Upon converting to Christianity in the 4th century, Ethiopia’s rulers took their new religion and invested themselves with an entirely new national mythos. Dynasties traced their roots back as far as possible (and even beyond) in order to solidify their legitimacy. And where better to start than with the central text of Christianity, the […]

Europe’s long Middle Ages have a reputation as a low point in Western civilization. The period from the 5th to the 15th century is a byword for anything unenlightened and barbaric. Modern historians, however, prefer to view this stretch as a series of epochs and incremental changes. Among these, the 12th-century Renaissance is especially […]

Hesiod (c. 750-650 BCE) is one of the earliest extant Greek poets. His most notable surviving works are Theogony, which describes the origins and genealogy of the gods and the universe, and Works and Days, which covers various subjects such as farming advice, mythical stories, mortality, religion, and the decline of humanity. Unlike his […]

Captain Kidd was one of many notorious pirates that operated during the 17th century “Golden Age of Piracy.” Legend has it he hid his treasure, intending to come back to it, but was stopped short when the law caught up with him. So where is this alleged treasure, and if people know where it […]