In the Hellenistic Period, following the death of Alexander…
In the Hellenistic Period, following the death of Alexander the Great, people in Alexander’s empire began to worship new gods and goddesses that had not been well celebrated during the Hellenic Period. One of the deities to receive a boost in popularity was the worship of [BLANK-1], the goddess of luck, fate, chance, and fortune. People would perform magic rituals and spells that were designed to invoke the goddess’s celebrated luck and they believed the efforts were successful. A famous modern shoe company makes allusions to this goddess of luck or fate by borrowing the swoosh or checkmark that was used for her symbol.
Read DetailsA Hellenistic Socratic thinker himself, [BLANK-1] was the st…
A Hellenistic Socratic thinker himself, [BLANK-1] was the student of Socrates and much of what we know about that philosopher comes from this man, as Socrates did not leave any writing of his own. This philosopher believed that there were two forms of existence: the changing, temporal world and an unchanging, eternal realm of “forms.” He believed that true knowledge came from intense contemplation on these ideal forms rather than by studying the imperfect examples of the real world. He also believed that the best form of rule was that by an educated elite, a sage king or philosopher king. He recorded his political philosophy in The Republic.
Read Details[BLANK-1] in 480 B.C.E. was a pyrrhic victory for the Persia…
[BLANK-1] in 480 B.C.E. was a pyrrhic victory for the Persians during the Second Persian War. Greek historians recount that during a rearguard action in this conflict, 300 Spartan soldiers faced off against one million Persian soldiers, and held their own for three days (historians dismiss the outlandish number of soldiers, which would have been impossible for that era, but it is possible that the Spartans and their allies faced several hundred thousand soldiers). The Spartan king, Leonidas I, stayed with the 300 Spartans and they fought the Persians to the death, delaying and allowing the majority of the Spartan army to escape. Notably, the narrow pass the Spartans defended in this conflict limited the numerical advantage of the Persians and marks the first time in recorded history that an army used terrain as a force multiplier. While the Spartans lost the battle, the heroism of the 300 Spartans prevented a catastrophic defeat and paved the way for future battles that ultimately led to Greek victory in the war.
Read DetailsDuring the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople was heavily defe…
During the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople was heavily defended by a tripartite fortification system known as [BLANK-1]. The city had bountiful food and water stores within each fortification which meant they could withstand sieges for years. This made the city nearly impregnable by both sea and land and would protect the city until Mehmet the Conqueror breached the fortifications in 1453.
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