Articles
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Roman History
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Bellerophon: Rider of Pegasus and the Peril of Hubris
Bellerophon’s ancestry links him to both mortal and divine worlds. Most traditions make him the son of Glaucus, king of Corinth, and grandson of Sisyphus, the cunning king condemned to roll a stone up a hill for eternity. Some versions even call him a son of Poseidon, god of the sea and horses, which helps…
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Carthage: Maritime Power and Rival of Rome
Carthage was founded by Phoenician settlers from the city of Tyre, in present-day Lebanon, around the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. According to later Greek and Roman tradition, its legendary founder was Queen Dido (also called Elissa), who fled Tyre and established a new city on the North African coast.
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Jason, Leader of the Argonauts: Heroism, Betrayal, and the Price of Glory
Jason was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus in Thessaly. His early life, however, was overshadowed by usurpation and danger. Aeson’s half‑brother, Pelias, seized the throne, fearing a prophecy that warned him to “beware of the man with one sandal” who would one day overthrow him.
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Ancient Argos: The Overlooked Greek City‑State Between Sparta and Athens
Ancient Argos was one of the oldest and most enduring city-states of Greece. Situated in the fertile plain of the Argolid in the northeastern Peloponnese, it commanded routes inland toward Arcadia and south toward Laconia. Famous in myth as the realm of heroes and in history as a long‑standing rival of Sparta, Argos offers a…
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Odysseus in Greek Mythology: The Cunning Hero of Many Turns
Odysseus was the king of Ithaca, a small, rocky island in the Ionian Sea. His parents are usually given as Laertes and Anticlea, and he is sometimes said to be a descendant of Hermes, the trickster god. From early on, Odysseus is marked not by overwhelming physical power, but by his metis—a Greek term that…
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Ancient Corinth: The Gateway of Commerce and Culture
Ancient Corinth, strategically located on the Isthmus connecting mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, was a vital center for trade and politics in classical times. Its influence fluctuated through various periods, marked by its role in commerce, colonization, and as a significant city-state. Later, it became essential to early Christianity through the Apostle Paul, leaving a…
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Understanding Roman Law Courts: A Historical Overview
This article outlines the principal courts and magistrates, distinguishes between civil and criminal proceedings, and sketches the evolution of procedural forms from the legis actiones to the cognitio extra ordinem. It concludes by considering the role of advocates, jurors, and evidence in Roman forensic practice.
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Atalanta: The Swift Huntress of Greek Mythology
Atalanta’s birth story already marks her as unusual. According to most versions of the myth, she was the daughter of a Boeotian or Arcadian king (often called Iasus or Schoeneus). Wanting a son instead of a daughter—or fearing a prophecy—he ordered the infant Atalanta to be abandoned on a mountainside.
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Hector: The Tragic Hero of Troy
Hector (Ἕκτωρ) is the eldest son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. As heir to the Trojan throne, he is also the city’s foremost warrior and commander. Unlike many other heroes in the Iliad, Hector’s heroism is deeply rooted in the life of his community. He is not fighting for personal fame alone,…
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Orpheus: Singer of the Gods and Voyager to the Underworld
Orpheus and Eurydice are often portrayed as deeply devoted lovers. Their happiness, however, is short-lived. Shortly after their wedding, Eurydice is bitten by a poisonous snake—sometimes while fleeing an unwanted suitor—and dies.