2022 - Ancient Buzz

Who Was Achilles? The Myth of the Achilles Heel

You may not know much about the mythic hero Achilles, but you’ve certainly heard the idiom that uses his namesake: Achilles' heel. The expression refers...

10 Places Where You Can Visit a Roman Coliseum Outside of Rome

If you thought you needed to visit Rome to see a Roman coliseum, you thought wrong. While it’s true that the Colosseum (note the spelling)...

Trojan War: Myth vs. Fact

The Trojan War is one of those rare events that's equal parts myth and history. In fact, until the 19th century, it was regarded solely...

The Greek Architecture Guide

This article will survey some of the Greek architecture of the ancient and classical past. It will also explain the reasons why the highlighted structures...

Best Ancient History Books

In this article we recommend seven of the best ancient history books that are still extant and widely available. All of these texts are products...

Albany Institute of History and Art: Antiquities Highlights

Our coverage of museums, both big and small, aims to highlight collections that showcase the ancient and classical world. The museum in focus in this...

The Last Pharaoh: Caesarion, Son of Cleopatra

Caesarion was the love child of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. And because of his two extremely famous parents, he could have perhaps gone on to...

The Three Periods of Ancient Greece

The three periods of ancient Greece produced countless famous names: Aristotle, Homer, Pythagoras, Leonidas, Cleopatra, Euclid, Socrates, Alexander the Great. Plato, this website’s namesake, is...

List of Greek Gods: An Introduction to the Pantheon

This list of Greek gods includes the Titans, the 12 great gods of Olympus, and some lesser Olympians. These gods are the oldest and, perhaps,...

3 Types of Greek Columns in Ancient Greek Architecture

There are three types of Greek columns that correspond to the Classical Orders of Architecture: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. And each type is still used...

Socrates on Democracy in Plato’s Republic

Democracy is, perhaps, the greatest invention of ancient Greece. Its meaning -- quite literally, power to the people -- has become the mantra of just...

Allegory of the Cave: Plato’s Cave Allegory Explained

Plato's allegory of the cave challenges readers to reconsider their understanding of reality. Its main point is simple: The things that you believe to be...

Who was Plato, the Ancient Greek Philosopher?

We often hear about Plato's philosophical achievements: for many, the allegory of the cave and The Republic come to mind. But who was Plato the...

Plato’s Republic: Justice in Four Definitions

What is justice? If you were to ask this question of Socrates in Plato's Republic, it would probably take him a while to give you...