23:31Z	**Read the full unrolled thread here**
Read the full unrolled thread here: [https://t.co/DkiPqp98as](https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1379365137862291456.html) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453683844587139072)
2021-10-28T14:48:58Z	**An official portrait of Alof de Wignacourt wearing this parade armour**
An official portrait of Alof de Wignacourt wearing this parade armour, early 17th century.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCy0xXEUYBIEH6A.jpg)](https://t.co/TqYlVQ0wpo) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453735547508117517)
2021-10-29T06:45:18Z	**Full story**
Full story: [https://t.co/n6tnJ5UCUc](https://news.sky.com/story/amp/hs2-roman-statues-found-by-archaeologists-at-abandoned-buckinghamshire-church-while-digging-high-speed-railway-route-12453408) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453976216864706561)
2021-10-29T06:44:34Z	**Portrait of a Roman woman discovered during HS2 excavations at St Mary’s Church**
Portrait of a Roman woman discovered during HS2 excavations at St Mary’s Church, Stoke Mandeville - along with other statues of a man and child. Incredible find from Roman Britain!

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FC2Pfd4WQAAHJ5h.jpg)](https://t.co/UNK9fHAGMU) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1453976034525782017)
2021-10-31T12:08:05Z	**Roman marble column base**
Roman marble column base, hollowed out and reused as a wellhead in the early 16th century Gran Castello house, Citadel of Victoria, Gozo.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDBrq2aWUAAEwUX.jpg)](https://t.co/FeMi27aIjB) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1454782225808072706)
2021-10-31T13:11:42Z	**Wonderfully creepy Roman theatrical masks; fresco details from the House of Augustus on the Palatine Hill**
Wonderfully creepy Roman theatrical masks; fresco details from the House of Augustus on the Palatine Hill, Rome [#Halloween](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Halloween) 🎃

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDB6fCEXsAAqyFr.png)](https://t.co/gsU0P5J8eW) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1454798234577260544)
2021-10-31T14:29:07Z	**Large Roman glass funerary urn (olla)**
Large Roman glass funerary urn (olla), still holding the cremated remains of the deceased. Found in 1800 during excavations on Vajrinġa street, Gozo. The find spot formed part of the necropolis of Roman Gaulos (modern Gozo). 1st-2nd century AD, Gozo Museum of Archaeology

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDCJGcUXMAIvK3g.jpg)](https://t.co/wm0N4PAOyJ) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1454817717958201344)
2021-10-31T14:51:38Z	**Such “dolls” are thought to have been intended to bind the body and mind of a love interest; pins stabbed into body parts would block love rivals entering a woman’s heart**
Such “dolls” are thought to have been intended to bind the body and mind of a love interest; pins stabbed into body parts would block love rivals entering a woman’s heart, mind, ears, lips, etc. [#halloween2021](https://twitter.com/hashtag/halloween2021)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDCSGHLWYAMEeF2.jpg)](https://t.c ... ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1454823382109855746)
2021-10-31T14:49:47Z	**A sinister Roman "voodoo doll"**
A sinister Roman "voodoo doll", showing a nude female bound and stabbed with 13 pins. Despite the disturbing appearance of the effigy it was found with a lead curse tablet carrying a binding love spell, 2nd-3rd century, Louvre Museum [#halloween2021](https://twitter.com/hashtag/halloween2021)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDCRZNaXsAIaXvr.jpg)](https://t.co/1FFSUqpou3) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1454822916567314435)
2021-10-31T18:11:49Z	**1) Enjoyed this moment of classical reception in #Dune**
1) Enjoyed this moment of classical reception in [#Dune](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dune), as Paul and Leto walk through the Atreides graveyard on Caladan - with tombs seemingly inspired by ancient Lycian sarcophagi of the 4th-5th century BC.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDC9JGNWUAAXlmH.jpg)](https://t.co/fDV4HMb7rs) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1454873761782669312)
2021-10-31T18:18:35Z	**1) Enjoyed this moment of classical reception in #Dune**
1) Enjoyed this moment of classical reception in [#Dune](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dune), as Paul and Leto walk through the Atreides graveyard on Caladan - with tombs seemingly inspired by ancient Lycian sarcophagi of the 4th-5th century BC.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDDBWmBX0AAnub4.jpg)](https://t.co/teKrZndiwI) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1454875462791008264)
2021-10-31T18:20:48Z	**2) Sarcophagi of ancient Lycia in southern Anatolia**
2) Sarcophagi of ancient Lycia in southern Anatolia, with their distinctive ogival arches - here examples from Fethiye and Sidyma.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDDB8XNX0AAPE65.jpg)](https://t.co/YnmlJhzokj) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1454876019899437059)
2021-11-01T20:05:59Z	**2) Livia**
2) Livia, famed and long-lived wife of Augustus. Interestingly, the inscription identifies her as 'Ceres Julia Augusta', revealing that Livia is being presented in the guise of the maternal goddess of agriculture, the grain harvest and fertility.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDIjn6RWEAocgfL.jpg)](https://t.co/o2A4numOA0) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1455264878709649413)
2021-11-01T20:03:10Z	**1) Roman marble statue of a draped female figure**
1) Roman marble statue of a draped female figure, no less beautiful despite missing head and arms. The woman wears a chiton buttoned up on the shoulders and over it, the heavier himation or mantle. Thanks to the surviving statue base she can be identified as none other than..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDIi---X0AQ9j9Z.jpg)](https://t.co/o3YSZGcId1) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1455264169775747078)
2021-11-01T20:08:47Z	**3) In her own 87-year lifetime**
3) In her own 87-year lifetime, Livia was regularly equated with maternal goddesses of the Roman state, especially on imperial coinage - including Pax (Peace), Salus (Health), Justitia (Justice) and on a later coin from the reign of Claudius, Ceres.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDIkCVsXIAENYE6.jpg)](https://t.co/joYStEJ2UB) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1455265582748733442)
2021-11-01T20:12:12Z	**4) Livia is further named as mother of the present emperor Tiberius**
4) Livia is further named as mother of the present emperor Tiberius, which seems to date the statue between 14-37 AD. It was dedicated at the citadel of Gozo (Roman Gaulos) by Lutatia, a priestess of the imperial cult and her husband, the priest Marcus Livius Optatus.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDIk0U7XsAIjbiI.jpg)](https://t.co/dlmURvWrsz) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1455266445798125579)
2021-11-01T20:20:32Z	**5) Incredibly**
5) Incredibly, the statue appears to have been found in-situ at the entrance to the Cittadella (citadel of Victoria on the island of Gozo, Malta) during rebuilding of the fortifications in the 16th century - seen still in place in this painting by Jean-Pierre Houël c.1776.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDIlZiQX0AQTdsU.jpg)](https://t.co/HwiOioVjEE) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1455268542748704776)
2021-11-01T20:24:23Z	**6) Details of the wonderful sculpting of Livia's robes**
6) Details of the wonderful sculpting of Livia's robes.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDIneoAX0AMqbrc.jpg)](https://t.co/8LbJmcktWb) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1455269511695937540)
2021-11-01T20:32:46Z	**7) The exquisite statue and its surviving base can be enjoyed at the Gozo Museum of Archaeology**
7) The exquisite statue and its surviving base can be enjoyed at the Gozo Museum of Archaeology, Malta.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDIo9WUWUAcXoBC.jpg)](https://t.co/aPHKxWkMc2) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1455271618461282304)
2021-11-02T20:10:32Z	**1/2) The Sleeping Lady of Malta**
1/2) The Sleeping Lady of Malta, a masterpiece of Neolithic art: this clay figurine dating to around 3300 BC was discovered in the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum and shows a woman in a sleeping position, naked from the waist upwards, perhaps representing death or eternal sleep..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDNrOb3X0Ac99Pe.jpg)](https://t.co/liPP2LVmdH) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1455628412236836872)
2021-11-02T20:13:46Z	**2/2) Her legs are covered in a lightly decorated skirt giving the impression of embroidery**
2/2) Her legs are covered in a lightly decorated skirt giving the impression of embroidery. In a delightful touch, the couch on which the Sleeping Lady is lying seems to be sagging under her weight. Visit the Sleeping Lady at the National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta, Malta

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDNu9_NWYAkUco1.jpg)](https://t.co/VsbbjK06Da) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1455629224505712645)
2021-11-03T19:57:19Z	**'The Venus of Malta'**
'The Venus of Malta', a clay statuette of a nude female with her left hand on her abdomen and her right hand on her thigh - a pose characteristic of the many 'fertility goddesses' found in Malta's megalithic temples. From the Ħaġar Qim temple, c.3500 BC. Valletta Museum

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDSwzTjXEAQndI9.jpg)](https://t.co/Esi4bSUJ4b) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1455987473356673029)
2021-11-05T18:08:24Z	**What if the Gunpowder Plot had succeeded**
What if the Gunpowder Plot had succeeded? In 2005 a team built a full-size replica of the Parliament building which they destroyed with 1,000kg of gunpowder (the plotters had likely stored around 2,500kg). They concluded no one within 100m of the blast could have survived

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1456682394568826884/pu/img/nuccu-tC0-8fMCWd.jpg)](https://t.co/0CFScivDzS) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1456684842326925312)
2021-11-05T19:09:56Z	**Guy Fawkes' signatures before and after two days of torture**
Guy Fawkes' signatures before and after two days of torture. King James I conceded the plotter had “a Roman resolution". [#GunpowderPlot](https://twitter.com/hashtag/GunpowderPlot)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDc9OSEWUAM0Z_a.jpg)](https://t.co/p7t8HquMMM) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1456700324136300544)
2021-11-05T22:33:09Z	**“**
“..I saye they shall receive a terrible blow this parleament and yet they shall not seie who hurts them.” ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1456751465427619848)
2021-11-06T14:02:52Z	**I missed Russell by just a few days**
I missed Russell by just a few days! 😞 ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1456985439290675204)
2021-11-06T16:18:39Z	**Another free visit to Aquae Sulis**
Another free visit to Aquae Sulis, thanks to my [@romanarchaeouk](https://twitter.com/romanarchaeouk) membership. Join up!

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDhfmS1XMAoovlE.jpg)](https://t.co/CZip92kKpr) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457019607949135874)
2021-11-06T16:35:12Z	**Maximus returns to the Colosseum**
Maximus returns to the Colosseum! (Fort Ricasoli, Malta) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457023773077655554)
2021-11-06T16:36:53Z	**🤯 Maximus comes home**
🤯 Maximus comes home!

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDhjyJmWQAETeCW.jpg)](https://t.co/8MTvpdbqBq) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457024196245168134)
2021-11-06T23:22:17Z	**Roman gilded bronze head of the goddess Sulis-Minerva**
Roman gilded bronze head of the goddess Sulis-Minerva, discovered at Bath in 1727. The head is probably from the original cult statue of the goddess which stood within her temple beside the sacred spring of Aquae Sulis.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDjAjbOWUAsoIhV.jpg)](https://t.co/k4rDWvXiPz) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457126217581268994)
2021-11-07T10:56:53Z	**Good morning from the Royal Crescent**
Good morning from the Royal Crescent.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDlfgm-XoAEDNoj.jpg)](https://t.co/LDsoQ4S4kV) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457301022326542336)
2021-11-07T11:29:17Z	**Number 1**
Number 1, Royal Crescent.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDlm8-mXIAAcgwh.jpg)](https://t.co/KamqnIevpG) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457309175227224068)
2021-11-07T15:13:47Z	**Glorious view over Aquae Sulis today (Bath**
Glorious view over Aquae Sulis today (Bath,Somerset)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDmaWBKX0AUm41x.jpg)](https://t.co/L25ti5uZDk) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457365671617208323)
2021-11-07T15:43:32Z	**Recommend the brand new Toppings bookshop in Bath**
Recommend the brand new Toppings bookshop in Bath! 📚

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDmhJ0jXMAIgTi9.jpg)](https://t.co/rfMM6n1Wk3) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457373159070515212)
2021-11-07T20:03:17Z	**Great to see the newly opened remnants of the gymnasium in the Roman baths of Aquae Sulis (Bath**
Great to see the newly opened remnants of the gymnasium in the Roman baths of Aquae Sulis (Bath, Somerset)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDnclCsXsAExB6V.jpg)](https://t.co/0JomynnFT4) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457438526727991303)
2021-11-07T20:28:19Z	**“In Britain there are hot springs adorned with sumptuous splendour for the use of mortals and their patron goddess is Minerva**
“In Britain there are hot springs adorned with sumptuous splendour for the use of mortals and their patron goddess is Minerva.”

\- Solinus (3rd century AD)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDniVSwXoA0t435.jpg)](https://t.co/dgvT2aYEUE) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457444828657106950)
2021-11-08T16:22:40Z	**A rare fragment of a marble inscription from Roman Britain**
A rare fragment of a marble inscription from Roman Britain, from a dedication to the goddess Sulis-Minerva at her baths at Aquae Sulis (Bath, Somerset) - set up by a 1st century man whose full name seems to be Tiberius Claudius Sollemnis.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDrztJDXoAU6IJl.jpg)](https://t.co/2alSgP9sUy) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457745396109910024)
2021-11-08T19:39:03Z	**The gravestone of Gaius Calpurnius Receptus**
The gravestone of Gaius Calpurnius Receptus, priest in charge of the Temple of Sulis-Minerva in the Roman spa town of Aquae Sulis (Bath, Somerset). The memorial to the 75 year old, shaped like an altar to reflect his role, was placed by his wife and freedwoman, Calpurnia Trifosa.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDsgof5aUAEcmxR.jpg)](https://t.co/quIGjgqJwl) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457794818386513923)
2021-11-08T20:23:11Z	**Roman pipeclay figurine of a puppy or lapdog wearing a collar and bell**
Roman pipeclay figurine of a puppy or lapdog wearing a collar and bell. Found in the baths of Aquae Sulis in 1989, its white clay came from the Allier region in central France. Dogs were associated with hunting and healing and this may represent a talisman of good luck or health.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDsnCg3VQAMM8Nr.jpg)](https://t.co/Bw5zApvHk4) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1457805922374402059)
2021-11-09T17:20:45Z	**The Sanctuary of Ta' Pinu with its external mosaics depicting the Passion - here Jesus is arrested and brought before Pontius Pilate**
The Sanctuary of Ta' Pinu with its external mosaics depicting the Passion - here Jesus is arrested and brought before Pontius Pilate, Roman governor of the province of Judaea. Gozo

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDxKkJ4X0AMiBzf.jpg)](https://t.co/D6Ns8fFs6R) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1458122400739078148)
2021-11-09T17:36:43Z	**Mosaic from Roman Cyprus showing a dog (perhaps a Cretan hound) that has caught a partridge**
Mosaic from Roman Cyprus showing a dog (perhaps a Cretan hound) that has caught a partridge. Above in Greek it states 'ΦΗΡΙΑ ΚΑΛΗ' = good hunting! 4th century AD, Cyprus Archaeological Museum

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDxOO3fXEAMrPvx.jpg)](https://t.co/uXiHp9Kxn6) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1458126417489760256)
2021-11-09T20:09:05Z	**A Cretan hound for comparison**
A Cretan hound for comparison:

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDxxHpIX0AQU0CV.jpg)](https://t.co/5UT4fzY1dn) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1458164761892462600)
2021-11-09T21:45:33Z	**“I bought a book on the Romans to read in prison**
“I bought a book on the Romans to read in prison..” ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1458189039442530317)
2021-11-09T22:02:55Z	**Suetonius**
Suetonius, Life of Nero, 28

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDyLLMzWYAcJQ9K.jpg)](https://t.co/RDraY7uN3j) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1458193408116379653)
2021-11-10T18:18:28Z	**The back garden from where on 13 March 1781 composer and astronomer William Herschel discovered a seventh planet in our Solar System**
The back garden from where on 13 March 1781 composer and astronomer William Herschel discovered a seventh planet in our Solar System. Given the chance to christen his new planet, Herschel named it George. Surprisingly the name did not stick and the planet was soon renamed Uranus.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FD2hYDzXEAQh_ji.jpg)](https://t.co/e9hRCTXPvz) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1458499313064161282)
2021-11-10T18:30:05Z	**Herschel’s house**
Herschel’s house, now the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street, Bath [https://t.co/Lqrw0I3mwz](https://herschelmuseum.org.uk/) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1458502235634155531)
2021-11-11T11:00:03Z	**The absurdity of war distilled into one of the most devastating single minutes of poetry you will ever hear**
The absurdity of war distilled into one of the most devastating single minutes of poetry you will ever hear.

..and this performance. Sean Bean just \*gets\* every word.

[#RemembranceDay](https://twitter.com/hashtag/RemembranceDay)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1458525423290179589/pu/img/JWrlTTi2EQfXdOBW.jpg)](https://t.co/lP48OHtx5s) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1458751368735473668)
2021-11-11T20:40:19Z	**Roman lead pipes still in situ around the Great Bath of the natural springs of ancient Aquae Sulis (modern Bath**
Roman lead pipes still in situ around the Great Bath of the natural springs of ancient Aquae Sulis (modern Bath, Somerset). Lead pipes were used to carry the hot spa water, which rises from the sacred spring at a temperature of 46°C, around the bathing complex.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FD8LbMNX0AAJan5.jpg)](https://t.co/JyoqsFiAf5) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1458897399754203142)
2021-11-12T16:49:35Z	**In July 1551 the Maltese island of Gozo was attacked by a huge Ottoman fleet of 145 vessels**
In July 1551 the Maltese island of Gozo was attacked by a huge Ottoman fleet of 145 vessels. The ENTIRE population of around 6,000 Gozitans were taken into slavery and sold at slave markets in North Africa. (1551 Monument, Citadel of Gozo)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEAgNiiXIAMfFeJ.jpg)](https://t.co/wH5KGzk9it) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459201719464865799)
2021-11-13T11:19:00Z	**'Fat Lady' statuette from Malta's Ħaġar Qim temple c**
'Fat Lady' statuette from Malta's Ħaġar Qim temple c.3500 BC. One of many such rotund figures found at Malta's megalithic sites, these Fat Ladies have puzzled archaeologists; almost none are found with heads and while often labelled 'fertility goddesses', many appear to be male.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEDLna-XwAQmgre.jpg)](https://t.co/rqsgPoJdv2) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459480913536970754)
2021-11-13T11:33:31Z	**'Fat Lady' statuette from Malta's Ħaġar Qim temple c**
'Fat Lady' statuette from Malta's Ħaġar Qim temple c.3500 BC. One of many such rotund figures found at Malta's megalithic sites, these Fat Ladies have puzzled archaeologists; almost none are found with heads and while often labelled 'fertility goddesses', many appear to be male.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEEhZ-KXIAcxCow.jpg)](https://t.co/rPKwHsDvGM) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459484569418227713)
2021-11-13T13:27:59Z	**4) Two bombs deflected off the great dome**
4) Two bombs deflected off the great dome, but a third struck more directly. The 500kg German high-explosive demolition bomb smashed through the dome above the packed congregation..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEE7pS6XEAMJO13.jpg)](https://t.co/wSPfiV3xIq) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459513375537479683)
2021-11-13T13:26:32Z	**3) Luftwaffe bombers returning from a raid on the nearby airfield of RAF Ta Kali**
3) Luftwaffe bombers returning from a raid on the nearby airfield of RAF Ta Kali, looked for targets on which to drop their excess bombs. At 16:40pm, as they passed directly over the great Mosta Dome, the Luftwaffe jettisoned their remaining payload...

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEE7UcdXEAUYjfh.jpg)](https://t.co/wi5AzMtuGu) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459513007646687237)
2021-11-13T13:25:11Z	**2) In the town of Mosta**
2) In the town of Mosta, in the Northern Region of Malta, over 300 of the town's devout Catholic inhabitants gathered defiantly for evening mass in the Rotunda of Mosta, under the spectacular dome modelled on Rome's Pantheon. Meanwhile, in the skies above..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEE7Al2X0AIYxiQ.jpg)](https://t.co/n7oj8UbfE0) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459512670055538691)
2021-11-13T13:24:08Z	**1) During World War II**
1) During World War II, Malta was the most bombed place on earth, with more bombs dropped on the small island in two months of 1941 than on London during the whole war. When air raids were imminent, many took refuge in churches, praying for deliverance. As on 9th April 1942..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEE6thGWYAAekfy.jpg)](https://t.co/umtuQsinGv) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459512403373273101)
2021-11-13T13:32:52Z	**6) With the church safely evacuated**
6) With the church safely evacuated, the bomb needed to be defused. Not knowing if its fuse was in fact a delayed-action time bomb or an anti-handling booby trap, the live bomb was courageously deactivated by Royal Engineers Officers Lt. Thomas Blackwell and Lt. George Carroll.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEE8xSaXoAMuZbh.jpg)](https://t.co/h1O3EZBo6i) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459514601473773569)
2021-11-13T13:31:32Z	**5) After piercing the dome's coffers**
5) After piercing the dome's coffers, the bomb hit the face of Jesus on the rotunda's frescoes painted by Giuseppe Cali. Deflecting off the face of Jesus it smashed into the floor of the church ..and failed to detonate. None of the stunned parishioners in the church were injured.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEE8eGPWUA0pwA7.jpg)](https://t.co/LPGouIPsi7) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459514266587963395)
2021-11-13T13:36:28Z	**8) Today the unpainted coffers of the Mosta dome and restored face of Jesus on Giuseppe Cali's wall paintings**
8) Today the unpainted coffers of the Mosta dome and restored face of Jesus on Giuseppe Cali's wall paintings, serve as reminders to the 'miracle bomb' of 9 April 1942. {END}

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEE9iqcXoAQpYw2.jpg)](https://t.co/jMbgZYGulI) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459515511016988677)
2021-11-13T13:34:26Z	**7) The Mosta bomb was disposed of in the sea off Malta's west coast but one of the same type is today displayed in the church's sacristy**
7) The Mosta bomb was disposed of in the sea off Malta's west coast but one of the same type is today displayed in the church's sacristy, under the words Il-Miraklu tal-Bomba, 9 ta' April 1942 ("The Bomb Miracle, 9 April 1942").

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEE9Gd-WYAUK9AN.jpg)](https://t.co/gtCLx38lpC) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459514997516738565)
2021-11-13T17:28:04Z	**Experimenting with some new numismatic photography techniques today and thrilled with the detail I'm now achieving**
Experimenting with some new numismatic photography techniques today and thrilled with the detail I'm now achieving. Here's a taster, stay tuned! 👀📷

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEFyW-pXsAI_59F.jpg)](https://t.co/v66MrIXnFJ) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459573793798733827)
2021-11-13T17:31:29Z	***This silver denarius is just 17mm across***
\*This silver denarius is just 17mm across\* ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459574653937197060)
2021-11-13T18:55:44Z	**Maximus**
Maximus: You were a gladiator?

Proximo: Yes I was…

\\* So begins the greatest imaginary prequel movie ever, with young Oliver Reed playing the rookie gladiator Proximo, as he learns to “win the crowd” and eventually wins his freedom from the emperor Marcus Aurelius! \*

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEGGsV7WYAQZcYd.jpg)](https://t.co/Ra2IRuXofx) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459595854294274049)
2021-11-13T19:05:57Z	**Greatest film never made**
Greatest film never made.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEGJCEKWYAImTsR.jpg)](https://t.co/nxoWevuLi2) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459598427260608516)
2021-11-14T19:30:52Z	**The greatest movie never made**
The greatest movie never made.

Just for fun I made a poster for the film that played in all our heads when Proximo said he was once a gladiator.

"I wasn't the best because I killed quickly. I was the best because the crowd loved me. Win the crowd and you will win your freedom."

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FELV0mRWYAc2A-9.jpg)](https://t.co/C6tapYoDFs) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1459967083417161730)
2021-11-15T20:17:23Z	**"Ultimately**
"Ultimately, we’re all dead men. We can't choose how ..but we can decide how we meet that end, in order that we are remembered as men.” - Proximo

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEQsZqmX0Asw1vO.jpg)](https://t.co/OY3D5KPJ9U) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1460341180068253697)
2021-11-15T20:43:40Z	**There's an alternate universe where this movie exists but for now we can watch it in our imaginations**
There's an alternate universe where this movie exists but for now we can watch it in our imaginations... ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1460347793126658051)
2021-11-15T22:22:42Z	**Conversation about my tweet at 4m40s 🤯**
Conversation about my tweet at 4m40s 🤯 ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1460372715274129408)
2021-11-16T17:31:18Z	**Okay last one**
Okay last one ...⚔️

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEVQCA_WYAUZEHB.jpg)](https://t.co/eC4B3Nn15x) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1460661768494194692)
2021-11-17T20:08:35Z	**Maybe I'll write up a plot synopsis of this for fun**
Maybe I'll write up a plot synopsis of this for fun. Set in the early years of the reign of Marcus Aurelius who came to power in 161 AD. ⚔️

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEa8qmaWQAEG5PB.jpg)](https://t.co/qRFiwCdHhY) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1461063741261459456)
2021-11-18T13:08:34Z	**Scott cast three veteran British and Irish actors known as much for their hellraising as their acting talent; Richard Harris**
Scott cast three veteran British and Irish actors known as much for their hellraising as their acting talent; Richard Harris, Oliver Reed and David Hemmings, expressing regret at not finding a role for Peter O'Toole and completing the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." [#Gladiator](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gladiator)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEenK0uXMAET0AQ.jpg)](ht ... ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1461320427058389007)
2021-11-20T10:45:56Z	**1/2) Which one are you going in**
1/2) Which one are you going in?

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEoZq7gXEAE3bgm.jpg)](https://t.co/TGAQVWUfzO) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462009309714341894)
2021-11-20T10:42:53Z	**In Oxonia**
In Oxonia

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEoY_dDXsAQNGRw.jpg)](https://t.co/VlZlPSNPjT) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462008542311993345)
2021-11-20T10:47:11Z	**2/2) Which one are you going in**
2/2) Which one are you going in?

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEoZ88pXsAEpxJ3.jpg)](https://t.co/YqTyMVFqzt) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462009623720910858)
2021-11-20T16:40:34Z	**An Ancient Greek cobbler at work**
An Ancient Greek cobbler at work. The shoemaker cuts out a leather sole around the foot of a customer, who is shown at a smaller scale to fit the space. Below the table is a bowl of water used to soften the leather before cutting. Pelike vase from Rhodes, c.500 BC. Ashmolean

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEpq3n-WYAwYUs9.jpg)](https://t.co/il1sCXddYy) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462098556194598922)
2021-11-20T18:52:45Z	**Horseman’s leather gauntlet**
Horseman’s leather gauntlet, c.1500, Ashmolean Museum

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEqJIpuXIAwOXSQ.jpg)](https://t.co/gUezLaZLZo) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462131820468842501)
2021-11-20T19:22:25Z	**The Buddha sculpted in grey schist around 200 AD**
The Buddha sculpted in grey schist around 200 AD, his right hand raised in the fear-dispelling gesture. His finely carved head and robe show strong Greco-Roman influences. From Gandhara

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEqP5-qXwAUepr3.jpg)](https://t.co/JvOVb76J7A) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462139286149644292)
2021-11-21T10:12:09Z	**Bodhisattva**
Bodhisattva, the future Buddha, sculpted in grey schist around 150 AD. Below two donor figures perform a fire ritual. Gandhara

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEtbj0NXsAIDQzq.jpg)](https://t.co/bAdL3KPwJy) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462363195440517124)
2021-11-21T10:45:15Z	**Pagan myth in early Christian Egypt**
Pagan myth in early Christian Egypt. Limestone relief depicting Leda, wife of King Tyndaeus of Sparta, accosted by the god Zeus in the guise of a swan. c.400-500 AD, from a

woman's tomb at Oxyrhynchus, Egypt. Ashmolean Museum

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEtjIE5XsAQiAl3.jpg)](https://t.co/gDfNFTJGGa) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462371523122114560)
2021-11-21T12:59:37Z	**Birth of the Buddha**
Birth of the Buddha, sculpted in grey schist around 200 AD. Queen Maya gives birth through her right side to Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha. The infant is received by the god Indra and other deities. Gandhara

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEuB4-YXMAEyunc.jpg)](https://t.co/0BXik8BX0s) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462405337886212098)
2021-11-21T13:44:56Z	**1/2) 'The Odda Stone' - an incredibly rare late Anglo-Saxon inscription dating to 1056**
1/2) 'The Odda Stone' - an incredibly rare late Anglo-Saxon inscription dating to 1056. "Earl Odda ordered this church to be built and dedicated it in honour of the Holy Trinity for the soul of his brother Aelfric. Dedicated with the bishop Ealdred on the...

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEuKC9QXMAAf_g2.jpg)](https://t.co/AaErT3zUap) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462416742689480719)
2021-11-21T13:47:01Z	**2/2) "**
2/2) "..12th April in the fourteenth year of Edward, king of the English (1056)."

Found in 1675 near Deerhurst, Gloucestershire. Ashmolean Museum

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEuMuyjX0BYVVzV.jpg)](https://t.co/ymjl6ZhLA2) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462417268885889028)
2021-11-21T14:27:52Z	**Head of Medusa carved in pink coral**
Head of Medusa carved in pink coral. From ancient Gandhara (modern northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan), c.1st century BC. Ashmolean Museum

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEuVWOYX0AAwBGx.jpg)](https://t.co/giUhUoPqam) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462427548982329344)
2021-11-21T15:41:57Z	**Just photographing this handsome young chap**
Just photographing this handsome young chap. Any guesses? [#roman](https://twitter.com/hashtag/roman) [#numismatic](https://twitter.com/hashtag/numismatic) [#photography](https://twitter.com/hashtag/photography)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEum3drXEAIAoEe.jpg)](https://t.co/GmmYSHuWlo) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462446188888829959)
2021-11-21T18:48:04Z	**1) Roman marble bust of a Roman empress**
1) Roman marble bust of a Roman empress, commonly identified as Agrippina the Younger (15-59 AD), sister of Caligula, niece and wife of Claudius, as well as mother of Nero by her first husband Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEvQNu6WQAUvZuE.jpg)](https://t.co/yIN3p0mRz8) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462493027113570304)
2021-11-21T19:00:31Z	**1) Marble bust of a Roman empress**
1) Marble bust of a Roman empress, commonly identified as Agrippina the Younger (15-59 AD), sister of Caligula, niece and wife of Claudius, as well as mother of Nero by her first husband Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEvUU_qWQAEx_wm.jpg)](https://t.co/uBtj1Yp40B) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462496161231740930)
2021-11-21T19:06:31Z	**2) The empress has intricately curled and braided hair with luxuriant plaits at the back**
2) The empress has intricately curled and braided hair with luxuriant plaits at the back. She wears a diadem of flame palmettes which has been partially restored..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEvUv7IXoAEk798.jpg)](https://t.co/jVvnFclzuG) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462497672464670722)
2021-11-21T19:12:07Z	**3) While the bust has been dated to Agrippina's lifetime**
3) While the bust has been dated to Agrippina's lifetime, around 40-55 AD, certain features like the treatment of the eyes suggest to me this may be a later posthumous portrait of the Julio-Claudian empress, perhaps from the Trajanic era. We know for instance that..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEvXHElXIAgG3eU.jpg)](https://t.co/MRKLcHwkXe) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462499082543542276)
2021-11-21T19:20:24Z	**4)**
4) ..Trajan's Forum complex included numerous portraits of earlier rulers and their families, acting in many ways as an imperial hall of fame; here I compare a Decennalia bust of Trajan (image: [@carolemadge](https://twitter.com/carolemadge)) for illustrative purposes. The bust can be viewed in the Ashmolean Museum

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEvYLteX0AQAb6S.jpg)](https://t.co/wIlHWk1jUu) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462501167326498823)
2021-11-21T22:00:16Z	**Love the replies**
Love the replies, maybe I should make this a regular feature? Well done to those who guessed Severus Alexander! I'll post in more detail about the coin soon.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEv9nYtWUAIpGG1.jpg)](https://t.co/txkiCuiMm6) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462541395604869129)
2021-11-22T18:19:42Z	**Memorial plaque to “Alexander**
Memorial plaque to “Alexander, a sausage seller at the market. He lived 30 years. He was a good soul and everyone’s friend. May he sleep among the righteous”

The tombstone is carved with a menorah and was found in a Jewish catacomb on the Via Appia, 3rd-4th century AD. Ashmolean

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FE0UvQXXsAELYKO.jpg)](https://t.co/Ho4LXmjNfL) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462848275879448578)
2021-11-22T20:12:24Z	**1/2) An elegant Roman marble altar which gives the exact date of its dedication in Rome**
1/2) An elegant Roman marble altar which gives the exact date of its dedication in Rome. The altar was set up by the imperial freedman Tiberius Claudius Fortunatus for the priestly order of Silvanus, deity of the woods and fields, and the Lares guardian deities..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FE0pCtRXEAcSZ-i.jpg)](https://t.co/yEN7gxjDp6) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462876640300736512)
2021-11-22T20:23:37Z	**2/2)**
2/2) ..Fortunatus dedicated the altar and held a feast for four officials on 1st August in the consulship of Gaius Minicius Fundanus and Gaius Vettennius Severus (108 AD). Found in a vineyard near Rome's Porta Flumentana in 1549. Ashmolean Museum

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FE0xCHDXoAUaJsg.jpg)](https://t.co/j6QuGaetue) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462879464220770306)
2021-11-22T20:50:26Z	**If only Alexander the sausage-seller could see the love for him on @twitter this evening**
If only Alexander the sausage-seller could see the love for him on [@twitter](https://twitter.com/twitter) this evening.

"He was good soul, everyone's friend" (anima bona, omniorum amicus) - an elegant summary of a short life well-lived. ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1462886212482605056)
2021-11-23T18:01:20Z	**Stone relief of the nine planetary deities (navagraha) who often appear on the door lintels of North Indian temples**
Stone relief of the nine planetary deities (navagraha) who often appear on the door lintels of North Indian temples. The deities comprise the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn as well as Rahu and Ketu who control solar and lunar eclipses. c.1000 AD

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FE5aHsbWQAka6bh.jpg)](https://t.co/dIRtKvnulu) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463206042553176069)
2021-11-23T19:21:28Z	**“Here rests in a peaceful sleep**
“Here rests in a peaceful sleep, Maria. She lived 25 years more or less. She was buried on the 4th day before the nones of January in the consulship of Basilius (2nd January 546 AD)”

Interestingly, Basilius is the last recorded consul in the Roman West.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FE5sd-dXoAIW8LK.jpg)](https://t.co/KTcFcQWRls) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463226211845525507)
2021-11-23T19:46:20Z	**This epitaph is from the early Christian cemetery of Aeclanum at Mirabella**
This epitaph is from the early Christian cemetery of Aeclanum at Mirabella [https://t.co/OczYs1Y0Gy](https://latininscriptions.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/xml/AN_2007_60.xml) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463232466811076624)
2021-11-23T20:31:13Z	**The gravestone of Maria is from the early Christian cemetery of Aeclanum (modern Mirabella Eclano**
The gravestone of Maria is from the early Christian cemetery of Aeclanum (modern Mirabella Eclano, Avellino) [https://t.co/OczYs1Y0Gy](https://latininscriptions.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/xml/AN_2007_60.xml) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463243763564920833)
2021-11-24T10:21:32Z	**An archaeologist holds a newly discovered fragment of a Roman bronze cavalry mask**
An archaeologist holds a newly discovered fragment of a Roman bronze cavalry mask, unearthed at the ancient city of Hadrianopolis, near modern Eskipazar, Turkey.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FE86fUVXsAM6hbq.jpg)](https://t.co/X8xWXKFD7t) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463452721051279361)
2021-11-24T10:46:37Z	**link**
[https://t.co/M7LPkffZcH](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10233655/Archaeology-Roman-soldiers-FACE-MASK-dating-1-800-years-uncovered-Turkey.html) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463459033331994626)
2021-11-24T19:42:12Z	**2/2) So massive was the lime-kiln industry here burning ancient sculpture**
2/2) So massive was the lime-kiln industry here burning ancient sculpture, the entire district of Rome became known as Calcarario, the 'lime pits'. Long into the Renaissance, kilns were in constant operation across Rome fuelled by the prized marbles from the surrounding monuments

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FE-6zDnWYAoC2qN.jpg)](https://t.co/0XM5n7A0q0) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463593815449743366)
2021-11-24T19:40:44Z	**1/2) Rome in the 8th century**
1/2) Rome in the 8th century: Roman marble architecture, statues and inscriptions are smashed and loaded into the huge lime-kiln set up in the exedra of Rome's Crypta Balbi - burnt in the furnace to create lime for use in medieval building..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FE-pgRbX0AkUvTC.jpg)](https://t.co/H2mMxjOGrO) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463593446371901449)
2021-11-24T19:45:59Z	**(Art by Simone Boni**
(Art by Simone Boni, Inklink) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463594766185213952)
2021-11-24T22:37:10Z	**Roman terracotta bust of an older man who lived during the Roman Republic**
Roman terracotta bust of an older man who lived during the Roman Republic. The incredibly lifelike portrait exemplifies the naturalistic approach of Republican art, rendering the man's sagging jowls, crow's feet, wrinkled neck, even moles and scars. From Cumae near Naples.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FE_etwKXwAAcuwd.jpg)](https://t.co/QzgJzWbamD) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463637845315403776)
2021-11-24T22:49:22Z	**An alternate view showing what is believed to be scars of healed wounds on the man's forehead**
An alternate view showing what is believed to be scars of healed wounds on the man's forehead. Amazing.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FE_ld6vXwAs6Pue.jpg)](https://t.co/wVb8R79sic) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463640916678385664)
2021-11-24T22:54:21Z	**link**
[https://t.co/1RZyyalQH9](https://collections.mfa.org/objects/155696/bust-of-a-man?ctx=079079e5-cbb6-46ab-9e2f-fee3920d20c1&idx=2) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1463642170615865347)
2021-11-26T16:44:10Z	**Exciting**
Exciting! 👇 ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464273786308542465)
2021-11-26T18:34:29Z	**2/4) The scene is powerfully realised in high relief emphasising the dying hero**
2/4) The scene is powerfully realised in high relief emphasising the dying hero, unlike most other classical representations of Meleager which usually show the hunt for the Calydonian boar or the hero being laid to rest in a tomb.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFI-fXCX0AoL-sM.jpg)](https://t.co/sn32GvPTFH) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464301549950279691)
2021-11-26T18:30:47Z	**1/4) Roman sarcophagus fragment depicting the death of the Greek hero Meleager**
1/4) Roman sarcophagus fragment depicting the death of the Greek hero Meleager, famous for killing the Calydonian boar. The emotive tableau focuses on the dying hero being carried home by his father and companions. 2nd century, The Met

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFI9pIiWQAQFwvV.jpg)](https://t.co/YqxTzQ1oA7) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464300619683008529)
2021-11-26T18:37:22Z	**4/4) The striking composition may look familiar; during the Renaissance the scene became the prototype for artistic representations of the Deposition of Christ**
4/4) The striking composition may look familiar; during the Renaissance the scene became the prototype for artistic representations of the Deposition of Christ.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFI_JylWUAgMGa0.jpg)](https://t.co/NC3XhzuCow) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464302274054864905)
2021-11-26T18:35:35Z	**3/4) An emotive detail of a grieving companion of the dying hero Meleager**
3/4) An emotive detail of a grieving companion of the dying hero Meleager.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFI-vcxXoAwRLjN.jpg)](https://t.co/uQ5Tfc3O8F) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464301827395100679)
2021-11-26T20:21:23Z	**link**
[https://t.co/OAiVTMtLvs](https://www.sothebys.com/en/press/two-tiaras-believed-to-have-belonged-to-empress-josephine-bonaparte-to-be-offered-at-sothebys-london%20(sothebys.com%20-%20permalink)) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464328451473776648)
2021-11-26T20:20:26Z	**Spectacular gold jewellery of Joséphine Bonaparte**
Spectacular gold jewellery of Joséphine Bonaparte, Empress of France (1763- 1814). Diadems, earrings, hair comb and belt clasp, all made from gold with blue enamel - set with numerous gemstone cameos and intaglios, some of which are thought to be ancient. Sotheby's Treasures Sale

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFJRgfNXsAgoHSv.jpg)](https://t.co/f9RfyNWnjz) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464328212113244161)
2021-11-27T07:18:26Z	**Detail of the remarkable cameo of Medusa the Gorgon on Empress Joséphine Bonaparte's belt buckle**
Detail of the remarkable cameo of Medusa the Gorgon on Empress Joséphine Bonaparte's belt buckle.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFLtVEbX0AQIeIA.jpg)](https://t.co/SWCE8z5BRx) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464493803440640000)
2021-11-27T07:57:16Z	**Image**
Image: Dorothea Lange 'Farm Labourers in Yamhill County, Oregon, October 1939' ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464503576559075332)
2021-11-27T07:56:02Z	**"Fortune can rob you of your wealth**
"Fortune can rob you of your wealth, but never your courage."

Fortuna opes auferre, non animum potest

\- Seneca, Medea, 176

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFL15rEXsAQtzwq.jpg)](https://t.co/bWNwl296lO) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464503267254276096)
2021-11-27T10:15:29Z	**Migrant father and daughter**
Migrant father and daughter, California, 1936. Photograph by Dorothea Lange

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFMVi-TXwAMLAiJ.jpg)](https://t.co/xyJnPalDsz) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464538361457258500)
2021-11-27T12:00:15Z	**Haven’t watched GET BACK yet but I believe the trip to Roman Libya is discussed 👇**
Haven’t watched GET BACK yet but I believe the trip to Roman Libya is discussed 👇 ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464564723928768520)
2021-11-27T16:41:45Z	**1) Delighted to add to my collection this wonderful denarius of Hadrian**
1) Delighted to add to my collection this wonderful denarius of Hadrian, with the restless emperor shown near the end of his 21-year reign and celebrating himself as restorer of the lands of the world - in this case none other than his homeland of Hispania.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFNtqexWUAYy9Q1.jpg)](https://t.co/zOg3gnCYUM) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464635568294354951)
2021-11-27T16:46:53Z	**3) In the last few years of his rule**
3) In the last few years of his rule, having visited most of his provinces in person, the Roman mint commemorated the emperor's grand tour in an ambitious 'travel series' of coinage, celebrating the imperial provinces visited by Hadrian and their subsequent revitalisation.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFNvVHkXMAU5jhG.jpg)](https://t.co/Lh9XwtoVde) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464636858806194187)
2021-11-27T16:43:01Z	**2) Where his predecessor Trajan had travelled mainly through military campaigns and his successor Antoninus never left Italy at all during his time on the throne**
2) Where his predecessor Trajan had travelled mainly through military campaigns and his successor Antoninus never left Italy at all during his time on the throne, Hadrian spent more than half his long reign touring the provinces of a Roman empire at its most expansive.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFNukS9WYAYrGSH.jpg)](https://t.co/4LRQ ... ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464635887770341381)
2021-11-27T16:52:23Z	**6) Hispania has some wonderful unique attributes that differentiate her from other lands**
6) Hispania has some wonderful unique attributes that differentiate her from other lands. In one arm she holds an olive branch symbolising the region's famed olive oil production. Spain remains the world's leading exporter of olive oil today.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFNwsF6WQAULmpo.jpg)](https://t.co/cX8ydXEfH2) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464638244939878404)
2021-11-27T16:50:42Z	**5) My denarius commemorates Hadrian's elevation of his home region Hispania (today's Iberian Peninsula)**
5) My denarius commemorates Hadrian's elevation of his home region Hispania (today's Iberian Peninsula), where he may have been born in January 76 AD at Italica near modern Seville. A toga-clad Hadrian is shown as 'restorer', helping a kneeling Hispania to her feet..

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFNwSobXEAMFVeH.jpg)](https://t.co/vpmlnhttpv) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464637820035817476)
2021-11-27T16:49:06Z	**4) The series celebrated the province itself**
4) The series celebrated the province itself, visualised in a female personification (their Latin names being feminine nouns like 'Germania'). Other types also honoured Hadrian's safe arrival (Adventus), his beneficence (Restitutor) and his addresses to the army (Exercitus).

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFNvqGGXMAY8y0G.jpg)](https://t.co/weeo4TGYRJ) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464637418926133256)
2021-11-27T16:54:23Z	**7) Between Hadrian and Hispania sits a small rabbit - so famously abundant were they in the region**
7) Between Hadrian and Hispania sits a small rabbit - so famously abundant were they in the region, the poet Catullus would label it "rabbity Spain" (Cat.37). Indeed the very name name Hispania may derive from the Phoenician "Span" - with Ispania meaning 'Land of the rabbits.'

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFNxFHpWQAEkxsW.jpg)](https://t.co/NLHTP8R5Ks) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464638747484565508)
2021-11-27T17:01:59Z	**8) A final view of the spectacular ancient coin in hand**
8) A final view of the spectacular ancient coin in hand. Those interested can enjoy this and other coins in my gallery here: [https://t.co/0AWndxBRha](https://www.harneycoins.com/imperial?pgid=kb9hn9np-0780084f-813a-4af8-bf44-615b79adf22a)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFNx8WwXwAYshpK.jpg)](https://t.co/e41e8s4Um6) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1464640659743199238)
2021-11-29T19:49:23Z	**An utterly dazzling Roman mosaic glass bowl - once assumed to have been a 19th century creation**
An utterly dazzling Roman mosaic glass bowl - once assumed to have been a 19th century creation, until scientific analysis of its chemical composition in 1999 confirmed its Roman origins. From Italy, 1st-2nd century AD. The Victoria and Albert Museum

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFYsTSkXwAkiLsV.jpg)](https://t.co/mQtagI0GEj) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1465407560522084361)
2021-11-29T17:32:16Z	**"Nothing comes from nothing**
"Nothing comes from nothing."

(Parmenides, c.475 BC, later also Lucretius and the Epicureans, 1st cent BC)

"Nothing will come of nothing."

(King Lear, Act 1.i)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFYM5TMXEA0xnvJ.jpg)](https://t.co/NWedrCrhyK) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1465373055304220681)
2021-11-28T17:42:13Z	**I was lucky enough to visit the theatre**
I was lucky enough to visit the theatre.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFTFtdxXIBU_X3s.jpg)](https://t.co/evygaUjyX4) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1465013171945672713)
2021-11-30T12:54:02Z	**"Care should always be taken that men are not punished for offenses which**
"Care should always be taken that men are not punished for offenses which, when committed by others, are allowed to pass with impunity."

(Cicero, On Duties)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFcVE_XXwAIjGlp.jpg)](https://t.co/ZyOp2Rj1ON) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1465665424952119299)
2021-11-30T12:58:01Z	**"Care should always be taken that men are not punished for offences which**
"Care should always be taken that men are not punished for offences which, when committed by others, are allowed to pass with impunity."

(Cicero, On Duties)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFcXx37XIAo1Ym5.jpg)](https://t.co/aMMGzK5njS) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1465666426736463879)
2021-11-30T14:38:04Z	**Happy 84th birthday to cinema-legend Ridley Scott**
Happy 84th birthday to cinema-legend Ridley Scott, seen here calling the shots on the sets of 'Gladiator' in 1999.

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFct7BmVUAUpMYC.jpg)](https://t.co/grVexId4Db) ⌘ [Read more](https://twitter.com/OptimoPrincipi/status/1465691603822022665)