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The Life Of Lysimachus, The Elite Bodyguard Of Alexander The Great

The Life Of Lysimachus, The Elite Bodyguard Of Alexander The Great

Alexander the Great is without a doubt one of history’s greatest and most famous figures. His deeds and the enormity of the empire he created were certainly a hard achievement to surpass. However,...
Sex and love were major themes in classic erotic art, as they remain today. (Public Domain/Deriv)

The Erotic Art of Ancient Greece and Rome

Craig Barker / The Conversation Rarely does L.P. Hartley’s dictum that “the past is a foreign country” hold more firmly than in the area of sexuality in classical art. Classic erotic art, erotic...
Restoring The Roman Retreat Of Herculaneum Beach, Buried By Vesuvius

Restoring The Roman Retreat Of Herculaneum Beach, Buried By Vesuvius

Herculaneum beach in the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum, buried along with Pompeii by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on October 24th 79 AD, is to be excavated and restored. When the archaeologists...
The Shining History of Gold: From Ancient Treasure to Modern Tech

The Shining History of Gold: From Ancient Treasure to Modern Tech

Gold is arguably the human race’s most valued commodity and a lot could be written about the history of this metal. The luster, beauty, resistance to tarnishing, malleability, and overall brilliance...
Mythological Bridge of Scylla & Charybdis Would Unite Italy with Sicily

Mythological Bridge of Scylla & Charybdis Would Unite Italy with Sicily

Desperate to jump-start a stalled economy, in 2020 Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte revived a long-dormant infrastructure project. If approved, it would lead to the construction of the longest...
Sisyphus

The Sisyphus Myth: Cruel King Gets Eternal Punishment for Annoying Zeus

Doomed to forever roll a huge boulder up a steep hill, Sisyphus is a figure in Greek mythology who represents an impossible task. As his punishment in the Greek Underworld , each time Sisyphus neared...
Phoenix bird

Symbolism of the Mythical Phoenix Bird: Renewal, Rebirth and Destruction

Ancient legend paints a picture of a magical bird, radiant and shimmering, which lives for several hundred years before it dies by bursting into flames. It is then reborn from the ashes, to start a...
A modern Medusa depiction.

The Real Story of Medusa: Protective Powers from a Snake-Haired Gorgon

In ancient Greek mythology, Medusa is the most famous of three monstrous sisters known as the Gorgons. The earliest known record about the story of Medusa and the Gorgons can be found in Hesiod’s...
Christ Inscription Unearthed in Israeli Village

Christ Inscription Unearthed in Israeli Village

A 1,500-year-old Greek Christ inscription bearing the words “Christ born of Mary” has been discovered at an excavation at the ancient village of Taibe, in northern Israel . This finding has not only...
The majestic and mysterious Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

The Parthenon: An Epic Monument Or a Mystery in Measurements?

The Parthenon, proudly standing on the Athenian Acropolis , is considered by many historians and archaeologists alike as the undisputed symbol of Athenian democracy and the cradle of Western...
Alcibiades: The Shrewd Athenian Opportunist Of The Peloponnesian War

Alcibiades: The Shrewd Athenian Opportunist Of The Peloponnesian War

The famous city states of ancient Greece were filled with capable leaders, statesmen, generals, and heroes. Athens, one of the world’s oldest named and inhabited cities, became the leading city state...
Revealing The Hellenistic Origins Of Jaffa, The Holiest Port

Revealing The Hellenistic Origins Of Jaffa, The Holiest Port

Jaffa, or Yafo in Hebrew, is a city port and southern suburb of Tel Aviv, located on the Mediterranean coast of Israel. As one of the oldest ports in the world, the Bible says Jaffa was founded by...
The remains of what appears to have been a unique funeral ceremony and Greek burial have been discovered at the ancient colony of Gela in southern Sicily. Source: Superintendence of Caltanissetta

Evidence of Deceased Baby Burning Discovered in Sicily

The remains of what appears to have been a unique funeral ceremony and Greek burial have been discovered at the ancient colony of Gela in southern Sicily. Founded some time between 689 and 688 BC,...
Rare Greek-Illyrian Helmet Found in Croatia

Rare Greek-Illyrian Helmet Found in Croatia

Archaeologists exploring in an ancient burial cave in Croatia have discovered a warrior’s grave containing an exceptionally rare Greek-Illyrian type bronze war helmet. The open-faced, bronze, Greek-...
A 19th-century interpretation of Charon's crossing by Alexander Litovchenko.

Charon, Son of Night and Shadow, Ferrier of the Dead

In days of old, the dead were buried with a silver coin (the shiner the better) so that the souls of the faithful departed could pay the toll to the deathless demon ferryman of the underworld: Charon...
Athenian Agora, Where Some of the World’s Greatest Philosophers Gathered

Athenian Agora, Where Some of the World’s Greatest Philosophers Gathered

Ancient Greece, and Athens in particular, played a crucial role in the development as well as the history of Western Civilization. The center of Athenian life was the Agora, an open space at the...
Theseus (center) invented wrestling

The Real Reason That Men in Classical Portrayals Were Given Small Manhoods

Today, bigger is widely regarded as better. But was this always the case? This article sheds some light on how the Western culture changed in its phallic preferences. Over the past few decades,...
Sewage Construction Uncovers Head of Greek God Hermes in Athens

Sewage Construction Uncovers Head of Greek God Hermes in Athens

Construction workers have made a remarkable discovery in Athens . The Greek Ministry of Culture has announced that the ancient bust of the Greek god Hermes was unearthed in remarkably good condition...
The Mysterious Riace Warriors: From Greece To Italy To Discovery

The Mysterious Riace Warriors: From Greece To Italy To Discovery

The Riace Warriors (or Bronzi di Riace) are a pair of Greek bronze statues that were discovered in the sea near Riace, in the southern Italian province of Calabria. The statues date to the 5th...
Greek Island’s Archaeological Treasures Reveal Hidden Story of a Pirate King

Greek Island’s Archaeological Treasures Reveal Hidden Story of a Pirate King

A rocky uninhabited Greek islet in the Aegean Sea is providing archaeologists with a treasure trove of finds, including new insight on the story of an ancient pirate king. There was once a small...
Detail of a Phoenician grinning mask, 4th century BC, found in a grave at San Sperate, Cagliari, Museo Archeologico Nazionale.

The Disturbing Truth Behind a Sardonic Grin

Creepy and more than a little uncomfortable to behold, one usually thinks of DC Comics' Joker when hearing the phrase "sardonic grin." A "smile" that pulls up the corners of the mouth in a way that...
The ancient ruins of Soli Pompeiopolis, where the large memorial tomb of the ancient Greek poet Aratus was discovered.        Source: Vassia Atanassova - Spiritia / CC BY-SA 3.0

Tomb of Ancient Greek Poet and Astronomer Found in Turkey

Throughout time some people are remembered after they die for their achievements. But some individuals are celebrated both in life and death and they are especially important. What archaeologists...
Monastery in Meteora, Greece.

Meteora: Majestic Greek Monasteries Suspended in the Air

Meteora means ‘suspended in the air’ in Greek. This site is one of the largest and most important Greek Orthodox monastic complexes. It is located in the north-western edge of the Plain of Thessaly...
"I am the Lord God Dionysus": Parallels between Yahweh and Dionysus

"I am the Lord God Dionysus": Parallels between Yahweh and Dionysus

For anyone familiar with the Bible, the story of the Israelite god Yahweh is a simple one. Yahweh appears to Abraham in the book of Genesis and enters into a covenantal alliance with him. Abraham's...

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