The ancient Olympic events have an obvious connection with several war and military activities, but the Olympics were only possible because the various Greek states, in permanent confrontation, agreed to a temporary truce of peace.
Democracy is equality
In ancient Greece, the Athenians had some superiority complex with regard to the rest of Hellenes or Greeks. They were proud of their city, of their Acropolis (from aker and polis = high city, the upper town, the citadel, the fortress) in which it was the great temple of the goddess Athena, their eponymous (from epi and noma), the one who gives the city of Athens its name, the virgin (they call her Athena parthenos); they felt themselves especially proud of their “democracy” (from “demos” people and “cracy” power or government)
Is it interesting to know details and anecdotes of the Ancient World?
Surely there are many people, including friends from “facebook”, to whom these various anecdotes or comments about the ancient world interest little or interest nothing at all indeed. Probably somebody thinks they are writings made by self-absorbed people who don´t really care about the real and current problems of the crazy world we actually live in because he or she considers that the Ancient World is far away. Of course it is a respectable opinion.
All the boys and all the girls: κόρους τε ἅμα καὶ κόρας (kórous te áma kaì kóras), πάντ᾽ ἄνδρα καὶ γυναῖκα (pánt’ándra kaì gynaîka).
One of the most important changes that has been originated in modern society, in Western society and worldwide is that of equality between men and women, full legal equality real and only partly in status or social function.
What is more important, the utilitarian oratory or spiritual poetry?
Yesterday, the same as today, the “word” is an honourable activity of men, in some cases that activity produces huge profits while in other cases barely allows a simple life.
The drunkenness begets deformed creatures
The philosopher, politician and writer Henri-Benjamin Constant, Swiss-born French (1767-1830) wrote in 1816 a famous speech or treatise entitled ‘The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with that of the Moderns’ (1819).
A body without a name (sine nomine corpus)
One of the more intensely poetic passages of the Aeneid is one in which Virgil (70-19 BC) tells us the death and the end of Priam , the aged king of Troy, in the Book II.
Spartacus: “Freedom or death”
Throughout History, the slavery of human beings by others has been an omnipresent reality. The slaves came mainly from wars, which were so usual.
The Roman Regulus heroically keeps his word and pays with death
In the civic education of the ancient Romans, an important role was played by the memory and knowledge of the virtuous deeds of ancestors, roles to imitate by young people
Tyranny is the opposite of freedom
Tyranny denies freedom, even when it is set in the name of freedom itself.