Trojan War

Wonder Woman is just one of the mythological movies based on legendary myths told throughout ancient history. Source: Stanislav / Adobe Stock

4 December, 2021 - 17:57 Zaya Vald

9 Famous Movies Based on Ancient Myths and Legends

Since the beginning of movie making at the end of the 1880s, films have touched on a plethora of mythological themes. From the 1970s classic The Asphyx , to the action-packed Wonder Woman , we’ve...

25 October, 2021 - 20:53 micki pistorius

Gods Throwing Dice: Cleromancy In The Trojan War

Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses, hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls, great fighters' souls, but...

Cassandra of Troy is a tragic figure within Greek mythology. Source: Maksim Šmeljov / Adobe Stock

2 August, 2021 - 19:01 dhwty

The Ignored Prophet of Doom: The Curse of Cassandra of Troy

Best-known for her prophetic powers, within Greek mythology Cassandra is a princess of Troy who lived during the era of the Trojan War. Her gift of prophecy, however, was accompanied by a curse – no...

King Menelaus, seen here finding Helen at Troy, is best known as her husband.

15 June, 2021 - 18:33 dhwty

Why We Should Remember Menelaus, the King Lost in his Wife’s Shadow

Menelaus, the mythological king of Mycenaean Sparta, is perhaps best remembered as the husband of Helen of Troy. While lost in his wife’s shadow, his story is inexorably entwined with that of the...

12 April, 2021 - 14:46 Sarah Piraino

Achilles’ Shield: What’s the Meaning of the Iliad’s Most Symbolic Object?

The Iliad is one of the most famous epic poems created by the Greek poet Homer and the piece recounts the last weeks of the Trojan War. In book 18 of the series, Homer writes about Achilles’ shield...

Ancient Greek warrior. Source: breakermaximus / Adobe Stock

27 March, 2021 - 22:00 dhwty

Agamemnon: Greek King, Trojan War Leader and Man of Power

Agamemnon is a major figure in Greek mythology. He was a king of Mycenae, and the supreme commander of the Greeks during the Trojan War. Therefore, he plays a significant role in Homer’s Iliad . As a...

20 March, 2021 - 13:55 dhwty

Hector of Troy: The Battle for Peace and the Wrath of Achilles

Homer’s epic Illiad tells the mythical story of the legendary 10-year Trojan War between the Trojans and the Greeks, which erupted after the beautiful Helen, wife of King Menelaus, was taken by Paris...

Trojan War scene. Achilles dragging the dead body of Hector in front of the gates of Troy

25 November, 2020 - 17:34 pkoutoupis

Was There Ever a Trojan War?

Was there ever a Trojan War? That is, the almost legendary battle fought between Greeks and Trojans. This question continues to go unanswered by the academic and archaeological world. If we read from...

King Diomedes leader of the troops and unsung hero. Source: serhiibobyk / Adobe Stock.

2 December, 2019 - 14:04 B. B. Wagner

Diomedes, the Unsung Hero of Troy

Any Greek epic by the poet Homer should never be read quietly to one’s self but spoken out loud to all who wish to listen, especially if it has to do with the Trojan War. His epic poems sing praises...

Odysseus mosaic at the Bardo Museum in Tunis, Tunisia. (2nd century AD) (Public Domain)

11 November, 2019 - 23:23 Felice Vinci

Homer in the Baltic: Odysseus a Fair-Haired Dane?

Described by Homer and Pindar as ‘fair haired’, one can ask the perturbing question: Was Odysseus a Dane originating from the Baltic Sea and is Troy located on the Gulf of Finland? Since ancient...

Myrmidons were the mythical ‘Ant Army’ of Achilles. Source: Fotokvadrat / Adobe Stock

31 July, 2019 - 23:01 Caleb Strom

Myrmidons: The Fiercely Loyal and Unstoppable ‘Antmen’ Army of Achilles

The Myrmidons were allegedly fierce warriors from Thessaly that fought during the Trojan War with Achilles as their leader. The Myrmidons were considered the among the best warriors in Greece. They...

Aeneas carrying his father Anchises from the burning city of Troy’ (1627-1664) by Daniel van Heil. Details in the Iliad cast doubt on the generally accepted location of Troy. Source: Public Domain

20 May, 2019 - 19:01 Bernard Jones

Homer’s Iliad Casts Doubt on the Aegean Location of Troy

Historian Bernard Jones has spent more than three decades researching the ‘Story of Troy’ and he maintains that Homer’s Iliad is the greatest reference work on the Bronze Age world. Homer describes...

16 March, 2019 - 20:29 Miriam Kamil

Helen of Troy, The Beauty Who Sparked the Trojan War

In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy is known as the woman whose beauty sparked the Trojan War. But Helen’s character is more complex than it seems. When considering the many Greek and Roman myths that...

Scene from the movie, Troy, loosely based on Homer’s Iliad. (Troy)

21 April, 2018 - 13:56 ancient-origins

Toxic Masculinity Fostered by Misreadings of the Classics

Homer’s Iliad has been used by some men to hail the virtues of traditional masculinity in the 21st century. Typically, the famous work of literature serves as a sort of manual of manliness . Scholars...

The city’s acropolis is barely visible on the hill on a cloudy day.

15 December, 2016 - 01:00 Theodoros Karasavvas

Archaeologists Explore Incredible Ancient City in Supposed Backwater Region of Greece

A collaboration between Greek, Swedish, and British researchers has resulted in some interesting discoveries at a previously unexplored 2,500-year-old city in Thessaly, Greece. Their findings are...

19 October, 2014 - 01:43 pkoutoupis

In Search of Helen of Troy

Her face was the face that launched a thousand ships. Considered to have been the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen would be seduced by the Trojan prince, Paris and travel to his homeland of...

Pages

Myths & Legends

The Green Children of Woolpit, created from Babes in the Wood illustration by Randolph Caldecott. Source: Project Gutenberg / Public Domain

The Green Children of Woolpit: Legendary Visitors from Another World

Lovelock Cave: A Tale of Giants or A Giant Tale of Fiction?

Haunted Mirrors, Bloody Mary and Superstitious Mirror Mythology

The Erlking: The Powerful Germanic Mythical Snatcher of Children

Betrayed by the Acts of Others? The Events that Led to Prometheus’s Perennial Punishment

Time Travel: From Ancient Mythology to Modern Science

Human Origins

Prometheus and Hercules by Christian Griepenkerl.

Betrayed by the Acts of Others? The Events that Led to Prometheus’s Perennial Punishment

The story of Prometheus, Epimetheus and Pandora is a popular myth of ancient Greece - one that has been told and retold throughout the ages. It is a tale of Prometheus, the son of a titan, who was punished for helping mankind.

The Faces of Ancient Hominids Brought to Life in Remarkable Detail

3: The Perfect Number - Trinity Symbolism in World Religious Traditions

Top Ten Giant Discoveries in Ancient Britain

The Theory of ‘Three Human Species’

Did Ancient People Really Have Lifespans Longer Than 200 Years?

Ancient Technology

The mummified remains of Usermontu, Rosicrucian San Jose Museum

Medical Mystery of Usermontu: Why the Discovery of 2,600-Year-Old Knee Screw Left Experts Dumbfounded

In 1971, the Rosicrucian Museum in California acquired a sealed ancient Egyptian coffin containing the well-preserved mummy of a high status Egyptian male. More than two decades later, a team of...

The Stonehenge Calendar: A Prehistoric Approach to Time’s Passing

The Indian Sage who developed Atomic Theory 2,600 years ago

6 Advanced Ancient Inventions Beyond Modern Understanding

150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time?

Dujiangyan: The 2,200-Year-Old Chinese Irrigation System That is Still Used Today!

Ancient Places

The front view of the gold neck ring found in Denmark that was likely a hidden treasure as opposed to a votive offering. Source: Sydvestjyske Museum

Exquisitely Made 1,700-year-old Gold Neck Ring Found in Denmark

In October 2021, Dan Christensen, an amateur metal detectorist made the exciting discovery of a remarkably fine gold neck ring weighing a whopping 446 grams (approximately 1 pound).

New Greco-Roman Tomb with 20 Mummies Found in Aswan

Remembering the Barbary Slaves: White Slaves and North African Pirates

Kings Weston Roman Villa, Where a Murder Lay Hidden for 1500 Years

Lovelock Cave: A Tale of Giants or A Giant Tale of Fiction?

World’s Oldest Surviving Amphitheater Preserved at Pompeii

Opinion

The Shepherds of Arcadia, by Nicolas Poussin, is reproduced on the Shepherd’s Monument, along with the Shugborough Inscription. Source: Public domain

The Enigma of the Shugborough Inscription

In the grounds of Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire, England, sits an 18th-century monument known as the Shepherd’s Monument. The monument contains a relief, depicting a copy of a Nicolas

Palatkwapi-Sedona: City of the Star People

The Icelandic Theory: Experts Challenge Establishment Dogma to Reveal History of Ivory Vikings

Winter Solstice Resurrection At Saqsayhuaman and Newgrange

Buddhism in Ancient Egypt and Meroe – Beliefs Revealed Through Ancient Script

Baltinglass Hill: Ireland’s Forgotten Gobekli Tepi?

Our Mission

At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exist countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained.

The goal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe.

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By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings.