Travelog: Ruin Hunting (Punic Wars Edition)
The Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage spanned almost the entire Mediterranean, engulfing Italy, Sicily, Spain and North Africa. This piece covers my Ruin Hunts in Sicily and Tunisia.
The Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage spanned almost the entire Mediterranean, engulfing Italy, Sicily, Spain and North Africa. This piece covers my Ruin Hunts in Sicily and Tunisia.
I love origin stories.
In many ways, the might of the Roman Empire had its origin story in the ashes of the Punic Wars, in which a rising Roman Republic emerged as the dominant force of the western Mediterranean, which it then leveraged across the centuries into total domination of the entire Mediterranean and beyond.
The First Punic War (264–241 BC) was primarily a maritime war around Sicily, and Carthage lost it badly. They had naval power but no luck, and when the Romans learned to fight on water, it was game over. You can still walk the stones of Syracuse in Sicily, a city that shifted alliances but remained central to the war. The Greek Theater there is still intact—wide enough to seat ten thousand, and old enough to remember when warships burned in the harbor below.
By the Second Punic War (218–201 BC), things got mythic. Hannibal crossed the Alps into Italy with war elephants, dealt the Romans their most catastrophic defeat at Cannae, but still couldn’t take Rome. What he did do to Rome was terrify it, which would have grave repercussions later. This war stretched from Spain to North Africa to Sicily, and every time you move between these places, the scale starts to make sense. Back in Tunisia, Carthage simmered while Hannibal campaigned abroad. And when he finally lost at Zama—just inland from where Utica now lies—the writing was on the wall. Rome spared Carthage that time. Utica, older and more Roman in temperament, eventually became the regional capital. Today, its ruins are scattered on a windswept hill—Roman mosaics, Punic shards, and not a tour group in sight (except maybe my group!).
The Third Punic War (149–146 BC) was pure vengeance. Carthage was no longer a threat, but Rome was sufficiently paranoid after the first two Punic Wars to risk a Carthaginian comeback. Cato the Elder famously ended all of his Senate speeches with “Carthago delenda est” — “Carthage must be destroyed.” After a three-year siege, they broke the walls, burned the city, and—so the story goes—salted the earth. Byrsa Hill, where the final defense was staged, now holds a museum with grave stelae and child-sized sarcophagi—haunting, defiant remnants. Syracuse, by then under Roman control, watched from across the sea. History says Rome won, but the ground tells a messier truth. When you walk these places now—Carthage, Utica, Syracuse—and you don’t just see ruins but layers and layers of memories. Carthage, once the richest city in the Western Mediterranean and the biggest challenger to Rome, is now buried beneath Roman ruins in the suburbs of Tunis.
As I mentioned in my debut Greco-Roman Travelog, the Romans were masters of Assimilation. A century after the sack of Carthage, Julius Caesar rebuilt it in the 1st century BC into a Roman colony; Roman Carthage was thriving again, paved with marble and echoing with Latin, not Phoenician. You can still see that layer in the Antonine Baths near the coast: massive, imperial, all symmetry and scale. But walk a little inland and the Punic stones still peek through—older, smaller, more human. Utica, once Carthage’s rival, bent the knee and became a Roman outpost too.
Sicily, meanwhile, became Rome’s first province. No more Greek leagues or tyrants—just grain, taxes, and soldiers. Syracuse was spared destruction thanks to its beauty and brains (and probably some backroom diplomacy), but it too became another line on the Republic’s growing ledger. Over time, the island was bled to feed the capital. Fields of wheat replaced fleets of ships. Rome won the wars and then Romanized the conquered.
When Carthage finally fell in 146 BCE—burning for seventeen days, its population enslaved or slaughtered—Scipio Aemilianus, the victorious Roman general, stood in the ruins and wept. As the story goes, he quoted Homer: “A day will come when sacred Troy shall perish.” Then, turning to a companion, he added, “This is a glorious moment, but I have a dread foreboding that some day the same fate will befall my own country.” Did the man who razed Carthage foresee the arc of Empire bending back on itself?
And maybe that’s the true lesson of these stones: no city is eternal, no power immune. I am fond of the saying “History may not always repeat, but it often rhymes” — we can and must learn from history. And there’s a lot to learn from the Punic Wars.
Without further ado, let’s dive into my Travelog of Ancient Sicily and Tunisia.
Sicily (July, 2016)
I took my family to Sicily for two weeks in 2016. We started in Palermo (in the northwest of Sicily) and had a driver take us counterclockwise all the way around the entire island, ending in the Aeolian Islands off the northeast coast.
The most popular tourist destinations in Sicily seem to be Palermo and Taormina (especially after White Lotus), but as a Greco-Roman fanboy, the true gems of Sicily lay on its southern and southeastern coasts.
Palermo
The highlight for me was the Monreale Cathedral and Cloister. Although not Greco-Roman, I thought it was an interesting blend of Norman, Byzantine, Romanesque and Arab architectural styles.
We didn’t spend a ton of time in Palermo, because I really wanted to allot more time down south. But the sea urchin spaghetti in Palermo was damn good!
Segesta
Segesta was a city of the Elymians, one of the three indigenous peoples of Sicily (along with the Sicani and Sicels), but heavily Hellenized in architecture and culture. The famous Doric Temple of Segesta was built before 430 BC — now we’re talking!
Segesta had long-standing tensions with Selinunte (see below), and at times allied with both Carthage and Rome, playing both sides for survival. During the First Punic War, Segesta aligned with Rome—one of the first Sicilian cities to do so—making it strategically important. Segesta was thus favorably treated under Roman rule, and Rome’s first Emperor, Augustus, granted Roman citizenship to its inhabitants.
Erice
We passed through the town of Erice, where we saw scenic vistas with Norman castles and Neo-Gothic towers…
…but honestly it was the giant arancini that captivated all of us the most!
Agrigento
Agrigento is a must-see for Sicily in my opinion.
Founded in 582 BC as Akragas, it was one of the wealthiest Greek cities in Sicily. Known for the Valley of the Temples, modern Agrigento is a UNESCO site with some of the best-preserved Doric temples outside of Greece.
Renamed Agrigentum during the time of the Punic Wars, this city was a key battleground in the First Punic War. The city was held by Carthage but besieged and captured by the Romans in 261 BC, marking one of the first major Roman victories in Sicily. This began Rome’s methodical erosion of Carthaginian power on the island. The city later became Romanized, though it retained much of its Greek character.
This is the titanic Doric Temple of Juno, built in the 5th century BC, razed by Carthage in 406 BC. Note the size of the tourists for a sense of scale:
Below is the Temple of Concordia, built around 440 BC, also Doric in style. It is the largest and best-preserved Doric temple in Sicily and one of the best-preserved Greek temples in general. Although the giant Bronze of Fallen Icarus is modern, its scale and placement are perfect!
Here are the ruins of the Temple of Heracles, also in the Valley of the Temples:
Selinunte
One of the richest and most powerful Greek colonies in western Sicily, Selinunte was founded in 650 BC and was famous for its massive temples and urban layout. It sat close to Carthaginian territory, making it a frontline city in many conflicts. Selinunte was destroyed by the Carthaginians in 409 BC, long before the Punic Wars began, but this event foreshadowed the long-standing Carthaginian foothold in western Sicily. During the First Punic War, Selinunte remained in ruins and never recovered its earlier importance, but its territory became part of the contested zone between Carthage and Rome.
There were five temples here, but only the Temple of Hera remains intact:
Piazza Armerina
The Villa Romana del Casale, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, is another must-see for Sicily.
This Roman villa was built in the 4th century AD and contains one of the largest in situ collections of Roman mosaics in the world. (If you like Roman mosaics, however, wait until you see the Tunisia section below.)
Really cool mosaic of Odysseus’ (Ulysses’) men placating the Cyclopes Polyphemus (although why he has 3 eyes instead of 1 is beyond me):
The site was undergoing extensive renovations when we were there; I would love to return now to see the renovated grounds!
Syracuse
Ancient Syracuse was one of the most powerful city-states in the Greek world, rivaling Athens at its height. The city produced Archimedes, hosted epic battles, and boasts spectacular ruins—its Greek Theater, Roman Amphitheater, and Ear of Dionysius are must-sees.
Syracuse tried to remain neutral during much of the First and Second Punic Wars, but political shifts made that impossible. During the Second Punic War, the city sided with Carthage after the death of the pro-Roman King Hiero II. This prompted Rome to besiege Syracuse (214–212 BC) in one of the war’s most famous sieges. The Romans eventually breached the walls—and Archimedes was killed despite orders to spare him. After that, Syracuse was absorbed into the Roman Republic.
Here is a 6th century Doric Temple of Apollo right in the city square. The entire city is another UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Beautiful “Akanthos capital” specimens that might have made it into one of my marketing decks once upon a time:
The historical center of Syracuse is Ortigia, a small island.
The Roman Amphitheater of Syracuse:
The Ear of Dionysius, a limestone cave dug in Greco-Roman times for water storage:
The Greek Theater of Syracuse, which is clearly still used today:
Taormina
Perched on a cliff with sweeping views of the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna, Taormina was originally settled by the Sicels and later became a Greek city in the 4th century BC, founded by refugees from nearby Naxos.
The Taormina Greek Theater, later renovated by the Romans, is one of the most spectacular ancient venues in the world—still used today for concerts and performances.
Sicily and Mythology
Sicily has so much more to offer than just Greco-Roman ruins, lest I give that impression. The mythology nerd in me also appreciates that some of the most scenic places in Sicily were also likely the mythological locations featured in Homer’s Odyssey.
Mount Etna (below) is likely close to where Odysseus encountered Polyphemus the Cyclopes.
The Alcantara River Gorge also sits on the flanks of Mount Etna, home to the Cyclopes as well as Hephaestus/Vulcan, the smith god who forged thunderbolts for Zeus/Jupiter.
The gorgeous Lipari Islands off the northeast coast of Sicily are also known as the Aeolian Islands, named after the location where Aeolus, Keeper of the Winds, gives Odysseus a bag of winds to guide him home.
One of my favorite islands is Stromboli, which not only features an active volcano but also the best squid ink pasta I have ever had!
Tunisia (May/June, 2025)
Given the central role Carthage played in the Punic Wars, Tunisia was on my to-do list for a long time, and I finally had the pleasure of spending two weeks in this amazing country earlier this year.
Tunisia is one of the so-called Maghreb countries of North Africa, which comprise Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and the disputed territories of Western Sahara.
Roman North Africa coincides with much of the modern Maghreb countries of today, and given its geographical proximity to Spain and Sicily, this area played a key role in not just the Punic Wars but much of Roman history. Modern Tunisia was split into two Roman provinces: Africa Proconsularis and Africa Byzacena.
To the west of Tunisia is Algeria, which was known in Roman times as Numidia, which features extensive Roman ruins that I want to visit someday. To the east of Tunisia is Libya, and one of its best preserved Roman cities, Leptis Magna, is on my to-do list one day.
Here is a fun tourist map of modern Tunisia, which summarizes our whole-country itinerary nicely:
Carthage
Carthage was founded around 814 BC by Phoenician settlers from Tyre (in modern Lebanon and on my to-do list). Over the centuries it grew into a maritime empire, controlling much of the western Mediterranean. The growing power of an upstart Rome inevitably led to the Punic Wars with Carthage.
As a reminder, Carthage fought three wars with Rome: the First (264‑241 BC), Second (218‑201 BC), and Third (149‑146 BC). The Third ended with Carthage’s destruction in 146 BC.
After Carthage’s destruction, Rome under Caesar rebuilt Carthage as Colonia Julia Carthago. By around 29 BC it became the capital of the Roman province of Africa.
Byrsa Hill
The archaeological site of Ancient Carthage sits atop Byrsa Hill in the suburbs of Tunis, capital of Tunisia. Legend has it that a local chieftain told Queen Dido from Tyre when she first made camp here upon arrival that she could keep as much land as could be covered by a single oxhide. Dido cut the oxhide into tiny pieces and lay them end-to-end until they encircled this entire hill. Thus was Carthage founded.
Today, the remains of the original Punic city can still be seen amidst the ruins of the later Roman Carthage, as denoted by the arrow above and depicted below:
Punic Ports
Ancient Carthage was famed for its circular Punic Ports that housed hundreds of hidden ships; the circular port then opened into a rectangular harbor as depicted this artist impression of Roman Carthage
I found it so cool that the shape is still preserved from over 2000 years ago, as shown on my Apple Maps when we visited:
Below you can see the circular dock and shipyards that housed the Carthaginian navy, and the model imagines what it must have looked like:
Antonine Baths
Under the reign of Antoninus Pius, the Antonine Baths were built between 145-165 AD and were the third largest Roman bath complex in the Empire after Rome and Alexandria:
Bizerte
Founded by Phoenicians, Bizerte is the northernmost city in Africa and among Tunisia’s oldest settlements. Under Roman rule the city functioned as a colonial port and naval base in the province of Africa.
Today’s Bizerte features a fortress and a medina, which refers to a walled historic town center, replete with narrow, winding streets with souks (markets) and mosques.
Below is a picture of what a souk looks like in the Medina of Tunis:
Utica
Utica is believed to be the earliest Phoenician colony in North Africa, founded perhaps circa 1100 BC by Phoenicians from Tyre. It became a significant ally and rival to Carthage.
After Carthage’s defeat in the Punic Wars, Utica aligned with Rome and became an important Roman colony for seven centuries. In 146 BC (end of Third Punic War) it served as capital of the Roman province of Africa (briefly) before Carthage’s revival.
Under Roman rule Utica benefitted from the peace and administrative structures of Rome, though it never again reached the dominance of Carthage. Today the ruins show layers of Punic, Roman and even Byzantine occupation.
If you like Roman mosaics, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
The Bardo Museum
Did I mention Roman mosaics?
The Bardo Museum in Tunis holds one of the largest collections of Roman mosaics in the world, from many of the sites we are seeing: Dougga, Thuburbo Majus, El Jem, Sbeitla, Gigthis, Carthage.
The walls are covered floor-to-ceiling with images of gladiators, gods, hunting scenes, myth, sex, and agriculture. It’s what you get when a whole province—Africa Proconsularis—gets rich from olive oil, grain, and imperial favor, then wants to show it off in floor tiles!
My favorite mosaic at the Bardo is below, which depicts Odysseus (Roman Ulysses) tied to the mast, wanting to hear the seductive song of the Sirens, while his sailors remain safely earplugged:
Tunisian Cuisine
The local cuisine is savory and delicious and features a lot of seafood, cous cous, and lamb stew. And if you like a little heat like I do, the harissa is incredible. The desserts are nutty and spiced and very sweet!
The Zaghouan Aqueduct
The Zaghouan Aqueduct (also called the Aqueduct of Hadrian) was built around 128 AD, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117‑138 AD). Hadrian was a Hellenophile and patron of the arts. He is also famous for touring almost every corner of his burgeoning Empire and is responsible for prolific building projects like this one.
This aqueduct supplied water from the springs of Djebel Zaghouan to the city of Carthage via a channel of around 132 km—one of the longest aqueducts in the Roman Empire. The aqueduct is evidence of the Roman investment in infrastructure in North Africa—after the wars and conquest, Rome didn’t simply extract, it built. The waterworks enabled Carthage’s revival and urban life at imperial scale.
In a future Travelog, I will detail my recent visit to Hadrian’s Wall in Roman Brittania — one of Hadrian’s most ambitious projects!
Thuburbo Majus
Although archaeological traces show a Punic‑era settlement in the 2nd‑1st century BC, the city’s major growth came under Rome. It was founded or refounded as a veteran colony under Augustus around 27 BC. Later under Hadrian it appears to have been raised to municipium status and expanded in the 2nd century AD. Later, Commodus elevated to a colony.
With its Forum, Capitolium, Summer and Winter Baths, mosaics, and location on a Roman road linking Carthage with the interior, Thuburbo Majus shows how Rome built infrastructure inland to connect its African provinces.
I am very pleased with this specimen of “Akanthos” capital:
This is Petronii’s Palestra, a public place for training and exercise in wrestling and other athletics. It is adjoined to the Summer Baths.
The Winter Baths feature an amazing in situ mosaic:
Dougga (Ancient Thugga)
The site known as Dougga was originally a Numidian settlement and later came under Punic influence (from the 4th–2nd centuries BCE.
Dougga became Roman in earnest after 46 BC long after the fall of Carthage and experienced its heyday in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Under Emperor Septimius Severus (reigned 193–211 AD) the city was granted the status of municipium. The richly preserved remains—Forum, Theater, Temples—are from this period, showing fully Roman urban planning layered onto the earlier town.
Dougga is one of the best‑preserved examples of Roman town planning in North Africa, built on and over pre‑Roman foundations. If you are a Romanophile like me, Dougga is a must-see!
Dougga Theater is one of the best preserved Roman Theaters I have seen and is used to this day. In fact, my good musician friend who lives in Tunis performed there this July!
I am quite pleased that they chose “Akanthos” capitals for their Capitolium, built in 166 AD, under Marcus Aurelius. Below, you can see the Capitolium from several vantage points within Dougga, which is huge — and devoid of tourists!
Pooping was a communal activity during Roman times, as you can see by the intimate positioning of the latrines!
Mactaris (Ancient Makthar)
Mactaris began as a Numidian stronghold overlooking trade routes. Under Rome it became a significant city in the Africa Proconsularis province.
The site offers a blend: fortress remains from Numidian times, Roman Theater, Roman Baths, and a settlement that shows Rome’s shift from coastal domination to inland control. The location shows the frontier of Roman Africa in action — control of trade, roads, and local elites.
Here you see an Arch of Trajan in the Forum of Mactaris:
These are the Baths of Mactaris:
Our guide and art historian Ahmed explains how in situ mosaics are removed to be preserved in museums:
This is the Schola des Juvenes, thought to be a meeting or training places for young soldiers:
Sbeitla (Ancient Sufetula)
The city of Sufetula (modern Sbeitla) appears to have been founded as a Roman settlement in the 1st century AD, likely on the site of earlier Numidian occupation.
Sbeitla offers among Tunisia’s best‑preserved Roman civic architecture — the Capitolium Temples, Arches and Seats show a full civic layout. It illustrates the height of Roman provincial urbanization in Africa before the decline.
As you can see, I risked life and limb for this panorama:
Seeing Roman mosaics in a museum is one thing, but to see them “in the wild” in situ like this is entirely something else:
Here is the Antonine Gate, a triple-arched gateway leading into the Forum and Capitolium Temples. It was constructed in 139 AD and dedicated to Antoninus Pius and his adopted sons, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus.
The Capitolium features a unique “triple temple” complex dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva and dates from the 3rd century AD. This might be my favorite photo from the entire Tunisia trip:
I am admiring the sheer size of this “Akanthos” capital:
Here is Sufetula Theater:
We exited Sbeitla through the Arch of Diocletian, constructed in the late 3rd century, which shows that Roman North Africa prospered even during Rome’s infamous Crisis of the Third Century.
Sbeitla was really out of the way, but I insisted that it be on our itinerary, and I am glad I did so. It was absolutely spectacular — and again devoid of tourists!
El Jemm (Ancient Thysdrus)
The site was a Punic settlement in the 3rd century BC, but its major Roman growth came after 46 BC when Caesar founded the colony of Thysdrus on the site to exploit the region’s olive‑oil production.
The spectacular El Jemm Amphitheater was built around 230‑238 AD under Gordian III. El Jemm could seat 35,000 spectators and was the third largest amphitheater in the Roman world (only the Roman Colosseum and the Capua Amphitheater are bigger) and symbolizes how Roman Africa became a powerhouse of agricultural export (especially olive‑oil) and civic grandeur.
It shows the reach of Roman urban planning, even in what were formerly frontier provinces. Not only that, this was when Rome was in the throes of the Crisis of the Third Century, and I find it fascinating to see that Roman North Africa was prospering during this time!
Yours truly taking it all in:
More incredible Roman mosaics:
Fitting mosaic for the museum by the El Jemm Amphitheater!
Gigthis
Gigthis was an ancient town in what is now southern coastal Tunisia, first Phoenician/Punic, then Roman. The site includes a Forum and Capitolium like many of the sites we’ve visited. It’s remote and even less‑visited than many of the other places we’ve been.
Oudna (Ancient Uthina)
Off the beaten track and even less famous was Uthina — a settlement for veterans of Augustus’ 8th Legion (Legio XIII Gemina) near modern Tunis. The city flourished as a colony under the Antonine and Severan dynasties in the 2nd century AD but was sacked in 238 AD in a revolt against Emperor Maximinius Thrax (would make a phenomenal name for a thrash metal band) during the Crisis of the Third Century.
Even this little settlement boasted a very well-preserved Amphitheater, Capitolium, and Forum:
Here ends the Roman ruins section of Tunisia, but Tunisia has so much more to offer.
Star Wars Filming Locations
Many of you know that I am also a huge Star Wars fan. Apart from Roman ruins, Tunisia holds another special place in my heart — it is the site of many, many Star Wars filming locations!
This is Sidi Jemour Mosque, located on the western coast of Djerba, Tunisia. This site was used as Anchorhead/Tosche Station in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope.
Also from Episode IV, this is the outside of the Mos Eisley Cantina, filmed in Ajim, Tunisia.
Matmata is a small Berber town in southern Tunisia, renowned for its unique troglodyte dwellings — underground homes carved directly into the earth. The Hotel Sidi Driss in the town of Matmata was built in this troglodyte style and served as the interior of the Lars Homestead on Tatooine in Episode IV. Star Wars fans will instantly recognize this place:
The hotel also served as the dressing rooms for the cast during filming:
We didn’t meet any Tusken Raiders, but we did visit the exact location where Luke Skywalker was attacked by them, known as Sidi Bouhlel, aka “Star Wars Canyon.” This is also where the Jawa scenes in Tatooine from Episode IV were filmed.
Hidden beyond a sand dune in the middle of nowhere is the set of Mos Espa, from Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace:
Located in the middle of a dried salt lake bed called Chott el Djerid, the final and most difficult-to-locate Star Wars filming site we sought out was the famous igloo-shaped exterior of the Lars Homestead on Tatooine, where Luke tragically found the barbecued remains of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru in Episode IV:
Here is my reenactment of this iconic scene:
This was not an easy place to find, and I give huge kudos to my guide Ahmed and his driver, who found almost all of the Star Wars filming locations in Tunisia for me!
Braving the Sahara
Another highlight was off-roading 4 hours into the Sahara, which can only be described as a truly vast and endless ocean of sand. We stayed at a Berber glamp site overnight, which was pretty cool.
One of the staff making khobz tabouna, a traditional Berber bread that is baked directly in the heated sand:
Little did we know that the mystery meat in the stew accompanying our cous cous during dinner was not beef:
Oasis Towns
On our way out of the Sahara, we visited several oasis towns.
This is the oasis town of Chebika:
Here’s our welcoming party in another oasis town called Tamerza (very close to the Algerian border), where we had an amazing traditional Tunisia lunch.
Tozeur
Tozeur was built around one of North Africa’s largest natural oases, fed by hundreds of artesian springs and shaded by over 200,000 date palms. Today, Tozeur is surreal—palm forest on one side, Sahara on the other. We stayed a cool spot right overlooking the great salt lake bed of Chott el Djerid.
Festival of Sacrifice
One of the most unexpected sights we encountered on our roadtrip from Tozeur back to Tunis was “sheep market traffic” due to the impending Arabic Festival of Sacrifice, also known as Eid al-Adha. It is one of the two major Islamic holidays, commemorating the prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son as a sign of his faith. Celebrations include special communal prayers, the ritual sacrifice of a sheep, and sharing the meat with the poor, friends, and family.
It’s useful to know that a Peugeot hatchback can accommodate a full-grown sheep!
Carthage / Byrsa Hill redux
On our last day, as some folks in our group relaxed and shopped, Ahmed accompanied my buddy and me (the hardcore history nerds) to revisit Byrsa Hill and actually walk “Hannibal’s Quarter” within the Punic ruins of Carthage.
It was pretty cool to walk where one of the greatest military geniuses of all time supposedly lived over 2000 years ago!
Ahmed also took us to this massive La Malga Roman Cistern and Reservoir Complex which served as the terminus of the Zaghouan Aqueduct. This system of 15 vaulted cisterns, each over 100 meters long, stored and circulated the water to avoid stagnation — an incredible testament to the level of advanced hydraulic engineering expertise that the Romans possessed.
Our final stop was a mini-Hadrian’s Villa right in Carthage. Look for my upcoming Rome deep-dive for a look at the main Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli!
I hope you enjoyed Episode II: The Punic Wars edition of my Greco-Roman Ruin Hunt Travelogs!
Really good, thank you. Mike Duncan's History of Rome podcast fleshes out your excellent summary but it does not show the ruins/relics.
Really enjoy the travel log series. So much history to explore, not enough time to see it all. I like the history recap with the excellent photos and to top it off, food recommendations.