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ANCIENT HISTORY

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Bust of Julius Caesar beside a historical Roman illustration.
Why Julius Caesar Refused to Wear the Royal Diadem
5 hours ago • Jessica Suess
fork you aristophanes feature
The Ancient Greek Roots of the World’s Most Offensive Gesture
10 hours ago • Greg Beyer
How Paleolithic Hunters and Ice Age Wolves Formed an Evolutionary Alliance

Around 30,000 BC, paleolithic wolves formed a beneficial relationship with humans that would eventually lead to modern dogs.

8 Largest Armies of the Ancient World From Rome to China

Even in the ancient period, some empires could deploy large armies of hundreds of thousands of men to defeat and destroy their enemies.

How Ostrogoths Created a Kingdom in Italy From the Ashes of Roman Civilization

Theodoric's Ostrogothic Kingdom rose from Rome's ashes. How did one man's violent ambition lead to an era of surprising peace and cooperation?

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Why Winston Churchill Felt Relieved After Pearl Harbor
6 hours ago • Mike Cohen
The Mitford sisters in a vintage black-and-white portrait.
The Wild Lives and Political Extremes of the 6 Mitford Sisters
The Day King Philip Augustus Defeated Three European Powers at Once

The Battle of Bouvines, won by King Philip Augustus of France, was one of the most decisive battles in European history.

Why Did British Soldiers Wear Red Uniforms for Centuries?

Contrary to popular myth, the signature color of the British Empire wasn’t used to hide blood!

4 Legendary WWII Warships That Altered Global History

Like the Great War, World War II produced great ships, both Axis and Allied. These individual ships, which took part in actions, triumphs, or even losses, helped change the war.

 
Roman Emperors
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PHILOSOPHY

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An astrolabe next to a black-and-white portrait.
Why Intuition Is a Method, Not a Feeling (Deleuze on Bergson)
9 hours ago • Giorgi Vachnadze
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9 Essential Ideas From Plato’s Republic Explained
2 days ago • Antonis Chaliakopoulos
Post-Modern Stoics? The Revival of Stoicism in the Late 20th Century

The unexpected revival of Stoicism, from Foucault to Deleuze, as a modern tool for self-care, political resistance, and an authentic life.

9 Essential Ideas From Plato’s Republic Explained

In the Republic, Plato asks who should rule and whether justice is better than power.

Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus: Key Similarities and Differences

Existentialists Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus were once friends, but differences ultimately ended their friendship.

ART & ARTISTS

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martin wong capturing new york city
Martin Wong: Capturing New York City in the 1980s
11 hours ago • Kristen Osborne-Bartucca
Dracula poster movie still
How Vampires Conquered Folklore, Literature, and Art
13 hours ago • Dr. Victoria C. Roskams
10 English Words With Arabic Origins

Discover the roots of ten words that came into the English language from Arabic.

10 Facts About Benvenuto Cellini’s “Perseus With the Head of Medusa”

Benvenuto Cellini’s "Perseus with the Head of Medusa" is a triumph of Mannerist sculpture. Its legacy is deeply entangled in political and artistic controversy.

7 Most Famous Renaissance Paintings Inspired by Mythology

Thousands of years after their emergence, classical myths still excite us. Mythology surrounds us, and our fascination with Renaissance art keeps this love alive.

TRAVEL & CULTURE

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Witchy Locations USA
5 Spooking Places in the US with Witchy Histories to Visit This Halloween
Man looking at Starry Night with Van Gogh foreground
Where to Find Van Gogh’s Most Iconic Paintings Worldwide
13 days ago • Laura Pattara
10 Ancient Cities That You Can Still Visit Today

From Roman grid cities to lost desert fortresses, these ancient cities offer a rare chance to explore history where it actually happened.

These Are the Museums With Vermeer’s Most Famous Paintings

He left barely three dozen paintings and died broke and overlooked. Two centuries on, hunting down Vermeer’s masterpieces is half the experience.

Where to Find Van Gogh’s Most Iconic Paintings Worldwide

Van Gogh sold one painting and died penniless at 37. The work he couldn’t give away now hangs in the world’s biggest museums.

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God the Father holding the dead body of Jesus
How the Heretic Marcion Tried to Erase the Old Testament
a day ago • James Fester
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How Shinto Evolved from Prehistoric Nature Worship in Ancient Japan
4 days ago • Mike Cohen
How 2,000 Years of Western Art Redefined the Depiction of Eve

From medieval shame to modern empowerment, trace how changing cultural views shaped the depiction of Eve across 2,000 years of Western art.

What Does the Moabite Stone Reveal About the Kingdom of Israel?

An ancient black basalt slab carved by King Mesha offers rare insight into the Kingdom of Israel.

Which Biblical Cities Have Archaeologists Actually Discovered?

Archaeology has brought ancient Scripture to life by unearthing real destruction layers, inscriptions, and monumental walls across the Levant.

Lesser known wonders of the ancient world
7 Lesser-Known Wonders of the Ancient World You Can Still Visit
20 days ago • Alexandra Doyle
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7 Lesser-Known Special Forces of World War II
25 days ago • Owen Rust
7 Lesser-Known Special Forces of World War II

During World War II, both the Allied and Axis powers used special forces units to accomplish specific tasks. What are some lesser-known special forces?

7 Lesser-Known Wonders of the Ancient World You Can Still Visit

All but one of the so-called Seven Wonders of the Ancient World disappeared long ago, but you can still visit these lesser-known ancient wonders.

Blue Fugates: The True Story of Kentucky’s Blue People

The Blue Fugates of Troublesome Creek baffled science for decades, until a rare mutation that caused the color was discovered.

Using Thucydides to Understand Modern Politics with Neville Morley (PODCAST)
Using Thucydides to Understand Modern Politics with Neville Morley (PODCAST)
Reading the Iliad Through an Environmental Lens with Edith Hall
Reading the Iliad Through an Environmental Lens with Edith Hall
What Stoicism and Skepticism Teach Us Today with Massimo Pigliucci (PODCAST)
What Stoicism and Skepticism Teach Us Today with Massimo Pigliucci (PODCAST)

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