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Classical Wisdom
Can We Find the Real Ithaka? In Search of Homer and the meeting of like minds
2 months ago
TheCollector
What Does the Bible Say About Polygamy? Despite frequent references in popular Western culture to heterosexual monogamy as the traditional...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Despite frequent references in popular Western culture to heterosexual monogamy as the traditional (and sometimes even “biblical”) view of marriage, the Bible itself neither condemns polygamy nor enjoins monogamy. Christians or Jews interested in forming a theology of marriage...
TheCollector
The Story of Cleisthenes:, the Founder of Democracy in Ancient Athens The Athenians were generous when it came to commemorating the founders of their democracy. The...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
The Athenians were generous when it came to commemorating the founders of their democracy. The 6th-century reformer Solon was held in high regard, as were the two assassins of Hipparchus, Harmodius and Aristogeiton. Even the mythological king Theseus was venerated. Oddly, the one...
History Today Feed
On the Spot: Imaobong Umoren On the Spot: Imaobong Umoren JamesHoare Mon, 06/16/2025 - 08:00
2 months ago
TheCollector
Why Did It Take Two Years for Juneteenth to Happen? The abolition of slavery in the United States is usually associated with the Emancipation...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
The abolition of slavery in the United States is usually associated with the Emancipation Proclamation, issued in its final form by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. Juneteenth, a US federal holiday commemorating the liberation of African-American slaves in Texas,...
History Today Feed
Europe and the End of Old Java Europe and the End of Old Java JamesHoare Mon, 06/16/2025 - 06:00
2 months ago
TheCollector
The Controversial Story of Olympias, Alexander the Great’s Powerful Mother Jealous, vengeful, cruel, foreign, and with a fondness for snakes, Olympias has often been portrayed...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Jealous, vengeful, cruel, foreign, and with a fondness for snakes, Olympias has often been portrayed as a malevolent figure. More than two thousand years after she lived and died, it is impossible to know what she was actually like, but the actions of the mother of Alexander the...
TheCollector
How Rembrandt’s Art Became a Masterclass in Light and Shadow From the highest praise of some critics to the lowest execrations comparing his painting to “dung,”...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
From the highest praise of some critics to the lowest execrations comparing his painting to “dung,” Rembrandt’s later art was provocative in the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age. Today, his status is justly assured as an exquisite and intuitive handler of light and shadow as a...
TheCollector
The Last Effort to Save the Empire During the Fall of Rome The fall of Rome may be seen as irreversible in hindsight. However, several significant Roman...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
The fall of Rome may be seen as irreversible in hindsight. However, several significant Roman leaders of the 5th century were able to bring the empire to the brink of salvation. It was a betrayal that prevented the general Flavius Aetius from being able to complete the...
TheCollector
Why Is Goliath Killed Twice in the Bible? David’s slaying of Goliath is one of the Bible’s most well-known stories. But the story’s plot line...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
David’s slaying of Goliath is one of the Bible’s most well-known stories. But the story’s plot line in the Hebrew Bible contains three confusing wrinkles. First, the reader is introduced to David twice in the narrative. Second, David meets Saul, the king of Israel, twice in the...
Classical Wisdom
Weekly Wisdom Quiz From Macedonia to the Moon
2 months ago
TheCollector
4 Notorious Roman Emperors and Their Scandalous Stories Evolving from the Roman Republic, Rome became an empire in 27 BCE and seemed to be off to a good...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Evolving from the Roman Republic, Rome became an empire in 27 BCE and seemed to be off to a good start with Augustus, who had a posthumous reputation for a high moral character and effective rule. Some Roman emperors seem to have followed in his footsteps, such as the “five good...
TheCollector
What Court Rules Did Marie Antoinette Have to Follow? With privilege comes specific obligations, or so it would seem in the 1700 French royal court of...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
With privilege comes specific obligations, or so it would seem in the 1700 French royal court of Versailles. In order to reinforce the hierarchy and culture the French royal family had specific rules and pageantry attached to regular every day occurrences that Marie Antoinette...
TheCollector
9 Ancient Roman Roads That Still Exist Today During Roman times, the empire stretched from Britain to the Middle East, held together by fortified...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
During Roman times, the empire stretched from Britain to the Middle East, held together by fortified cities, sprawling forums, aqueducts, and military camps. Sites like Diocletian’s Palace in Split, the arena in Nîmes, the Roman theater in Cartagena, and the arches of Narbonne...
TheCollector
How Locke and His Heirs Redefined Beauty (Aesthetic Sense) The century that is very important for the development of modern aesthetics was influenced by the...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
The century that is very important for the development of modern aesthetics was influenced by the philosophers of the 17th century. This century is dominated by rationalism and empiricism. The latter begins with the philosophy of John Locke. Then, there is almost no mention of...
TheCollector
Is Pascal’s Wager About Happiness? Pascal’s Wager is frequently misunderstood as an argument for the existence of God. In fact, Pascal...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Pascal’s Wager is frequently misunderstood as an argument for the existence of God. In fact, Pascal believed it was impossible to argue that God either exists or does not exist. His wager is essentially a bet we can make on the existence of God: the stake is our happiness, and...
TheCollector
What Happened to Olympias, Mother of Alexander the Great? By the time Alexander the Great died in the summer of 323 BCE Olympias had over three decades of...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
By the time Alexander the Great died in the summer of 323 BCE Olympias had over three decades of experience at the forefront of Macedonian politics, first as a wife and then as a mother of kings. She was one of the first ancient Greek women to have a significant impact on...
TheCollector
Your Ultimate Guide to São Paulo’s Must-See Art Attractions São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and in the western hemisphere with over 22 million people....
2 months ago
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2 months ago
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and in the western hemisphere with over 22 million people. Within this massive metropolis are world-class museums, art galleries, and endless street art. The city is home to famous artists and collectors who fuel its creative energy. This...
TheCollector
What Was the Relationship Between Assyria and Babylon? The Assyrian Empire grew out of the city of Assur, which was named for the principal god of Assyria,...
2 months ago
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The Assyrian Empire grew out of the city of Assur, which was named for the principal god of Assyria, and became a significant military power. Meanwhile, Babylon was under the patronage of the god Marduk and was known as an important cultural and religious center in the region....
TheCollector
Who Were the Legendary Sons of King Arthur? In the Arthurian legends, Mordred is by far the most famous son of King Arthur to modern audiences....
2 months ago
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2 months ago
In the Arthurian legends, Mordred is by far the most famous son of King Arthur to modern audiences. He was the figure who instigated a civil war against Arthur, leading to the downfall of Camelot. However, in the earliest traces of the Arthurian legends, Mordred was not Arthur’s...
TheCollector
What Did People Eat in the Middle Ages? People often have several misconceptions about medieval food. There seems to be a notion that...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
People often have several misconceptions about medieval food. There seems to be a notion that peasants survived on crusts of stale bread and watered-down ale, while every night the lord of the manor and the kings and emperors around the globe were feasting on rich, expensive...
TheCollector
How Did James VI and I React to the Scottish Reformation? We know King James I of England primarily through his name being attached to the King James Version...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
We know King James I of England primarily through his name being attached to the King James Version of the Holy Bible, which was printed in 1611. Before he was James I of England, he was James VI of Scotland, enthroned there in 1567. He was a Protestant King, but also believed in...
Flashbak
American: Robin de Puy’s Portraits of People of Notice “You can’t lump all Americans together,” she points out. “The project emerged from this thought. Who...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
“You can’t lump all Americans together,” she points out. “The project emerged from this thought. Who lives in America? Who are we talking about when we refer to ‘the American’?” – Robin de Puys   In 2015, Dutch photographer Robin de Puy drove 8,000 miles across the US on a Harley...
TheCollector
10 Must-See Medieval Castles in Japan Medieval castles in Japan originated during the Sengoku period (1467–1603), a time of relentless...
2 months ago
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Medieval castles in Japan originated during the Sengoku period (1467–1603), a time of relentless civil war when regional warlords, or daimyō, fortified strategic sites to defend territory and assert power. Unlike European castles, these structures evolved into complex hubs of...
TheCollector
Hannibal’s First Great Victory Over Rome at the Battle of Trebbia (218 BCE) In 218 BCE, the Second Punic War erupted when Carthage captured the Spanish city of Saguntum, an...
2 months ago
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In 218 BCE, the Second Punic War erupted when Carthage captured the Spanish city of Saguntum, an ally of the Roman Republic. The war was one of the ancient world’s largest conflicts. It was fought across Spain, Italy, and Africa, eventually spilling over into Greece and Asia....
Dreams of Space -...
My Weekly Reader April 9, 1962 My Weekly Reader for April 9, 1961 is now YOUR weekly reader! Just a minor article about space...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
My Weekly Reader for April 9, 1961 is now YOUR weekly reader! Just a minor article about space medals, so look and see!
Global Inequality...
Too much or not enough of Ricardo? Review of “Ricardo’s Dream” by Nat Dyer
2 months ago
TheCollector
Was Charles VI of France Truly Mad or Misunderstood? Few monarchs have caused so much controversy among historians as Charles VI of France (r....
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Few monarchs have caused so much controversy among historians as Charles VI of France (r. 1380-1422). Charles VI is perhaps most well-known for his losses during the Hundred Years’ War and for turning the tide in favor of the English. However, should we be looking at his reign in...
TheCollector
How Nietzsche’s Zarathustra Redefined Morality & Revolutionized Philosophy Few philosophical writings are as evocative and poetic as Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Written in...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Few philosophical writings are as evocative and poetic as Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Written in dramatic, even prophetic style, Nietzsche’s Zarathustra is not so much literature—it’s more of a provocation, a vision, and a call to humanity to go beyond itself. Through mystical...
A Collection of...
Collections: Nitpicking Gladiator’s Iconic Opening Battle, Part II This week we’re continuing our three-part (I) look at one of film’s most famous Roman battle...
2 months ago
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This week we’re continuing our three-part (I) look at one of film’s most famous Roman battle sequences, the iconic opening battle from Gladiator (2000). I had planned this to be in two parts, but even though this sequence is relatively short, it provides an awful lot to talk...
Flashbak
July 12 in Northern Ireland, 1987–1998 Much has changed in Northern Ireland Mike Abrahams took these pictures, including the Good Friday...
2 months ago
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Much has changed in Northern Ireland Mike Abrahams took these pictures, including the Good Friday Agreement and a return to power sharing. “I am not a news photographer,” says Abrahams to Cafe Royal, which has published a zine of his pictures of July 12 celebrations, “there are...
Classical Wisdom
The First EVER Sci-Fi Novel? An Ancient Journey to the Moon
2 months ago
TheCollector
How Did Nubia Shape Ancient Egypt? The ancient Egyptians were known for disliking, or even despising, foreigners. In art and texts,...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
The ancient Egyptians were known for disliking, or even despising, foreigners. In art and texts, they often depicted their closest neighbors—the Libyans, Asiatics/Canaanites, and the Nubians. Of those, they perhaps had the most complex relationship with the Nubians. The Egyptians...
TheCollector
Was Virgil’s Aeneid For or Against Emperor Augustus? The Aeneid was written at the end of the 1st century BCE, in the aftermath of numerous civil wars,...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
The Aeneid was written at the end of the 1st century BCE, in the aftermath of numerous civil wars, the fall of the Roman Republic, and the emergence of Augustus as the principal power in Rome. In this landscape, Augustus, the adoptive son of Caesar, strove to present himself as...
TheCollector
British Museum Curator Jill Cook on the Artistic Renaissance of the Ice Age In a discussion with TheCollector, Jill Cook, Keeper of the Department of Britain, Europe, and...
2 months ago
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In a discussion with TheCollector, Jill Cook, Keeper of the Department of Britain, Europe, and Prehistory at the British Museum, tells us about her latest book, “Ice Age Art Now” by British Museum Press. The conversation explored the concept and nature of Ice Age art, its...
TheCollector
Here’s Why John the Baptist Was Called the Greatest Prophet John was Jesus’s relative—perhaps a second cousin—born about six months before Jesus. With the...
2 months ago
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John was Jesus’s relative—perhaps a second cousin—born about six months before Jesus. With the exception of Mary, John could be considered the most important witness to Jesus’s identity as the Messiah of Israel, as recorded in the Four Gospels. His baptism of Jesus defined how he...
TheCollector
6 Monastic Marvels of Medieval Europe Monasteries helped shape medieval Europe in ways that often go unnoticed today. Beyond their...
2 months ago
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Monasteries helped shape medieval Europe in ways that often go unnoticed today. Beyond their religious role, they influenced learning, politics, and art across the continent. Of the thousands built between the 5th and 15th centuries, more than 500 still stand; some in truly...
TheCollector
What Happened to Anne Boleyn’s Iconic “B” Necklace? The tale of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s fiercest queen, is as captivating as it is shocking. Despite...
2 months ago
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The tale of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s fiercest queen, is as captivating as it is shocking. Despite Henry’s efforts to erase her from history as if she were Nefertiti instead of a woman in the modern era, Anne’s legacy persists — she was, after all, mother to the monarch who ruled...
TheCollector
Fascinating Medieval Creatures (From Krakens to Dragons) Folk beliefs in the Middle Ages included a variety of fantastical creatures pulled from a hodgepodge...
2 months ago
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Folk beliefs in the Middle Ages included a variety of fantastical creatures pulled from a hodgepodge of local customs, ancient tales, Judeo-Christian teachings, and limited understanding of zoology. The sea monsters and demons that feature in these stories range from the famous...
TheCollector
How Did the Public React to Henry Fuseli’s “The Nightmare”? The public reacted to Henry Fuseli’s The Nightmare immediately after it was exhibited at the Royal...
2 months ago
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The public reacted to Henry Fuseli’s The Nightmare immediately after it was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1782. It rattled audiences, spurring artists to copy the painting into prints and satires for a wider distribution of the image. As the image spread, so did its...
Flashbak
All 41 Plates From Evelyn Waugh’s Victorian Blood Book, Durenstein! Among the papers left behind by the English writer Evelyn Waugh (8 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) is...
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Among the papers left behind by the English writer Evelyn Waugh (8 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) is a so-called Victorian Blood Book. This large rectangular decoupage scrapbook of 41 plates bound and wrapped in marble endpapers is remarkable, strange and unsettling, with echoes...
TheCollector
11 Essential Movies to Watch to Understand Film Noir Film noir is a genre of stylish American crime movies that emerged in the 1940s and 1950s, pushing...
2 months ago
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Film noir is a genre of stylish American crime movies that emerged in the 1940s and 1950s, pushing boundaries as they explored the darker side of humanity. These films feature some of Hollywood’s biggest Golden Age actors in labyrinthine plots that take them through the darkened...
TheCollector
How Bellerophon and Pegasus Took Down the Fire Breathing Chimera The heroic tale of Bellerophon and Pegasus is an inspiring story of perseverance and triumph in the...
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The heroic tale of Bellerophon and Pegasus is an inspiring story of perseverance and triumph in the face of insurmountable challenges. Despite facing misfortune initially, Bellerophon refused to let fate dictate his destiny. He accomplished the seemingly impossible by defeating...
TheCollector
Why Was the Islamic Golden Age a Turning Point in History? The Islamic Golden Age, spanning the 8th to the 14th centuries, was a rare historical period where...
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The Islamic Golden Age, spanning the 8th to the 14th centuries, was a rare historical period where developments in arts, culture and science coalesced, leading to a series of seismic academic breakthroughs. Islamic scholars advanced older knowledge or created their own...
TheCollector
9 Must-Visit World Heritage Sites in the Netherlands From medieval storms like the St. Lucia’s Flood in 1287 and the catastrophic All Saints’ Flood of...
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From medieval storms like the St. Lucia’s Flood in 1287 and the catastrophic All Saints’ Flood of 1570 to the brutal Siege of Haarlem during the Eighty Years’ War and the 1953 North Sea Flood that reshaped flood policy, the Netherlands has repeatedly faced existential threats....
TheCollector
How the Scythian Empire Ruled the Near East for Just 28 Years In the early 1st millennium BCE, the Scythians burst onto the ancient Near Eastern geopolitical...
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In the early 1st millennium BCE, the Scythians burst onto the ancient Near Eastern geopolitical scene in a frenzy of violence. The upstart Indo-European nomads upended the early Iron Age system that had developed in the region. By the late 7th century BCE, they made themselves...
History Today Feed
A Royal Skeleton in the Chapel A Royal Skeleton in the Chapel JamesHoare Thu, 06/12/2025 - 07:00
2 months ago
Flashbak
Ralph Eugene Meatyard : Masks And Dolls American photographer Ralph Eugene Meatyard said that masks erased the differences between people.  ...
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American photographer Ralph Eugene Meatyard said that masks erased the differences between people.     One day in 1958 or ’59, professional optician and “dedicated amateur” photographer Ralph Eugene Meatyard (May 15, 1925 – May 7, 1972) bought a few dozen masks in a branch of...
TheCollector
Athena, Greek Goddess of Wisdom, War, and Weaving Athena was one of the most beloved and complex gods in the Greek pantheon. She was an arbiter of...
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Athena was one of the most beloved and complex gods in the Greek pantheon. She was an arbiter of justice and the goddess of war, a patron of peaceful crafts and protector of the state. To modern audiences, she is best known as the goddess of wisdom, yet this association was not...
TheCollector
8 Inventions to Thank the Aztec, Maya, & Inca For Columbus may have sailed in pursuit of gold, but what he and his successors found was a new world...
2 months ago
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Columbus may have sailed in pursuit of gold, but what he and his successors found was a new world full of never-before-seen plants, animals, and even technology. From unique foods to mind-boggling tools and skills, civilizations in Meso- and South America wowed newcomers with...