Ancient / Classical History: Most Popular Articles

Major Gods and Goddesses of the World
Gods and Goddesses from mythology all over the world. Mythology - Major Gods and Goddesses.

Attila the Hun
Attila the Hun was a fierce warrior and king of the horse-riding Huns during the fifth century who harassed the Roman Empire.

Fall of Rome
Reasons for the fall of Rome or the decline of the Roman Empire and reasons for dating the end of the Roman Empire.

I.E. vs. E.G.
When do you use i.e., and when do you use e.g., and what do they mean?

Greek God Apollo
Apollo was a Greek god of prophecy, music, healing, and later, the sun.

Achilles
Achilles - Greatest Greek hero of the Trojan War

Ancient Maps
Ancient Maps. Historic ancient maps and classical atlas.

Latin Translation
Latin translation is a skill that takes years to develop and there is not an easy way to shortcut it, but these suggestions may be of some help.

Battle at Thermopylae
Date and very brief description of the Persian War Battle at Thermopylae at which the Spartans, under Leonidas, fought bravely to their death.

Etymology - Greek and Latin Roots and Etymology - Prefixes and Affixes
A few tables to help make sense of compound words by looking at the etymology, Greek and Latin roots and the prefixes and affixes.

Hermes - A Thief, Inventor, and Messenger God
Hermes (Mercury in Roman mythology) became a messenger because his father Zeus sought to curb his thieving tendencies. On the day of his birth Hermes stole his brother Apollo's cattle in order to create the first sacrifice to the Olympians.

Hercules' Labors
The 12 Labors of Hercules.

Athena - Greek Goddess Athena
Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom also known as Pallas Athena. In ancient Rome, Athena was known as the Roman goddess Minerva.

Ancient Olympics - Games
Ancient history of the Olympics. Read about the legendary origins of the ancient Olympic games, how the Olympics were created by Heracles to honor Zeus, how the Olympics were a religious event, and which Olympic games came first.

Ten Plagues
List of the ten plagues in Egypt.

Poseidon
Poseidon is a Greek god of the sea.

Leonidas
Leonidas was a king of Sparta who led a suicide mission against the Persians at Thermopylae during the Persian Wars.

The Trojan War
The major events in the Trojan War. What happened during the Trojan War and the Iliad of Homer, from the theft by Paris of Helen of Troy.

Hades - Underworld God Hades
Hades was the name of a Greek God of the Underworld.

Zeus - Greek God Zeus
Zeus Greek god - Zeus king of the Greek Gods

Hebrew and Biblical Names
Hebrew Names - Hebrew and Biblical Names - Meanings and Significance

Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite was known Venus in Rome was a major goddess in ancient Greek mythology and in the Roman Vergil's Aeneid.

Maps of Ancient Rome - Roman Empire Maps
Maps of the Roman Empire..

Cyclops
The Cyclops were represented as one-eyed giants in Greek mythology.

Ares God of War
Ares was a Greek god of war and homicide.

Hades - Basic Facts About the Greek God Hades
Information about the Greek god Hades who abducted Persephone and made her the queen of the Underworld.

End of the Roman Empire
The Fall of Rome and the End of the Roman Empire in the west. Articles on the effects of certain emperors and barbarians on the fall of the Rome.

Table of the Roman Equivalents of Greek Gods- Roman and Greek names for the Olympians and the minor gods
Roman and Greek names for the Olympians and the minor gods

Myths and Legends, by Bingley
Introduction to Greek Mythology. Myths and legends.

Dionysus
Dionysus is the Greek god of wine and ecstacy.

Gladiator Weapons
What armor and weapons the gladiators used for fighting and how the weapons distinguished one type of gladiator from another.

Mt. Vesuvius
Mt. Vesuvius is a volcano in Campania, near Naples, Italy, whose eruption in A.D. 79 destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Ancient History Timeline
Time line of major events in the ancient history of the world. Most dates and events on the ancient history timeline are of political importance.

Roman Gods - Gregory Flood's Roman Gods and Goddesses - Roman Gods and Roman Goddesses
Roman Gods and Roman Goddesses - compiled by Gregory Flood.

Celtic Gods and Goddesses
Celtic Gods and Celtic Goddesses - The Gods and Goddesses of Celtic Mythology

Hercules & the Cretan Bull
Pictures of the 12 Labors of Hercules performed for Eurystheus.

Caesar Study Guide
Julius Caesar Study Guide

Moon Gods
An alphabetical list of deities or personifications of the moon.

Hera - Greek Goddess Hera
In Greek mythology, Hera was the queen of the Greek gods, sister and wife of Zeus and goddess of marriage. The Greek goddess Hera is described as jealous.

Monsters From Greek Mythology
Monsters in Greek mythology usually destroy people or ravage the countryside, although at least the Harpies simply wreck people's lives. Here is a collection of graphics showing some of the major monsters of Greek mythology as they have been portrayed in art or illustrations.

Greek Heroes
Here are the major heroes of Greek legend. Two of them (Odysseus and Achilles) are from the Trojan War. The others were involved in adventures.

Venus
Aspects of the goddess of love, Venus, the Roman Aphrodite.

Maps of China
Maps of ancient China.

Mythology - Greek Mythology Flood Myths Creation Myths
Links to Greek mythology, gods and goddesses, and the flood and creation myths from around the world.

Hades
Hades is the Greek god of the Underworld.

War Gods and Goddesses - Gods and Goddesses of War from the Worlds' Mythology
A list of war gods and goddesses from the mythology of the world.

What is Myth?
Myths are stories shared by a group that are a part of their cultural identity. As such, they are important to understand when looking at the history of a people. There is no completely satisfactory definition of myth, but people compare myth with science and religion. Usually, this comparison is unfavorable and myth is relegated to the area of lies.

Greek Mythology for Today
Roman and Greek mythology in modern daily life. Myth today.

Latin Numbers
Latin cardinal numbers

Phoenix
The phoenix was an Egyptian bird that died and was reborn.

Maps of Egypt
Maps of ancient Egypt and the ancient Near East.

12 Olympians
The Twelve Olympian gods and goddesses of Greek mythology were Demeter, Hermes, Hades, Hestia, Hera, Artemis, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Ares, Zeus, Dionysus, and Poseidon.

Muses - About the Greek Muses
The nine muses (Calliope, Urania, Euterpe, Thalia, Inspiration, Melpomene, Erato, Mnemosyne, Clio, Terpsichore, and Polymnia), their provinces and attributes.

Prometheus
Introduction to Greek Mythology. The importance of Prometheus the fire-bringer and benefactor of mankind.

Pictures of Cleopatra
Pictures of Cleopatra, including modern representations as well as ancient official carved images of Cleopatra.

Hercules - Who Was Hercules?
Some basic facts about the Greek hero Hercules.

Spartacus
Spartacus - The Slave Revolt of Spartacus the Gladiator. The revolt of Spartacus put a strain on Rome and built up the legend of the slave revolt leader and gladiator Spartacus

Greek Mythology
An introduction to Greek Mythology and all the fascinating Greek gods and goddesses. Greek Mythology remains a part of western culture.

Aphrodite - Greek goddess of love and beauty.
Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite also known as Venus by the Romans.

Who's Who in Greek Legend?
A list of who's who in Greek mythology and legend.

Cannibals in Mythology
Cannibalism in Greek mythology occasionally manifests itself when someone's children are served up at a dinner feast.

Famous Roman Mothers
Top picks on the most notorious Roman mothers -- Roman mothers both the good and bad.

Ancient Rome Maps
Maps of Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire. Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome

Sun Gods and Sun Goddesses
An index of the sun gods from various ancient religions.

Greek and Latin Quotations with translations
Greek and Latin Quotations for various occasions with translations

Timeline of Julius Caesar
Major events in the life of Gaius Julius Caesar

Hermes
Information on the Greek god Hermes, the messenger god.

Cleopatra Queen of Egypt
The name Cleopatra Queen of Egypt has often been used to mean a seductive beautiful woman, but Cleopatra may not have been beautiful at all.

Ares - Greek War God Ares
In Greek Mythology, Ares is the god of war. Ares is known as Mars by the Romans.

Cleopatra Timeline
Events in the life of the last pharaoh of Egypt, Cleopatra VII

Sophocles the Greek Playwright
Sophocles - Greek playwright Sophocles

Zeus
The king of the Olympian gods Zeus was known as Jupiter by the Romans.

Hades - Myths About the Greek God Hades and Heracles, Persephone, and Theseus
Hades myths.

Persian Wars
Timeline of the battles and chronology of the Persian Wars between Greece and Darius and Xerxes of Persia.

Pyramus and Thisbe
The story of star-crossed lovers made fun of in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.

Hephaestus
Hephaestus was the craftsman god of Greek mythology.

Cleopatra Study Guide
Cleopatra Study Guide.

Philosophers Timeline
Timeline of Greek and Roman Philosophers.

Alexander the Great
Facts about Alexander the Great.

Meaning of Flower Names
the classification of plant names started by Linnaeus involves the use of Latin and sometimes Greek words.

Norse Gods and Goddesses
Short notes on individual Norse gods and goddesses in Norse mythology.

Love Goddesses
Here are the top fertility and love goddesses of ancient mythology.

Gaius Julius Caesar - Articles on Caesar and Pages on this site with Resources on Julius Caesar
Articles on Julius Caesar and pages on this site with resources and biographies of Caesar.

Artemis
Artemis was the Greek goddess of the hunt.

Roman Gods and Goddesses - Table of the Roman Equivalents of Greek Gods and Goddesses
Roman Gods and Goddesses. Table of the Roman Equivalents of Greek Gods.

Trojan War FAQs
Top questions about the Trojan War, movies about the Trojan War and Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.

Constantine
Constantine the Great. The Roman Emperor Constantine. Constantine I was the first Christian emperor of the the Roman Empire.

Persian Empire Maps
Maps of the ancient Persian Empire.

Battle of Marathon
Battle of Marathon in the Persian Wars 490 was an important moment for the victorious Athenians, renowned today more for a legendary marathon runner than the battle itself.

Greece vs. Rome
Art in Greece vs. Rome

Roman Meals
Not all Romans ate huge meals or used the vomitorium so they could go back to the table to eat more food. Especially during the Republic, the Roman diet was restrained.

Cleopatra
Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, Cleopatra VII, the historical queen and last pharaoh of Egypt. The story of Queen Cleopatra has been retold in countless stories, plays, and movies.

Why Study Latin?
Why Your Kids Should Learn Latin. If you want the best for your kids, if you want them to do well on their SATs and if you want them to understand English grammar, teach them Latin.

Titans
The Titans of Greek mythology were the twelve children of Gaia and Uranus.

Biblical Maps
Online maps of the ancient lands of the Bible.

Ancient Greek and Roman Names
Information on ancient Greek and Roman names.

Battle of Salamis
The Battle of Salamis. The date and very brief description of the Persian War Battle at Salamis at which the Persians were beaten in naval battle.

Sword of Damocles
The Sword of Damocles was described by Cicero in his Tusculan Disputations.

Hera
Hera was the queen of the Greek gods. She was known as Juno by the Romans.

Meaning of Biblical Names
The meaning of some popular Jewish and Biblically-based names.

Vesuvius - Mt. Vesuvius
Mt. Vesuvius is a volcano in the area of Italy south of Rome known as Campania. Mt. Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79 destroying the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Animals in Greek Mythology
Top "animal" creatures from Greek mythology.

Augustus
Imperator Caesar Divi filius Augustus was the official name of the first Roman emperor, Augustus.

People From the Bible
These are some of the main figures from the Bible that come up from time to time even in non-Biblical discussions with whom you should be familiar.

Four Humors
The Hippocratic corpus made an advance on earlier medicine although its methods may now seem barbaric

Demeter
Demeter Greek Goddess

Ancient Near East Maps
Maps of the Ancient Near East and maps of the ancient Middle East.

The Roman Empire about 395
The Roman Empire about 395

Hestia
Hestia Greek goddess of the hearth.

Five Worst Roman Emperors
The worst Roman emperors according to current tastes

Prepare for War Quote
Latin quote from Vegetius. Prepare for war and the Latin version of the quote from Vegetius.

Cerberus
Cerberus was the 3-headed hound of Hades.

Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian to keep the 'barbarian' Picts from Scotland out of Roman Britain.

Aztec Deities
Some of the major gods and goddesses of the Aztec.

Atlas
Atlas is the son of the Titans Iapetus and Clymene, two of the twelve Titans. The battle Atlas led against Zeus took ten years after which Atlas was punished with holding up the heavens while the other Titans were consigned to Tartarus.

Famous Romans
A glance at some of the famous men and a very few Roman women from Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire.

Aeneid of Vergil
An index to the 12 books of the Aeneid of Vergil, translated by Dryden into English in a public domain etext of Vergil's Aeneid.

Pericles
Pericles was the leader of Athens at the time of the building of the Parthenon and the Peloponnesian War.

Government of Sparta - What Was the Government of Sparta
Because of their lifestyle the word Spartan now refers to a life free of luxury and the word laconic of language without elaboration, here you'll find out more about these ancient enemies of the Athenians

Jewish Months Names
Jewish months of the Hebrew calendar based on Babylonian month names.

Greek Plays - Ancient/Classical History
Translations of the plays by Aeschylus (Agamemnon, Choephori, Eumenides, Persians, Prometheus, Seven against Thebes, Suppliants), Aristophanes (Birds, Clouds, Ecclesiazusae, Frogs, Knights, Peace, Plutus, Thesmophoriazusae, Wasps), Sophocles (Ajax, Antigone, Electra, Oedipus, Philoctetes, Trachiniae), and Euripides (Alcestis, Andromache, Bacchantes, Cyclops, Electra, Hecuba, Helen, Heracleidae, Heracles, Hippolytus, Ion, Iphigenia, Medea, Orestes, Phoenissae, Rhesus, Suppliants, Trojan Women), from your About.com Guide

Mesopotamia - The land between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River - MESOPOTAMIA
Mesopotamia - The land between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River

Hygiene in Ancient Rome - Baths - Toilets - Soap - Hygiene
Hygiene in ancient Rome included baths, toiletss, cleansers, access to facilities, and high standards of cleanliness.

Cronos
Cronos was a Greek god, or rather the Titan father of the Olympian gods and goddesses.

Pan
Greek God Pan

Ajax
Profile of the Trojan War hero Ajax. The Greek hero Ajax.

Norse Mythology
Background information on Norse mythology. This section is on the Aesir and Vanir gods and goddesses.

Demeter - By Her Brothers B...
Demeter, betrayed by her brothers Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon, loses her daughter Persephone. While Demeter goddess of grain mourns the loss of Persephone, she makes sure all mankind suffers with her.

Achilles Family Genealogy - Lineage of Achilles - Achilles Family Tree from Peleus and Thetis to Chaos
The genealogy of Achilles. Family Tree of Achilles, from Peleus and Thetis to Chaos.

Plato
What you should know about the Greek philosopher Plato.

Latin Death Words
Words in Latin for death, dying, and committing suicide.

Caesar and the Triumvirate
Julius Caesar and his rise to power in the Roman Republic and the relationship between Caesar and Sulla. Also, Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus as the First Triumvirate.

Hector of Troy
Hector of Troy. Killed by Achilles, Hector had been the greatest Trojan prince.

Dagon
Dagon was the chief god of the Philistines and was also a corn god.

Hercules and the Nemean Lion
Pictures of the 12 Labors of Hercules performed for Eurystheus.

12 Tribes
What are the 12 tribes of Israel?

Hermes - Mercury
Hermes was the Greek messenger god, called Mercury by the Romans. Hermes was an inventer, a trickster, and the Greek god of thieves.

Latin Verb To Be - Sum - Latin Irregular Verb
Latin To Be Verb - Sum.

Creation Myths - Greek Cosmogonies or Creation Myths
Information on ancient Greek cosmogonies or creation myths.

Catullus - Odi et Amo - carmina Catulli
Odi et Amo - Catullus Carmen 85 A look at the chiastic structure and corresponding passions of Catullus

Tale of Troy or Iliad
How crafty Odysseus won the Trojan War for the Greeks by the ruse of a Trojan Horse.

Contents of the Golden Ass
Contents of the Golden Ass, by Apuleius, translated into English.

Helen of Troy
Helen of Troy was one of the central figures of the Trojan War.

Hercules and the Lernean Hydra
Pictures of the 12 Labors of Hercules performed for Eurystheus.

Quotes Biblical - Quotations
Biblical Quotations - an index of quotes from various books of the Bible.

Poseidon's Mates
Poseidon's Children and the Mates of Poseidon

Alexander Study Guide
alexander the great study guide

Happy Birthday - Latin
In Latin, words that mean may it be a happy birthday would convey the message of Happy Birthday.

Spartan Government
Because of their lifestyle the word Spartan now refers to a life free of luxury and the word laconic of language without elaboration, here you'll find out more about these ancient enemies of the Athenians

Ovid
Ovid was a prolific Roman poet. Augustus exiled Ovid for a song and an error -- in Latin, carmen et error, but we don't know what they were. Ovid died in Tomi in Romania.