Only two things in life are certain, opined the great American statesman Benjamin Franklin, death and taxes. Yet these are two things that we often forget to ask ourselves about in past societies like ancient Greece and Rome. So this is not the forum for discussing how ancient taxes were levied and collected, but rather …
What Were the Most Common Causes of Death in Ancient Greece and Rome? Read More »
The modern world is unusual compared to almost all other societies in its approach to drug use, intoxication, and altered states. Other than those that pharmaceutical companies utilize, most narcotics today are illegal in nearly all jurisdictions. Alcohol, one of the most dangerous narcotics known to humanity, is the only narcotic generally freely available in …
What Drug Use Was Like In Ancient Greece and Rome Read More »
The religious world of Ancient Greece was very colorful. Dozens of gods and goddesses had power over everything from thunder, storms, and fire which they used to their advantage in their rivalries. The scores of smaller city-states that made up the Greek world of the Mediterranean in antiquity worshiped particular deities to a lesser or …
Why was the Oracle of Delphi so important to Ancient Greece? Read More »
In Ancient Greece, religious life, mythology, and literature were almost indistinguishable. Some of the earliest Greek writers, such as Homer, the quasi-fabled author of the Illiad and the Odyssey, and Hesiod, a Greek poet of the eighth century BC who composed the Theogony and Works and Days, discuss the Greek gods like Zeus, Athena and Poseidon side by side with heroes …
Who were the Moirai, the Three Fates of Greek Mythology? Read More »
In 480 BC, a force of Spartans, along with many other Greeks, held off the Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae. Thermopylae is a famous battle in ancient history and endures in movies and books to this day. But what happened at Thermopylae? Why did the Spartans choose to make their stand there? Let’s …
The Amazing Truth Behind the 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae Read More »
When one thinks of a marathon, one likely imagines a race run by many people, with bystanders on the sidelines armed with encouragement, towels, and water bottles. They likely imagine numbers plastered across fronts and a distinct finish line that the winner would break through, resulting in a loud chorus of excited cheers, where each …
How the Marathon Got its Name: An Origin Rooted in Battle and Myth Read More »
