One of the most brilliant minds of his time, Avicenna was a self-educated Persian scholar, scientist, physician, and an expert on Aristotelian philosophy. Born at Bukhara, a prominent city on the silk trade route, Avicenna was the Latinised name for...
Damon and Phintias, also called Damon and Pythias, in Greek legend, a celebrated pair of friends who came to signify the willingness to sacrifice oneself for the sake of a friend.
In ancient Athens, contributing to politics -and in extent to your country- was considered the norm and highly desirable. Being apolitical and selfish was frowned upon. All good citizens aspired to be politically active. It was rare for someone to...
Hera was the goddess of marriage, family, childbirth and the protectress of women. The Roman counterpart of Hera was Juno. For the Romans, Juno was the protector and special counselor of the State. The month of June is named...
Antoninus Pius. The fourth of the Five Good Emperors.
Native Americans showed everyday their respect to the Eternal, the Great Mystery as they called it. That worship was silent, solitary, free from all self-seeking.
The 'Tower of the Winds' was constructed in such a stylish and elegant manner, that it inspired many Western architects over the centuries.
The 7 Rules of Public Speaking in the Athenian Senate and Assembly
What is new about this age (Axial Age)...is that man becomes conscious of Being as a whole, of himself and his limitations. He experiences the terror of the world and his own powerlessness. He asks radical questions. Face to...
Athens is full of hills! They offer spectacular views of the city and the surrounding area and 3 of them are actually archaeological sites of major importance! So, here's seven of the most historical and beautiful hills of Athens: Lycabettus A favorite...
April 4th 1968. Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Robert Kennedy, that was at the time serving as senator of New York, wanted personally to deliver the shocking news to the people of Indianapolis. In his improvised speech,...
The trireme The foundation of Athens' power was her formidable navy. While most other Greek city-states could only afford a couple of dozen triremes, the Athenian Navy could deploy more than 200 triremes (!) We're lucky enough to have full catalogs...
The Golden Apple of Discord The goddess of quarrel and strife was Eris. She was sister and companion of murderous Ares, the Greek god of war and daughter of Nyx (Night). Unhappy and displeased that she was not invited to...
A secret that can keep your relationship healthy and happy (a word of advice from a 5th c. BC Athenian woman ) Perhaps the most famous woman of classical Athens was Aspasia, wife of Pericles. Aspasia presents us with the best...
AGAPE The sentiment of intense devotion affection concern and involvement directed towards a person, place, object, activity or idea. Agape is used commonly to describe the most profound and stimulating relationship possible between two people but can be extended to...
Throughout human history (sadly up until the 20th century) women have been denied fundamental rights. The right to gain property, the right to vote, reproductive rights, the right to speak, etc, etc. There are very few exceptions. One of the...
The most honorable man of Athens according to Herodotus: Aristides. His sense of morality, justice, and prudence, made him famous all over the Greek world. He was reputed to be so fair-minded, that he was known to everyone as...
THALES (624-546 BC) Born in Miletus. One of the ‘Seven Sages’. He is considered to be no less than the father of Philosophy. He believed that all natural phenomena should be explained using scientific methods, and even managed...
The Stoa of Attalos is the only example of a fully restored ancient shopping arcade. It was built by and named after Attalos II, King of Pergamon, as a gift to the city that gave him his higher education. It's...
Our democracies today are representative. We elect politicians, politicians govern us. In Ancient Athens, you were ruling yourself. Participation was seen as a fundamental element of Democracy. Athenians that behaved as 'private citizens' were seen through a negative eye and...
Have you ever wondered where does the word 'museum' come from? No? Ok... I'll tell you anyway: It's connected with the Muses! The Nine Muses were deities who ruled over the arts and sciences and gave humans the necessary...
In a lesser known book of Plato, we find Socrates in the Athenian Agora coming across Euthypro - a soothsayer he knew well - and the two men engage in a short conversation just outside the Royal Stoa. After...
Stories told in Greek Mythology are just that: stories. They're not parables. You can read it or hear it and then you draw your own conclusions. Maybe even change your mind later. You may conclude that the moral of...
Did you know that most ornamental plants of the National Gardens come from Genova, Italy? King Ludwig I of Bavaria When King Ludwig of Bavaria came to Athens to visit his son (King Otto), he was surprised by the complete lack...
HOW EMOTIONS CAN DECIDE THE COURSE OF HISTORICAL EVENTS
This month: let's Meet The Gods ! ZEUS - Father of Gods and Men, ruler of the universe. He was the supreme cultural embodiment of Graeco-Roman religious beliefs. Symbols : thunderbolt, eagle, oak tree, lion, scepter, scales. HERA - Hera was...
The Parian Chronicle is a chronology of events, inscribed on a marble stele, covering more than 12 centuries of Ancient Greek history. Focusing a lot on events linked with the city-state of Athens, this chronicle presents us with a...
Imagine a system of taxation where only the rich contribute, while middle and lower class citizens don’t have to pay any taxes. On top of that, imagine that in this system, the rich love to pay their taxes and...
When in Athens, you know you're in the favorite city of goddess Athena. Athena is accompanied by an owl, which over time became her symbol and one of the symbols of Athens too. The exact reason why the owl became a...
As far back in time as 632 BC, an athlete tried to establish a tyranny in Athens. His name was Kylon. An ambitious Olympic Victor that came really close to taking over absolute power so as to Make Athens...
