Each Easter we see many images of Jesus on the cross – inevitably wearing a loincloth. But the historical evidence shows victims of crucifixion were fully naked to maximise shame as well as pain.
Purple was highly valued and associated with royalty, power, and prestige in various ancient cultures, including the Roman and Byzantine Empires. So how did red creep its way in?
Democracy was enshrined in Roman currency.
American Numismatic Society
Fighting for voter access is an inevitable part of any democracy, from ancient Rome to the US today. Roman legislators were able to thwart elite political sway by introducing written ballots.
Shoes dyed red have become an emblem in Italy’s protests against anti-woman violence.
Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images
Historian and complexity scientist, Dan Hoyer, examines why past societies collapsed when faced with crisis, while others founds ways to survive and flourish.
Olympias the Deaconess.
Print by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam/Wikimedia Commons
A formidable woman born in the second half of the fourth century and widowed at around 17, Olympias was not afraid to advocate for herself – or her friends.
Nos Galan Gaeaf on October 31 is followed by Calan Gaeaf on November 1 in Wales.
PBabic/Shutterstock
The College of Cardinals is an important part of the church’s governance structure. Its members elect the next pope and help develop future policies for the church.
Helen Mirren playing Caesonia in Tinto Brass’ 1979 historical drama film, Caligula .
Following a number of films featuring debauched emperors, it is nowadays commonplace to associate the Greek-Roman antiquity with orgies. But is this historically accurate?
Cleopatra (centre) is played by a black actress, Adele James, in the new Netflix docudrama series.
Image courtesy Netflix
A historian of the late Roman world, who visited earthquake-devastated Antakya several times, writes about the city’s rich history and recovery after being devastated in the past.
Lucian of Samosata, a high-ranking Roman official.
Michael Nicholson/Corbis via Getty Images
A scholar who studies biblical texts explains how the Bible, its laws, and ancient debates were set within a complex vision of society at that time.
Ancient military innovations – like the bit and bridle that enabled mounted horseback riding – changed the course of history.
Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin/British Museum via WikimediaCommons
Did ancient technological advancements drive social innovation, or vice versa? Studying cause and effect in the ancient world may seem like a fool’s errand, but researchers built a database to do just that.
An image of the monk John Chrysostom preaching in Constantinople in the 4th century.
Alamy/From Hutchinson's History of the Nations
Some fringe conspiracy theorists are connecting COVID-19 vaccines to the mark of the beast. A religion scholar explains why the biblical reference should be considered in its first-century context.
Medieval Christians believed that heaven was a realm filled with dancing. Italian painter Fra Angelico’s ‘Last Judgment’ showing dancing angels.
Fra Angelico's Last Judgment/Wikimedia
Kathryn Dickason, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Despite opposition from the early church, dance was an integral part of Christian devotion for many centuries before falling out of favor.
Army chaplain Emil Kapaun helps a soldier on the battlefield during the Korean War in 1952.
Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
In early Christianity, soldiers could be baptized only if they refused to kill other human beings. While this changed over the years, tensions linger over Christian goals.