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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.

Mysterious Monk Walking Alone During Sunset. Source: Igor Ovsyannykov / CC BY 2.0
28 September, 2019 - 14:00 Morgan Smith

Italy’s Ancient Benandanti: Harvest Rites and Ghostly Battles

In the Friuli region of Italy in 1580, during the peak of the Roman Inquisition’s foray into witchcraft, an inquisitorial examination of a local town crier produced the following eerie testimony: “…...
The Flagellation of Christ by Jaume Huguet (1412–1492) Louvre Museum (Public Domain)
27 September, 2019 - 16:35 Roberto Volterri

Cryptic Crosses, Mystery Medallions and Enigmatic Relics in Christian Churches

To the naked eye, they lie hidden in plain sight, but medieval artists hid cryptic messages in fresco’s, medallions and paintings and collected relics believed to have apotropaic qualities to ward...
The Baptism of Emperor Constantine
26 September, 2019 - 01:28 Natalia Klimczak

Was the Emperor Constantine a True Christian or Was He a Secret Pagan?

Constantine the Great is known in history as the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity . However, legends and archaeological evidence suggest a different story– it seems that Constantine had...
The Meditation on the Passion by Vittore Carpaccio (1510) (Public Domain)
25 September, 2019 - 15:34 ashley cowie

Contemplating the Navel: The Origins of Ancient Mindfulness

The words of the 16th-century Bishop of Geneva, Saint Francis de Sales, are truer today than ever before: “ Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour...
A traditional bedroom in Cappadocia, Turkey. Credit: EvanTravels / Adobe Stock
22 September, 2019 - 22:45 ancient-origins

What Humans Have Been Doing in Bed for 77,000 Years

Groucho Marx once joked , “Anything that can’t be done in bed isn’t worth doing at all.” You might think he was referring to sleeping and sex. But humans, at one time or another, have done just about...
Surgical instruments of ancient physicians. Credit: Kai Beercrafter / Adobe Stock
22 September, 2019 - 18:56 Aleksa Vučković

The Gory History of Barber Surgeons: Medieval Medicine Gone Mad

It’s no surprise that the history of medicine had a rocky and somewhat gruesome journey before reaching its current, modern state. From the earliest meddling in surgery in Classical Antiquity to the...
Statue of a woman covering herself. Credit: macondos / Adobe Stock
21 September, 2019 - 19:02 B. B. Wagner

The Shocking History of Virgin Tests and Cures

Virginity has been the obsession of men for thousands of years. It has driven the best people, like the virgin warrior Joan of Arc, to fight for just cause. Virginity has also lured the worst people...
Roman soldiers and their general by vukkostic (Adobe Stock)
21 September, 2019 - 15:43 MartiniF

Roman Mars vs Greek Ares as the God of War

In the ancient battle of Thurii in 282 BC, between Rome and the Greek colony of Tarentum, the Romans noticed a youth of extraordinary height marching in front of them and performing miracles of...
Close up of the monument to Crazy Horse. Source: Scott Lee / Public Domain.
20 September, 2019 - 23:02 Aleksa Vučković

Monument to Hero Crazy Horse Is Taking Shape After 70 Years

The famous Lakota were one of the three Sioux tribes of the plains. Throughout their history, which is both glorious and tragic, there have been many prominent heroes, braves, and chiefs. The one...
Herod the Great as depicted in a painting in the Chapel of Madonna and Child. Photo source: Jbribeiro1 / CC BY-SA 4.0.
19 September, 2019 - 14:04 dhwty

Herod the Great: A Biblical Tyrant But An Able Protector of Judaea

Herod the Great was a Roman client king of Judaea (known also as the Herodian kingdom) who lived during the 1st century BC. He was also the founder of the Herodian dynasty, whose members, like Herod...
The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic state that fought in the Syrian Wars to retain their empire. Source: Kings and Generals / YouTube.
19 September, 2019 - 02:01 dhwty

The Rise and Demise of the Seleucid Empire

The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic state that existed between the 4th and 1st centuries BC. It was established by Seleucus I Nicator (meaning ‘victor’ or ‘conqueror’), one of the diadochi, or...
Anatomy lesson of Dr. Willem van der Meer by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt (1617) (Public Domain)
19 September, 2019 - 00:02 dhwty

Body Snatchers, the Cemetery Entrepreneurs of the 18th and 19th Centuries

Anatomists of the 18th and 19th centuries faced a dreadful predicament in that they lacked what would today be called ‘educational aids’. They needed cadavers to dissect. These circumstances created...
Saul and the Witch of Endor
17 September, 2019 - 22:35 Natalia Klimczak

The Biblical Witch of Endor: Contacting the Spirit of a Prophet

The Witch of Endor is also known as the biblical Medium of Endor. According to legend, she was a medium who apparently summoned the Prophet Samuel's spirit. She is known from the Old Testament but...
The island of Ischia seen from the sea, showing volcanic features. Colored etching by Pietro Fabris, (1776). (Wellcome Images/ Public Domain)
16 September, 2019 - 20:47 Mary Naples

Pithekoussai: Ancient Greek Colony of Nestor’s Cup

Celebrated for its thermal springs and verdant landscapes, the volcanic island of Ischia, called Pithekoussai during its ancient Greek days —located in the Bay of Naples —harkens back to the...
The residents of San Miguel De Gualdape were overcome with sickness in the swampy environment. (NPS / Public Domain)
15 September, 2019 - 14:02 Aleksa Vučković

To the Shores of Distant Death: The Failed Colony of San Miguel De Gualdape

The year is 1526. Onto the wild and wooded lands of what is today Georgia in the United States, European feet had never permanently walked. These forests and river valleys, the wild rolling hills of...
Marcus Aurelius Distributing Bread to the People by Joseph-Marie Vien
14 September, 2019 - 02:07 Riley Winters

The Philosopher-King of Ancient Rome: Marcus Aurelius' Imperium

Marcus Aurelius is famed for various accomplishments—his title as the last of the Five Good Emperors; his extensive study of and literary accomplishments in the field of Stoicism; and, last but not...
The Tai Hang fire dragon dance is performed in Hong Kong during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board.
13 September, 2019 - 17:20 Ed Whelan

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Explore the Legends and the Myths

Nearly everyone has heard of the Chinese New Year festival, but there is another festival that is very important in China and East Asia. This is the Mid-Autumn Festival , which is an enormous party...
Odysseus and the Sirens by Otto Greiner (1869–1916) (Public Domain)
13 September, 2019 - 16:49 Roberto Volterri

The Itinerary of Odysseus, an Ancient Treasure Map

Did Homer’s Odyssey contain a secret code, that would guide the Greeks to gain complete control over the Black Sea and the North Atlantic and access to the riches of precious metals and other...
Several of the ancient pigments were deadly. Photo source: Ezume Images / Adobe Stock.
12 September, 2019 - 22:52 ancient origins

Poisonous Pigments: History’s Deadliest Colors

Throughout history, ancient civilizations have been using all kinds of ingenious ways to create pigments for the coloring of clothing, objects and even buildings. While some of the pigments were...
The Death of Ravana by Fernand CORMON (1875) Musée des Augustins. (Public Domain)
11 September, 2019 - 16:33 MartiniF

Rakshasas: Taunting Demons Tainted with Human Emotions

According to Hindu mythology, Satya Yuga signals the era during which the gods and intrinsic goodness ruled humanity, and at the end of his labors, the creator god, Brahma, sleeps. But during his...
Noble bandit of the forest. Credit: Fotokvadrat / Adobe Stock
10 September, 2019 - 22:49 Aleksa Vučković

The Noble Bandit Fulk FitzWarin and His Fight for Whittington Castle

George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series of books is a thrilling portrayal of the lives and intrigues of medieval lords, and it gained notoriety for its realism and complexity. But do we...
They newly discovered distillery in China. Source: Ecns.cn
10 September, 2019 - 14:03 Ed Whelan

Massive 500-Year-Old Distillery Found in China is on Industrial Scale

Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a massive distillery in China that dates to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The discovery is believed to be the largest of its kind ever made in China,...
Trio of musicians playing an aulos, cymbala, and tympanum (mosaic from Pompeii) (CC BY-SA 3.0)
9 September, 2019 - 16:25 ashley cowie

Orchestral Offerings on the Winds to the Gods

Ever since humans have been able to pull a blade of grass between their thumbs and blow into it, or tap two sticks on a third, our species has attempted to recreate the sounds of nature and over time...
Stone Age early human child. Source: pxhere / Public Domain.
9 September, 2019 - 14:06 Caleb Strom

The Stone Age: The First 99 Percent of Human History

The Stone Age is the longest period of human history, lasting from 2.6 million years ago to about 5,000 years ago. It is also the period of human history that is the least well known relative to...

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