Ancient Greeks

Evidence preserved on papyri and ostraca as well as in graffiti indicates ancient Greek and Roman tourists visited Egypt to observe and admire the Egyptian civilization. While in ancient times people traveled—sometimes quite far—to worship, written evidence that has been...

Paid to play, travelling internationally and enjoying celebrity status: the lifestyle of a modern elite professional sportsperson, but also that of some elite sportsmen in ancient Greece and Rome. By Wray Vamplew Ancient Greeks lived in perhaps 1,000 autonomous communities stretching,...

The suggestion that ancient Greeks reached America before Columbus may seem far-fetched but certain researchers think otherwise. The idea is based entirely on a new examination of a dialogue written by the Greek historian Plutarch, who lived from 46 to 119...

The "miracle" plant Silphium consumed by Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, which was thought to have become extinct two thousand years ago, has recently been rediscovered in Turkey by a professor, who thinks he’s found a botanical survivor. The plant,...

The legendary Leonidas, King of Sparta, is known mostly for leading the 300 heroic Spartans and dying with them in the Battle of Thermopylae

Sappho sang of desire, passion, and love mostly directed towards women. As new fragments of her work are found, a fuller picture of her is emerging, but she remains the most mysterious of ancient poets.  By Marguerite Johnson For those who...

Achilles and Patroclus are two prominent characters in the Iliad, written by Homer in the seventh century BCE. This source describes them as having a very close relationship. However, were Achilles and Patroclus just friends, or were they actually...

The minting of silver into coins in ancient Greece highlighted the trading talents of Greeks and paved the way for the formation of democracies in the 5th century BC, a new scientific study says. According to a project called SILVER...

Apollonius of Perga (Greek: Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ Περγαῖος) who lived from 240 BC to c. 190 BC, was a brilliant ancient Greek mathematician, geometer and astronomer known for his work on conic sections. He was born in Perga, an ancient Greek city...

Theories depicting the shape of the earth swirled in embryonic form in the minds of Ancient Greek thinkers. By Matthew Norman Many pre-Socratic Greek philosophers were wrong about the form of our planet. Thales – founder of the Milesian School of...