Sunday, September 24, 2023

There Were Hair Rinses And Curling Irons In Ancient Rome

Ovid (43 BCE-17 CE), a masterful Roman poet, wrote verses about romance, love, eroticism, and all manner of topics related to women—including fashion trends—in...

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...

Charlemagne, By Jean Marie Mixelle (c. 18th-19th century)

This illustration, vaguely labeled “Charlemagne” or “Charlemagne: Emperor of West and King of France,” was created by the French artist Jean Marie Mixelle (c....

Dante Alighieri

Dante Alighieri (c. 1265-1321) "Just as a swimmer, who with his last breath flounders ashore from perilous seas, might turn to memorize the wide water of his...

Mark Twain

Mark Twain (c. 1835-1910) "No sound and legitimate business can be established on a basis of speculation." From chapter 19 of Mark Twain’s A Connecticut...

STAY CONNECTED

FansLike
FollowersFollow
FollowersFollow
SubscribersSubscribe

Diana and Endymion, by Magnus Enckell (c. 1870-1925)

This rather abstract painting, by the Finnish artist Magnus Enckell (c. 1870-1925), was inspired by the ancient Greco-Roman myth of Endymion. His tale is...

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...

Bendis—A Famous, Yet Mysterious, Thracian Goddess

Bendis was the name of a goddess of Thracian origin whose worship spread to Athens by the late 5th century BCE. Despite having a vibrant...

Leif Eiriksson Discovering America, By An Unknown 19th Century Artist

In the first decade of the 11th century, several Nordic adventurers were said to have led expeditions to North America, with Leif Eiriksson (featured...

Emperor Gaozu Of The Han Dynasty Almost Had His Son-In-Law Executed

  Zhang Ao was the son of Zhang Er, a politician and general who helped Emperor Gaozu (King of Han c. 206 BCE, emperor r....

The Three Fates, by Susan MacDowell Eakins (c. 1851 – 1938)

This intriguing painting, created by the American artist Susan MacDowell Eakins (c. 1851-1938), was inspired by the Fates (or Moirai) of Greek mythology. Named...

Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu (recorded between the 6th and 3rd century BCE) "Ultimate excellence lies Not in winning Every battle But in defeating the enemy Without ever fighting." From Sun Tzu's...

Mark Twain

Mark Twain (c. 1835-1910) "You see my kind of loyalty was to one's country, not to its institutions or its officeholders. The country is the...
- Advertisement -

Bendis—A Famous, Yet Mysterious, Thracian Goddess

Bendis was the name of a goddess of Thracian origin whose worship spread to Athens by the late 5th century BCE. Despite having a vibrant...

Caesar Defeats The Troops Of Pompey, By Justus van Egmont (1601–1674) and Gerard Peemans (1637/39–1725)

This tapestry, titled Caesar Defeats The Troops Of Pompey, was designed by Justus van Egmont (1601–1674) and woven by the workshop of Gerard Peemans...

Aristotle

Aristotle (c. 384-322 BCE) "He who asks law to rule is asking God and intelligence and no others to rule; while he who asks for...

Lucan

Lucan (c. 39-65) "Virtue and absolute power do not mix." From Lucan’s Civil War (Book 8, approximately between lines 600-610), translated by Matthew Fox (Penguin...

10 Quotes From The Roman Historian, Tacitus

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlHeBRQWef0?si=5poipGp0W79MTmkB%5D Tacitus was a Roman historian who was born around the year 56/57 and died sometime after 117. He was famous in his own...

The Roman Satirist, Lucian, Abandoned A Family Business Of Sculpting To Become A Man Of Letters

Lucian of Samosata (c. 120-180+) was an orator, a teacher, and a literary figure known for comedy and satire. Yet, before devoting himself to...

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...

Religious Tolerance In The Reign of Hákon The Good Of Norway

Harald Finehair, the first king to unite Norway, is believed to have retired or died around the year 940, ending his momentous reign. His...
- Advertisement -

Latest Posts

Platter With Scenes Of Moses, labeled Nove (ceramic center, c. 1700-1900) by the National Museum in Warsaw

This curious platter, dated between the 18th and 20th centuries, features scenes from the Biblical life of Moses. One’s eyes might be drawn to...

Lucian

Lucian of Samosata (c. 120-180+) "The fly has a life of ease and idleness, enjoying the fruits of others' labours and finding itself a full...

The Ancient Roman Tale Of Lucius Caesar’s Close Call With Assassins

Lucius Caesar was a contemporary relative of Julius Caesar and was the uncle of Mark Antony (as Lucius’ sister, Julia, was the mother of...

The Last Days Of Pompeii, Copy, By Karl Pavlovitš Brjullov (c. 1799-1852)

This painting, by Karl Pavlovitš Brjullov (c. 1799-1852), was inspired by the destruction of Pompeii after the catastrophic volcanic eruption of Vesuvius in the...

Soren Kierkegaard

Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) "If the one who is to act wants to judge himself by the result, he will never begin. Although the result may...

The Delicacy Mooching Revenge Of Pliny The Younger Against Pontius Allifanus

Pliny the Younger (c. 61/62-113)—a wealthy Roman lawyer, administrative official and statesman—once visited the region of Campania, where his friend, Pontius Allifanus, held considerable...

Caesar Defeats The Troops Of Pompey, By Justus van Egmont (1601–1674) and Gerard Peemans (1637/39–1725)

This tapestry, titled Caesar Defeats The Troops Of Pompey, was designed by Justus van Egmont (1601–1674) and woven by the workshop of Gerard Peemans...

Aristotle

Aristotle (c. 384-322 BCE) "He who asks law to rule is asking God and intelligence and no others to rule; while he who asks for...

An Ancient Theory About A Spiritual Airborne Singularity

Euripides (c. 485-406 BCE), in his play, Helen, proposed a curious theological/spiritual theory that suggested when a person died, their individual soul dispersed and...

Agrippina And Germanicus, Painted By Sir Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1577 – 1640)

These side profiles, painted by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1577 - 1640), depict the ancient Roman tragic couple, Agrippina and Germanicus....

Popular Quotes

Lao Tzu

Virgil

Aristotle

Livy