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History

From the powerful civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Indus Valley, to the fearsome yet sophisticated society of the Vikings, the ancient world was a surprising and challenging place. Here we feature some of the most seminal and influential events and people throughout history, that have helped shape the world we know today.

Roger de Flor and His Catalan Company: From Grand Duke to Caesar – Part II
17 January, 2017 - 02:22 Cam Rea

Roger de Flor and His Catalan Company: From Grand Duke to Caesar – Part II

Military adventurer and mercenary for hire, Roger de Flor was as shrewd a businessman as he was a skillful sailor and fighter. Through his rich services to kings and the elite, he established a...
An olive tree in Israel. Image credit: Doreen/Adobe Stock
16 January, 2017 - 03:51 Natalia Klimczak

A Symbol of Peace, Victory, and Abundance: The Millennia-Old History of the Olive Tree

People In many countries around the world cannot imagine their cuisine without olive oil. Apart from gastronomy, the gift of oil from the magnificent olive tree is also used today for other purposes...
Amalasuntha: The Comely and Quick-Witted Queen of the Ostrogoths Whose Life Ended in Tragedy
15 January, 2017 - 03:51 dhwty

Amalasuntha: The Comely and Quick-Witted Queen of the Ostrogoths Whose Life Ended in Tragedy

Amalasuntha was a regent of the Ostrogoths who lived during the Late Antique period, i.e. the 6th century AD. This was the period after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, when Italy was under the...
Roger de Flor and His Catalan Company: From Knight Templar to Pirate – Part I
14 January, 2017 - 02:15 Cam Rea

Roger de Flor and His Catalan Company: From Knight Templar to Pirate – Part I

Roger de Flor was a swashbuckling military adventurer and condottiere (mercenary) leader of the Catalan Company. He was born in the city of Brindisi, Italy, which at the time of his birth was a part...
Magic in Ancient Greece: Necromancy, Curses, Love Spells, and Oracles
11 January, 2017 - 14:43 marinasohma

Magic in Ancient Greece: Necromancy, Curses, Love Spells, and Oracles

The magical traditions of ancient Greece encompassed spells, curse tablets, drugs, potions, poisons, amulets, and talismans. For many cultures of the past, there was a very fine line between magic,...
The Heroic Story of Roland: A Valiant Knight With an Unbreakable Sword
10 January, 2017 - 14:54 Theodoros Karasavvas

The Heroic Story of Roland: A Valiant Knight With an Unbreakable Sword

Roland (Hruodland in Frankish) also called "Roland the Valiant," was born in 736 AD and died in 778 at Roncevaux. He was a Frankish knight, Earl of March of Brittany, responsible for defending the...
Dazzling Nebmaatre: Queen Tiye, the Matchless Matriarch—Part II
10 January, 2017 - 02:13 anand balaji

Dazzling Nebmaatre: Queen Tiye, the Matchless Matriarch—Part II

In March, 1898 within a dark side chamber of Amenhotep II's tomb (KV35) the famed French Egyptologist, Victor Loret gazed upon the face of a severely damaged mummy of an ancient woman, which to him...
The Atheist Martyr: Rebellious ‘Knight’ Inspired the French Revolution
8 January, 2017 - 14:58 Theodoros Karasavvas

The Atheist Martyr: Rebellious ‘Knight’ Inspired the French Revolution

During the first half of the 18th century, the Catholic Church’s authority and religious intolerance had reached new heights in France, which in many cases led to irrationally harsh punishment for...
YouTube screenshot of what Maria Solina may have looked like
8 January, 2017 - 03:45 Natalia Klimczak

The Powerful Woman Known as Maria Solina - The Most Famous Witch of Galicia

Witchcraft has a very special place in the culture of Spanish Galicia. One of the most famous people related to the old magical traditions is Maria Soliña, a Galician witch who lived during the 17th...
Imagination vs Reality: What if Nefertiti Was Not as Lovely as We are Expected to Believe?
7 January, 2017 - 14:49 Natalia Klimczak

Imagination vs Reality: What if Nefertiti Was Not as Lovely as We are Expected to Believe?

Nefertiti is one of the most iconic persons of ancient Egypt. She is still extremely famous and faith in her great personality is visible in pretty much any book that mentions the queen. But who was...
Madyes: Master of Asia, Historical Enigma
7 January, 2017 - 02:17 Cam Rea

Madyes: Master of Asia, Historical Enigma

Madyes, the mysterious Scythian stepped onto the world stage. There is not a great deal of information about him, nor has his name turned up in any of the Assyrian tablets. Herodotus and Strabo are...
Skeletons in the Attic and Babes in the Wood: Surprising and Spooky Yuletide Traditions
5 January, 2017 - 02:21 Charles Christian

Skeletons in the Attic and Babes in the Wood: Surprising and Spooky Yuletide Traditions

Although we nowadays associate ‘Happy Holidays’ with celebrations during Advent and the run-up to Christmas Day and then on to New Year’s Eve (or Hogmanay in Scotland) not that many years ago the ‘...
Pedro Madruga: Galician VIP…and Another Name for Christopher Columbus?
4 January, 2017 - 14:46 Natalia Klimczak

Pedro Madruga: Galician VIP…and Another Name for Christopher Columbus?

Pedro Madruga is remembered as one of the most important Galicians. His life was full of adventure and also created one of the greatest mysteries of this region. According to many researchers and...
Little Emperors and Their Regents: Child Rulers & the Supportive and Destructive People Behind Them
3 January, 2017 - 02:38 MartiniF

Little Emperors and Their Regents: Child Rulers & the Supportive and Destructive People Behind Them

Some babies shake rattles and others shake up kingdoms. We hear many stories of the unhappy lives and ends of child rulers. Most recently, in 1908, Puyi became the last emperor of China at only two...
Agesilaus II, King of Sparta and Commander of Warriors
3 January, 2017 - 00:55 dhwty

Agesilaus II, King of Sparta and Commander of Warriors

Agesilaus II was a king who ruled over the ancient Greek city state of Sparta during the 4 th century BC. Agesilaus was from the Eurypontid family, one of the two royal dynasties of Sparta (the other...
The Man who Assyria Feared: Demon Gallu and King of the Universe
31 December, 2016 - 02:21 Cam Rea

The Man who Assyria Feared: Demon Gallu and King of the Universe

In 660 BCE, mighty Assyria was about to be shaken. A Scythian named Dugdammi united many nomadic tribes into a confederation. This nomadic confederation pushed at the borders of Assyria which so...
Dazzling Nebmaatre: Amenhotep III and the Age of Opulence—Part I
29 December, 2016 - 02:20 anand balaji

Dazzling Nebmaatre: Amenhotep III and the Age of Opulence—Part I

The long and glorious history of ancient Egypt gave the world an array of pharaohs whose qualities spanned the entire spectrum of human emotions and achievements: the builders, the warriors, the...
Royal Bonds: How the Mother, Wife, and Daughter of Darius III Became Family of Alexander the Great
27 December, 2016 - 14:40 Natalia Klimczak

Royal Bonds: How the Mother, Wife, and Daughter of Darius III Became Family of Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great abruptly ended the reign of Darius III, and with it he saw the demise of the Achaemenid kings. However, while conquering new lands Alexander gained not only territory, but also...
Yamashita's Gold: Enormous War Treasure Hoard Remains Elusive
26 December, 2016 - 14:48 dhwty

Yamashita's Gold: Enormous War Treasure Hoard Remains Elusive

Yamashita’s Gold (known also as Yamashita’s Treasure) is the name given to the alleged war loot accumulated by the Japanese armed forces in Southeast Asia during the Second World War. This alleged...
From Papyrus to Parchment: The Imperial Library of Constantinople
26 December, 2016 - 00:45 Veronica Parkes

From Papyrus to Parchment: The Imperial Library of Constantinople

Many years after the destruction of the great libraries of the ancient world, such as the libraries of Pergamum and Alexandria, the Imperial Library of Constantinople preserved precious Ancient Greek...
The Roman Origins of Our Modern Calendar - Influenced by Popes, Generals, Emperors and Gods
24 December, 2016 - 02:23 victor labate

The Roman Origins of Our Modern Calendar - Influenced by Popes, Generals, Emperors and Gods

The most widely used calendar around the world today is called the Gregorian calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in the 16th century CE and was a modification of an ancient Roman...
Standing in the Shadow of Alexander the Great: Cleopatra of Macedon and Her Life of Danger
23 December, 2016 - 21:51 Natalia Klimczak

Standing in the Shadow of Alexander the Great: Cleopatra of Macedon and Her Life of Danger

Cleopatra of Macedon stood in the shadow of her more famous brother, Alexander the Great. In fact, she was one of his three known sisters, apart from Cynane and Thessalonica. However, Cleopatra was...
Queen, Warrior, and a Symbol of a Forgotten Dynasty – The Powerful Matriarch Ahhotep
23 December, 2016 - 14:49 Natalia Klimczak

Queen, Warrior, and a Symbol of a Forgotten Dynasty – The Powerful Matriarch Ahhotep

A few surviving records show that Ahhotep was a woman who was stronger, braver, and a more powerful ruler than the average man. Her thrilling story starts in the Egyptian Middle Kingdom and ends in...
Harking Back: The Ancient Pagan Festivities in our Christmas Rituals
23 December, 2016 - 03:56 ancient-origins

Harking Back: The Ancient Pagan Festivities in our Christmas Rituals

When we think of the Romans, gift-giving, carol-singing and celebrating the birth of Christ don’t immediately present themselves. Waging wars, general oppression and a never-ending desire to rule the...

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