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Heracles

Sumerian Man / god (Francis Valadj/ Adobe Stock)

Revealing The Identity Of The King Of Old, Lord Of The Rephaim

‘Lord of the Rephaim’ and ‘King of Old’ alludes to the identity of the King of the Rephaim, enigmatic beings that to this day are not fully understood. In the biblical tradition they are equated with...
The huge mosaic of the Twelve Labors of Heracles discovered at Syedra, Turkey. Source: Turkey Department of Culture

Massive Mosaic Depicting the 12 Labors of Heracles Unearthed in Turkey

Excavations being carried out in the ancient city of Syedra, traced back to 2,900 years ago, continue to shed light on the vibrant history of what is now Turkey. Located in the Alanya district of...
Representational image of Achilles. Source: Warpedgalerie / Adobe Stock

Achilles: The Greatest Hero of Greek Mythology?

“Sing Goddess, the rage of Achilles” is the very first line of The Iliad , Homer’s epic poem, as he introduces its main hero. The Greek hero Achilles was believed to have been the strongest, bravest...
Mithridates expertly used symbology to appeal to the multiple factions of his coalition. Source: Fernando Cortés / Adobe Stock.

A Master of Symbology: How Mithridates Eupator United the Foes of Rome

Pop culture usually depicts the relationship between Greeks and the East as tumultuous. This is due mainly to the three wars Greece fought against Persia, featured in films like 300 by Zack Snyder...
Chivalry and The Order of the Golden Fleece

Chivalry and The Order of the Golden Fleece

The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry that was founded by Philip III, the Duke of Burgundy, on the occasion of his marriage to Isabella of Portugal in the 15 th century. Through the...
The Argead Dynasty and the Founding of the Kingdom of Macedonia

The Argead Dynasty and the Founding of the Kingdom of Macedonia

The Argead dynasty was a royal dynasty that founded and initially ruled over the Kingdom of Macedon. This dynasty traces its origins all the way back to the mythical hero Heracles, via Temenus, his...
The five female Olympians of the Ancient Greek Pantheon. Source: local_doctor / Adobe Stock

Five Female Olympians of Ancient Greece: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Greek Mythology consists of numerous gods and goddesses, although the Greek pantheon itself is comprised of just twelve main gods ruling Mount Olympus. Among the twelve, there are five female rulers...
Statue of Hercules

A Herculean Effort: Can You Name the 12 Labors of Hercules?

Classical mythology is full of heroes, but Hercules (known to the Greeks as Heracles ) is undoubtedly the most celebrated of them all. Although his heroic life was packed with daring escapades from...
Cacus – The One Who Dared Cross Hercules

Cacus – The One Who Dared Cross Hercules

According to Roman mythology, Cacus was a thief who stole from the hero Hercules (whose Greek equivalent was Heracles), which was the action that resulted in the former’s death. There are several...
The Ruins of Taormina Theater, Sicily (romas_ph / Adobe Stock)

Sicily: Where Cultures and Histories Converge and Giants Roam

Sicily is the most famous triangle in the middle of the Mediterranean. But unlike Bermuda , nothing disappears here - it’s actually where many things and people have been gathered. The island shines...
My Name Is Heracles, And I Have Father Issues

My Name Is Heracles, And I Have Father Issues

The story of Heracles is considered one of the oldest of the Greek myths . Heracles’ popularity stretched from the western world to the far reaches of northern India. His likeness has appeared as...
3 Foot Tall Parrot Species Discovered On New Zealand, Island Of Feathered Giants

3 Foot Tall Parrot Species Discovered On New Zealand, Island Of Feathered Giants

Scientists have uncovered fossilized leg bones from a gigantic parrot that once inhabited Central Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. The St. Bathans fauna comprises a rich suite of fossilized...
Temple remains have been found at Heracleion

Subaquatic Temple and Countless Treasures Discovered in Egypt's Sunken City of Heracleion

Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities has announced that marine archaeologists diving at the ancient submerged city of Heracleion (named after Hercules who legend claimed had been there) off the coast of...
The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli  (1445-1510)(Public Domain)

Did Blondes Have More Fun in the Ancient World?

In the period of the 1930s to 1950s, Hollywood saw the emergence of many blonde actresses. Epithets such as ‘screen siren’ or ‘cinematic goddess’ were attached to the most popular blonde actresses of...
‘The Birth of the Milky Way’ (1636-1637) by Peter Paul Rubens.

Breastfeeding Beliefs: From Invincibility to Universal Creation

Breastfeeding is an infant feeding practice in which a child is fed breast milk directly from breast to mouth. Breastfeeding could be performed by the mother herself or by a wet nurse. Evidence of...
Samson and Delilah by Jose Etxenagusia (1887)

The Last Lions of Asia Almost Lost to Mankind

According to legend, about 3160 years ago, in the Levant, there was an enormously strong man, who tore the jaws of an adult male lion with his bare hands. Samson’ name was derived from the word semes...
Theseus and the Minotaur.

Theseus: The Greek Hero That Slayed the Minotaur

Theseus was a hero in Greek mythology and a legendary king of Athens. The most famous myth involving Theseus is the one in which he slayed the dreaded Minotaur. Many stories about Theseus say he not...
Medea with her children. The children became the focus of a hero cult in ancient Greece.

Baby, Baby, Baby: Why Did the Ancient Greeks Turn Dead Children into Heroes?

When we use the term “hero” today while discussing Greek mythological figures, it usually designates a man whose superhuman exploits and semi-divine parentage make him a person of legend. But in real...
Remains found in one of the tombs

Mycenean Tombs with Skeletal Remains Discovered near Legendary Nemea

New Mycenaean tombs have been unearthed during recent excavations at the Mycenaean cemetery of Aedonia, a village near Nemea, Greece. The Mycenaean cemetery of Aedonia includes several Late Bronze...
Heracles wrestling the Mares of Diomedes.

Heracles and the Mares of Diomedes: Greek Hero VS Man-Eating Beasts

By now, you’re probably aware that the Greek hero Heracles (a.k.a. Hercules) had to complete twelve arduous labors as retribution for killing his wife and kids in a divinely-induced rage. The eighth...
A Match Made in Greek Legend: What Happened When Heracles Met the Snake Woman?

A Match Made in Greek Legend: What Happened When Heracles Met the Snake Woman?

While completing his Twelve Labors, the Greek hero Heracles (a.k.a. Hercules) got up to tons of mischief—and that included bedding a lot of women. In the process, he fathered a whole host of...
A Man-Eating Hog? Meet the Crommyonian Sow

A Man-Eating Hog? Meet the Crommyonian Sow

The myths of ancient Greece had their fair share of unusual animals—the Chimera, the man-eating horses of Dionysus, and Pegasus, to name a few. But one that usually oinks its way under the radar is...
Pankratiasts fighting.

Pankration: A Deadly Martial Art Form from Ancient Greece

Pankration was one of the most popular combat sports in ancient Greece. It combined two other popular sports of antiquity, wrestling and boxing, but kicking was allowed as well. The name Pankration...
‘Siege of Lachish’. Credit: The British Museum; photo by C. Reeder. This relief from Sennacherib’s palace in Nineveh celebrates the Assyrian destruction of the Judaean city of Lachish. Women and children, followed by a man driving oxen, flee from the besieged city.

Looking to ancient wisdom for guidance on modern day refugee crisis

Berlin recently agreed to curb the number of migrants it welcomed after a backlash against Angela Merkel’s suspension of EU rules limiting numbers. It followed previous scenes of crowds welcoming new...