A collection of great stories that teach, inform, and inspire millions of readers.

One of the most commonly produced objects in Europe during the Middle Ages was a Book of Hours, or a small personal prayer book.

Who were the most brilliant naval minds in US history? Examine the legendary admirals who secured American dominance on the high seas.

Most Romans lived in crowded insulae apartment blocks. This meant small rooms, shared facilities, fire risks, and lower-quality housing for many.

Most Romans lived in crowded insulae apartment blocks. This meant small rooms, shared facilities, fire risks, and lower-quality housing for many.

Some of our most quotable sayings date back thousands of years to ancient Greece and Rome. But who said them, and what do they really mean?

Edward Gibbon published his iconic history in 1776, but what do modern archaeologists and historians think of his core thesis on Rome's collapse.

Who were the most brilliant naval minds in US history? Examine the legendary admirals who secured American dominance on the high seas.

The Battle of Vienna (1683) saw a Holy League coalition break the Ottoman siege, permanently ending Ottoman territorial expansion into Central Europe.

The Renaissance was a time of massive change in Europe, and served as a foundation of growth for some of the continent’s biggest cities.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (died AD 65) authored 124 Stoic letters to Lucilius, transforming ancient philosophy into a practical guide for managing anxiety and grief.

Socrates was a 5th-century BC Athenian philosopher who laid the foundation for Western philosophy, ethics, and logical inquiry. What do some of his most famous quotes mean?

Nietzsche suffered from poor physical health for almost all of his productive life. How much did his mental health affect his work?

Some languages are harder to learn than others. Difficulty often depends on your first language, so here are the hardest languages for English speakers.

From Paris to Beijing, the world's largest museums stand out for their immense collections of extreme cultural significance, record-breaking scale, and millions of visitors.

Virgil’s Aeneid, written at the time of Emperor Augustus, is both an epic poem and a travel itinerary. Follow Aeneas in his journey from Troy to the shores of Italy.

The 2nd-century Gospel of Peter caused significant controversy by detailing the crucifixion with changes deemed heretical.

The 1947 discovery of ancient manuscripts in Qumran proved a 1,000-year chain of Biblical accuracy and transformed early Jewish history.

In first-century Roman Judea, barley and taxes were characteristic of social standing, and Jesus’ miracles upset the status quo.

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

The sculptor and installation artist Anish Kapoor bought exclusive artistic rights to the world’s blackest black in 2016, resulting in widespread controversy and a longstanding feud with Stuart Semple.