The Via Sacra was the main street of ancient Rome. It passed through some of the most important pagan temples in the Forum. Located at the highest point of this road stands the Arch of Titus. This monument commemorates the triumphal procession of Titus into Rome after his conquest of Judaea in 70 A.D.

Within forty years of Jesus’ death, Jerusalem lay in ruins. The Roman army led by the future Emperor Titus, lay siege to the Holy City and utterly destroyed it. Buildings crumbled to the ground. Cedar roofs turned to ashes. Like a volcano gone wild, the heights of Jerusalem spewed deadly fumes.

The Stoic philosophers Seneca and Epictetus taught others to be immune to misfortune. They promoted apatheia (apathy). Stoic apathy basically meant keeping calm and composed when faced with the highs and lows of life. To be virtuous was to be indifferent to constant change.

On the southern slope of Mt. Parnassus rising high above the Gulf of Corinth stands the ancient shrine of Delphi. Dedicated to Apollo, this sanctuary was the most important place of pilgrimage for Greeks in the ancient world. A recent study of inscriptions at Delphi has shed some light about the role of women in the first century