Welcome to our World History section, a vast treasure trove of historical knowledge that takes you on a captivating journey through the annals of human civilization. Our collection spans a wide spectrum of topics, providing an exhaustive resource for history enthusiasts, students, and curious minds
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The Greeks were the first to formulate many of the Western world's
fundamental concepts in politics, philosophy, science, and art. How was itthat a relative handful of people could bequeath such a legacy tocivilization? The definitive answer may always elude the historian, but a goodpart of the expl...
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A Vital Legacy
The final complexity in dealing with classical Greece (and then Rome)involves its relationship to us - to contemporary residents of North America.For most Americans, Greece constitutes the first phase of "our own" classicalpast. The framers of the Constitution of the United States wer...
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A History of Ancient Greece
The country which is now called Hellas was not regularly settled in ancient times. The people were migratory, and readily left their homes whenever they were overpowered by numbers. There was no commerce, and they could not safely hold intercourse with one another either...
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From Plutarch's Lives, still inspirational after 19 centuries:
15 Ancient Greek Heroes
from Plutarch's Lives
Ploutarcou
A modern English edition, abridged and annotated by Wilmot H. McCutchen
Preface
It's brief, so start here, then read these biographies in chronological order:
Theseus
The Athenian...
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Surviving Greek and Roman texts reveal the remarkable level of mathematical and engineering skill that went into the development of these early ballistic-missile launchers
by Werner Soedel and Vernard Foley Scientific American, March 1979, pp. 150 - 160
Web version made available with additional dia...
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Romans borrowed their gods and goddesses from the Greeks and gave them new names. Below is a chart of the Greek and Roman names of the God or Goddess and a description of what they were believed to control.
Greek NameRoman NameResponsibilitiesAphroditeVenusgoddess of beauty and loveAresMarsgod of wa...
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Alexander"The Great"(356 -323 B.C.)
In an amazing eleven-year journey of conquest, young Alexander of Macedonia conquered all the way from Egypt to India. Behind him came Greek institutions and the Greek language, which became the standard of the ancient world. The intoxication of power caused Alex
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abate (a bate')Make less; die down. Example: The city passed a law to abate the noise coming from factories.
abductedKidnapped; carried away a person by force.
abet (a bet')Assist; help out, especially in doing something bad. Example: Nixon had a staff to abet his crimes.
abide (a byd')Tolerate; sta
Studying the words in context, and examining the brief definitions and examples provided in this list, will add significantly to the student's real understanding of proper usage....
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If we explore the literature of Heroism, we shall quickly come to Plutarch, who is its Doctor and historian. ... I must think we are more deeply indebted to him than to all the ancient writers. Each of his "Lives" is a refutation to the despondency and cowardice of our religious and political theori...
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The Athenian Adventurer
(circa 1300 B.C.)
QHSEUS
by Plutarch
Theseus suppressed crime and brought the natives of Attica together into the first democracy. He saved the Athenian children from the Minotaur, but his kidnap of the queen of the Amazons brought trouble, and he ended his days in disgrace.
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The Lawmaker of Athens
(died 559 B.C.)
SOLWN
by Plutarch
Athens, unlike Sparta, was a money-mad commercial city. The constitution written by Solon mitigated the class struggle between rich and poor, and allowed for the growth of democratic institutions.
Solon was born into a well-to-do family of Ath...
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"The Just"
(530 - 468 B.C.)
ARISTEIDHS
by Plutarch
Aristides was so respected throughout Greece for his fairness that Athens assumed the leadership of the alliance against the Persian invaders. His character is a model for all ages.
Aristides was a close friend of Cleisthenes, the man who had stampe...
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"The Olympian"
(495 - 429 B.C.)
PERIKLHS
by Plutarch
By the power of his eloquence, and the money embezzled from Athens' unwilling allies, Pericles built Athens into a beautiful city and a powerful empire. Athenian imperialism, however, soon led to war with Sparta.
Augustus Caesar observed some fore...
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The Slave of Fear
(died 413 B.C.)
N I K I A S
by Plutarch
The turning point of the war with Sparta was the disastrous Sicilian Expedition, eagerly undertaken by the greedy Athenians. Superstitious old Nicias was their reluctant leader in this debacle.
After the death of Pericles, the democracy of At...
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The Lame King of Sparta
(444 - 360 B.C.)
AGESILAOS
by Plutarch
Agesilaus inherited the Spartan throne after Sparta had defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War. At that time, Sparta was the undisputed master of Greece and the Aegean. Because of his stubborn lust for conquest, Agesilaus violated the ...
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The Freedom Fighter
(410 - 364 B.C.)
PELOPIDAS
by Plutarch
Pelopidas led the Thebans to recover their liberty, then he led them to victory over the invincible Spartans. From beginning to end, his was the life of a hero.
Pelopidas, the son of Hippoclus, was born into a prominent family of Thebes. He ...
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