“It can be seen for more than seventy miles, and is of great antiquity. It is most strongly built in all directions and competes with the skies in height. Description of it falls short, the eyes fail to comprehend it, and words are inadequate, so vast is the spectacle.” Thus wrote the Muslim pilgrim Ibn […]
Tag: Egypt
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia – Power & Art Perfected?
A second of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was the statue of Zeus at Olympia. Like six of the seven wonders, sadly, it is not extant. You cannot travel to see it today like you can visit the pyramids of Giza in Egypt. And unlike some of the other great statues of antiquity, […]
Pyramids of Giza – The Greatest Wonder of the Ancient World?
It’s probable that no structures ever built by humans command more wonder than the pyramids of Giza. Everything about these funeral monuments beggars description. Their size is monumental. The pyramids of Giza also stand out from the landscape around them in a way that few other structures do. They give the appearance of awesome power […]
Canopic Jars – Interesting Historical Artifacts
Today my blog takes a break from book reviews and serious issues to introduce you to canopic jars. A canopic jar is one of the most interesting artifacts from Ancient Egypt. What did they do? The primary purpose of a canopic jar was to hold the embalmed organs of a deceased person undergoing mummification. Typically, […]
Review of Antonius, Son of Rome, by Brook Allen
The book Antonius, Son of Rome is a historical fiction novel by Brook Allen. It’s the first book of a trilogy about Marc Antony, or Marcus Antonius. The date of publication is 2018. To read my other recent book reviews, please check out: Dying of Whiteness, by Jonathan Metzl Opium and Absinthe, by Lydia Kang […]
Is the Byzantine Empire Underrated or Just Ignored?
I get the question all the time: Was the Byzantine Empire underrated? Have you ever even heard of the Byzantine Empire? If you’re a regular follower of my blog, possibly not. If you got to this post from an Internet search, perhaps you have. Either way, most people know little about the great empire that […]