The Antikythera Mechanism
They found an Ancient Greek computer? Was it the first one? It answered a question many ask about Ancient Greece, how did they know: the time what year they were in? when the four year cycle of the Olympiad had passed? Today, we know this because we have clocks, watches and, of course, mobile phones […]
Theseus
Theseus was the hero of many Greek legends, most notably Theseus and the Minotaur but was he a real person? Theseus was a mythological king and founder hero of Athens, sometimes described as the son of king Aegeus and sometimes the son of the god Poseidon. He was everything a Greek hero should be handsome, […]
Why did the Modern Olympics start?
Because of one man, Pierre de Coubertin. It came about in 1889 when he had the concept of reviving the Olympic Games. Then, he spent the next five years just trying to get a meeting of athletes and sports enthusiasts, and, of course, when they finally got together, they loved it! That was in June […]
A Plinian Volcano!
Most of all we all know about Volcanos they shoot lava high into the air but did you know what a Plinian volcano is? The point is that volcanos are not all the same. Surprise, surprise, yes they are the eruption of gases and lava from the centre of the earth, but …….. They have […]
Did the people of Pompeii know they lived by a live volcano?
Pliny the Younger who watched from the other side of the bay told us “There had been tremors for many days previously,a common occurrence in Campagnia and no cause for panic.” Yes, they did! The Pompeiians knew that to Volcanoes provided fertile land, ideal soil along with a climate for growing grapes and olives. That […]
Athens, an early democracy
In 510 BC the Athenians overthrew their tyrant King Hippias, with the help of Cleomenes I, King of Sparta. Naturally, he tried to put his own man on the throne, and he chose Isagoras. However, Cleisthenes, an Athenian lawyer, who was supported by the middle class and basically most of the population, opposed him. Isagoras […]
The Ancient Olympics, how did they start?
Do your children know that the Olympics date back to an Ancient Greek festival, which was part of a five day festival held every four years in honour of Zeus, the King of the Gods. It is believed there were similar festivals as far back as the 13th century BC, yes, that long ago! However, […]
Did the people of Pompeii know they lived by a live volcano?
The city of Pompeii was a major resort city during the times of Ancient Rome. However, then everything changed when it was buried in volcanic dust in 79 AD, disaster struck the city when it was buried for 2,000 years under 20 feet of a blanket of ash and pumice when the nearby volcano, Mount […]
Who was Theseus?
We know him as the Greek who slayed the Minotaur of the Cretan king Minos. What did he do before that? His birth His birth is interesting. It is said that he was the son of Aegeus, King of Athens. Aegeus had a problem, just like Henry VIII, he needed a son, he knew several […]
Did the Greek Gods start the Trojan War?
According to ancient mythology, the Greek gods did play a crucial and deliberate role in starting the Trojan War. The origins of this legend can be traced back not to something that was human like politics or territorial ambition, but to a divine quarrel that took place at a wedding. A typically dramatic start in […]