Making the Distant Past Relevant to the Present Day
There are two main historical figures that are often cited as supposed “martyrs for science.” The first is the Neoplatonic philosopher and mathematician Hypatia of Alexandria, who was murdered in March 415 AD by a mob of Christians who supported Cyril, the bishop of Alexandria. The second is the Italian mystic Giordano Bruno, who was … Continue reading “Was Giordano Bruno Really a “Martyr for Science”?”
The ancient Greek legend of Agnodice is one that has captivated modern audiences. Agnodice is said to have been the first female doctor, who disguised herself as a man because it was forbidden for women to practice medicine. In this article, we will examine the full story of Agnodice, the ancient sources behind it, and … Continue reading “Who Was Agnodice Really?”
There is a lot of public controversy over which “race” the ancient Egyptians belonged to. Western media has traditionally portrayed nearly all ancient Egyptians as having white skin. Unfortunately, some films are still portraying the Egyptians this way; the 2014 film Exodus: Gods and Kings and the 2016 film Gods of Egypt both received widespread … Continue reading “Were the Ancient Egyptians Black?”
The transition from traditional Greco-Roman religion to Christianity in late antiquity has often been portrayed in terms of the so-called “triumph of Christianity over paganism.” This is an idea that originates from Christian triumphalist accounts of the era that portray Christianity as having eradicated “paganism” within a single generation. Anti-Christian writers, especially in recent years, … Continue reading “What Was the Conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity Really Like?”
The concept of “western civilization” has become something of a major political talking point among conservatives in the United States in recent years. Conservative commentators claim that western civilization is a glorious, wonderful thing that progressives are working tirelessly to destroy and conservatives are fighting honorably to protect. In this article, I intend to take … Continue reading “What Do Conservatives Really Mean When They Talk about “Western Civilization”?”
I’ve been debunking popular misconceptions about ancient civilizations online for a while now. One thing I’ve noticed is that the vast majority of the misconceptions I’ve debunked tend to play into a some very specific stereotypes about what certain ancient civilizations were supposedly like. It is clear that most people who haven’t studied ancient history … Continue reading “Modern Stereotypes about Ancient Civilizations”
Carl Sagan’s thirteen-episode documentary series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which originally aired on PBS in 1980, is the most watched PBS documentary series in history. The miniseries, which is, broadly speaking, about the history and importance of science, has had a massive influence on both our culture as a whole and on individual people’s lives. … Continue reading “Carl Sagan Was Really Bad at History”
There is a widespread belief among members of the general public that ancient Greek texts were mostly only preserved by the Arabs through Arabic translations. The Byzantine Empire is rarely mentioned in the context of the preservation of classical texts. When the Byzantines are mentioned in this context, it is usually by writers who see … Continue reading “If You Like Ancient Greek Texts, Thank the Byzantines for Preserving Them”
There are a lot of misconceptions about Kleopatra VII Philopator of Egypt, the ancient queen most commonly known in English as simply “Cleopatra.” For instance, as I discuss in this article from March 2019, she actually lived closer to the present day than to the time of the construction of the pyramids of Giza. Meanwhile, … Continue reading “What Did Cleopatra Really Look Like?”
I know that lots of blogs that are far more popular than mine often do lists of “top posts” at the end of each year. My blog here is not especially popular; only four of my articles have received more than two thousand views this entire year and the vast majority of my articles have … Continue reading “Top Posts of 2019”
