A famous saying attributed to Gorgo, the daughter of King Cleomenes I, a fifth-century BC king of Sparta. When asked by a woman from Attica, the region of eastern Greece dominated by the city of Athens, why Spartan women were the only ones in all of Greece who held such power within their polis or city-state, Gorgo …
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 »
Undoubtedly one of the things that the Romans were most famous for was their baths. Unlike nearly all earlier civilizations that the archaeological evidence suggests were not overly concerned with personal hygiene, the Romans gave over large spaces in every city and town they built to public spaces where people could go and clean themselves. …
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 »
Isolated in the Venetian Lagoon, Poveglia Island is a place that has long been shrouded in mystery. Geographically, it’s just a few miles from Venice, Italy. The island has a long and dark history, dating back to the Roman Empire. Over the years, it has served many purposes, but ultimately it ended up abandoned and …
The Horrifying Plague Filled History Of Poveglia Island 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 »
Pontius Pilate was a Roman prefect whose name has become forever entwined with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Despite being a central figure in a story that has been told for over two millennia, we know little about the man himself and the events that shaped his life after the crucifixion. Early works by Josephus, …
What Happened to Pontius Pilate, the Man Who Condemned Jesus? 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 the late 24th century BCE, Ancient Mesopotamia was embroiled in a constant war over who would unify the region. Out of the ashes came Sargon of Akkad, who united many city-states in Mesopotamia and is credited with founding the first empire in recorded history. In tribute to his life and legacy, future generations referred …
How Sargon of Akkad Created the World’s First Empire 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 »
