Ancient Egypt. Two words that immediately whisk your mind away to a far-off, exotic locale. Where grand pyramids loom above shifting sand dunes and mighty Pharaohs hold glorious ceremonies on the banks of the Nile. It was a time of magic, mummies, and mystery. Even though the ancient Egyptians are separated from us by millennia, […]
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The four cardinal virtues are wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. The word ‘cardinal’ comes from the Latin word cardo for ‘hinge’ or the word cardinalis meaning ‘essential’. It is often said that all human virtues hinge on these four. The Four Cardinal Virtues Throughout History The four cardinal virtues were originally conceptualized by Plato, expanded
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In a world where modern athletes like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, or Mike Tyson capture headlines and acquire massive fortunes, there exists a historical figure whose wealth and fame dwarf even the most celebrated sports icons of our time. His name was Gaius Appuleius Diocles. He was a legendary Roman charioteer whose fortune remains unrivaled.
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Before the pharaohs, before the gods, there was the scarab. The significance of the scarab beetle in Egypt dates back over eight thousand years. Mummified scarabs and scarab-shaped amulets have been found in tombs dating back to the beginning of the Predynastic period. It came to be the face of one of their most important
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Angels, heavenly entities that were often depicted as messengers or harbingers of God, are present in more than just Christianity. Judaism, Islam, and other Abrahamic religions all have angels or angel equivalents in their scriptures. The modern image of angels has them as strong, winged beings that are almost always benevolent, but that hasn’t always
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Humans devote much of their time and energy to finding and maintaining happiness. Just as many people today reach for self-help books or go to therapy to feel better, the Stoics of ancient Greece used philosophy as a means of “healing the soul” and achieving eudaimonia – the principle of living according to one’s true nature. But
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The 108-foot bronze statue known as the Colossus of Rhodes was both an ancient wonder and a proud monument. It was a tribute to the god Helios. It was destroyed in an earthquake just five decades after it was built. To see it standing over the harbors of Rhodes as ships sailed beneath it would
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Judas Iscariot is infamously known as being the guy who ratted out Jesus and sent him to his death on the cross. He’s so well-known that even people who know nothing about the biblical story still know that anyone who’s a traitor can be called a “Judas.” But if Judas is so notorious, then why
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Among all the beautiful things built by the ancient Romans, few stood as magnificent as the Circus Maximus. Although the term circus is used to define an entertainment event these days, the Circus Maximus, Latin for “largest circus,” was actually a venue. But more than that, it was an architectural marvel. Used for everything from
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For centuries, the Gallic tribes of what is now France aided Rome’s enemies and threatened Roman expansion. Gauls fought with the Carthaginians in the Punic Wars. They were part of Hannibal’s army at Cannae which annihilated a Roman army in 217 BC. The Romans attempted to work around the Mediterranean through Spain. They were trying
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