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Patterns in Humanity
Africa's Poor Numbers How much do we really know about African state of affairs?
2 months 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
2 months 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...
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...
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...
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...
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
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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...
History Today Feed
The First Men’s Cricket World Cup The First Men’s Cricket World Cup JamesHoare Wed, 06/18/2025 - 08:00
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Flashbak
Limousine: The Driver Photographs Her Passengers in 1980s New York “I wanted an intimate setting so that I would be able to engage with people while also giving them...
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“I wanted an intimate setting so that I would be able to engage with people while also giving them the opportunity to feel comfortable with me. A limousine seemed like a perfect choice.” – Kathy Shorr     In 1988, Kathy Shorr became a limousine driver. A graduate of the School...
TheCollector
Disaster for Sparta! The Battle of Sphacteria (425 BCE) In 425 BCE, during the early phase of the Peloponnesian War, known as the Archidamian War (431-421...
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In 425 BCE, during the early phase of the Peloponnesian War, known as the Archidamian War (431-421 BCE), the Athenians under Demosthenes captured the Island of Pylos. The Athenian capture of Pylos posed a significant threat to Sparta by providing a prime raiding base near Spartan...
Trying to Understand...
Such Times. And the banalisation of Evil.
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TheCollector
Battle of Cynoscephalae: Macedonian Phalanx vs Roman Legion Since the time of Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE), the Macedonians had dominated the eastern...
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Since the time of Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE), the Macedonians had dominated the eastern Mediterranean. Their heavy infantry phalanx rolled over the Greek cities and then the Persian Empire. To the west, Roman legionnaires had conquered Italy and were overwhelming Carthage....
TheCollector
The Evolution of Still Life From Baroque Art to Modern Minimalism Although still life painting as a representational form has existed since antiquity, it only began...
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Although still life painting as a representational form has existed since antiquity, it only began to take a form familiar to us in the 16th century during the Baroque era. Still life painting was fairly popular among women artists as it did not require studying nude human...
TheCollector
9 Strangest Colors in Art History Humans have always been fascinated with color and its transformations. Starting from earth pigments...
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Humans have always been fascinated with color and its transformations. Starting from earth pigments at the dawn of humankind, they moved to experimenting with minerals, organic substances, and even synthetic materials to create new tones to use in art and design. Some of these...
TheCollector
6 Facts About Freyr, the Norse God of Virility & Fertility The Norse god Freyr, with his shining golden boar, was associated with virility, fertility, and good...
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The Norse god Freyr, with his shining golden boar, was associated with virility, fertility, and good fortune. He was one of the most popular gods in the Viking Age. He was widely worshiped in a trinity along with Odin and Thor. Claimed as a divine ancestor by the Swedish kings,...