It was the year 73 B.C. when the Roman Republic trembled with news: the escaped gladiators from the ludus of Capua were no longer defeating only the local militias that had carelessly crossed their path but, with their ranks swelled by thousands of slaves joining them, they also defeated an army sent by the Senate […]
History
The line of demarcation between prehistoric and historical times is crossed when people cease to live only in the present, and become consciously interested both in their past and in their future. History begins with the handing down of tradition; and tradition means the carrying of the habits and lessons of the past into the future. Records of the past begin to be kept for the benefit of future generations. (E.H. Carr)
Posted inAncient Greece
Theagenes of Thasos, the Athlete who Became a God
The Greek island of Thasos is located in the northern part of the Aegean Sea, near the Thracian coast, and its capital, also called Thasos, is located in the northern part of the island. It was founded around 680 B.C. by settlers from the island of Paros. One of the most famous athletes of antiquity […]
Posted inAncient Egypt
The Northernmost Pyramid in Egypt Was also the Tallest, and Today it Lies in Ruins
About eight kilometers northwest of Giza, near the village of Abu Roash, one can see the ruins of an ancient structure. This is the Pyramid of Djedefre, sometimes called the fourth pyramid of Giza despite its distance from the famous structures of Cairo. It has the distinction of being one of the three northernmost pyramids, […]
Posted inAncient Greece
The Delphic Hymns to Apollo are the Earliest Songs with Notated Music whose Composer is Known
Although the Seikilos Epitaph, dating from the first century A.D., is the oldest surviving full song with musical notation and text, and we know its author, Seikilos, there are some older compositions. The Delphic Hymns to Apollo, found inscribed on fragments of the outer wall of the Athenian Treasury at the sanctuary of Delphi, are […]
Posted inAncient Egypt
Megiddo, the First Battle in History for which we have a Detailed Account, in the Annals of the Temple of Karnak
We all know what is said to be the oldest profession in the world, but there is probably one preceding it—the military profession, as the use of violence to resolve conflicts has existed since prehistoric times and is even observed in the animal kingdom. This leads us to wonder which battle could be considered the […]
Posted inAncient Rome
Pont du Gard, the Tallest Roman Aqueduct
During the first half of the 1st century AD, the Nimes aqueduct was constructed, spanning approximately 50 kilometers to convey water from the Fontaine d’Eure springs in Uzés to the Roman colony of Nemausus. Despite the straight-line distance being only 20 kilometers, the aqueduct’s path meanders to navigate the mountainous terrain known as the Garrigues […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
Abbas Ibn Firnas, the Andalusi Sage who Invented a Parachute and Wings for Flying
When did Man achieve flight for the first time? The question can be nuanced because one would need to specify if it refers to free flight or powered flight; it’s curious that in both cases, the answer is a pair of brothers, the Montgolfier or the Wright brothers, respectively. But to get to them, a […]
Posted inAntiquity, Art
The Story of the Tiara of Saitaferne, a Fake Scythian Artifact that Became a Work of Art
On April 1, 1896, the Louvre Museum proudly announced the acquisition of a magnificent piece, a recently discovered gold tiara on the Crimean Peninsula in perfect condition, dating back to the late 3rd century B.C. On the advice of Albert Kaempfen, director of the National Museums of France, the Louvre had paid a considerable amount […]
Posted inAncient Rome
Largo di Torre Argentina, the Place where Julius Caesar Died
On November 29, 1483, a priest and lawyer born in Strasbourg took on the role of Master of Ceremonies of the papacy in Rome, after purchasing the position for around 450 ducats. His name was Johann Burchard, and until his death in 1506, he served in that position for five popes. A few years earlier, […]
Posted inAncient Greece, Art
The Lion of Amphipolis, the Sacred Symbol of the Macedonians
On the banks of the Strimon River, about two kilometers south of the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Amphipolis, in Greek Macedonia, stands today the monument known as the Lion of Amphipolis, whose enormous dimensions are not well appreciated in images. Although its discovery is relatively recent, it constitutes a symbol of Macedonia […]
