After Commodore Matthew Perry visited Japan and cajoled the Tokugawa Shogunate to establish commercial and diplomatic relations, Japanese society was riven by divisions between modernizers and traditionalists. The modernizers eventually triumphed in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, after which Japan sought to create its own empire in Asia.   Commodore Perry’s Visit to Japan […]

The figure of Aeneas of Troy first appears in the Homeric epics of Greek mythology, but he emerges as a central figure in Roman mythology, described most thoroughly in Virgil’s Aeneid. In Roman legends, Aeneas is involved in the founding of Rome. He is said to have become a king of the Latins early […]

Few historical events fascinate modern audiences as much as the Salem witch trials of 1692, which saw more than 200 people accused and 19 people executed for witchcraft. But what underlying factors allowed the witch trials to happen in 17th century Massachusetts, and can we empathize with the people who accused their friends and […]

Hermes, known by his Roman name Mercury, is one of the most unconventional Olympian gods. As the god of shepherds, thieves, lies, commerce, and boundaries, he embodies a diverse range of human experiences. Considered a close friend to humanity, Hermes is credited with inventing fire, serving as the messenger of the gods, and guiding […]

Solon was considered by Plutarch and many other ancient authors as one of the seven wise men, or sages, of Greece. He became famous as a statesman but was also a philosopher and poet. He came to power in Athens in the early 6th century BCE when the city was in political and economic […]