Nymphs: Magical Creatures of Ancient Greece

nymphs

In Greek mythology, nymphs are supernatural, female nature spirits associated with various natural elements such as mountains, forests, rivers, and springs. They are often depicted as beautiful and youthful beings, and they play important roles in many myths and stories. There are several types of nymphs, each associated with different aspects of nature. Whilst they …

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Key Characteristics of Japanese Mythology

Japanese mythology

Japanese Mythology, in its broadest sense, is a pastiche of different traditions and myths, derived mainly from Shintoism and Japanese Buddhism. Both provide Japanese Mythology with a pantheon of elaborate and varied deities, guardians, and “kami” – holy spirits and forces associated with the natural world and its features. Additionally, more localized Japanese folklore constitutes …

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Pagan Gods from Across the Ancient World

pagan gods

From Zeus and Jupiter to Poseidon and Geb, there were many pagan gods around the world. The word “Pagan” derives from the Latin “Paganus”, which was reappropriated by Christianity, first in the fourth century AD, to alienate those who did not adhere to the Christian religion. Originally it had signified that somebody was “rural,” “rustic,” …

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Emperor Aurelian: “Restorer of the World”

emperor-aurelian

Whilst Emperor Aurelian only ruled for five years as leader of the Roman world, his importance to its history is immense. Born in relative obscurity, somewhere in the Balkans (possibly near modern Sofia) in September 215, to a peasant family, Aurelian was in some ways a typical “soldier emperor” of the third century. However, unlike …

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Commodus: The First Ruler of the End of Rome

Commodus: The First Ruler of the End of Rome 1

Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, commonly known more briefly as Commodus, was the 18th emperor of the Roman Empire and the last of the widely praised “Nerva-Antonine Dynasty.” He was, however, instrumental in the downfall and demise of that dynasty and is remembered in sharp contrast to his close predecessors. Indeed, his image and identity …

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