Almost everyone has heard of Atlantis. The mythical tale of the fabled continent with its advanced civilization, lost beneath the Atlantic Ocean. Or of El Dorado, the legendary city of gold hidden deep within the South American jungles. Lost cities have long captivated our collective imagination. Yet, there is one lost city that gets overlooked. […]
Heracleion: The ancient Egyptian city lost to the sea Read More »
Few civilizations have had as much of an impact on the modern world as ancient Greece. Once a collection of city-states, Greece was a haven for art, intellectualism, and education. But like so many other mighty civilizations of the time, Greece’s meteoric rise could only be ended by an equally intense fall. The decline of
Why did ancient Greece decline? Read More »
The world of Ancient Greece was steeped in religious and cultural traditions of all kinds. Festivals and rituals played a central role in everyday life. The Great Dionysia was one such festival. In ancient Athens, the celebration was a time of revelry, theater, and religious devotion. For several days each spring, the city would come
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Morpheus is one of the lesser-known Greek gods. He was associated with sleep and dreams. Ovid The first surviving literary reference to Morpheus is found in Metamorphoses, the magnum opus of the Roman poet Ovid. The title translates to Transformations. Born Publius Ovidius Naso in the year 43 BC, Ovid dedicated decades of his life
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Ares is the Greek god of war. Battle personified, Ares represented many of the more gruesome aspects of warfare. Unlike his sister Athena, who was associated with calm strategy, Ares was all battle frenzy and violence. He wasn’t particularly popular with the Greeks, and even his family disliked him. He found much more success with
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Apollo was a god revered by both the Greeks and the Romans. He is the only one of the pantheon to be called by the same name in both cultures. He was seen as the perfect man: wise, powerful, and eternally young. Apollo was peaceful – at least, more so than most of the volatile
Who is the Greek God Apollo? Read More »
The four cardinal virtues are wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. The word ‘cardinal’ comes from the Latin word cardo for ‘hinge’ or the word cardinalis meaning ‘essential’. It is often said that all human virtues hinge on these four. The Four Cardinal Virtues Throughout History The four cardinal virtues were originally conceptualized by Plato, expanded
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Humans devote much of their time and energy to finding and maintaining happiness. Just as many people today reach for self-help books or go to therapy to feel better, the Stoics of ancient Greece used philosophy as a means of “healing the soul” and achieving eudaimonia – the principle of living according to one’s true nature. But
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The 108-foot bronze statue known as the Colossus of Rhodes was both an ancient wonder and a proud monument. It was a tribute to the god Helios. It was destroyed in an earthquake just five decades after it was built. To see it standing over the harbors of Rhodes as ships sailed beneath it would
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In 1831, under a mountain of volcanic ash in the ancient city of Pompeii, a mosaic was uncovered. This mosaic, one of the most important pieces of art to ever be rediscovered, covered the floor of one room in the House of Faun. Dubbed the “Alexander Mosaic”, it was remarkably well preserved, and while parts
Becephalus: The legendary horse of Alexander the Great Read More »
