Tag: Ancient History
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Funding the Arts in Ancient Athens
The Dionysia, a festival in ancient Athens on honour of the god Dionysus, featured plays sponsored by choregoi: wealthy citizens who financed the performance in exchange for social prestige. Fiona MacRae explores how the benefaction model of ancient Athens might be the key to saving the performing arts today.
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What Caused the Collapse of the Legendary Bronze Age?
The collapse of Bronze Age societies during the twelfth century BC has prompted a number of theories regarding the cause. Fleur O’Reilly examines some of the prevailing arguments and potential motivating factors behind this widespread cultural deterioration.
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Justinianic Wars: A Study
The reconquests of Justinian I during the sixth century saw a large number of territories reunified under Roman rule. However, with insufficient resources to cover multiple fronts, Dido Papikinou discusses how his imperial victories ultimately threatened the stability of the Eastern Roman Empire.
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Did Women Have Real Power in the Achaemenid Court?
In an effort to better understand the socio-political role of women in the Achaemenid empire, Eleonora Soteriou examines the various ways in which high-ranking women were able to exercise power–including holding property, hosting important social gatherings, and acting as diplomatic envoys.
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The Soul from Homer to Heraclitus
As Greek philosophy emerged during the sixth century BCE, so too did a swelling interest in explaining the soul. Eleonora Soteriou discusses the work of Presocratic philosophers who, building upon the earliest Homeric theories, have sought to conceptualise the immaterial.
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Hesiod’s Guide to Winter
Hesiod’s “Works and Days” serves as an instruction on how to be a good farmer, including when poor weather hits. Fiona MacRae looks to the ancient Greek poet for some advice on how we might brave the colder months – goat skin optional.
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The Origins of Tattooing: A Brief Overview
Written by Etta Coleman. The art of tattooing has a long and nuanced history, intimately linked with the cultures who permanently inscribed ink into the flesh. Etta Coleman explores the origins of this art form and its global spread.
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The Achaemenid Rulers: Dogmatic or Pragmatic?
Written by Kavisha Kamalanathan. The history of the Achaemenid rulers and their legacy of brutality has often been told through the lens of the Ancient Greek writers who immortalised them. However, an examination of contemporaneous Eastern sources reveals a markedly different picture of the Persian kings.
Retrospect Journal 