Συντάκτης: Theodoros Karasavvas

Not many people will disagree that much of popular culture has been influenced (and continues to be influenced) by Hollywood history and its films (in both good and bad ways). In many instances, Hollywood has educated the younger generation and retold stories in colorful cinematic fashion that were either forgotten or only discussed in university-level history or literature courses, with 300 and the Battle of Thermopylae between the Persians and the Greeks being a somewhat recent example….READ MORE

One of the most common questions you will hear within art history’s circles is “Why are the noses missing from so many ancient Egyptian statues?” Is it just a coincidence, or could it possibly be a conspiracy? Several archaeologists have suggested erosion could be one of the main reasons this happens to many ancient statues. Harsh winds, shifting mud and sand dunes, the flowing of water, and thousands of years of feet and hands pitter-pattering over relatively delicate materials such as marble and stone will most likely have a pretty damaging effect….READ MORE

For 6,000 years, two young lovers had been locked in an eternal embrace, hidden from the eyes of the world. Despite their embrace lasting six millennia, the Lovers of Valdaro only became known ten years ago, when their tomb was discovered near Mantua, in the northern region of Lombardy. Digging in the village of Valdaro, a team of archaeologists led by Elena Maria Menotti found a double burial: a young man and woman considered to be about 20 years of age, huddled close together, face to face, their arms and legs entwined, as if they were embracing….READ MORE

There have been many sitcoms after Seinfeld that have tried to do something new based on a similar formula, but never managed to achieve the incredible success of that show. But what made Seinfeld such a success? Its funny characters who never got old or stale throughout the series’ almost decade-long run? Was it because the show dared to touch “sensitive topics” such as masturbation and group sex in a bold manner during a period when our society was ready to change and progress? Nobody can answer these questions with any certainty, but the facts speak for themselves: Being voted the #1 comedy in TV history, surpassing iconic American shows such as I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners….READ MORE

We like to think we’ve made a lot of social, scientific, and technological progress throughout the last few centuries, but that’s not always the case. Many studies have shown that our ancestors from various times were smarter, more practical, and tougher than we are. For example, many contemporary historians suggest that an unarmed battle between modern soldiers and the Spartans or Vikings of the past would result in a bloody mess for today’s fighters. When it comes to sports, we also believe our athletes are faster, stronger, and have more endurance than those who came before, but we tend to forget all the things (such as performance-enhancing drugs, advanced equipment, medical advances…READ MORE

During the first half of the 18th century, the Catholic Church’s authority and religious intolerance had reached new heights in France, which in many cases led to irrationally harsh punishment for those who dared not obey the commandments and adhere to religious dogma. One such case was the heartbreaking story of Jean-François de la Barre, also known as Chevalier (“knight”) de la Barre….READ MORE

Belonging to the LGBT community has always been difficult. From a young age, when the individual realizes that he or she is different from the majority, normal things start to feel complicated. To begin with, within family circles most parents want and expect their children to marry someone of the opposite sex and provide grandchildren. A lot of the time when they find out their child is gay, a war erupts at home, and in many cases kids begin to feel isolated, or in more extreme cases, they are kicked out. Even in film and TV, it wasn’t until the late 1990’s that LGBT characters started to become more mainstream and find acceptance from audiences….READ MORE

Pythagoras is perhaps the most famous figure in the group of ancient Greek philosophers known as the Pre-Socratics. This is largely due to the Pythagorean Theorem, a mathematical theorem that is still widely used today. Apart from being a mathematician, Pythagoras was also an influential thinker in other areas. For example, he made important contributions to religion during his life as well. These aspects of Pythagoras, however, are much less well-known, and have been overshadowed by his mathematical theorem….READ MORE

Ιn biology, race divides populations—based on genetic factors—within the same species, even though it’s a scientifically proven fact that all humans belong to the same species (Homo sapiens), and even to the same subspecies, Homo sapiens sapiens. Despite the aforementioned undeniable facts, there are still very small genetic variations across the planet that engender diverse physical appearances, such as variations in skin color. As a result, humans have been divided socially and genetically into races for centuries now, even though the morphological variation among races is not indicative of major differences in DNA….READ MORE