Many today may not know who Diogenes is, but they certainly know cynicism. Diogenes, the founder of Cynicism, was often thought of as mentally unstable. But it is hard to find proof of that when there are no official records of Diogenes’ life. So much of what people know about Diogenes today is based on […]
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Charybdis is a sea monster born of the Greek gods Poseidon and Gaia – the sea and the earth. According to some accounts, Charybdis controlled the tides. In her endless thirst, she gulped great quantities of seawater and spit it out again, causing low and high tides each day. The name Charybdis comes from the
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The Sphinx is a mythical creature with a human head and the body of a lion. In Greek mythology, the Sphinx also had the wings of an eagle. The word ‘Sphinx’ comes to English from the Greek. Some scholars believe that this name comes from the Greek word for ‘squeeze’ – a reference to how
The Great Sphinx of Giza Through the Centuries Read More »
Some parts of the world have constantly been embroiled in conflict, and wars have been going on for millennia. You would think that people would have learned from the casualties and economic losses of all these wars–but no. As long as there is power to grab, territories to conquer, and resources to control, the world
Punic Wars: The Fall of the Carthaginian Superpower Read More »
If every piece of a ship is replaced over time until none of the original components remain, is it still the same ship? The Ship of Theseus is a thought experiment rooted in the story of Theseus, the founder-king of Athens who took a certain ship on a pilgrimage each year to honor the god
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In ancient Greece, Nike was worshiped as the goddess of victory. Her favor graced the victors of all kinds of contests, from foot races to great battles. She could also grant people success in the arts. Nike was associated with both Zeus and Athena. She was often shown with huge wings on her back and
Mythology of the Ancient Greek Goddesses Nike and Athena Read More »
Ariadne and Theseus are two key characters in the ancient Greek myth of the Minotaur. Ariadne was a princess born on the island of Crete, home to the ancient Minoan civilization that flourished there during the Bronze Age. The modern name for the civilization derives from the mythical King Minos, the father of Ariadne. The
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Syracusia was an ancient ship that sailed out of Syracuse. At that time, it was an independent colony located on the island of Sicily. Hiero II of Syracuse commissioned it in the third century BC and sent it to Ptolemy III Euergetes in Alexandria. This ancient Greek ship was so massive that no Sicilian port
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Bellerophon, whose original name was Hipponous, is a mythical Greek character. He became a great hero, equivalent to Hercules or Perseus. He was born of Poseidon and Eurymone, the daughter of the King of Megara. Eurymone also married King Glaukos, son of Sisyphus. This ties Bellerophon to another major character of Greek mythology. Sisyphus was
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The half-man, half-horse creature known as the Centaur is one of the most famous beings in Greek mythology. It is a creature whose lower body and legs are that of a horse. And their torso and upper body are that of a human. They represented the realm between humans and nature. Indeed, the Centaur was
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