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Classical Wisdom
The Mad Genius Who Gave Us the Elements Empedocles: The Eccentric Philosopher
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Flashbak
London’s World West: Harlesden in 1997 Harlesden was once a Saxon settlement. The Domesday Book calls it “Hervlvestvne”. In 1997, Harlesden...
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Harlesden was once a Saxon settlement. The Domesday Book calls it “Hervlvestvne”. In 1997, Harlesden was in the London borough of Brent, as it remains today. It’s when Peter Marshall was walking around the place taking pictures. Bordered by the north-west London -dens of Neasden...
TheCollector
How Gutenberg’s Press Sparked a World-Changing Revolution The Gutenberg Press revolutionized how information was produced and disseminated, marking a...
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The Gutenberg Press revolutionized how information was produced and disseminated, marking a milestone in the history of book production in Europe. Produced in the mid-15th century by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany, this innovative press combined the movable metal type with a screw...
TheCollector
How Pegasus Sprang from Medusa and Soared to Olympus The immortal, white-winged stallion Pegasus is one of the most iconic creatures in Greek mythology....
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The immortal, white-winged stallion Pegasus is one of the most iconic creatures in Greek mythology. He was born from the tragic and brutal union of a god, a gorgon, and a hero’s sword. While Pegasus is primarily remembered as the devoted companion of the hero Bellerophon, his...
TheCollector
9 Facts About Johnny Appleseed Few American legends are as widely known as the story of Johnny Appleseed. But as with many tales of...
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Few American legends are as widely known as the story of Johnny Appleseed. But as with many tales of Americana, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. While Johnny was a real person, his moniker of “Appleseed” was not his actual last name but a nickname given to him for...
TheCollector
The Gluttonous Roman Emperor Vitellius of 69 CE Vitellius was one of the four emperors who claimed power in the turbulent year that followed the...
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Vitellius was one of the four emperors who claimed power in the turbulent year that followed the death of the last Julio-Claudian, Nero. History is written by the victor, and after just eight months Vespasian ousted Vitellius and established the Flavian Dynasty. Consequently,...
TheCollector
The Top 8 Archaeological Discoveries of 2025 (So Far) From lost royal tombs and underwater time capsules to mythic Greek sanctuaries and vibrant Roman...
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From lost royal tombs and underwater time capsules to mythic Greek sanctuaries and vibrant Roman frescoes, 2025 is already shaping up to be a landmark year for archaeology. These top archaeological discoveries span thousands of years and multiple continents.   1. Valley of the...
Trying to Understand...
A Little Intelligence ... ... about Intelligence.
yesterday
TheCollector
The Unique History of Wales (From the Stone Age) Many people are confused and think that Wales, in the United Kingdom, is a part of England,...
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Many people are confused and think that Wales, in the United Kingdom, is a part of England, something that angers most Welsh people due to the turbulent history between the two countries. Wales has a long and fascinating history, all of its own, characterized by consistent...
Classical Wisdom
How to Have Willpower Ancient Meditations and Modern Psychology on Self-Control
yesterday
TheCollector
What Were the Founding Principles of Monophysitism? Monophysitism is a belief that Jesus Christ had only one divine nature, rather than a nature that...
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Monophysitism is a belief that Jesus Christ had only one divine nature, rather than a nature that was both fully divine and fully human within one person. The Monophysite theology took various forms with various people over the early centuries of Christianity.   The Emergence of...
History Today Feed
How Hertha Ayrton Made Waves How Hertha Ayrton Made Waves JamesHoare Wed, 07/16/2025 - 09:05
yesterday
TheCollector
Hygiene and Bathing in the Middle Ages The Middle Ages has a reputation for being a time when the average person lived in filth and...
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The Middle Ages has a reputation for being a time when the average person lived in filth and squalor, bathing was unheard of, and personal hygiene was a foreign concept. But is this true? There is no simple answer to this question since the Middle Ages lasted almost a thousand...
TheCollector
What the Bubonic Plague Can Still Teach Us About Civilization Collapse From 1347 to 1353, the Bubonic Plague, more commonly referred to as the Black Death, wracked the...
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From 1347 to 1353, the Bubonic Plague, more commonly referred to as the Black Death, wracked the continent of Europe. It was a time of misery and suffering as almost half of Europe’s population succumbed to the disease, sending shockwaves throughout the continent and forcing...
TheCollector
How Hagia Sophia Survived Centuries of Religious and Political Change Rising at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Hagia Sophia is more than a marvel of architecture. For...
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Rising at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Hagia Sophia is more than a marvel of architecture. For over 1,500 years, Istanbul’s international treasure has witnessed the rise and fall of empires and the shifting tides of faith. How did a singular structure survive centuries of...
TheCollector
The Upstart Roman Emperor Otho Who Claimed Nero’s Legacy Marcus Silvius Otho has gone down in history for claiming the position of emperor of Rome for a...
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Marcus Silvius Otho has gone down in history for claiming the position of emperor of Rome for a short three-month period in 69 CE. This was during the year of volatility that followed the death of the last Julio-Claudian emperor, Nero, known as the Year of the Four Emperors. A...
Flashbak
Ulissi Aldrovandi’s Monstrorum Historia: Dragons And Other Real Monsters “I have never described any thing without first having seen it with my eyes” – Ulissi Aldrovandi,...
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“I have never described any thing without first having seen it with my eyes” – Ulissi Aldrovandi, who shows us dragons and other monsters in his Monstrorum Historia     Ulissi Aldrovandi’s Monstrorum Historia is a huge 13-volume encyclopaedia of life on Earth. The books cover...
TheCollector
Get to Know Venerable Bede, the Father of English History Bede is remembered today chiefly as a historian. Yet he was a dynamic intellectual giant in the...
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Bede is remembered today chiefly as a historian. Yet he was a dynamic intellectual giant in the Early Middle Ages and his most famous historical work is far more than a dry recounting of events. Let us explore Bede, his History, and the influence that it has had.   Northumbria in...
TheCollector
9 Things to Know About Giorgio Morandi, the Master of Still Life Giorgio Morandi was an Italian artist best known for his still life paintings of bottles and vases....
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Giorgio Morandi was an Italian artist best known for his still life paintings of bottles and vases. Morandi focused not on bold concepts or bright imagery but on composition and color. He deliberately stripped his objects of their practical functions to focus on pure form. Read...
TheCollector
King Tut: The Life & Afterlife of the Boy Pharaoh When Howard Carter cracked open a forgotten tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings in 1922, the world...
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When Howard Carter cracked open a forgotten tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings in 1922, the world met a golden face that would become immortal. But behind the glittering mask of Tutankhamun was a sickly teenage boy, born into chaos and nearly forgotten forever. The life of King...
TheCollector
Who Were the Famous Pompeii Victims? In 79 CE, the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed by the powerful eruption of...
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In 79 CE, the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed by the powerful eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Up to 16,000 victims were buried under ash and rubble or suffocated from poisonous gases. Many of such bodies left silhouette-shaped cavities in compressed ash....
TheCollector
Real Person or Myth? The Truth About King Arthur Did King Arthur really exist? That question has occupied the minds of historians for centuries. Even...
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Did King Arthur really exist? That question has occupied the minds of historians for centuries. Even in the medieval era, as early as the century in which Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote his Arthurian account, scholars doubted the truth behind much of the Arthurian legends. In more...
TheCollector
How the Mycenaeans Conquered the Minoans & Took Crete The Bronze Age Aegean in the eastern Mediterranean region had several distinct groups and they...
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The Bronze Age Aegean in the eastern Mediterranean region had several distinct groups and they included the Mycenaeans, who lived in mainland Greece, and the Minoans on the island of Crete. Although the cultures are often studied separately, they were somewhat linked. This is...
History Today Feed
On the Spot: Kathleen DuVal On the Spot: Kathleen DuVal JamesHoare Tue, 07/15/2025 - 08:09
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TheCollector
What Did the Emancipation Proclamation Do? Issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, this executive order declared freedom for...
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Issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, this executive order declared freedom for enslaved people in Confederate territories. Although its immediate impact was limited by enforcement challenges, its symbolic power redefined the nation’s purpose and the very...
TheCollector
How Odysseus Survived the Terrifying Sea Monsters Scylla and Charybdis Scylla and Charybdis appear mainly in book twelve of Homer’s Odyssey, in which Odysseus and his crew...
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Scylla and Charybdis appear mainly in book twelve of Homer’s Odyssey, in which Odysseus and his crew must sail through the rocks near where the monsters live. Little information is known about their origins, though some stories are provided in myth. Scylla and Charybdis were...
TheCollector
What Are the Literary Sources for the Trojan War? When considering the Trojan War, most people think of Homer’s epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey....
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When considering the Trojan War, most people think of Homer’s epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. But these two defining works only tell part of the story. The Iliad is set in the ninth year of a ten-year war, and the Odyssey is the tale of a hero returning after the conflict....
TheCollector
How Tiberius & Gaius Gracchus Almost Revolutionized the Roman Republic Rivalries between brothers are a recurring motif throughout Roman history. From the bloody struggle...
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Rivalries between brothers are a recurring motif throughout Roman history. From the bloody struggle between Romulus and Remus during the city’s mythological origins, through to Caracalla’s brutal murder of his brother Geta in the early 3rd century CE, happy families could be rare...
TheCollector
How John Everett Millais’ Life & Work Shaped the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Along with William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais was one of the...
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Along with William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais was one of the founding members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in September 1848. Throughout the early 1850s, John Everett Millais created many works of art that would define the Pre-Raphaelite art...
Classical Wisdom
A Tale of Zeus as a Goose The Totally Unhinged Story Behind the Stars
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TheCollector
What Was the Significance of Philippi and Colossae in Biblical History? The Apostle Paul traveled throughout much of the Roman Empire in the first century spreading...
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The Apostle Paul traveled throughout much of the Roman Empire in the first century spreading Christianity and preaching to people and churches. Two of the cities he visited were Philippi in Greece and Colossae in Asia Minor (now Turkey).   Philippi Before Paul Arrived   Philippi...
History Today Feed
‘I Humbly Beg Your Speedy Answer’ by Mary Beth North review ‘I Humbly Beg Your Speedy Answer’ by Mary Beth North review JamesHoare Mon, 07/14/2025 - 08:42
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History Today Feed
‘I Humbly Beg Your Speedy Answer’ by Mary Beth Norton review ‘I Humbly Beg Your Speedy Answer’ by Mary Beth Norton review JamesHoare Mon, 07/14/2025 - 08:42
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Flashbak
An Anciente Mappe of Fairyland by Bernard Sleigh, 1920 “I believe in Faeries. It is very natural and not a bit foolish; for in these days we are quickly...
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“I believe in Faeries. It is very natural and not a bit foolish; for in these days we are quickly learning how little we know of any other world than our own.” – Bernard Sleigh, An Anciente Mappe of Fairyland Bernard Sleigh   After doctors drilled a hole in his skull to alleviate...
TheCollector
How Solomon’s Wisdom Shaped a Kingdom Solomon is synonymous with the honor, prosperity, and riches of Israel. These material things were...
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Solomon is synonymous with the honor, prosperity, and riches of Israel. These material things were never his goal but were the result of his desire to serve God as a trustworthy steward of his people. Solomon’s wish was to have the insight to distinguish between good and evil and...
TheCollector
Cimbrian War: Rome’s Greatest Threat Since Hannibal In the middle of the 2nd century BCE, the Roman Republic had fought and won several overseas wars....
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In the middle of the 2nd century BCE, the Roman Republic had fought and won several overseas wars. Carthage had been decisively defeated in the Third Punic War, while the Greeks and Macedonians in the east had also been brought to heel. However, by the end of the century, war...
TheCollector
Where Was the Biblical Saba (Land of the Queen of Sheba)? Strap on your metaphorical scuba gear because we’re about to dive into the murky depths of history,...
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Strap on your metaphorical scuba gear because we’re about to dive into the murky depths of history, myth, and archaeological intrigue surrounding Saba—the golden land of the fabled Queen Makeda. What was Saba really like? How did its people live, and what did its cities look...
TheCollector
Everything You Should Know About the Book of Isaiah The Book of Isaiah speaks to some of the darkest days of Israel and Judah yet contains some of the...
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The Book of Isaiah speaks to some of the darkest days of Israel and Judah yet contains some of the most beautiful passages in the Bible, bringing hope and presenting the Messianic promise of salvation and restoration. The book spans several centuries beginning with the time of...
TheCollector
Who Were King Solomon’s Many Wives and Concubines? King Solomon pulled the ultimate biblical no-no: he married foreign women and allowed them to keep...
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King Solomon pulled the ultimate biblical no-no: he married foreign women and allowed them to keep practicing their own religions. In his zeal to cement political alliances through marriage, he gained a reputation for faithlessness—and divine punishment soon followed. But who...
TheCollector
How Did Geographical Discoveries Shape Johannes Vermeer’s Artworks? Only around 35 paintings by Johannes Vermeer survive today, but they still captivate viewers of all...
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Only around 35 paintings by Johannes Vermeer survive today, but they still captivate viewers of all ages and backgrounds. This is evident from the ocean of merchandise featuring his masterpieces and the fame of the Girl with a Pearl Earring, which appears in pop culture almost as...
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz Destiny and... Death Rays?
4 days ago
TheCollector
The Passionate (& Controversial) Relationship of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera In 1929, 22-year-old Mexican painter Frida Kahlo married muralist Diego Rivera, who was two decades...
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In 1929, 22-year-old Mexican painter Frida Kahlo married muralist Diego Rivera, who was two decades her senior. More than lovers, their mutual influence was most prominent in their respective artistic creations. Their admiration for each other’s talent, as well as a shared belief...
TheCollector
How Did Venice and Byzantium Become Bitter Rivals? The Byzantine Empire emerged as the surviving half of the Roman Empire, while the western half...
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The Byzantine Empire emerged as the surviving half of the Roman Empire, while the western half crumbled. Unlike the West, the Eastern Empire, after 476 CE, remained stable, with a strong military and capable administrators. Marked changes did occur as Greek culture, language, and...
Flashbak
Stephen Salmieri: First Photos of Coney Island, 1967 – 1972 “I used to be a fireball of energy – if I had two or three days a week to spare where I wasn’t on an...
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“I used to be a fireball of energy – if I had two or three days a week to spare where I wasn’t on an assignment I was out with my camera in the city. I covered this city like an archeologist.” – Stephen Salmieri, Coney Island Trips, 1967 – 1972     Between 1967 … Continue reading...
Flashbak
Metoposcopia: How To Spot Character From Forehead Wrinkles, 1661 These images from Centifrons Idolum Iani Hoc est: Metoposcopia Seu Prosopomantia by Johannes...
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These images from Centifrons Idolum Iani Hoc est: Metoposcopia Seu Prosopomantia by Johannes Praetorius (1661) attempt to convey the importance forehead topography plays in knowing another’s character. The study of foreheads is known as Metoposcopy, a pseudo-science developed in...
TheCollector
What Is Structuralism? (Definition & Facts) Structuralists say structures can be uncovered anywhere—from human behavior to star clusters and...
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Structuralists say structures can be uncovered anywhere—from human behavior to star clusters and snowflakes to mathematics. In fact, structuralism offers a kind of mathematization of the entirety of nature, even systems that were once considered too complicated to model, such as...
TheCollector
Porto for Art Lovers: Galleries, Architecture, and Street Art Porto is famous for its incredible past and its monuments. This mesmerizing city holds some of the...
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Porto is famous for its incredible past and its monuments. This mesmerizing city holds some of the most iconic historical buildings in the country besides renowned contemporary art galleries.   Baroque, Neo-Classical, and Art Nouveau Landmarks   Igreja and Torre dos Clérigos  ...
TheCollector
The Tumultuous Life of Gaius Marius, the Roman General Who Broke All the Rules Gaius Marius is one of the most compelling personalities of the Roman Republic. Entering politics as...
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Gaius Marius is one of the most compelling personalities of the Roman Republic. Entering politics as a “novus homo” from Italy with few political connections, he proved both his military skill and unbridled ambition during the Jugurthine War. He was subsequently elected consul an...
TheCollector
What Happened to the Neanderthals? Contrary to popular belief, the Neanderthals had language, hunting strategies, sophisticated tools,...
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Contrary to popular belief, the Neanderthals had language, hunting strategies, sophisticated tools, art, and jewelry. In many ways, they were not dissimilar from us. Having co-existed for thousands of years, there must be more to the story than humans simply wiping them out. For...
Flashbak
The Fireworks King: Brock’s Pyrotechnics: The History and Art of Firework Making, 1922 “My object has not been to write a text-book on firework-making, but rather to trace the art from...
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“My object has not been to write a text-book on firework-making, but rather to trace the art from earliest times, and to give a description of the development and process of manufacture… My excuse for adding another volume to the literature of the art is that I am of the eighth...
TheCollector
How the Roman Aeminium Became Coimbra, One of Portugal’s Oldest Cities Present-day Coimbra hides an extraordinary past. Here, you can find the most well-preserved...
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Present-day Coimbra hides an extraordinary past. Here, you can find the most well-preserved cryptoporticus from the Roman Empire and the richest Baroque library in Europe. At Coimbra, you will also discover remnants of the Moorish occupation.   Coimbra also played a vital role in...
TheCollector
How Was Food Preserved Before Fridges? Fridges have become an almost indispensable necessity in many households in the modern world. This...
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Fridges have become an almost indispensable necessity in many households in the modern world. This is because they keep food fresh by maintaining a cool environment. The cool temperatures in fridges help to prevent the growth of microorganisms that cause food decay. That said,...
TheCollector
How the Great Fire of London in 1666 Completely Transformed the City Few man-made disasters before the 19th century have caused as much damage or reformed a city as much...
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Few man-made disasters before the 19th century have caused as much damage or reformed a city as much as the Great Fire of London did in 1666. Not only did the fire cause untold damage, devastation, and carnage in the city, but it also helped to change the way that buildings were...
TheCollector
Philopoemen: The Last Great General of Ancient Greece Philopoemen (253-183 BCE) was a strategos (general) of the Achaean League during a turbulent period...
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Philopoemen (253-183 BCE) was a strategos (general) of the Achaean League during a turbulent period of conflict with Sparta. While he has been overshadowed by great generals such as Hannibal, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar, Philopoemen was regarded as one of the most...
TheCollector
How Georges Méliès Brought Magic to the Movies In the earliest days of cinema, when pictures moving at all was still shocking, one visionary saw...
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In the earliest days of cinema, when pictures moving at all was still shocking, one visionary saw the fantastical possibilities of this exciting new technology. Artist, magician, inventor, and director Georges Méliès created worlds filled with magic and adventure that...
TheCollector
The Evolution of the Samurai (From the Kamakura to the Edo Period) The samurai of feudal Japan are well known in popular culture, yet the popular image of a samurai is...
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The samurai of feudal Japan are well known in popular culture, yet the popular image of a samurai is merely a snapshot of centuries of evolution for this mighty warrior class. Here we will explore how the samurai developed from the beginning of their rule in the Kamakura Period....
A Collection of...
Collections: Life, Work, Death and the Peasant, Part I: Households This is the first post in a series discussing the basic contours of life – birth, marriage, labor,...
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This is the first post in a series discussing the basic contours of life – birth, marriage, labor, subsistence, death – of pre-modern peasants and their families. Prior to the industrial revolution, peasant farmers of varying types made up the overwhelming majority of people in...
TheCollector
What Are the 5 Biggest Islands in the World? Less than 30 percent of the world’s surface is covered in land, yet this is still a massive amount...
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Less than 30 percent of the world’s surface is covered in land, yet this is still a massive amount of space that humans have sought to explore and exploit. Included in all this land are around 200,000 islands.   From the icy Arctic to the tropics, here are the five biggest...
TheCollector
The Theban Elite Army of Lovers Who Defeated the Mighty Spartans Active in the 4th century BCE, the Sacred Band was an elite military unit composed of 150 pairs of...
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Active in the 4th century BCE, the Sacred Band was an elite military unit composed of 150 pairs of male lovers. The central idea was that by placing each soldier alongside his beloved, they would fight more fiercely, to both protect one another and to avoid dishonoring themselves...
Classical Wisdom
Fate and Free Will The Stoic Perspective
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TheCollector
The Real Story of Henry V, England’s Warrior King Few monarchs have captured the imagination of a nation as much as King Henry V (r. 1413-22). The...
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Few monarchs have captured the imagination of a nation as much as King Henry V (r. 1413-22). The inspiration behind hundreds of books, plays, and movies, the nine-year reign of this English monarch is deemed as one of the most successful not just of any English king, but of any...
TheCollector
What Are the Oldest Human Records and Writings? Humans have been making records of their activities for thousands of years. We have developed...
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Humans have been making records of their activities for thousands of years. We have developed various systems of writing from various cultures, and several came about independently of one another. From paleolithic records to Chinese lettering, we take a closer look at some of the...
TheCollector
Alexander the Great’s Legendary Horse: Who Was Bucephalus? Bucephalus is undoubtedly one of the most famous horses in history. After Alexander the Great tamed...
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Bucephalus is undoubtedly one of the most famous horses in history. After Alexander the Great tamed the horse, the two became inseparable, with Bucephalus accompanying Alexander on his legendary Persian campaign, carrying his master into the battle and sharing his victories....
TheCollector
How Dante Gabriel Rossetti & John Everett Millais Founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Even though they have been linked together by history, the English artists John Everett Millais and...
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Even though they have been linked together by history, the English artists John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti were two very different artists with two very different personalities. While Rossetti’s artistic output conveyed sweeping emotion and mystical fantasy,...
TheCollector
The Powerful Sayings of the Desert Fathers The Desert Fathers withdrew from society, embracing monastic living in the deserts of Egypt,...
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The Desert Fathers withdrew from society, embracing monastic living in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. They wished to live holy lives that reflected the dedication and commitment they had to their faith. They set themselves apart, studying the Bible and spending much...
TheCollector
How Did King Richard III Become King? Richard III is best known from Shakespeare’s biographical play and for his likely involvement in the...
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Richard III is best known from Shakespeare’s biographical play and for his likely involvement in the deaths of his nephews. However, his personality and the way he is portrayed in the play and in historical documents have long been questioned.  In the last decade, he has come to...
TheCollector
Why the Battle of Badon Can Change What We Know About Dark Age Britain Early Dark Age Britain is shrouded in mystery since there are very few surviving sources about it....
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Early Dark Age Britain is shrouded in mystery since there are very few surviving sources about it. The Arthurian era, broadly the late 5th century through most of the 6th century, is a subject of particular interest to many. This was the era that saw one of the most significant...
TheCollector
Saladin’s Youth Forged the Sultan Who Defied Crusaders Saladin (born Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub) can be credited with almost single-handedly changing...
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Saladin (born Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub) can be credited with almost single-handedly changing both the Muslim and Western worlds during the Crusades in the 12th century. By bringing together various Islamic sects and through his principled leadership, he was able to defeat the...
TheCollector
3 Legendary Migrations That Shaped Pre-Roman Britain Ancient and medieval writers were thoroughly interested in stories of the origins of nations....
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Ancient and medieval writers were thoroughly interested in stories of the origins of nations. Countless surviving legends deal with how nations came to be, often connecting them to gods or famous characters from mythology. In the case of Britain, there was more than just one...
Flashbak
1960s London Through A Russian Horizont Panoramic Camera We’ve been to East London in the 1960s with Tony Hall before, heading down the pub and to the shops....
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We’ve been to East London in the 1960s with Tony Hall before, heading down the pub and to the shops. Now we get to see the streets in panoramic pictures taken by his Horizont (Горизонт) camera. Made between 1967 and 1973 by Russia’s Krasnogorsky Mekhanichesky Zavod (KMZ), the...
TheCollector
Medieval Battles Marked by Stunning Underdog Victories Medieval battles were brutal, blood-soaked grind. Clever tactics and strong leadership often...
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Medieval battles were brutal, blood-soaked grind. Clever tactics and strong leadership often mattered, yet true upsets happened only when the weaker side found an edge. Whether better weapons, better tactics, knowledge of the terrain, or an unbreakable esprit de corps. The...
History Today Feed
God’s Machines: Descartes and Nature God’s Machines: Descartes and Nature JamesHoare Thu, 07/10/2025 - 09:08
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TheCollector
Can the Real King Arthur Be Identified as Athrwys of Gwent? The search for the real King Arthur has occupied historians for centuries. Often, arguments center...
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The search for the real King Arthur has occupied historians for centuries. Often, arguments center on the idea that a real historical person was the inspiration for the legendary king. Once candidate proposed by scholars is Athrwys of Gwent, the son of King Meurig. Since the late...
TheCollector
The Incredible Life of Cicero, Rome’s Greatest Orator & Last Senator A novus homo, no one expected Marcus Tullius Cicero to reach not only the rank of consul, but be...
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A novus homo, no one expected Marcus Tullius Cicero to reach not only the rank of consul, but be hailed princeps senatus, in the dying years of the Roman Republic. He championed Rome’s republican traditions while strongmen such as Pompey Magnus and Julius Caesar were dismantling...
TheCollector
What Did the Hittites Write About the Trojan War? The Trojan War is the subject of Homer’s Iliad, composed in the 7th century BCE. This was one of the...
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The Trojan War is the subject of Homer’s Iliad, composed in the 7th century BCE. This was one of the most popular pieces of literature in the ancient world, and it remains so to this day. Many researchers have attempted to demonstrate that it is fundamentally rooted in historical...
Classical Wisdom
Archimedes The Super Villain The Death Ray Of Syracuse
a week ago
TheCollector
How the Plantation of Ulster Transformed Irish Society The Plantation of Ulster was a major colonial enterprise that transformed a formerly rebellious...
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The Plantation of Ulster was a major colonial enterprise that transformed a formerly rebellious province into a stronghold for the British Crown in Ireland. The process of how Ulster became Protestant saw the native Gaelic Irish population being evicted in favor of English and...
Flashbak
Jürgen Schadeberg: Happy Hour Flashbak: What makes a good photograph? Jürgen Schadeberg: Content, composition and training.     In...
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a week ago
Flashbak: What makes a good photograph? Jürgen Schadeberg: Content, composition and training.     In the 1960s, 70s and 80s, Jürgen Schadeberg (18 March 1931 – 29 August 2020) was often in pubs and bars in Glasgow, London, Cambridge, Berlin, Hamburg, Johannesburg, New York,...
TheCollector
Which Is the “Better” Sword? Katana vs Longsword Among martial arts enthusiasts and certain internet circles, a fierce debate rages: between the...
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Among martial arts enthusiasts and certain internet circles, a fierce debate rages: between the knightly longsword and the Japanese katana, which is the better sword? Both two-handed swords were used by a warrior-noble class as their sidearm, both depicted at various times as the...
TheCollector
How the Illyrians Became Rome’s Fiercest Enemies in the Balkans The Illyrians were a mosaic of tribes spread across the western Balkans, a region defined by...
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The Illyrians were a mosaic of tribes spread across the western Balkans, a region defined by dramatic coastlines, mountain strongholds, and cultural complexity. From their earliest traces in the Bronze Age to assimilation into the Roman Empire, the Illyrians remained a distinct...
Trying to Understand...
The Long And The Short Of It. Or, in defence of nuance.
a week ago
TheCollector
What Is the Venice Biennale? History, Highlights, and Global Art Impact Every other year, Venice transforms its winding network of canals into a citywide art gallery. The...
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Every other year, Venice transforms its winding network of canals into a citywide art gallery. The Venice Biennale is often referred to as “the Olympics of the art world.” It is an international art festival that includes a curated main show, dozens of national pavilions, and...
TheCollector
What Was the Significance of Egyptian Pharaohs? The Pharaoh was the king of Egypt, particularly following the unification of Upper (Southern) Egypt...
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The Pharaoh was the king of Egypt, particularly following the unification of Upper (Southern) Egypt with Lower (Northern) Egypt by Narmer/Menes around 3150 BCE. That was until the Roman Republic conquered Egypt in 30 BCE under the rule of Caesar Augustus (Octavian).  The title is...
History Today Feed
‘Saudi Arabia: A Modern History’ by David Commins review ‘Saudi Arabia: A Modern History’ by David Commins review JamesHoare Wed, 07/09/2025 - 08:54
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TheCollector
The Unknown Artworks of Kahlil Gibran Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) is one of the most widely read and translated writers of the 20th century....
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Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) is one of the most widely read and translated writers of the 20th century. His visual art work was an inextricable part of his life and literary career, but is often overlooked. Described as mystical and ethereal, Gibran’s artworks give form to the...
TheCollector
Australia’s Pearl Harbor: History of the City of Darwin Although World War II history often focuses on the more dominant players, such as England and...
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Although World War II history often focuses on the more dominant players, such as England and Germany, the contributions of Australia and its people cannot be underestimated. Nearly one million Australian men and women served in the conflict. The war even came to Australia...
TheCollector
Get to Know the Ainu, Japan’s First People The Ainu, native to the region of Hokkaido, are one of the oldest indigenous people in Japan. Their...
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The Ainu, native to the region of Hokkaido, are one of the oldest indigenous people in Japan. Their unique culture, language, and history predate the creation of modern Japan and set them apart from the rest of the country.   Located in northern Honshu, Hokkaido, and parts of the...
TheCollector
How the Egyptians Celebrated the Pharaoh During the Opet Festival From the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1070 BCE) to the Ptolemaic Kingdom (305-30 BCE), the bond between the...
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From the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1070 BCE) to the Ptolemaic Kingdom (305-30 BCE), the bond between the Egyptian pharaoh and the god Amon-Ra was celebrated at the Temple of Luxor (Thebes). Once a year, Amon-Ra traveled from his principal Karnak Temple (ipet-sut, “the most revered...
TheCollector
How Portugal Conquered the Indian Ocean Spice Trade The dawn of the 15th century marked the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Age of...
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The dawn of the 15th century marked the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Age of Exploration. In this century, the Portuguese would expand their reach beyond Europe and North Africa thanks to explorers like Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama. A great trade in spices...
TheCollector
The 6 Most Important Church Councils in Christian History Christian history has seen many Church councils where matters of doctrinal concern have been...
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Christian history has seen many Church councils where matters of doctrinal concern have been discussed and clarified. Some, like the First Vatican Council which established the doctrine of Papal Infallibility when speaking ex-cathedra, have little bearing on Christianity as a...
TheCollector
How Did Simone de Beauvoir Redefine Gender? In her magnum opus, The Second Sex, 20th-century philosopher Simone de Beauvoir famously proclaimed...
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In her magnum opus, The Second Sex, 20th-century philosopher Simone de Beauvoir famously proclaimed that “one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman”. At a time when female identity was exclusively determined on biological grounds, she sought to redefine gender away from...
Flashbak
Saul Steinberg Draws A Line Into Your Brain “When I make a good image, it enters into your brain like a word you didn’t know and stays there in...
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“When I make a good image, it enters into your brain like a word you didn’t know and stays there in such a way that you can’t remember how you thought about this topic beforehand.” – Saul Steinberg   Many of us first encountered Saul Steinberg (American, born Romania, 1914–99)...
History Today Feed
The Battle for Britain’s First Book of the Month Club The Battle for Britain’s First Book of the Month Club JamesHoare Tue, 07/08/2025 - 08:23
a week ago
TheCollector
The Battle of Lugdunum Was the Largest Battle in Roman History On New Year’s Eve 192 CE, the Roman Empire’s Golden Age, almost a century of political tranquility,...
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On New Year’s Eve 192 CE, the Roman Empire’s Golden Age, almost a century of political tranquility, came to an abrupt and violent end. A protracted period of civil war followed as various men sought to fill the void left by the imperial dynasty that died with Commodus. This...
Classical Wisdom
Ancient Machines, Myths and Robots... Classical Wisdom Litterae Magazine & Special Interview with Adrienne Mayor
a week ago
TheCollector
What Is Christian Mysticism? (Definition, History, Practices) When you think of Christian mysticism, the obvious probably comes to mind: exorcisms, contact with...
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When you think of Christian mysticism, the obvious probably comes to mind: exorcisms, contact with the beyond, or supernatural powers. But this is just a small part of it. What lies beyond these surface-level phenomena is a world of contemplation, communication with God, divine...
TheCollector
What Did “Noble Death” Mean to Greeks and Romans? Death was an ever-present part of life in the ancient Mediterranean. However, it manifested itself...
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Death was an ever-present part of life in the ancient Mediterranean. However, it manifested itself in very different ways according to social class and status. Whilst death simply meant passing into total obscurity for most of the population, for the aristocracy, it could be an...
Classical Wisdom
Technological ‘Miracles’ Of Ancient Greece Which Marvel Matters Most?
a week ago
TheCollector
What Was the Temple in Ancient Judaism? (Purpose & Significance) The Temple in Jerusalem was the structure that replaced the Tabernacle the Israelites traveled...
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The Temple in Jerusalem was the structure that replaced the Tabernacle the Israelites traveled around with throughout their sojourn in the desert. For 40 years, and even after that, from when the Israelites conquered the promised land until their third king was crowned, the tent...
TheCollector
How Did Dutch Golden Age Art Demonstrate Protestant Values? The art created throughout the Dutch Golden Age shone a light on the lives of ordinary individuals....
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The art created throughout the Dutch Golden Age shone a light on the lives of ordinary individuals. This art not only represented everyday commonplace activities but also demonstrated the values, morals, and expectations of a Calvinist/Protestant life.   Domestic Settings of the...
TheCollector
Traitors or Survivors? The Tlaxcalans and the Conquest of Mexico Many see the fall of the Aztec Empire and the subsequent conquest of Mexico as a result of the wit...
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Many see the fall of the Aztec Empire and the subsequent conquest of Mexico as a result of the wit and boldness of Hernán Cortés and his conquistadors’ endeavors. However, without the help of Tlaxcalan warriors, the Spanish never would have taken the great city of Tenochtitlan....
TheCollector
How Is Nature Portrayed in Shakespeare’s Macbeth? William Shakespeare is known worldwide for his mastery of the English language as a poet and...
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William Shakespeare is known worldwide for his mastery of the English language as a poet and playwright, as well as an actor. Not the least of these contributions is the introduction of close to 1700 words we now use regularly. Among his common themes of love, loss, grief, and...
History Today Feed
‘Language and Social Relations in Early Modern England’ by Hillary Taylor review ‘Language and Social Relations in Early Modern England’ by Hillary Taylor review JamesHoare Mon,...
a week ago
TheCollector
7 Famous Cubist Artists Who Achieved Greatness Cubism was one of the most radical art movements of the 20th century. Emerging in Paris, Cubism was...
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Cubism was one of the most radical art movements of the 20th century. Emerging in Paris, Cubism was both influential and polarizing, leaving no one indifferent. Discover the principles and evolution of the movement through the works of seven famous Cubist artists who shaped the...
TheCollector
How Medieval Japan’s Fusion of Buddhism and Shinto Created Shinbutsu-Shugo The religious beliefs of any society both reflect and underpin the daily lives of people from all...
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The religious beliefs of any society both reflect and underpin the daily lives of people from all walks of life. When one culture assimilates another, there is often conflict between old and new beliefs. Japan has a long-established tradition of taking elements from other...
TheCollector
The Celts & Celtic Mythology in Popular Culture Historic cultures often inspire modern artists and are reimagined for consumption as popular...
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Historic cultures often inspire modern artists and are reimagined for consumption as popular culture. The Celts are no exception. While attempts at genuine historical portrayals of Celtic history and culture are rare, the recent television series Brittania being a notable...
TheCollector
What Is the Fruit of the Spirit in Christianity? Many people erroneously refer to the fruits of the spirit. The Bible does not refer to “fruits” but...
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Many people erroneously refer to the fruits of the spirit. The Bible does not refer to “fruits” but to “fruit.” It then lists nine characteristics, all positive, that are ways the fruit of the spirit manifests itself. As with any Biblical text, it is imperative to consider the...
Flashbak
At The Beach In Los Angeles, 1975 – 1988 “I think that part of what these pictures are about is the difference between our preconceptions of...
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“I think that part of what these pictures are about is the difference between our preconceptions of a place and what, when we get there, that place turns out to be.” – Tod Papageorge, at the beach      Looking at Tod Papageorge’s photographs of Los Angeles beachgoers in the 1970s...
TheCollector
Satyrs Sparked the Wildest Parties in Greek Mythology Satyrs (also known as Silens) are considered some of Greek mythology’s most iconic and recognizable...
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Satyrs (also known as Silens) are considered some of Greek mythology’s most iconic and recognizable creatures. These exclusively male nature spirits are primarily human with snubbed noses, ears, tails, and sometimes the lower bodies of a horse or goat. They are associated with...
TheCollector
What Is the “Gospel of Mark” All About? The Gospel of Mark is the shortest and arguably the first gospel of the three synoptic gospels....
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The Gospel of Mark is the shortest and arguably the first gospel of the three synoptic gospels. Scholars believe that the authors of Matthew and Luke may have used it as a source for their gospels due to the overlap they share with Mark. Mark presents a fast-paced version of the...
TheCollector
4 Infamous Rulers of the Neo-Assyrian Empire The Neo-Assyrian Empire dominated the landscape of the ancient Near East from 911 BCE until its fall...
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The Neo-Assyrian Empire dominated the landscape of the ancient Near East from 911 BCE until its fall in 609 BCE. The Old Assyrian period saw the Assyrian city-state become somewhat independent around 2025 BCE, and it gradually increased in strength until its penultimate period,...
Flashbak
Joseph Rous Paget-Fredericks’ Fabulous Dance Sketches Joseph Rous Paget-Fredericks (1905-1963) inherited his parents love for collecting theatre...
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Joseph Rous Paget-Fredericks (1905-1963) inherited his parents love for collecting theatre memorabilia. His family had close ties to the leading ballet companies and he was appointed Artistic Director for Anna Pavlova’s world tours in the early 1930s. Paget-Fredericks went on to...
TheCollector
What Are the Main Female Archetypes In Myth and Culture? In Jungian psychology, female archetypes are primordial patterns of femininity in the collective...
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In Jungian psychology, female archetypes are primordial patterns of femininity in the collective unconscious. We can consider them the blueprints that determine the different manifestations of female figures featured in myth and culture. Every female archetype is characterized by...
TheCollector
Battle of Himera: Carthage vs. Ancient Greeks of Sicily Since the fall of Phoenician Tyre, the Mediterranean, once interconnected by vast trade networks...
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Since the fall of Phoenician Tyre, the Mediterranean, once interconnected by vast trade networks running from southern Iberia to the Levantine coast, was in flux. Sicily was perfectly positioned to serve as a central commercial hub for the two halves of the sea. But who would...
TheCollector
Neolithic Wonders Along the Scottish Coastline Along Scotland’s rugged coastline stand some of the most remarkable Neolithic sites in all of...
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Along Scotland’s rugged coastline stand some of the most remarkable Neolithic sites in all of Europe. Older than the pyramids, these stone structures reveal how people once lived, farmed, worked, and worshipped. While well-known places like Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar draw...
TheCollector
The Three Sacred Treasures of Japan (History & Importance) The Three Sacred Treasures—the Jewel of Yasakani, the Sword of Kusanagi, and the Mirror of Yata —are...
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The Three Sacred Treasures—the Jewel of Yasakani, the Sword of Kusanagi, and the Mirror of Yata —are among the most legendary and mysterious objects found in Japanese history. When brought together, these sacred items are referred to as the Imperial Regalia of Japan, and they...
TheCollector
Ibn Battuta’s Epic 30-Year Journey Across the Medieval World In the mid-14th century, Moroccan judge and scholar Ibn Battuta embarked on an epic 24-year-long...
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In the mid-14th century, Moroccan judge and scholar Ibn Battuta embarked on an epic 24-year-long journey worldwide. He was received by kings and queens, robbed and kidnapped by rebels, and even ended up marrying into the royal family of Omar I, Sultan of the Maldives.   Battuta’s...
TheCollector
What Would a Day in the Public Baths of Ancient Rome Look Like? At the 8th Roman hour, or 2 pm, the Romans would finish their working day and head to one specific...
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At the 8th Roman hour, or 2 pm, the Romans would finish their working day and head to one specific place to socialize, relax, and clean off the dirt of the day: the terme, or public baths. While some were lucky enough to have their own bath (balnea) at home, most headed to the...
TheCollector
Was Anne Boleyn the Wife King Henry Loved Most? Lovers of British history are obsessed with Anne Boleyn. It is undoubtedly she, out of all the six...
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Lovers of British history are obsessed with Anne Boleyn. It is undoubtedly she, out of all the six wives of King Henry VIII, who is given the most attention in any publication or production.   Thanks to the enduring power of literature and media, Anne Boleyn has been reimagined...
TheCollector
What Was Chivalry in the Middle Ages? The idea of chivalry has gone from the stereotypical image of a knight in shining armor rescuing a...
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The idea of chivalry has gone from the stereotypical image of a knight in shining armor rescuing a maiden who has been imprisoned in some evil man’s castle in the Middle Ages (like in many fairytales), to the notion of a modern-day man holding a door open for a woman. But...
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz Ancient Volcanoes, the Founding Fathers and more...
a week ago
TheCollector
Medieval Japan vs Medieval Europe: How Different Were They? In modern-day society, it is easy to see how Japan differs from Europe. Cultural ideals in Japan are...
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In modern-day society, it is easy to see how Japan differs from Europe. Cultural ideals in Japan are just about as far away from European (or “Western”) culture as you can get—but how far back do these differences go? In this article, we will explore just how different these two...
TheCollector
An Overview of the Sui and Tang Chinese Dynasties In 581 CE, the general Yang Jian seized power from the Northern Zhou and established the Sui...
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In 581 CE, the general Yang Jian seized power from the Northern Zhou and established the Sui Dynasty. The Sui reunified China in 589, but the failure of costly expeditions in Korea led to the collapse of the dynasty in 618. The Tang Dynasty reaped the rewards of Sui investments...
TheCollector
How Were Handles Made on Ancient Minoan Pottery? The Minoan civilization existed from about 2800 BC to 1100 BCE and thrived as a group through...
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The Minoan civilization existed from about 2800 BC to 1100 BCE and thrived as a group through maritime trade. Living on the island of Crete, the Minoan civilization eventually spread to most of the Aegean region and mainland Greece. Crete’s strategic location on the sea routes to...
TheCollector
How Long Would It Take for an Ancient Traveler to See All Seven Wonders? If you were an ancient traveler with wanderlust, you could theoretically see all of the ancient...
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If you were an ancient traveler with wanderlust, you could theoretically see all of the ancient wonders of the world if you were in relatively decent physical shape and had access to a boat. Journeying between them would take over two months, maybe more, and take you across long...
TheCollector
7 Medieval Weapons & Armor The Medieval Period, which roughly stretched from 500 to 1500 CE, was a turbulent time of...
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The Medieval Period, which roughly stretched from 500 to 1500 CE, was a turbulent time of near-constant conflict. In order to gain an edge on the battlefield, armorers and weapons makers developed an astonishing variety of weapons to deal out damage and armor to keep a warrior...
Global Inequality...
Pensioners for war Many years ago when I lived in Belgrade, just before the beginning of the “Yugoslav Wars of...
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Many years ago when I lived in Belgrade, just before the beginning of the “Yugoslav Wars of Succession”, I noticed an interesting phenomenon.
Dreams of Space -...
My Weekly Reader February 4, 1962 Happy 4th of July! Here is your My Weekly Reader for "Happy 4th of February, 1962."
a week ago
Global Inequality...
Nomonhan, 1939 A four-month long war between Great Powers of which you have never heard
a week ago
A Collection of...
Collections: The American Civil-Military Relationship As is traditional here, I am taking advantage of the Fourth of July this week to write something...
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As is traditional here, I am taking advantage of the Fourth of July this week to write something about the United States, this time a brief discussion of the nature of civil-military relations in the United States. Civil-military relations (typically shortened to ‘civ-mil’ or...
TheCollector
What Do the Two Beasts of Revelation Symbolize? Early Christian scholars debated the inclusion of the Book of Revelation for centuries before it...
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Early Christian scholars debated the inclusion of the Book of Revelation for centuries before it became part of the Biblical canon. Some Christian scholars feared that its vivid imagery might lead to dubious interpretations, and many churches avoided studying it. Other scholars...
TheCollector
The Adventurous Life of Marquis de Lafayette (Orphan, Soldier, Statesman) Gilbert du Motier, better known as Marquis de Lafayette, had the world at his feet. He was wealthy...
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Gilbert du Motier, better known as Marquis de Lafayette, had the world at his feet. He was wealthy and had a deep family history in French nobility and military. He could have done just about anything with his life. Instead of resting on his laurels and enjoying the privileges...
TheCollector
The Siege Warfare That Shaped Ancient Greece & Rome Discussions of warfare in ancient Greece and Rome usually revolve around open field battles with...
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Discussions of warfare in ancient Greece and Rome usually revolve around open field battles with dense formations of infantry clashing, supported by cavalry and missile troops. But many ancient conflicts were resolved through sieges, with enemy armies attempting to breach a...
Flashbak
The Decline of Western Civilisation III, 1998 “I didn’t get TACO BELL tattooed on my knuckles for nothing!” – The Decline of Western Civilisation...
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“I didn’t get TACO BELL tattooed on my knuckles for nothing!” – The Decline of Western Civilisation III, 1998     Directed by Penelope Spheeris in 1998, The Decline of Western Civilization III chronicles the punk lifestyle of teenagers  living in squats or on the streets in Los...
Classical Wisdom
The Founding Fathers and the Classics How the Ancients influenced America
a week ago
TheCollector
How Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Vitruvian Man’ Defined Renaissance Genius At first glance, it seems like a simple sketch: a nude male figure within a circle and a square. But...
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At first glance, it seems like a simple sketch: a nude male figure within a circle and a square. But Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man is anything but ordinary. Those familiar lines form a fascinating blueprint of Renaissance ideals, revealing layers of artistic and scientific...
TheCollector
Knights Templar & the Creation of Modern Banking Of all the knightly orders born of the Crusades, none are as well known or as heavily mythologized...
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Of all the knightly orders born of the Crusades, none are as well known or as heavily mythologized as the Knights Templar. From Dan Brown conspiracy thriller novels like The Da Vinci Code to the best-selling Assassin’s Creed video game franchise, the Knights Templar have long...
TheCollector
Why Are Aristotle’s “Categories” Fundamental to Logic? Aristotle’s Categories is a foundational philosophical work that provides a framework for...
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Aristotle’s Categories is a foundational philosophical work that provides a framework for understanding existence and engaging in classification. The text describes ten categories: substance, quantity, quality, relation, place, time, position, state, action, and passion....
TheCollector
How the Janissaries Became the Most Powerful Force in Ottoman History Formed in 1363 by Sultan Murad I, the Janissary Corps was a group of elite fighters who, as the...
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Formed in 1363 by Sultan Murad I, the Janissary Corps was a group of elite fighters who, as the ruler’s property, owed complete loyalty and allegiance to the Sultan. This group would go on to influence politics until their dismemberment in 1839. For centuries, the Janissaries...
TheCollector
How Did the Quakers Transform from Radical Dissenters to Icons of Peace? The Quakers are widely recognised today as a “peace church” marked by a distinct rejection of...
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The Quakers are widely recognised today as a “peace church” marked by a distinct rejection of ecclesiastical hierarchy. They are widely admired for their humanitarian work and known for their preference for “Meeting Houses” over churches. However, their modern pacifist image...
TheCollector
How the Hittites Used Fear & Strategy to Create a Bronze Age Empire During the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550-1200 BCE), an Indo-European people known as the Hittites...
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During the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550-1200 BCE), an Indo-European people known as the Hittites expanded beyond their borders in central Anatolia to create an empire. The Hittites conquered most of Anatolia, the northern Levant, and destroyed the Mitanni Kingdom, which they...
Flashbak
Wisconsin Death Trip, 1973 – Small Town America In The Grip of Madness For more than 60 years, Charles Van Schaick (1852-1946) worked as a photographer in the town of...
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For more than 60 years, Charles Van Schaick (1852-1946) worked as a photographer in the town of Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Opened in 1879, he took around 8,000 of glass plate negatives, of which approximately 5,700 are studio portraits. The Charles Van Schaick collection, now...
TheCollector
How Henry VII Took the English Throne & Founded the Tudors Henry VII often slips through the cracks of history, being sandwiched between the controversial...
2 weeks ago
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Henry VII often slips through the cracks of history, being sandwiched between the controversial Richard III, a Renaissance Machiavellian prince, and Henry VIII, an impossibly charismatic and epoch-shaping monarch. But without Henry VII, there would be no Henry VIII. It was Henry...
TheCollector
The Ghost Army: Masters of Deception in World War II In 1944, a tremendous challenge loomed for the Western Allies of World War II: Nazi Germany fully...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
In 1944, a tremendous challenge loomed for the Western Allies of World War II: Nazi Germany fully occupied France and was anticipating the necessary invasion. Although the Allies had amassed huge forces in Britain to storm across the English Channel and hit the Nazis hard, the...
TheCollector
The Legend of Plato’s Atlantis, Inside the Mythical City The rumor of Atlantis can be traced back to the Greek philosopher Plato, who wrote about the island...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
The rumor of Atlantis can be traced back to the Greek philosopher Plato, who wrote about the island kingdom in two of his dialogues: Timaeus and Critias. Historiographical examination of these sources has led to three primary theories about Atlantis. First, it was a real place...
TheCollector
Who Were the Heracleidae? Discover Heracles’s Many Children In addition to his superhuman strength and knack for achieving the impossible, the legendary hero...
2 weeks ago
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In addition to his superhuman strength and knack for achieving the impossible, the legendary hero Heracles was known for his incredible libido. Heracles is said to have fathered numerous children as he traveled the ancient world, battling monsters, conquering armies, and...
TheCollector
Are There Really Unicorns in the Bible? Some Bible skeptics have criticized the Bible because of references to mythical creatures like the...
2 weeks ago
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Some Bible skeptics have criticized the Bible because of references to mythical creatures like the unicorn. They claim it undermines the legitimacy of the Bible as a serious religious work. The question we need to ask ourselves, however, is if the references to unicorns were...
TheCollector
The Secrets of Mycenaean Gold in Ancient Greece Mycenaean gold is a dazzling emblem of Greece’s Bronze Age. Luminous artifacts, from regal funerary...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
Mycenaean gold is a dazzling emblem of Greece’s Bronze Age. Luminous artifacts, from regal funerary masks to intricately wrought jewelry, bring to life an ancient world of beauty and power. But beneath the aesthetic brilliance of Mycenaean gold, there lies a trove of hidden...
TheCollector
5 Timeless Financial Tips from Greek and Roman Philosophers We often look to well-known experts for financial advice, and the ancient Greeks and Romans were no...
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2 weeks ago
We often look to well-known experts for financial advice, and the ancient Greeks and Romans were no different. Classical philosophers gave advice on debt management, smart investments, and the accumulation and preservation of wealth. From Epictetus to Plato, nearly every...
TheCollector
What Is The Jungian Model of The Psyche? Carl Jung’s greatest contribution to psychology was his intricate understanding of the human mind....
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
Carl Jung’s greatest contribution to psychology was his intricate understanding of the human mind. His model of the psyche is a holistic and dynamic representation of our inner architecture, with all the seemingly contradictory layers that make us who we are. Decoding the Jungian...
History Today Feed
Swahili on the Road Swahili on the Road JamesHoare Thu, 07/03/2025 - 08:00
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Meet Osiris, the Egyptian God Who Ruled the Afterlife (Myth & Facts) Osiris is best known as the god of the dead in ancient Egyptian religion, as the afterlife was...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
Osiris is best known as the god of the dead in ancient Egyptian religion, as the afterlife was created for Osiris after he was killed by his brother Set, and he enabled others to join him in eternal life. But Osiris is also connected to many other important aspects of ancient...
Trying to Understand...
An Apology And A Few Suggestions. More next week.
2 weeks ago
Flashbak
On My Stoop In Brooklyn Over Four Decades: Anthony’s Story We’re hanging out on the stoop of Anthony Catalano’s home in Boro Park, Brooklyn, New York City....
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
We’re hanging out on the stoop of Anthony Catalano’s home in Boro Park, Brooklyn, New York City. These pictures are of the “two main stoops on my block throughout the five decades on my life in Broro Park, Brooklyn NYC,” says Anthony. We’ve featured Anthony’s superb pictures of...
TheCollector
Where Was the Battle of Camlann? King Arthur’s Legendary Final Battle According to the Arthurian legends, King Arthur was mortally wounded at the infamous Battle of...
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According to the Arthurian legends, King Arthur was mortally wounded at the infamous Battle of Camlann. This was the culmination of a civil war between Arthur and his nephew, Mordred. The historicity of this legendary account is seriously questioned by modern scholars....
Patterns in Humanity
The rise of life expectancy Illustrated and explained
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
What Is the “Gospel of Luke” All About? Luke, a physician, played a significant role in the early church but was not an eyewitness to the...
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Luke, a physician, played a significant role in the early church but was not an eyewitness to the life and ministry of Jesus. He nevertheless compiled his account of the gospel after careful research to produce a reliable, orderly account of what Jesus had said and done during...
TheCollector
Yuan Dynasty of China: History, Origins, Decline Throughout its incredible history, there has seldom been a time in China when the Chinese rulers...
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Throughout its incredible history, there has seldom been a time in China when the Chinese rulers themselves have been overthrown at the hands of foreign invaders. That is what makes the Yuan Dynasty so interesting—and so culturally different from other famous dynasties in Chinese...
Classical Wisdom
On the Making of the Modern State Classical Wisdom Litterae: Government
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Heroic Warrior Deaths in Beowulf and The Song of Roland Both La Chanson de Roland and Beowulf are national epic poems whose heroes die in dramatic and...
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Both La Chanson de Roland and Beowulf are national epic poems whose heroes die in dramatic and memorable ways. Both are distinctly products of their religious setting, though those settings are different for each poem. Wyrd, an Anglo-Saxon word that gives us the Modern English...
TheCollector
Octavia the Younger, the Roman Woman Who Shaped an Empire By the time of her death in 11 BCE, Octavia the Younger had lived through some of the most...
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By the time of her death in 11 BCE, Octavia the Younger had lived through some of the most tumultuous decades in Roman history. As the Roman Republic entered its death throes, Octavia was caught between rivals, as her brother, Augustus, vied with her husband, Mark Antony, for...
TheCollector
Decoding Friedrich Nietzsche’s Two Most Famous Declarations Friedrich Nietzsche is a timeless icon in the history of philosophy whose works continue to inspire...
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Friedrich Nietzsche is a timeless icon in the history of philosophy whose works continue to inspire thousands of people worldwide. His oeuvre is not just prized for its philosophical genius, but for its bold and masterful poetic style. Out of everything Nietzsche composed, “God...
Classical Wisdom
Ancient Statism Classical Wisdom Litterae: Government
2 weeks ago
History Today Feed
The Death of the Great Barnato The Death of the Great Barnato JamesHoare Wed, 07/02/2025 - 08:00
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Did Rome “Abduct” Mithras, the Persian Sun God? The establishment of Roman Mithraism in the West (1st to 4th century CE) mirrored the military and...
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The establishment of Roman Mithraism in the West (1st to 4th century CE) mirrored the military and cultural challenge to Roman hegemony that emerged in the East from the Parthian Empire.   Successor to a Persian legacy, Parthia was the true patron of Mithraism’s deeply antiquated...
TheCollector
The Rise & Fall of the Minoan Civilization (Bronze Age Greece) From about 3000 BCE until about the collapse of the Bronze Age in 1200 BCE, the Minoans were a...
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From about 3000 BCE until about the collapse of the Bronze Age in 1200 BCE, the Minoans were a premier Aegean culture. Located on the island of Crete, the Minoan people developed sophisticated trade and diplomatic ties with other cultures, such as the Egyptians. With the wealth...
TheCollector
The Weighing of the Heart Ceremony & Its Role in the Egyptian Afterlife One of the most famous scenes surviving from ancient Egyptian art is the Weighing of the Heart...
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One of the most famous scenes surviving from ancient Egyptian art is the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony, during which the heart of the deceased was weighed against the feather of Ma’at. If the heart was lighter than the feather, they passed into ancient Egypt’s paradisical...
TheCollector
An Overview of the Song, Liao, Jurchen Jin, and Yuan Chinese Dynasties The political fragmentation in China after the collapse of the Tang Dynasty was brought to an end by...
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The political fragmentation in China after the collapse of the Tang Dynasty was brought to an end by Zhao Kuangyin, a warlord who founded the Song Dynasty in 960. Northeastern China remained under the control of the Khitan Liao Dynasty, which was overthrown by the Jurchens early...
Flashbak
From Dusk Til Dawn: 29 Found Photos Taken In Changing Light We grow accustomed to the Dark — When Light is put away — As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp To...
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We grow accustomed to the Dark — When Light is put away — As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp To witness her Good bye — Emily Dickinson  They say that the glow of the sky you see at night isn’t starlight but leftover light from the Big Bang. Light is ancient and magical. Away …...
TheCollector
Everything You Need to Know About the Ten Commandments The lists of commandments in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 are almost identical to each other,...
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The lists of commandments in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 are almost identical to each other, diverging significantly only in the reasons they each give for keeping the Sabbath day. This list—often called the Decalogue—is what is popularly known as the Ten Commandments. However,...
TheCollector
Who Were King Arthur’s Legendary Wives? In the Arthurian legends, the wife of King Arthur is famously named Guinevere. However, the idea...
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In the Arthurian legends, the wife of King Arthur is famously named Guinevere. However, the idea that King Arthur only had a single wife is not something that is seen in Welsh tradition. In fact, even some Latin texts refer to him having multiple wives. In any case, Welsh...
TheCollector
What Was the Impact of the Silk Road Sogdians? They may be largely unknown in the modern world but in their time the Sogdians were exceptionally...
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They may be largely unknown in the modern world but in their time the Sogdians were exceptionally influential. The Sogdians were an Iranian-speaking people who originated from Central Asia (modern-day Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) and were at the center of the Silk Road trade. Their...
History Today Feed
Plato’s Last Word to Dionysius Plato’s Last Word to Dionysius JamesHoare Tue, 07/01/2025 - 08:00
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Did Sparta Exist in the Mycenaean Period (Bronze Age)? In studies of the Iliad, composed by Homer in the 7th century BCE, there is one obvious peculiarity...
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In studies of the Iliad, composed by Homer in the 7th century BCE, there is one obvious peculiarity about its presentation of the Greek kings. One of the most powerful kings, Menelaus—the brother of the mighty Agamemnon—is presented as the king of Sparta. The reason that this is...
TheCollector
Helios Was the Personification of the Sun in Greek Mythology In ancient Greek mythology, Helios was the embodiment of the sun and drove across the sky every day...
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In ancient Greek mythology, Helios was the embodiment of the sun and drove across the sky every day in his golden chariot, creating the day-night cycle. As the god of the sun, Helios was also associated with light, life, and truth. From his place high in the sky, he was said to...
TheCollector
6 Inspirational Women Who Redefined Art History For centuries, women had no access to formal artistic education and the art world, yet they found...
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For centuries, women had no access to formal artistic education and the art world, yet they found ways to influence it and secure their places in history. For centuries, women were patrons, collectors, muses, or creators themselves who impacted the art of others. Some of them had...
Classical Wisdom
Volcanoes in the Ancient World Cataclysm and Change
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
The Raphael Rooms in Vatican City Revealed Entering the Raphael Rooms is like stepping through a portal to the heart of the Italian...
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Entering the Raphael Rooms is like stepping through a portal to the heart of the Italian Renaissance. In the early 16th century, at the peak of the storied art movement, Raphael and his workshop painted a spectacular suite of papal apartments in the Vatican.   The resulting...
TheCollector
How Did Medieval Religion Shape Everyday Life? To say that religion shaped everyday life in the Middle Ages would be an understatement. In fact, it...
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To say that religion shaped everyday life in the Middle Ages would be an understatement. In fact, it was so important that not going to church once a week was simply not an option. There were multiple church services throughout the day, let alone the week, and Medieval religion...
Flashbak
Hannah Arendt on Jews, Refugees And Suicide, 1943 “The comity of European peoples went to pieces when, and because, it allowed its weakest member to...
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“The comity of European peoples went to pieces when, and because, it allowed its weakest member to be excluded and persecuted.” – Hannah Arendt, We Refugees, 1943     Hannah Arendt (October 14, 1906–December 4, 1975) was a German Jew who escaped the Holocaust, became an American...
TheCollector
How Did Leon Battista Alberti’s “On Painting” Shaped the Renaissance? In his seminal book of art theory entitled On Painting, Leon Battista Alberti staked a claim for...
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In his seminal book of art theory entitled On Painting, Leon Battista Alberti staked a claim for painting as a liberal art for the first time. Split into three sections dealing with geometry, art theory and method, and the ethical constitution of great painters, this brief...
TheCollector
How Did Emperor Constantine Shape the History of Christianity? Under Emperor Constantine’s rule and within a half-century afterward, Christianity experienced...
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Under Emperor Constantine’s rule and within a half-century afterward, Christianity experienced significant changes. It went from a persecuted religion to becoming the state religion of the Roman Empire. This change was largely attributable to Constantine, a fierce defender of the...
TheCollector
Who Were the Puritans? (History & Beliefs) Emerging in the context of Henry VIII’s English Reformation, the Puritans, a loosely knit community...
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Emerging in the context of Henry VIII’s English Reformation, the Puritans, a loosely knit community of English protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries, believed that the Church of England preserved too many remnants of Roman Catholicism. They sought more radical reform – a...
History Today Feed
‘The Big Hop’ by David Rooney review ‘The Big Hop’ by David Rooney review JamesHoare Mon, 06/30/2025 - 08:00
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
Why Does the Assyrian King Sennacherib Appear in the Bible? Sennacherib was an Assyrian king who reigned from 705 to 681 BCE. He was known for consolidating and...
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Sennacherib was an Assyrian king who reigned from 705 to 681 BCE. He was known for consolidating and expanding the Neo-Assyrian Empire. In the biblical narrative, he invaded Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah in 701 BCE, capturing many fortified cities and eventually laying...
TheCollector
Hannibal’s Master Class in Ambush Tactics at the Battle of Trasimene In 218 BCE, war broke out between Rome and Carthage, the two largest powers in the Western...
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In 218 BCE, war broke out between Rome and Carthage, the two largest powers in the Western Mediterranean. What Rome expected to be a quick and easy war turned out to be a long, bitter, and costly conflict that would claim the lives of many brave Romans. The Romans suffered...
TheCollector
How Slaves Created the Free Greek State of Ancient Messenia Beneath the foundations of the legendary Spartan political system labored the oppressed Messenians....
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Beneath the foundations of the legendary Spartan political system labored the oppressed Messenians. Messenia, a prosperous corner of southwestern Greece, was conquered by the Spartans in the 8th century BCE. Its population, along with elements of the Spartan region of Lakonia,...
TheCollector
The History of Neutral Moresnet, Europe’s Forgotten Micronation Following Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1825, the Congress of Vienna...
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Following Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1825, the Congress of Vienna aimed to draw a new map of Europe. During the negotiation processes, the area of Moresnet, a small village in the province of Liège, modern-day Belgium, posed challenges as both the...
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz Up to the Stars, and In to Our Souls
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
The Incredible Life of Demosthenes, the Greatest Orator of Ancient Athens By the mid-4th century BCE, the political landscape of Greece looked markedly different from what it...
2 weeks ago
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By the mid-4th century BCE, the political landscape of Greece looked markedly different from what it had been a century earlier. Then, Athens had been at its height and locked in war with her great rival, Sparta. Now, the supremacy of both states has been shattered. To the north,...
TheCollector
6 Iconic Artworks by Wassily Kandinsky Before the 19th century, art was centered around naturalistic depictions designed to create a...
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Before the 19th century, art was centered around naturalistic depictions designed to create a realistic window onto the world. Artists were inspired by history, mythology, and the Bible, with Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and Vermeer representing the pinnacle of artistic expression....
TheCollector
How the Byzantines Crushed the Arab Sieges of 674 and 717 The roots of both the 674 and 717 Bosporus battles lay in the Umayyad Caliphate’s ambition to end...
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The roots of both the 674 and 717 Bosporus battles lay in the Umayyad Caliphate’s ambition to end Constantinople politically and religiously. In the 660s, the Umayyad Caliphate’s campaigns began to complete the initial Arab conquests. North Africa, Palestine, and Syria fell in...
TheCollector
How Did the Libyans Shape Ancient Egypt? The ancient Egyptians had three primary foreign enemies throughout their history: the Nubians, the...
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The ancient Egyptians had three primary foreign enemies throughout their history: the Nubians, the Canaanites/Asiatics, and the Libyans. Of these three groups, the Libyans are perhaps the most enigmatic. The Egyptians rarely ventured into the Libyan homeland, just to the west of...
TheCollector
An Overview of the Ming and Qing Chinese Dynasties The Ming Dynasty was founded in 1368 and brought an end to Mongol rule in China. The dynasty reached...
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The Ming Dynasty was founded in 1368 and brought an end to Mongol rule in China. The dynasty reached its height in the early 15th century when the Yongle Emperor ordered the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing and ordered Zheng He’s voyages of exploration. While the...
TheCollector
What Is Hegel’s Dialectic Method? When considering Hegel’s contribution to logic, nothing is more significant than his dialectic...
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When considering Hegel’s contribution to logic, nothing is more significant than his dialectic method. The method is prevalent in almost all his works, most notably Logic, Philosophy of History, and Phenomenology of Spirit. He describes it as “the only true method” and the basic...
TheCollector
How Did Augustus Become Rome’s Longest-Reigning Emperor? Rome’s shift from an oligarchic Republic to an authoritative Empire was a bloody one fueled in part...
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Rome’s shift from an oligarchic Republic to an authoritative Empire was a bloody one fueled in part by the traditional Roman hatred of the idea of kingship. Julius Caesar lived for less than two months after he was named “dictator for life,” but after his successor Octavian was...
TheCollector
The Antichrist in Fantasy, Prophecy, & History (What You Need to Know) The character known as the Antichrist has played a prominent role as the villain in many Hollywood...
2 weeks ago
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The character known as the Antichrist has played a prominent role as the villain in many Hollywood classics of religious horror, from The Omen to Rosemary’s Baby. The name and deeds of the Antichrist are also included in novels, songs, and philosophical doctrines. This article...
TheCollector
How Did the Assyrians Conquer Egypt? When the Neo-Assyrian Empire set its sites on conquering Egypt, the country was in its Third...
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When the Neo-Assyrian Empire set its sites on conquering Egypt, the country was in its Third Intermediate Period. Egypt was divided and ruled by regional kings and under Kushite influence. While the Assyrians were successful in their conquest of Egypt in the 7th century BCE,...
Flashbak
People of Telegraph Ave, Berkeley 1969-1973 One picture changed everything. In the 1960s, Nacio Jan Brown was a photographer for the San...
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One picture changed everything. In the 1960s, Nacio Jan Brown was a photographer for the San Francisco Express Times, an underground weekly newspaper. Typically, he would sit in Caffe Mediterraneum on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley and wait for something to happen. One day, nothing...
TheCollector
What Makes the Nag Hammadi Library So Significant? Not long after the founding of Christianity, the Christian faith spread throughout the Roman Empire....
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Not long after the founding of Christianity, the Christian faith spread throughout the Roman Empire. As Christianity developed, the 27 books of the New Testament were recopied and distributed, along with other books, written later, which claimed false apostolic authorship. Many...
TheCollector
10 Important Sites of the Celtic World The Celtic people, who occupied large areas of Europe during the Iron Age, have left their mark...
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The Celtic people, who occupied large areas of Europe during the Iron Age, have left their mark across the landscape. Surviving Celtic sites include villages, sanctuaries, burial mounds, and natural wonders considered sacred. This article looks at ten of the most important Celtic...
Dreams of Space -...
My Weekly Reader April 30, 1962 Here is your My Weekly Reader for April 30, 1962. This is stuffed full of cool articles so let's get...
2 weeks ago
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Here is your My Weekly Reader for April 30, 1962. This is stuffed full of cool articles so let's get started! Do you understand the mysteries of the Moho? Does the Moho exist? People want to know!
TheCollector
How the Seljuks Rose from Steppe Nomads to Rulers of a Vast Empire In the 10th century, a group of nomadic Turks called the Seljuks began a migration through Central...
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In the 10th century, a group of nomadic Turks called the Seljuks began a migration through Central Asia, searching for pasture for their herds. By 1071, this tribe had formed a mighty empire that encouraged the Turkic migration and settlement of Anatolia. This would ultimately...
TheCollector
The Assyrian Conquest of Babylon (What Really Happened?) The Assyrian conquest of Babylon took centuries, with successive Assyrian kings committing to the...
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The Assyrian conquest of Babylon took centuries, with successive Assyrian kings committing to the cause. Babylon’s kings fought hard for their autonomy but could not resist the continuous onslaught. However, while the Assyrians wanted to dominate Babylon, they also respected the...
TheCollector
The Jōmon Period: Japan’s Mysterious Origin Story Long before the age of shoguns and samurai, before the Japanese people even arrived in what is now...
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Long before the age of shoguns and samurai, before the Japanese people even arrived in what is now considered their homeland, the islands were already inhabited in what is known as the Jōmon period. While the people of the Jōmon period had no written language, archaeology reveals...
A Collection of...
Fireside Friday, June 27, 2025 (On the Limits of Realism) Fireside this week! Originally, I was thinking I’d talk about the ‘future of classics’ question in...
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Fireside this week! Originally, I was thinking I’d talk about the ‘future of classics’ question in this space, but I think that deserves a full post (in connection with this week’s book recommendation and the next fireside’s book recommendation), so instead this week I want to...
TheCollector
The 6 Foundational Shinto Myths Shinto, “the way of the Gods,” has been the folk religion of Japan for thousands of years, even...
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Shinto, “the way of the Gods,” has been the folk religion of Japan for thousands of years, even after being partially subsumed into Buddhism. It resembles Taoism in many ways, with a focus on harmony with nature and ancestor veneration. Another key part of Shinto is the worship...
Classical Wisdom
Freud and the Greeks The Classical Roots of Western Psychology
2 weeks ago
Flashbak
Snapshots of Kids Bike Jumping in the 1970s Back in the 1970s (and before), parents didn’t stress about our health and safety as much as they do...
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Back in the 1970s (and before), parents didn’t stress about our health and safety as much as they do today. It’s not that they cared less – they just didn’t worry obsessively about it. It’s a far guess to say that some of the kids seen bike jumping and being bike jumped (which is...
TheCollector
The Story of Kösem Sultan Who Ruled the Ottoman Empire With an Iron Fist Kösem Sultan, initially a concubine, then the wife of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, was a...
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Kösem Sultan, initially a concubine, then the wife of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, was a controversial figure even in her own time. She not only exercised power through three different sultans but influenced court politics in her own right. She had her son Ibrahim deposed from...
TheCollector
What Can Marcus Aurelius Teach Us About Resilience? When we encounter challenging obstacles in our lives, we instinctively tend to fight against them,...
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When we encounter challenging obstacles in our lives, we instinctively tend to fight against them, escape them, or simply freeze. Marcus Aurelius, however,  responded to obstacles in a different way. Armed by the wisdom of Stoic philosophy, he considered barriers on his journey...
Flashbak
Hubert Hilscher’s Trippy Circus Posters It seemed to me that a person who goes to the circus to see a trained lion will also want to see it...
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It seemed to me that a person who goes to the circus to see a trained lion will also want to see it on the poster: a lion that is real but different from the one that can be seen in the zoo.” – Hubert Hilscher   Hubert Hilscher (25 October 1924 – 19 September … Continue reading...
TheCollector
Discover the Land of the Moche in Northern Peru Most people traveling through Peru head south, enticed by big-ticket highlights like Machu Picchu,...
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Most people traveling through Peru head south, enticed by big-ticket highlights like Machu Picchu, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, or the Amazon. But in the north, hidden treasures abound. This dry, coastal region was once home to the Moche, a powerful pre-Inca culture known for its...
TheCollector
The Puzzling Origins & Meaning of the Nazca Lines The Nazca Lines in southern Peru fascinate history enthusiasts worldwide. Since these glyphs first...
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The Nazca Lines in southern Peru fascinate history enthusiasts worldwide. Since these glyphs first began to be studied in the early 20th century, the theories for their origin and purpose have ranged from astronomical markers to representations of the Nazca people’s mythology and...
TheCollector
The 3 Most Infamous Praetorian Plots That (Un)Made Roman Emperors The Praetorian Guards were the personal bodyguard of the Roman Emperors from the reign of Augustus...
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The Praetorian Guards were the personal bodyguard of the Roman Emperors from the reign of Augustus through to the rise of Constantine. From the first century CE to the early fourth, these soldiers had an unrivaled proximity to imperial politics. This made them incredibly...
Flashbak
Vintage Posters for The Royal Court Theatre Founded by the English Stage Company (ESC in 1956, London’s Royal Court Theatre focuses on...
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Founded by the English Stage Company (ESC in 1956, London’s Royal Court Theatre focuses on contemporary theatre. The building on Sloane Square has put on plays since its completion in 1888. The venue truly arrived when on 8 May 1956, John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger opened – a...
TheCollector
The First Punic War: A Clash of Cultures The story of the Punic Wars is usually told from the perspective of the victors, the Romans, for...
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The story of the Punic Wars is usually told from the perspective of the victors, the Romans, for whom it was the first step towards dominating the Mediterranean. For the Carthaginians, the conflict with Rome initially seemed like a third-party dispute that would be resolved...
TheCollector
Amaterasu, the Mercurial Goddess of the Sun in Japanese Mythology When something is 100% certain, we often say that it’s “as sure as the sun rises in the east.”...
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When something is 100% certain, we often say that it’s “as sure as the sun rises in the east.” That’s because the sun is the most dependable thing in all of human history. Except perhaps in Japanese mythology. Personified by the goddess Amaterasu (lit. “Heaven Shining”), one of...
TheCollector
What Is Egyptian Blue? From Ancient Art to Modern Science Egyptian blue, the world’s first synthetic pigment, is so much more than just a color. Its...
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Egyptian blue, the world’s first synthetic pigment, is so much more than just a color. Its incomparable radiance was revered by pharaohs, and its complex chemical properties have long mystified researchers. Nearly 5,000 years later, it continues to captivate us with its ancient...
TheCollector
5 Famous Operas Based on Greek Mythology Love, jealousy, vengeance, and a multitude of other thrilling emotions give lasting intrigue to the...
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Love, jealousy, vengeance, and a multitude of other thrilling emotions give lasting intrigue to the tales of ancient Greek mythology. With such passionate feelings and magical allure, it is no wonder that many of these stories have become muses for some of the world’s most famous...
TheCollector
Plutarch & His Parallel Lives: The Biographer of Greece & Rome Every student of ancient history has heard the name Plutarch, whose extensive collection of...
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Every student of ancient history has heard the name Plutarch, whose extensive collection of biographies of important figures from Greek and Roman history has become part of the standard curriculum. While he was a prolific writer, his most famous work is his Parallel Lives, in...
TheCollector
How Did Genghis Khan Die? Theories and Mysteries We know the ferocious and ruthless yet able Mongol Khan died in August 1227 aged 65. August 18 is...
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We know the ferocious and ruthless yet able Mongol Khan died in August 1227 aged 65. August 18 is often given as the date. However, the reasons for his death are still shrouded in mystery. His rise from Temujin to Genghis Khan just two decades prior marked an empire-building...
TheCollector
Exploring the Sacred Valley Before the Incas When people think of Peru’s Sacred Valley, they picture Inca ruins, royal estates, and sun temples...
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When people think of Peru’s Sacred Valley, they picture Inca ruins, royal estates, and sun temples carved high into the impossibly beautiful Andes. But this fertile corridor has a much older story. Before Cusco became a capital, other civilizations were building, farming,...
History Today Feed
England’s Prison Population Problems England’s Prison Population Problems JamesHoare Thu, 06/26/2025 - 08:58
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
9 Myths About the Greek God Hephaestus Hephaestus, the god of smithing and fire, was counted among the twelve Olympian gods. He does not...
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Hephaestus, the god of smithing and fire, was counted among the twelve Olympian gods. He does not feature as prominently in Greek myths as the rest of his family, but he is credited with creating all the divine tools used by gods and heroes, from Zeus’ aegis to the armor of...
TheCollector
8 Myths About the Greek God Ares Ares was the Greek god of war and battle frenzy. He numbered among the twelve Olympian gods who...
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Ares was the Greek god of war and battle frenzy. He numbered among the twelve Olympian gods who ruled over the cosmos. While his sister Athena was a goddess of war, representing strategy and temperance, Ares represented battle lust and the horrors of war. He was often followed...
TheCollector
Battle of Andrassos: Byzantine Empire vs. Sayf al-Dawla’s Jihad During the 10th century CE Sayf al-Dawla, Sword of the Dynasty, ruler of the Emirate of Aleppo...
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During the 10th century CE Sayf al-Dawla, Sword of the Dynasty, ruler of the Emirate of Aleppo became the most prominent antagonist of the Byzantine Empire. Taking up the call of jihad, he launched devastating raids year after year across the Taurus mountains into the lands of...
Classical Wisdom
On The Shortness of Life Seneca’s Advice for Dealing with Death
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
Who Were the Desert Fathers (& Mothers)? The Desert Fathers appeared on the Christian historical scene in the third century CE. Saint Anthony...
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The Desert Fathers appeared on the Christian historical scene in the third century CE. Saint Anthony is often considered the most notable among them, though he was not the first. The Desert Fathers were committed and dedicated believers who chose an ascetic lifestyle that would...
TheCollector
The Metaphysics of Stoicism: 4 Key Tenets One of the most fundamental questions examined by most philosophical schools of thought is the...
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One of the most fundamental questions examined by most philosophical schools of thought is the nature of existence. According to Stoicism, everything in the universe is matter, created, animated, destroyed, and recreated by divine fire, logos. Consequently, everything is...
Trying to Understand...
Digging Deeper. Because the alternative is worse.
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
8 Important Norse Symbols From the Viking World While many stories survive about Norse mythology and legendary Viking warriors, these mostly come...
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While many stories survive about Norse mythology and legendary Viking warriors, these mostly come from later Christian accounts, as the pagan Vikings wrote very little about themselves. But symbols were powerful in the Viking world. They could be used as shorthand for important...
TheCollector
How Did People Track Time Before Clocks? Humans’ age-old desire to tell time has helped propel the rise of more advanced time-telling tools....
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Humans’ age-old desire to tell time has helped propel the rise of more advanced time-telling tools. The need to track the different parts of the day and night led people in ancient civilizations, such as those in Greece and Egypt, to develop water clocks, sundials, and other...
History Today Feed
Artificial Inspiration Artificial Inspiration JamesHoare Wed, 06/25/2025 - 08:26
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
The Forgotten Son of Claudius Who Never Became an Emperor Britannicus was the son of the Roman emperor Claudius and his third wife Messalina. The infant boy...
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Britannicus was the son of the Roman emperor Claudius and his third wife Messalina. The infant boy was proudly named Britannicus by his father following his conquest of Britain, and as Claudius’s only living son, Britannicus was his presumed heir.   But when Messalina fell from...
TheCollector
Francisco Goya’s Descent into Madness: The Disturbing Black Paintings Francisco Goya grew up to be a vibrant young artist in late 18th-century Spain, yet he is known for...
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Francisco Goya grew up to be a vibrant young artist in late 18th-century Spain, yet he is known for some of art history’s darkest works. The Black Paintings were a series of dark, pessimistic subjects that an elderly Goya painted on the interior walls of his private home, never...
TheCollector
10 Masterpieces of Ottoman Architecture In its early years, the Ottoman Empire was inspired by Persio-Islamic and Byzantine culture. This...
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In its early years, the Ottoman Empire was inspired by Persio-Islamic and Byzantine culture. This affected the style of Ottoman architecture, and Mosques, madrasas, hospitals, bazaars, and palaces reflected this rich cultural blend. Learn about ten architectural marvels from the...
TheCollector
7 Great Medieval Cities That Thrived on Trade In medieval Europe, trade was a key part of the day-to-day economy. Great trading cities would see...
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In medieval Europe, trade was a key part of the day-to-day economy. Great trading cities would see hundreds, if not thousands, of merchants pass through their city gates every year, selling wares from lands as far away as India and China. It is hard to fathom in today’s...
TheCollector
4 Historic Sites in Arizona Arizona, home to Phoenix, the fifth-largest city in the United States, maybe one of the youngest...
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Arizona, home to Phoenix, the fifth-largest city in the United States, maybe one of the youngest states in the nation, but its history runs deep. Beyond its reputation for spring training games, vibrant universities, and record-high temperatures, Arizona offers a wealth of...
Flashbak
The Lives of Stray Cats In Gay Talese’s New York: A Serendipiter’s Journey, 1961 “When street traffic dwindles and most people are sleeping, some New York neighborhoods begin to...
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“When street traffic dwindles and most people are sleeping, some New York neighborhoods begin to crawl with cats.” – Gay Talese, Serendipiter’s Journey   Written in 1961 when he was 29 and working for Esquire magazine, Gay Talese’s New York: A Serendipiter’s Journey.is an...
TheCollector
How Frida Kahlo Transformed Pain Into a Timeless Artistic Legacy Characterized by deep symbolism and vibrant color palettes, the works of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo...
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Characterized by deep symbolism and vibrant color palettes, the works of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo have been described as introspective and deeply personal. Best known for her powerful self-portraits, Kahlo’s works reflect lifelong health struggles, including her chronic pain...
TheCollector
Who Is Lilith and Did Adam Have a Wife Before Eve? Although medieval folklore abounds with demonesses, none is more prominent than Lilith. Her origins...
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Although medieval folklore abounds with demonesses, none is more prominent than Lilith. Her origins trace back to Mesopotamian myths older than 2000 BCE, and similar spirits appear in even earlier traditions. Apart from one vague reference in Isaiah 34, Lilith is absent from the...
History Today Feed
‘The Writer’s Lot’ by Robert Darnton review ‘The Writer’s Lot’ by Robert Darnton review JamesHoare Tue, 06/24/2025 - 08:09
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
The Life & Death of John (Son of Zebedee) of the Twelve Disciples John was the youngest among the Twelve Disciples. Throughout church history, Bible scholars have...
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John was the youngest among the Twelve Disciples. Throughout church history, Bible scholars have known him as John the Beloved, John the Evangelist, John of Patmos, John the Elder, and the Beloved Apostle. He seems to have been a two-sided character, on the one hand “a son of...
TheCollector
Thor’s Adventures in Jotunheim (The Norse Myth of Utgard-Loki) The Prose Edda preserves a strange story that sees Thor, Loki, and two servants traveling to...
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The Prose Edda preserves a strange story that sees Thor, Loki, and two servants traveling to Jotunheim. But when they get there, nothing is as it seems. They encounter a world of illusion. Overall, it feels a bit like the Norse version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Many of...
TheCollector
Anne of Cleves: The Wife King Henry Loved Most? Anne of Cleves is often characterized as Henry VIII’s least favorite wife. The infamous womanizer...
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Anne of Cleves is often characterized as Henry VIII’s least favorite wife. The infamous womanizer had his marriage to her annulled on the basis that her looks were so unappealing that he could not consummate the union. But the evidence of Henry’s treatment of Anne after their...
TheCollector
Bayezid the “Thunderbolt”, the Ottoman Sultan Who Died in Captivity In the late 14th century, Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I annexed several Turkic emirates to ensure the...
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In the late 14th century, Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I annexed several Turkic emirates to ensure the political unity of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). The lords who had their principalities usurped by Bayezid requested the aid of Timur, founder of the Samarqand-based Timurid dynasty,...
TheCollector
The Iconography of Augustus’s Ara Pacis in Rome Rome’s first emperor Augustus erected the Ara Pacis, an altar dedicated to Pax Romana, in 13 BCE. It...
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Rome’s first emperor Augustus erected the Ara Pacis, an altar dedicated to Pax Romana, in 13 BCE. It celebrated that Augustus had brought peace to Rome following years of war, and its dedication coincided with a period during which Augustus promoted the importance of family and...
TheCollector
Meet Henry the Navigator, the Man Who Began the Age of Exploration The late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period saw the “Age of Exploration” really come into play,...
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The late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period saw the “Age of Exploration” really come into play, from a Eurocentric viewpoint. Some of the biggest names in history are to be found in this period: Christopher Columbus, Vasco de Gama, Marco Polo, and perhaps a man that you’ve...
TheCollector
How Many Children Did Genghis Khan Have? Separating Myth from Reality Genghis Khan’s genetic legacy has never been doubted. The question is, how many kids did Genghis...
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Genghis Khan’s genetic legacy has never been doubted. The question is, how many kids did Genghis Khan have? According to historical records, Khan’s official heirs numbered four through his primary wife Börte. Married to Temujin, later Khan, at age 17, Börte’s original tribe...
Classical Wisdom
Oh Muses, You Sound So Heavenly! The Myth Behind the Music and the Stars...
3 weeks ago
History Today Feed
Marcus Garvey Meets the KKK Marcus Garvey Meets the KKK JamesHoare Mon, 06/23/2025 - 08:06
3 weeks ago
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Was Camelot Inspired by a Real Location? In the legends of King Arthur, the famous capital city of the king is Camelot. Yet despite the fact...
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In the legends of King Arthur, the famous capital city of the king is Camelot. Yet despite the fact that the Arthurian legends are based in a historical setting, Camelot itself is widely regarded as fictional. It is considered to have been an invention of the French writers who...
TheCollector
How Virgil Made Aeneas an Epic Hero Originally a minor figure in the Homeric epic The Iliad, Aeneas is cast by Virgil as the hero in his...
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Originally a minor figure in the Homeric epic The Iliad, Aeneas is cast by Virgil as the hero in his epic The Aeneid. This is an appropriate choice for Augustan Rome when Virgil was writing. Aeneas displays important virtues and an expedient bloodline, but he does not always meet...
Patterns in Humanity
Africa's Poor Numbers How much do we really know about African state of affairs?
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
9 Myths About Hermes From Greek Mythology Hermes was the messenger of the gods and one of the twelve Olympian deities the ancient Greeks...
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Hermes was the messenger of the gods and one of the twelve Olympian deities the ancient Greeks believed ruled over the cosmos. He was a patron of merchants and thieves, and a protector of travelers. Identifiable by his herald’s wand and winged sandals, Hermes’ main role in...
TheCollector
How Were Medieval Battles Fought? A Guide to Medieval Warfare The medieval period was a time of near-constant conflict throughout Europe. In spite of the...
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The medieval period was a time of near-constant conflict throughout Europe. In spite of the seemingly endless wars, full-scale pitched battles—the favorite subject of history enthusiasts and Hollywood alike—were actually rare compared to other types of warfare. However, when they...
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz The REAL Islands of the Odyssey
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
How the Byzantines Retook Crete From the Arabs in the Siege of Chandax In the 820s CE, Byzantium was embroiled in a destructive civil war. Taking advantage of the...
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In the 820s CE, Byzantium was embroiled in a destructive civil war. Taking advantage of the Byzantines being occupied with killing one another, a group of exiled Andalusian Arabs landed on the island of Crete and conquered it. From their new island home, they launched devastating...
TheCollector
How Ancient Assyria Used Religion to Become a Superpower Religious policies have been utilized by monarchies and governments for political gains since the...
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Religious policies have been utilized by monarchies and governments for political gains since the beginning of civilization. Few have done so as successfully as the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The kings of both the Old and Middle Assyrian periods provided their successors with the...
Flashbak
Alice Austen : The New York Photojournalist For Ladies Who Bicycle And Other City Types Alice Austen (March 17, 1866–June 9, 1952) lived in Clear Comfort, a Victorian Gothic waterfront...
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Alice Austen (March 17, 1866–June 9, 1952) lived in Clear Comfort, a Victorian Gothic waterfront property on the Staten Island shoreline by the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, with her her life partner Gertrude Tate. This unique vantage point gave the photographer a view of the...
TheCollector
Why Did René Descartes Say “I Think, Therefore I Am”? “Cogito, ergo sum”, Latin for “I think, therefore I am”, is René Descartes’ most celebrated and...
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“Cogito, ergo sum”, Latin for “I think, therefore I am”, is René Descartes’ most celebrated and influential contribution to humanity. The statement was the prized conclusion of his famous journey of radical skepticism, one that served as the solid foundation of his philosophy. In...
TheCollector
Ptolemy I Soter, the Successor of Alexander Who Became a Pharaoh Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece were two of the greatest civilizations of the Mediterranean world....
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Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece were two of the greatest civilizations of the Mediterranean world. They were brought closer together when the Macedonian king Alexander the Great established his grand empire across the Greek-speaking world and the Near East, including conquering...
Flashbak
The Teds – Photographs of The Second Coming of Britain’s First Youth Tribe, 1979 “In early 1954, on a late train from Southend, someone pulled the communication cord. The train...
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“In early 1954, on a late train from Southend, someone pulled the communication cord. The train ground to a halt. Light bulbs were smashed. Police arrested a gang dressed in Edwardian suits. In April, two gangs, also dressed Edwardian-style, met after a dance. They were ready for...
TheCollector
Rome vs. the Alamanni at the Battle of Strasbourg (357 CE) In the mid-4th century CE, the Roman Empire found itself in a precarious position. While the emperor...
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In the mid-4th century CE, the Roman Empire found itself in a precarious position. While the emperor Constantius II had been entrenched in a protracted war against the Sassanids in the East, the other Augustus, Constans, was murdered by the Germanic usurper, Magnentius. The power...
TheCollector
Tracing the Roots of Shaolin Kung Fu Back to Ancient China Shaolin kung fu, or Shaolinquan is one of the oldest extant styles of martial arts and one of the...
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Shaolin kung fu, or Shaolinquan is one of the oldest extant styles of martial arts and one of the most influential. It has existed since the 6th century CE as a means of self-defense and exercise for Buddhist monks. Over time it spread throughout Eastern Asia. Even many modern...
TheCollector
Marquis de Lafayette: 12 Details About “The Soldier’s Friend” With nicknames like “The Soldier’s Friend” and “Hero of Two Worlds,” Marquis de Lafayette went down...
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With nicknames like “The Soldier’s Friend” and “Hero of Two Worlds,” Marquis de Lafayette went down in history as a man of means who used his resources for good. Involved in causes such as the American Revolution, French Revolution, and human rights for all, he was a soldier,...
TheCollector
Did a Real Woman Inspire Caravaggio’s Judith? Caravaggio’s depiction of Judith is unlike many of his contemporaries’ depictions of her. Could...
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Caravaggio’s depiction of Judith is unlike many of his contemporaries’ depictions of her. Could Caravaggio have known a real-life Judith to inspire him in 16th-century Rome?   The Biblical Judith   Judith was a woman described in the Bible as a savior for her village and people....
TheCollector
Sulla’s Brutal Siege of Athens (87-86 BCE) With the sack of Corinth in 146 BCE, Greek resistance to Roman power had been dealt a crushing blow....
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With the sack of Corinth in 146 BCE, Greek resistance to Roman power had been dealt a crushing blow. After Lucius Mummius had defeated the Achaean League, there was an influx of art and loot into the Republic. These treasures profoundly shaped Roman culture, as “captive Greece...
TheCollector
What Did Socrates Really Mean When He Said “Know Thyself”? Inscribed at the Delphic temple of Apollo was the famous maxim, ‘know thyself’, a charge that...
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Inscribed at the Delphic temple of Apollo was the famous maxim, ‘know thyself’, a charge that Socrates continuously invoked in numerous Platonic dialogues. Self-knowledge was the essence of Socrates’ philosophical project, not in the modern sense of self-discovery, but in the...
TheCollector
3 Dark Age Kings of Britain Confirmed by Archaeology Early Dark Age Britain is notorious for being poorly recorded. Most of our information about the era...
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Early Dark Age Britain is notorious for being poorly recorded. Most of our information about the era comes from much later records, written centuries after the events they allegedly describe. There is endless debate among scholars, based on the literary evidence, surrounding the...
Dreams of Space -...
My Weekly Reader April 23, 1962 I am having fun sending out an issue of My Weekly Reader every week to you. This week is the April...
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I am having fun sending out an issue of My Weekly Reader every week to you. This week is the April 23, 1962 issue and "Flying wings." Just for fun, here is your "silent reading quiz." Try not to make any noise while you read and see how you do.
A Collection of...
Collections: Nitpicking Gladiator’s Iconic Opening Battle, Part III This week at long last we come to the clash of men and horses as we finish our three-part (I, II,...
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This week at long last we come to the clash of men and horses as we finish our three-part (I, II, III) look at the iconic opening battle scene from the film Gladiator (2000). Last time, we brought the sequence up through the infantry advance, observing that the tactics of the...
Flashbak
Marcia Resnick: Re-Visions, 1978 “In 1975, while driving my car in Manhattan, I was in an accident and my entire life flashed before...
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“In 1975, while driving my car in Manhattan, I was in an accident and my entire life flashed before me. When I awoke in the hospital, I began to think about all of the events which led to my being there.” – Marcia Resnick on who she was inspired to create Re-Visions   In 1975, …...
TheCollector
6 Female Kings From World History Most societies throughout world history have been ruled by men. In these patriarchal systems, women...
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Most societies throughout world history have been ruled by men. In these patriarchal systems, women typically come to the throne in the absence of male dynasts or as queens who outlive or overthrow their spouses. Most female rulers who exercised power in their own right are known...
TheCollector
How Pompeii’s Bodies Are Preserved, Frozen in Time In 79 CE, the Vesuvius volcano in Southern Italy erupted, destroying settlements around it and...
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In 79 CE, the Vesuvius volcano in Southern Italy erupted, destroying settlements around it and taking the lives of up to 16,000 residents. The most significant death toll occurred in the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, wealthy local centers of trade and production. Since their...
TheCollector
What the Sanctuary of Odysseus Reveals About Ancient Greek Beliefs What if the myths you know are hiding deeper truths? For thousands of years, Odysseus—the legendary...
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What if the myths you know are hiding deeper truths? For thousands of years, Odysseus—the legendary king of Ithaca and hero of Homer’s Odyssey—has captured the imaginations of people worldwide. Now, thanks to modern archaeological discoveries on the storied Greek island, the gap...
TheCollector
The Mystery of the Black Madonnas and Their Connection to Ancient Egypt She’s more than stood the test of time; once hidden in grottos and secreted away in caves, the Black...
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She’s more than stood the test of time; once hidden in grottos and secreted away in caves, the Black Madonnas were “rediscovered” by her people who couldn’t bear to be parted from her. Instead of, “Behold the earth goddess, granter of fertility!” many pre-modern people simply...
Classical Wisdom
Stoics and the Self What makes you YOU?
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TheCollector
Why Did Pausanias Write His Travel Guide to Ancient Greece? In the 2nd century CE, the Greek writer Pausanias spent decades traveling around ancient Greece,...
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In the 2nd century CE, the Greek writer Pausanias spent decades traveling around ancient Greece, which was then part of the Roman Empire. He recorded what he saw and compiled a guide for other travelers called the Perigereis Hellados or Guide to Greece. Through his descriptions,...
TheCollector
What Caused the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire? Ancient Rome is hailed as one of the most distinguished civilizations in history due to the amount...
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Ancient Rome is hailed as one of the most distinguished civilizations in history due to the amount of power and control it wielded at its peak. The empire had advanced technologies and outstanding military successes. Beginning in the 8th century BCE, it grew from a small town...
History Today Feed
Italian Emigrant Soldiers in the First World War Italian Emigrant Soldiers in the First World War JamesHoare Fri, 06/20/2025 - 08:00
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
Hegel’s Master-Slave Dialectic Explained Philosophers often find it useful to narrate a hypothetical conversation or confrontation between...
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Philosophers often find it useful to narrate a hypothetical conversation or confrontation between individuals to illustrate a theoretical idea. Plato’s famous Socratic dialogues are an example of this. Similarly, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s master-slave dialectic tells the...
Flashbak
Rewilding Humanity – Dougal Dixon’s Man After Man : An Anthropology of the Future (1990) Dougal Dixon’s Man After Man : An Anthropology of the Future (1990) begins with the impact of...
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Dougal Dixon’s Man After Man : An Anthropology of the Future (1990) begins with the impact of genetic engineering. “For 200 years modern humans morphed the genetics of other humans to create genetically-altered creatures. The aquamorphs and aquatics are marine humans with gills...
TheCollector
The Debasement of Roman Coinage During the Third-Century Crisis The history of Roman coins goes deep into the past, with the first true Roman coins introduced at...
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The history of Roman coins goes deep into the past, with the first true Roman coins introduced at the beginning of the 3rd century BCE. By the end of the 3rd century BCE, the silver denarius was first introduced, and it remained the dominant coin in the Roman world for the next...
TheCollector
How the Flight of the Earls Changed Irish History Forever The Flight of the Earls took place on September 4, 1607 when three prominent Gaelic noble...
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The Flight of the Earls took place on September 4, 1607 when three prominent Gaelic noble families,those of Hugh O’Neill, Rory O’Donnell, and the Maguire clan, fled Ireland to escape feared arrest and seek Spanish assistance for resumption of hostilities against the British...
TheCollector
Alix of Hesse, the Tragic German Princess Who Became the Last Tsarina Princess Alexandra led a privileged childhood in the German Empire, close to her cousins in the...
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Princess Alexandra led a privileged childhood in the German Empire, close to her cousins in the British royal family. Her charmed upbringing led to a teenage romance with the future tsar of Russia, Nicholas Romanov. She became the empress of the Russian Empire when her husband...
TheCollector
6 Developments Which Revolutionized Early Modern European Warfare The early modern period is often cited as a military revolution. Though some scholars describe an...
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The early modern period is often cited as a military revolution. Though some scholars describe an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary process, it is undeniable that European battlefields of the 16th and 17th centuries witnessed major changes in tactics and equipment. The...
TheCollector
What Is the Most Visited Wonder of the World? Throughout human history, people have sought to build and to find the most incredible and...
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Throughout human history, people have sought to build and to find the most incredible and awe-inspiring things. Alongside this effort, people have also sought to categorize and determine which things are worthy of the greatest attention. In ancient times, the Greeks published...
Flashbak
Wonderwalls: Public Toilets in Shibuya Tokyo Are Better Than Your Home What can we tell from looking at the state of a country’s public toilets? The loos in Tokyo’s...
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What can we tell from looking at the state of a country’s public toilets? The loos in Tokyo’s Shibuya district are special. Commissioned by The Nippon Foundation as “a symbol of Japan’s world-renowned hospitality culture” in 2019, architects Shigeru Ban and the late Fumihiko Maki...
History Today Feed
Does a Focus on Royalty Obscure British History? Does a Focus on Royalty Obscure British History? JamesHoare Thu, 06/19/2025 - 08:00
4 weeks ago
TheCollector
The 9 Largest Cities of the Medieval World The Medieval Period, which lasted roughly 1,000 years between the 470s CE and 1400- 1450 CE was a...
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The Medieval Period, which lasted roughly 1,000 years between the 470s CE and 1400- 1450 CE was a period of cultural evolution and religious power. Growing populations gave way to major urban developments and became symbols of power that benefited the ruling class through the...
History Today Feed
The Speed of Early Modern News The Speed of Early Modern News JamesHoare Thu, 06/19/2025 - 07:00
4 weeks ago
TheCollector
5 Important Schools of Philosophy in Ancient Rome Roman philosophy generally shared an interest in studying the art of living. Ancient Roman schools...
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Roman philosophy generally shared an interest in studying the art of living. Ancient Roman schools of philosophy often wanted to answer the question: how does one live best? And they all proposed answers, albeit with important differences, on how the individual is to achieve...
TheCollector
Was King Arthur… a King in the Earliest Legends? The question of King Arthur’s historicity continues to be debated. However, something that is...
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The question of King Arthur’s historicity continues to be debated. However, something that is frequently seen in many modern debates is the claim that Arthur, if he existed, was definitely not a king. Rather, he would have been just a war leader. This is based on the supposed...
TheCollector
Discover Caral-Supe: The Cradle of Civilization in the Americas Cradles of civilization are regions where humans developed complex social systems independently....
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Cradles of civilization are regions where humans developed complex social systems independently. There are six accepted cradles of civilization: Egypt, India, Mesopotamia, China, Olmec, and Caral-Supe. The first societies all formed around agriculture. The Caral-Supe, who emerged...
TheCollector
How France Overthrew Its King (Again) in the July Revolution of 1830 In the last days of July 1830, a series of repressive ordinances issued by King Charles X provoked...
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In the last days of July 1830, a series of repressive ordinances issued by King Charles X provoked widespread protests. Led by liberals and moderates, the demonstrations in Paris soon turned into a full-fledged revolution: the Second French Revolution. After three days of street...
TheCollector
How Did the Small Kingdom of Georgia Beat the Mighty Seljuks in 1121? Decades of conflict between the Kingdom of Georgia and the Seljuk Turks culminated in a decisive...
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Decades of conflict between the Kingdom of Georgia and the Seljuk Turks culminated in a decisive battle fought in 1121 CE in the Didgori mountain ranges, 40 km west of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. King David IV (reigned 1089-1125) longed to put an end to the Seljuk raids and...
Classical Wisdom
The Tyrant Who Birthed a Republic Tarquin the Proud: Rome’s Final King
4 weeks ago
TheCollector
How Did the Spice Trade Influence Global Exploration? The spice trade is credited with bringing spices such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and pepper to...
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The spice trade is credited with bringing spices such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and pepper to many parts of the world. The trade which started several millennia ago flourished due to high demand for spices, and is considered to be one of the main catalysts of globalization as...