Tag: Ancient Greece

The Savior of Syracuse (409 - 354 B.C.) DIWN by Plutarch Sicily was an important part of the Greek world. Dion led the struggle against tyranny in its largest city, Syracuse. Ingratitude and betrayal were his reward for indulging the democrats of Syracuse. Dionysius [the Elder] 1 had become tyrant o...

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 ...

The Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between the Achaemenid Empire and Greek city-states that started in 499 BC and lasted until 449 BC. The collision between the fractious political world of the Greeks and the enormous empire of the Persians began when Cyrus the Great conquered the Greek-inh...

Nestled in the northeastern corner of the Peloponnese, the ancient city of Argos has long been a place of legend and history. With roots dating back over 3,000 years, Argos is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. This post delves into the captivating story of Argos, a city wi...

PLOUTARXOS (circa 45 - 125 A.D.) Priest of the Delphic Oracle Greece, by the turn of the first millenium, was a sad ruin of its former glory. Mighty Rome had looted its statues and reduced Greece to conquered territory. 1 Despite these circumstances, Mestrius Plutarchus (known to history as Plutarch...

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...

In the rich tapestry of Greek mythology, the Olympian Gods reign supreme, commanding the heavens and influencing the destinies of mortals below. This post invites you to embark on a celestial journey, exploring the majestic world of the Olympian Gods through a fusion of captivating images and insigh...

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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 ...

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...

Embark on a virtual odyssey through the cradle of Western civilization as we offer a comprehensive overview of Greece. This timeless land, steeped in history, mythology, and vibrant culture, invites exploration from the ancient wonders that shaped our world to the modern allure that continues to cap...

(all dates B.C.) circa 9000 Atlantis disappears. circa 1600 Island of Thera explodes, causing a tidal wave that inundates coastal settlements in the Aegean, and cripples the civilization of Crete. circa 1300 Theseus establishes the city of Athens. circa 1250 Troy falls to Agamemnon and his Greek a...