Did a volcanic eruption in Alaska help end the Roman republic?
Tuesday, June 23, 2020 - 09:00
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March (March 15) in 44 BC and a bloody civil war followed. This brought down the Roman republic and replaced it with a monarchy led by Caesar's nephew Octavian, who in 27 BC became the emperor Augustus. A group of scientists and historians suggest that a massive volcanic eruption in Alaska played a role in this transition, as well as helping to finish off Cleopatra's Egypt.