Ancient History

Posted by Robin Fowler

In the spirit of St. Valentine's Day, we will be taking a look at some of the most famous, and a few of the lesser known, love stories from Greek Mythology. From the sweet and romantic, to the heartbreaking and bittersweet, the Greeks knew how to spin a tale of love, desire, and woe.

Love in Greek Mythology did not limit its effects to the mere mortal. The gods often played starring roles in these tales, and often showed their human traits like jealousy and fear. In a tale like Cupid and Psyche, for example, the gods were far from perfect.

Look for some of the more famous tales of love like Orpheus and Eurydice, Echo and Narcissus, and Pygmalion and Galatea. We will also take a look at one or two lesser-known love stories, like the heartbreaking tale of the hero Achilles and the warrior Penthesilea.

Posted by Robin Fowler

In Greek mythology, the Sphinx was a monster that had the head of a woman, the body of a lion, wings of an eagle, and the tail of a snake. This composite figure varied a bit from its slightly more famous Egyptian counterpart, never achieving the notoriety of the monument at Giza. Coming from the Greek word "strangler", you can imagine what this creature was thought to have been capable of.

According to Greek lore, the Sphinx stood guard at the gates of Thebes, one of the major city-states. Anyone who wished to visit the city, or even who was merely passing by, was treated with an enigmatic riddle that they had to solve correctly. If answered incorrectly, the unlucky soul was killed on the spot by the Sphinx.

So, what is the Riddle of the Sphinx, anyway?

"What walk on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs at night?"

The answer: Man

This metaphorical answer makes sense when you think about it. A baby crawls on all four legs (morning, or the beginning of life), a grown man walks on two legs (noon, or the middle of life), and an old man walks with a cane at night (the end, or the twilight of life).

Should a person happen to correctly answer this riddle, the Sphinx would self-destruct, so to speak.

So, did anyone ever answer the Riddle of the Sphinx? Indeed. One notable respondent was Oedipus from Greek mythology and Sophocles' tragic trilogy.

Posted by Robin Fowler

The cat was a beloved member of most Egyptian families. Cats kept the pests away, helped hunt and fish for family food, and provided unconditional love and cuddle time with every member of the household. and when a household cat died, the Egyptian family would go into a period of deep mourning for their loss. They would shave their eyebrows as a sign of grief.

Cats would be mummified upon death, like their human masters. Like humans, feline mummification was a multi-step process performed by priests who were specially trained for the task. The steps of feline mummification included:

• removing the internal organs (except for the heart)
• stuffing the body cavity with sand
• placing the cat into a sitting position, to retain its lifelike quality
• wrapping the body tightly in linen strips
• painting a face and various symbolic designs on the wrappings with black ink

In mummifying cats, there were no chemicals used like there were in mummifying humans. The cat mummy was left to dry out naturally. When cats were placed in tombs, they were given bowls of milk and rodents. Their comfort for the journey into the afterlife was just as important for their humans.

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Posted by Robin Fowler

The drachma was the standard currency of ancient and modern Greece (until Greece's switch to the Euro, anyway). Its origin can be creditied to the Athenians.

The word drachma comes from the Ancient Greek verb dratto, to group.

Before the Athenians began minting coins, they used small iron rods called obols as their currency. The average adult could hold or grasp six obols in his or her hand, and thus six obols became equal to one drachma, which became the basic denomination of Greek currency.

When the Athenians did begin minting coins around 510 B.C., the drachma continued to be used as the standard basic currency of Greece.

Posted by Robin Fowler

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is renowned for its vast collection of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian art and artifacts. One piece stands above all the others, and has emerged as the unofficial mascot of the museum. Dubbed "William", a blue faience hippopotamus, dating to about 1900 B.C., it is a fine example of an ancient fornm of craft, known as faience, which is a type of glazed earthenware pottery.

William came to the Metropolitan Museum in 1917, when it was donated by Edward Harkness. William was originally discovered in 1910, in the Tomb of Senbi at Meir. William has captured the hearts of myuseum visitors ever since his arrival there, and reproductions of William can be bought, along with smaller figurunes, stuffed animals, and more.

William is only one of many, many faience hippos and other figurines that were crafted by the Ancient Egyptians. They were used as protective amulets and figurines in the home, and they were placed in tombs to protect and aid in the journey to the afterlife.

Posted by Robin Fowler

In the Roman baths, the warmer rooms (the tepidarium and the caldarium) had to be heated to certain temperatures and maintained in order to perform there given functions. How did the Romans achieve this? Through the magic of engineering and ingenuity.

The Romans developed a simple yet sophisticated heating method known as the hypocaust system. This hypocaust system worked by taking heat from the furnace room and allowing it to circulate underneath the floors and in the walls of the rooms, which would have created the heat or warmth needed. The level of heat needed would have been controlled by the amount of wood used in the furnace.

The caldarium would have been closest to the furnace, followed by the tepidarium. The floors of these rooms were raised during construction using pillars that created spaces through which the hot air could circulate. The tepidarium would have had these same spaces built into the walls so that the entire room would have been heated, creating the effect of a steam room.

Some Roman baths were heated more naturally. In the Roman provincial town located just beyond the River Avon, a local hot spring with a constant temperature of 118 degrees Fahrenheit was found. A city, aptly named Bath, was built there, which included the construction of a reservoir to control the 260,000 gallons of water that came to the surface each day. A large bath complex was built, of course, along with a temple and an altar. The springs at Bath became sacred, considered a place of healing, and drew visitors from throughout the Roman Empire.

Posted by Robin Fowler

Combining a little bit of the ancient with a little bit of modern, the new Seven Wonders of the World span five continents and seven civilizations from the past. Each represents a moment in history, and the amazing ability of human engineering and artistic vision. The new Seven Wonders of the World are:

• Chitzen Itza, Mexico
• Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• The Great Wall of China
• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Petra, Jordan
• The Roman Colosseum
• The Taj Majal, Agra, India

While I was disappointed to see the Athenian Acropolis (as well as the Great Pyramids at Giza, an original wonder that is still standing after 4,000 years!) omitted from the list, I think that this list is a great overall representation of the evolution of architecture and engineering through the ages. What do you think?? Visit the discussion board and voice your opinion!

Posted by Robin Fowler

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were marvels of art, architecture, and history. Unfortunately, only one of those precious monuments remain standing today, the Great Pyramid of Giza.

A new campaign strives to name seven new wonders, monuments that can be seen and appreciated by the naked eye today, monuments that not only represent ancient technology, but the marvels of modern architecture and construction as well.

Anyone can visit the n7w website, and vote for the wonders they think should be included on this new and exciting list.

The candidates are:

• The Athenian Acropolis
• Alhambra, Granada, Spain
• Angkor, Cambodia
• Chichen Itza, Mexico
• Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro
• The Roman Colosseum
• Easter Island, Chile
• The Eiffel Tower, Paris
• The Great Wall of China
• Haghia Sophia, Turkey
• Kiyomizu Temple, Japan
• The Kremlin, Moscow
• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
• Petra, Jordan
• The Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
• The Statue of Liberty, New York
• Stonehenge, U.K.
• Sydney Opera House, Australia
• Taj Mahal, Agra, India
• Timbuktu, Mali

The winning list will be announced on July 7, 2007. Stop by and vote today, and become part of history!

Posted by Robin Fowler

In a joint venture between computer scientists and archaeologists at UCLA and the University of Virginia, a long 10-year project to bring Ancient Rome to everyone has finally been completed. The project, known as "Rome Reborn", gives viewers a first hand peek into the city's most important and famous monuments, such as the Colosseum, the Senate, and the Forum Romanum. Though not available for public distribution yet, glimpses can be seen on the Internet. This exciting project was painstakingly researched and designed, and features not only the monuments, but other features of the city, such as streets, fortification walls, and housing.

This project will certainly open doors to other 3-D projects. Perhaps Virtual Athens, Sparta, Alexandria, or Memphis?

To view images from Rome Reborn, visit Rome Reborn 1.0

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Posted by Robin Fowler

Summer is upon us, and school is out! But that doesn't mean that your young one has to abandon reading for the nest three months! For the child who is interested in history, particularly Ancient History and Mythology, or for the emerging reader, there is a series of books from the outstanding author Mary Pope Osborne that will not only satisfy that desire to learn, but will help to improve your child's reading skills!

Mary Pope Osborne is a celebrated author of many children's books, most notable the Magic Treehouse series. Chronicling the adventures of young Jack and Annie from their magic treehouse, Osborne sets her characters in many different time periods, referencing some of history's most important events and eras. Spanning nearly 40 books and research guides, the Magic Treehouse Series is wildly popular with the elementary school set, who devour these books like there is no tomorrow!

Osborne's careful and meticulous research is impressive, and it shows in her colorful and exciting stories. She weaves Jack and Annie into historical events, painting a vivid picture of times past for her readers. And for lovers of Ancient History and Mythology, Osborne has written a number of fun and interesting books, including:

• Mummies in the Morning, set in Ancient Egypt
• Vacation Under the Volcano, set in Ancient Pompeii
• Hour of the Olympics, set in Ancient Greece

In addition to these fun reads, Osborne has also published several research guides based on many of her titles in the Magic Treehouse series. These include:

• Mummies and Pyramids
• Ancient Greece and the Olympics
• Ancient Rome and Pompeii

These research guides are an excellent supplement to the books in the series, and they are great reads on their own. Among the topics Osborne covers in them are the lifestyles, politics, sports, prominent figures, and important dates of these ancient cultures.

In addition to the titles in Osborne's Magic Treehouse Series that are devoted to Ancient History, she has also published the series Tales from the Odyssey, a six book retelling of Homer's epic tale of the adventures of Odysseus. It stays true to the tales, but is written simply enough for emerging readers to wrap their heads around.

And for a visual treat, check out the recently published Pompeii Lost and Found, a gorgeously illustrated and simply written account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the aftermath, and Pompeii's rediscovery.

Summer reading doesn't have to be dull! Get your young reader loving books and Ancient History with the wonderful selections from author Mary Pope Osborne! They are available at book stores and public libraries everywhere!