Saturday, December 9, 2023

Acheloüs—The God Of Ancient Greece’s Longest River

Greece’s Acheloüs (or Akhelóös) River, which flows well over 200 kilometers through Epirus to the Corinthian Gulf, is arguably the longest river in Greece....

Heimdal, by Södergren (c. 19th century) and Constantin Hansen (1804 – 1880)

This woodcut print, by Constantin Hansen (1804 – 1880) and Södergren (c. 19th century), was inspired by descriptions of the Norse god, Heimdall (or...

Njal’s Saga

Njal’s Saga (written anonymously in the 13th century) "Money means less than life." This quote, from the largely fictionalized Njal’s Saga, was attributed to anonymous...

The Story Of Sam, The Medieval Irish Guard Dog

A flashy figure named Olaf “Peacock” Hoskuldsson was said to have been a chieftain in the Laxardal region of Iceland and reportedly lived around...

The Battle of Svolder, by Halfdan Egedius (c. 1877-1899)

This drawing, by the Norwegian artist Halfdan Egedius (c. 1877-1899), was inspired by the last battle of the Norwegian king, Olaf I Tryggvason (r....

The Tale Of Thrain Sigfusson’s Bizarre Divorce And Remarriage At The Wedding Of His Nephew

According to folklore set in 10th-century Iceland, a man named Thrain Sigfusson was invited to attend the wedding feast of his prominent nephew, Gunnar...

Njal Thorgeirsson (Njal’s Saga)

Njal’s Saga (written anonymously in the 13th century) "It's not breaking a settlement...if a man deals lawfully with another—with law our land shall rise, but...

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill (c. 1874-1965) "Who shall presume to lift the veils of the future, and who would be believed if he reported what he saw?" ...

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Acheloüs—The God Of Ancient Greece’s Longest River

Greece’s Acheloüs (or Akhelóös) River, which flows well over 200 kilometers through Epirus to the Corinthian Gulf, is arguably the longest river in Greece....

Momus, by Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner (c. 1702-1761)

This print, by the Austrian-German artist Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner (c. 1702-1761), was inspired by the ancient myth of Momus, who judged an art contest...

The Ironic Tale Of Cocconas, An Ancient Priest Who Lived And Died By Snakes

In the 2nd century, there emerged a curious cult in the Black Sea region of Paphlagonia that revered a snake entity named Glycon, which...

Christine De Pizan

Christine de Pizan (1364-1430) "There's nothing like a whole range of different experiences and activities for expanding the mind of any rational creature." From The...

Sun Tzu: A Great Sage Among The Great

The number of great minds that operated during the Warring States Period is simply baffling. There was Confucius and his philosophical successors, notably Mencius...

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (c. 1712-1778) "O man, of whatever country you are, and whatever your opinions may be, behold your history, such as I have thought...

Alexander Of Macedon In The Camp Of King Darius, Painted By Karol Bechon (1732-1812) And Franciszek Smuglewicz (c. 1745-1807)

This painting, attributed to Karol (or Charles) Bechon (c. 1732-1812) and Franciszek Smuglewicz (c. 1745-1807), draws its inspiration from an event that occurred during...

Wings Over Water: Aircraft Carrier Origins

In this video, we discuss the great steps in naval aviation that led up to the birth of modern aircraft carriers. We begin with...
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Theseus Finding His Father’s Sword And Sandals, By Jean Lemaire (c. 1598-1659)

This painting, by the French artist Jean Lemaire (c. 1598-1659), was inspired by one of the early stories from the life of the legendary...

Epicurus

Epicurus (c. 341-270 BCE) "It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and well and justly, and it is impossible to live...

The Sea Battle Of Cnidus In 394 BCE And Conon’s Lovely Construction Project After His Victory

Conon (or Konon) was an Athenian military leader who was involved in the complicated geopolitical chaos after the end of the Peloponnesian War (c....

Lucian

Lucian of Samosata (c. 120-180+) "Nothing highly honoured here is eternal, nor can a man take anything with him when he dies. On the contrary,...

The Burning Of Peregrinus / Proteus

Peregrinus of Parium, who evidently liked the nickname Proteus (and is therefore often known as Peregrinus Proteus), was a 2nd-century philosopher from the Cynic...

The Death Of Sophonisba, By Benjamin Wolff (c. 19th century)

This painting, by the artist Benjamin Wolff (c. 19th century), was inspired by the death of a Carthaginian noblewoman named Sophonisba (also spelled Sophonisbe...

Winston Churchill

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (c. 1564 – 1616) " anything can be amiss, When simplicity and duty tender it." From William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Act...

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill (c. 1874-1965) "How else are we going to marshal adequate and if possible overwhelming forces against brazen, unprovoked aggression, except by a...

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (c. 1564 – 1616) "Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend More than cool reason ever comprehends. The lunatic, the...
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Latest Posts

Heimdal, by Södergren (c. 19th century) and Constantin Hansen (1804 – 1880)

This woodcut print, by Constantin Hansen (1804 – 1880) and Södergren (c. 19th century), was inspired by descriptions of the Norse god, Heimdall (or...

Njal’s Saga

Njal’s Saga (written anonymously in the 13th century) "Money means less than life." This quote, from the largely fictionalized Njal’s Saga, was attributed to anonymous...

The Odd Athenian Worship Of Androgeos

Pausanias, an ancient Greek author from the 2nd century, opened up his Description of Greece with details about the Athenian heartland of Attica. Naturally,...

The Death Of Sophonisba, By Benjamin Wolff (c. 19th century)

This painting, by the artist Benjamin Wolff (c. 19th century), was inspired by the death of a Carthaginian noblewoman named Sophonisba (also spelled Sophonisbe...

Ovid

Ovid (43 BCE-17 CE) "Let all things mature in season, come forth, develop - Have patience. Life is a prize Well worth the waiting." From The Amores...

Antonius Creticus And The Silver Bowl Incident

Antonius Creticus was a man who lived in the Roman Republic during the early-to-mid 1st century BCE, and he was heavily involved (but not...

Terracotta Neck-Amphora Featuring Heracles And Eurystheus, By An Unknown Artist From The 6th century BCE

This terracotta artwork, made by an unknown artist from 6th-century BCE Greece, was inspired by mythological tales about the interactions between the legendary hero,...

Hesiod

Hesiod (flourished c. 8th century BCE) "Inferiority can be got in droves, easily: the road is smooth, and she lives very near. But in front...

Bronze Asses Were A Requirement For Early Ancient Roman Upper Classes

Unfortunately, information on the earliest periods of Rome’s history are scant and heavily obscured under thick layers of folklore and myth. The city by...

Apollo and Daphne, By An Unknown 17th-Century Workshop

This tapestry, by an unknown 17th-century workshop, depicts the beginning of a raucous myth involving three deities. The female character on the right side...

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