Full Width [alt+shift+f] FOCUS MODE Shortcuts [alt+shift+k]
Sign Up [alt+shift+s] Log In [alt+shift+l]
Top Categories > history
#all #programming #history #technology #startups #life #science #literature #creative #architecture #design #travel #finance #comics #AI #indiehacker #cartography Muted Categories [alt+←][alt+→]
TheCollector
The Trojan Horse, the Deception That Ended the Trojan War Arguably, one of the most famous aspects of the Trojan War is the story of how it ended. This story...
a month ago
19
a month ago
Arguably, one of the most famous aspects of the Trojan War is the story of how it ended. This story famously involved the incredible deception of the Trojan Horse. According to this ancient legend, the Trojan Horse was used by the Greeks to end a grueling ten-year siege of the...
TheCollector
5 Generals Who Defeated Napoleon in Battle Napoleon Bonaparte is considered one of the greatest military leaders in history. As a result of his...
a month ago
21
a month ago
Napoleon Bonaparte is considered one of the greatest military leaders in history. As a result of his operational and tactical prowess, he suffered only ten defeats of the 80 or so battles he fought in his career. The generals who defeated him on the field of battle were...
Flashbak
Phenomena of Materialisation : Investigating The Naked Psychic Eva Carrière “Miss Eva prepared the heads before every séance, and endeavoured to make them unrecognizable. A...
a month ago
25
a month ago
“Miss Eva prepared the heads before every séance, and endeavoured to make them unrecognizable. A clean-shaven face was decorated with a beard. Grey hairs became black curls, a broad forehead was made into a narrow one. But, in spite of all her endeavours, she could not obliterate...
Classical Wisdom
Democracy and Tyranny Plato's Academy Event: This Weekend
a month ago
TheCollector
No One Knows How Cleopatra Really Died But These Are the Most Compelling Theories Cleopatra VII, the last active pharaoh of Egypt, died in August 30 BCE after her kingdom was invaded...
a month ago
21
a month ago
Cleopatra VII, the last active pharaoh of Egypt, died in August 30 BCE after her kingdom was invaded and conquered by Rome’s first emperor, Octavian. Political ambition, strategic alliances, and legendary relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony marked her life. But her...
TheCollector
4 Ways that Magical Realism Rewrites History In a particularly striking scene from Gabriel García Márquez’s Nobel prize-winning novel One Hundred...
a month ago
14
a month ago
In a particularly striking scene from Gabriel García Márquez’s Nobel prize-winning novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, a trickle of blood takes on a life of its own, flowing from room to room, going around the carpets, crossing terraces, and climbing over curbs as it makes its...
History Today Feed
Kikunae Ikeda’s MSG Revolution Kikunae Ikeda’s MSG Revolution JamesHoare Tue, 07/22/2025 - 09:00
a month ago
TheCollector
The Symbols and Strange Stories Behind Rembrandt’s Night Watch The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn is one of the most analyzed paintings in the history of art....
a month ago
14
a month ago
The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn is one of the most analyzed paintings in the history of art. This fascinating artwork has survived many wars, three attacks by vandals, and years of extensive research and attempts to decode its meaning and complex composition. Let’s explore...
TheCollector
Is Gibbon’s “The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire” Still Relevant? In the 18th century, Edward Gibbon wrote his six-volume magnum opus, The History of the Decline and...
a month ago
9
a month ago
In the 18th century, Edward Gibbon wrote his six-volume magnum opus, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. It covers the history of the empire that started in the city of Rome from 98 CE to 1590 CE; over 3,928 pages. For generations, it was considered required...
TheCollector
6 Magnificent Medieval Castles Around the World Medieval castles evolved as needs or technology changed. Normal castle construction consisted of...
a month ago
15
a month ago
Medieval castles evolved as needs or technology changed. Normal castle construction consisted of thick stone walls, battlements, ample food storage for soldiers, and perhaps a moat or an internal spring. Builders constructed castles in various ways over time, creating many unique...
TheCollector
Calypso, the Nymph Who Held Odysseus Captive Calypso was a beautiful nymph who lived alone on the isolated island of Ogygia. Her solitude changed...
a month ago
23
a month ago
Calypso was a beautiful nymph who lived alone on the isolated island of Ogygia. Her solitude changed when the shipwrecked hero Odysseus washed ashore. Calypso fell in love with him and offered him immortality and an idyllic paradise in exchange for staying with her and marrying...
TheCollector
Nietzsche vs. Schopenhauer’s Views on Life, Suffering, and the Will Does life weigh us down, or is it an adventure we should accept? Nietzsche and Schopenhauer...
a month ago
20
a month ago
Does life weigh us down, or is it an adventure we should accept? Nietzsche and Schopenhauer disagreed deeply on the meaning of existence and the nature of human suffering. Schopenhauer, the original pessimist, thought that life inevitably brought pain and torment—and that the...
TheCollector
Why Was Hope the Last Gift in Pandora’s Box? The story of Pandora’s box is a well-known tale about Pandora, the first woman according to ancient...
a month ago
18
a month ago
The story of Pandora’s box is a well-known tale about Pandora, the first woman according to ancient Greek mythology, and a box given to her by the gods. Recounted in Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days, the box was originally conceptualized as a jar, only becoming a box when a...
TheCollector
Top 10 Places to Visit in Athens, Greece According to many flight crews, the most beautiful city from above is Athens. Its hilly landscape...
a month ago
23
a month ago
According to many flight crews, the most beautiful city from above is Athens. Its hilly landscape features vast olive groves, palm tree-lined coastal avenues, and urban neighborhoods sprawling across the Attic peninsula. The city is even more breathtaking from the ground, with...
TheCollector
How a 7th-Century War Game Transformed Into a Symbol of Intelligence The game of chess has a history spanning over a thousand years, evolving from the ancient Indian...
a month ago
16
a month ago
The game of chess has a history spanning over a thousand years, evolving from the ancient Indian game of chaturanga into a modern global sport. Shaped by cultural exchange, conquest, and innovation, its rules and strategies have transformed dramatically. Today, modern chess...
TheCollector
Discover the Irish Ogham, the Medieval “Tree Alphabet” Ogham, sometimes referred to as Ogam, was the earliest form of Irish writing. Otherwise known as the...
a month ago
17
a month ago
Ogham, sometimes referred to as Ogam, was the earliest form of Irish writing. Otherwise known as the “tree alphabet” because of its distinctive branch shapes, connections have often been drawn between the Ogham alphabet and the ancient Druids, an Iron Age class of Celtic...
TheCollector
The Life of Seneca, the Stoic Philosopher Who Walked a Moral Tightrope Lucius Annaeus Seneca lived at a formative period in the history of imperial Rome. As a Stoic...
a month ago
14
a month ago
Lucius Annaeus Seneca lived at a formative period in the history of imperial Rome. As a Stoic philosopher who preached virtue and self-restraint, he also served as an advisor to the infamous emperor Nero. His writings, such as his Letters to Lucilius and On the Shortness of Life,...
Dreams of Space -...
My Weekly Reader March 12, 1962 Happy Moon Day! This is the last of this batch of My Weekly Readers. I hope you haven't gotten too...
a month ago
30
a month ago
Happy Moon Day! This is the last of this batch of My Weekly Readers. I hope you haven't gotten too tired of this summer break. In this issue we celebrate the USA in Space. This March 12th issue celebrates John Glenn's success and looking forward to the next set of missions...
TheCollector
What Is the Celtic Revival? (History, Art, and Impact) The Celtic Revival, which began in 19th-century Ireland, was a resurgence of popular interest in a...
a month ago
19
a month ago
The Celtic Revival, which began in 19th-century Ireland, was a resurgence of popular interest in a variety of Celtic and medieval Irish traditions, including art, language, and mythology. The movement held great significance for Irish art history and archaeology, as well as for...
TheCollector
The Enduring Legacy of Suetonius, Rome’s Most Controversial Biographer Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus was an ambitious imperial official under the Roman Emperor Hadrian,...
a month ago
16
a month ago
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus was an ambitious imperial official under the Roman Emperor Hadrian, whose name has come down through history for writing imperial biographies of Rome’s first emperors, called The Twelve Caesars. While his position at court gave him unique access to...
TheCollector
How the Rivalry of Charles V, Francis I, and Henry VIII Shaped Europe In an age when the exercise of power was largely personal rather than corporate, the machinations of...
a month ago
24
a month ago
In an age when the exercise of power was largely personal rather than corporate, the machinations of and rivalry between three great monarchs (Charles V, Henry VIII, Francis I) could and did have an enormous impact on the events of the time. Nearly every war, alliance, scandal,...
TheCollector
The Real Story of the Legendary Ninja Hattori Hanzo The Sengoku Jidai was by far the most turbulent period in Japanese history. The country was split...
a month ago
19
a month ago
The Sengoku Jidai was by far the most turbulent period in Japanese history. The country was split into dozens of separate domains. Various daimyo had their own ideas on how to rule the country and were willing to wage war for it. Some, like Hattori Hanzo Masanari, would be in...
TheCollector
Why Was King James Such a Powerful Figure? Born James Charles Stuart, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, King James inherited the Scottish throne...
a month ago
16
a month ago
Born James Charles Stuart, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, King James inherited the Scottish throne from his mother when she was forced to abdicate on July 24, 1567. He was only an infant when this dramatic life turn took place. Through a convoluted set of circumstances resulting...
TheCollector
5 Sites Related to the Knights Templar in Portugal In Portugal, the Knights Templar left a remarkable legacy, impacting the country’s history,...
a month ago
15
a month ago
In Portugal, the Knights Templar left a remarkable legacy, impacting the country’s history, architecture, and religion. In this article, you will learn how such a secretive religious order helped shape the future of a new kingdom and how they benefited from the king’s unwavering...
Flashbak
The Life and Extraordinary History of the Chevalier John Taylor: The Eye Surgeon Who Robbed You... “The Eye, that most amazing, that stupendous, that comprehending, that incomprehensible, that...
a month ago
20
a month ago
“The Eye, that most amazing, that stupendous, that comprehending, that incomprehensible, that miraculous Organ, the Eye, is the Proteus of the Passions, the Herald of the Mind, The Interpreter of the Heart, and the Window of the Soul. The Eye has Dominion over all Things. The...
TheCollector
The Draugr (Norse Undead) Who Haunted the Viking World The Vikings believed in life after death, but also that people could get caught between life and...
a month ago
15
a month ago
The Vikings believed in life after death, but also that people could get caught between life and death. Returning as a revenant usually happened to evil people who clung to life for their own vile purposes. These zombie-like creatures were called, among other things, “draugr,”...
TheCollector
An In-Depth Guide to the Christian Doctrine of God The doctrine of God as taught by Christian theologians differs from the conceptual God debated by...
a month ago
11
a month ago
The doctrine of God as taught by Christian theologians differs from the conceptual God debated by philosophers and the inner God experienced by mystics. But how exactly is the God of the scholars and visionaries different from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as Pascal...
TheCollector
What 1 & 2 Kings Reveal About Power and Faith First and Second Kings are one literary work that was divided into the two books we have today when...
a month ago
18
a month ago
First and Second Kings are one literary work that was divided into the two books we have today when translators rendered the Hebrew text into the Greek Septuagint. That division was carried through to the Latin Vulgate and subsequently into modern Bible translations. The...
TheCollector
How to Read the Books of the Prophets in the Bible Most people who have picked up a Bible have at some time thought: “Well… this makes no sense!” The...
a month ago
19
a month ago
Most people who have picked up a Bible have at some time thought: “Well… this makes no sense!” The Bible is a dense collection of writings that was written over centuries. It is no wonder that it does not always make for easy reading. Many modern Christians are hesitant to dive...
TheCollector
How Did Matisse’s Time in Moscow Shape His Fauvist Art? In 1911, Henri Matisse arrived in Moscow upon the invitation of a famous art collector called Sergei...
a month ago
15
a month ago
In 1911, Henri Matisse arrived in Moscow upon the invitation of a famous art collector called Sergei Shchukin. Known for his radical taste, Shchukin acquired works by Matisse, Picasso, and Cezanne at a time when their art was scarcely accepted, even in Western circles. In Moscow,...
TheCollector
What Led to the Rise and Fall of the Indus Civilization? Lost beneath Pakistan and India’s plains, the Indus—or Harappan—Civilization flourished between...
a month ago
15
a month ago
Lost beneath Pakistan and India’s plains, the Indus—or Harappan—Civilization flourished between 2700-1900 BCE, building the ancient world’s biggest cities long before we even knew they existed. Unearthed only in 1924, these sites reveal no sprawling palaces, temples or writings,...
TheCollector
The 6 Empires That Shaped the Bible Story The events recorded in the Bible cover thousands of years with thousands of proper names. One way to...
a month ago
17
a month ago
The events recorded in the Bible cover thousands of years with thousands of proper names. One way to impose order on such complex material is to classify it in terms of the empires that were dominant at the time in which the major events occurred. This is an especially useful...
TheCollector
The Origins & Symbolism of the Phoenix (From Ancient Greece to Christianity) The myth of the Phoenix is closely identified with stories from ancient Greek and Roman literature,...
a month ago
11
a month ago
The myth of the Phoenix is closely identified with stories from ancient Greek and Roman literature, although there are Egyptian and Persian counterparts that may have outdated and influenced these. What is less well known are the references to the phoenix and phoenixlike birds...
TheCollector
The Primordial Gods of Greek Mythology Who Preceded the Olympians According to Greek mythology, when the cosmos was created, it was initially inhabited by the first...
a month ago
11
a month ago
According to Greek mythology, when the cosmos was created, it was initially inhabited by the first generation of beings known as the Primordial gods or Protogenoi (Firstborn). Many of these gods appeared fully formed at the moment of the cosmos’s creation. They personified the...
A Collection of...
Collections: Life, Work, Death and the Peasant, Part II: Starting at the End This is the second part of our series (I) discussing the basic contours of life – birth, marriage,...
a month ago
33
a month ago
This is the second part of our series (I) discussing the basic contours of life – birth, marriage, labor, subsistence, death – of pre-modern peasants and their families. As we’ve discussed, pre-modern peasant farmers make up the vast majority of human beings in in the past. Last...
TheCollector
When Was Homer’s Iliad Written? Unraveling the Controversy Homer’s Iliad tells the story of the Trojan War. Traditionally, that war has been dated to the late...
a month ago
22
a month ago
Homer’s Iliad tells the story of the Trojan War. Traditionally, that war has been dated to the late Bronze Age, approximately c. 1200 BCE. However, the Iliad itself was not written that early in history. There is wide agreement that Homer—or whoever the true author of the Iliad...
TheCollector
What Is the Great Commission? The Final Words of Jesus In the final verses of the Gospel of Matthew we find a passage that is often called “the Great...
a month ago
14
a month ago
In the final verses of the Gospel of Matthew we find a passage that is often called “the Great Commission.” Matthew’s Gospel ends abruptly, with the resurrected Christ appearing to the disciples one last time and saying the words that would later become famous as the Great...
TheCollector
Was “Bad” King John Really That Bad? Among the kings of England there have been eight Henrys, eight Edwards, and six Georges but there...
a month ago
17
a month ago
Among the kings of England there have been eight Henrys, eight Edwards, and six Georges but there has only ever been one John. His successors did not want to be associated with the stain the name had in the minds of the English people. Considering what the monk Matthew Paris...
TheCollector
How Did the Aztec Empire Rise and Fall in Mesoamerica? The Aztec Empire is among the most talked about Mesoamerican societies. The prominent empire spanned...
a month ago
16
a month ago
The Aztec Empire is among the most talked about Mesoamerican societies. The prominent empire spanned between 1325 and 1521 CE and covered a significant portion of the modern-day regions of central and southern Mexico. While historians refer to the inhabitants as the Aztecs, they...
Flashbak
Photographing The Black Panthers: All Power To The People (1967 – 1973) “I wanted to show the whole picture of the Black Panther Party. Most of the media focused on the...
a month ago
21
a month ago
“I wanted to show the whole picture of the Black Panther Party. Most of the media focused on the rallies and looked for controversy. I wanted to show what it was like behind the scenes and portray a more complete, complicated portrait of the Panthers.” – Stephen Shames...
TheCollector
How Gustave Moreau’s Mystical Paintings Defined the Symbolist Movement The late 19th century was a time of political and social upheaval in France. In response to the...
a month ago
18
a month ago
The late 19th century was a time of political and social upheaval in France. In response to the changing cultural landscape, a small group of writers and artists struck out in defiance of the literal, natural art popular at the time. They turned their focus inward, using their...
TheCollector
Demetrius “the Besieger” and the Epic Scramble for Alexander’s Empire Demetrius Poliorcetes, “the Besieger,” became central to the scramble for power following the death...
a month ago
14
a month ago
Demetrius Poliorcetes, “the Besieger,” became central to the scramble for power following the death of Alexander the Great. The drama of his life is such that a historian described it as one that “still awaits a movie producer” (Chaniotis, 2018, 47). Ever-changing fortune cast...
TheCollector
6 Key Themes For Understanding Confucianism William Theodore de Bary, sinologist and scholar of East Asian Philosophy at Columbia University,...
a month ago
16
a month ago
William Theodore de Bary, sinologist and scholar of East Asian Philosophy at Columbia University, said that “if we were to characterize, in one word, the Chinese way of life for the last two thousand years, the word would be ‘Confucian.’”   The primary consideration of...
TheCollector
A Journey Through Greece’s Byzantine & Venetian Heritage in Monemvasia Known as the “Gibraltar of the East,” Monemvasia is a rocky Greek island with a rich Byzantine and...
a month ago
17
a month ago
Known as the “Gibraltar of the East,” Monemvasia is a rocky Greek island with a rich Byzantine and Venetian history. A completely walled city, its strategic location made it an important trading port for both empires. This combination made for a unique blend of cultures whose...
TheCollector
How Dark Age Britain Created Welsh Mythology Many mythologies from around the world are based in a historical setting. For example, in the case...
a month ago
18
a month ago
Many mythologies from around the world are based in a historical setting. For example, in the case of ancient Greek mythology, many scholars agree that much of it originates in some sense from Bronze Age Greece. What about Welsh mythology? Over the 20th century, many scholars...
TheCollector
How the Renaissance Sparked a Religious Revolution in Europe The Renaissance was symbolic of an intellectual shift in Western Europe that emphasized and promoted...
a month ago
17
a month ago
The Renaissance was symbolic of an intellectual shift in Western Europe that emphasized and promoted values such as education, individualism, and objectivity via humanist philosophies. This way of thinking had an impact on politics, art, and especially religion. The values...
TheCollector
The Hidden Human Histories Buried in the Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is one of Earth’s most incredible and iconic landmarks. But its sculpted stones and...
a month ago
19
a month ago
The Grand Canyon is one of Earth’s most incredible and iconic landmarks. But its sculpted stones and carved canyons aren’t just a geological timeline. Humans have inhabited, worshipped, and traversed the region for thousands of years. Read on to discover how the hidden histories...
TheCollector
Classical Sculpture Techniques and Their Surprising Influence on Modernism The thread between ancient and modern art was entwined. Artists of the modern art period employed...
a month ago
14
a month ago
The thread between ancient and modern art was entwined. Artists of the modern art period employed classical sculpting techniques, materials, and sometimes themes in the creation of their own works of art. The methods and styles used before the first millennium were never fully...
TheCollector
What Do We Know About the “Missing” Books of the Bible? In the early years of Christianity, following the time of the New Testament, multiple books were...
a month ago
14
a month ago
In the early years of Christianity, following the time of the New Testament, multiple books were circulated around the newly formed churches. Among those books and letters, a consensus among the churches arose as to which ones were authentically written by an apostle of Jesus...
Flashbak
London’s World West: Harlesden in 1997 Harlesden was once a Saxon settlement. The Domesday Book calls it “Hervlvestvne”. In 1997, Harlesden...
a month ago
28
a month ago
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...