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Did You Know?

Tacitus’ Horse Race Encounter With An Oblivious Fan

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Tacitus (c. 56/57-117+), considered the greatest historian of Rome, decided one day to attend a horse race for a bit of ancient Roman entertainment....
Article

The Rise, Exile, Return And Murder of Ernst Röhm

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Adolf Hitler and Ernst Röhm served in the German military during WWI (1914-1918). They both survived the mass layoffs of war veterans caused by...
Biography

Queen Arsinoe’s Brief Wartime Reign At The Twilight Of Ptolemaic Egypt

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Arsinoe IV was an ambitious daughter of King Ptolemy XII of Egypt (r. 80-51 BCE). Her ambition was mirrored by her sisters, Berenice IV...
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The Bulgarian Entrapment Of Imperial Conspirators Against Emperor Leo III of Constantinople

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Emperor Leo III of Constantinople (r. 717-741) gained power due, in large part, to the actions and reign of a former ruler named Emperor...
Article

The Tale Of Tereus, Procne, and Philomela—The Darkest Story In Greek Mythology

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According to ancient Greek myth and legend, a man named Tereus was once the ruler of a powerful Thracian kingdom. He was a mighty...
Biography

Cleopatra Berenice III—The Egyptian Queen Who Married Her Uncle, Father, And Stepson

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Ancient Egypt’s Ptolemaic Dynasty was known for its long tradition of incestuous royal marriages. Generation after generation, Ptolemies married Cleopatras, with many of the...
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The Pungent Origin Story Of Emperor Constantine V Kopronymos

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Emperor Constantine V was the son of Emperor Leo III of Constantinople (r. 717-741), a ruler who brought much-needed stability to the Byzantine Empire...
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Ptolemy “The Flutist” Executed His Own Daughter

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Ptolemy XII, nicknamed Auletes (“the flutist” or “the piper”), lived a life thoroughly suffused with ruthless dynastic intrigue. He grew up during the reign...
Biography

The Tale Of Musa—The Italian Slave Who Became A Queen Of Parthia

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Musa, also known as Thermusa, was an Italian slave who was sent by a Roman emperor to live in the exotic court of a...
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The Tale Of Saint-King Olaf’s Miraculous, Flameproof Hair

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Olaf Haraldsson, also known as Saint Olaf, was a former Viking and mercenary who returned home to seize the throne of Norway around 1015....