The origins of Christmas can be traced back to the ancient Roman and Norse civilizations. In fact, 25th December was not even Jesus’ date of birth. The early Christians appropriated what was originally a pagan holiday because it was convenient. Before that, the people of ancient Europe had celebrations of the pagan god Saturn or …
Bagels – that extremely popular quintessentially American bread – actually has very humble origins, probably in Vienna. There are many stories about how bagels came to be invented but the most famous story was that a baker in Vienna crafted it in honor of the King of Poland, Jan Sobieski III. While a popular story, …
Baklava, that delicious dessert made with layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts, has a rather controversial history because both the Greeks and the Turks claim to have invented it. Originating in the Byzantine Empire, this dessert is a classic in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries even today. But where exactly does this …
The origins of Judaism can be traced back to ancient times and the region of the Middle East known as Canaan (present-day Israel and Palestine). Judaism is considered one of the oldest monotheistic religions, with its roots dating back over 3,000 years. According to Jewish tradition and biblical accounts, Judaism was founded by the patriarch …
From Dido of Carthage to Queen Teuta of Illyria, there have been female pirates and pirate queens from ancient times. Women did not often have much power within the law. But outside the law, women could lead ships, command men, and fight in battles. There were about a hundred or so women pirates whose names …
Roman women were the silent wives, the mothers, the daughters, and the priestesses in the background. Even when they were queens, their voices came after the men around them. So what were the Roman women like? What kind of lives did women live in the Roman Empire? What kind of laws and policies did ancient …