A time in ancient Rome lasting from about 150BCE until the assumption of power by Octavian in 30BCE. It covers a period when the foundations of the Republic became more shaky, with 'great men' achieving dominance and often ignoring the laws and traditions of the Senate.
Late Republic
Fact of the Day
The punishment for serving bad beer in ancient Babylon was drowning.
Quote of the Day
"Nothing can be said in his vindication, but that his abolishing Religious Houses and leaving them to the ruinous depredations of time has been of infinite use to the landscape of England in general.
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~ Jane Austen on Henry VIII
On This Day
1554 Thomas Wyatt the Younger was executed for leading the Wyatt Rebellion against Mary I's marriage to Philip of Spain.
1689 William III and Mary II were crowned as joint sovereigns of England.
1814 The Treaty of Fontainebleau was signed. It forced Napoleon to abdicate and exiled him to the island of Elba.
1890 Joseph Merrick, more commonly known as the Elephant Man, died aged 27. No-one knows what caused his condition, but it's thought that he died of asphyxiation or a dislocated neck when he attempted to sleep lying down.
1945 American soldiers liberated Buchenwald Nazi concentration camp.
1961 Adolf Eichmann's trial started in Israel. He was charged with 15 crimes, including crimes against humanity and war crimes.
1970 Apollo 13 launched on its mission to the moon, but an explosion caused the mission to be abandoned.
