The Greek epic poem The Odyssey is attributed to Homer and is often described as the sequel to The Iliad. The Odyssey picks up after the fall of Troy and follows Odysseus (also Ulysses), the king of Ithaca, who fought on the side of the Greeks, as he journeys home. He is blown off […]

The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, ravaged Europe between 1346 and 1352, decimating almost half of the continent’s population. This pestilence, which we now know was carried by fleas, spread like wildfire across Europe in the mid-14th century. However, there were several resurgences of this disease in the centuries that followed. […]

When it comes to understanding the world around us, philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty offers a unique perspective rooted in phenomenology. His book Phenomenology of Perception challenges ideas that are normally taken for granted about our senses. While other philosophers who study the mind concentrate mainly on thoughts themselves, Merleau-Ponty’s investigation goes further: How do our […]

When a series of deadly blasts devastated Beirut in 2020, a previously unknown painting by the most celebrated woman artist of the Italian Baroque era emerged from the wreckage. The painting has since been reattributed to Artemisia Gentileschi and fully restored to its original glory. It is now set to make its first public […]

For a long period of American history, art created by African Americans was considered irrelevant and unworthy of appreciation. Still, even in the conditions of slavery, segregation, and oppression, African American creatives managed to build and preserve artistic tradition. Some of them managed to become part of the major art scene despite all obstacles. […]