Historical story

• Julius Caesar:Epileptic or Did He Suffer from Repeated Strokes?

  Julius Caesar epileptic? No according to two British scholars who support a different thesis, namely that he was prey to small and continuous strokes Julius Caesar:epileptic or suffering from continuous stroke? Which pathology was the great Roman politician and leader suffering? It is

• Handkerchief:Historical Notes and some Interesting Curiosities

  Portrait of a seated lady with a handkerchief and a little dog, by Francesco Montemezzano The use of the handkerchief as we know it today, or to blow your nose in case of a cold or sudden sneezing, is surprisingly recent. In fact, it dates back only to the last century, when hygiene rules beca

• Why is the face powder so called?

  Face powder. The name of the cosmetic comes from the island of Cyprus The face powder , which all women know well and use to make the skin velvety and without imperfections, as well as to fix makeup, which thanks to it lasts longer, is a cosmetic of ancient origins . But what does it get its

• Amazon of 2500 years ago

  Greek Amazon on horseback (the image is not the one the post refers to) Still wonders from Ancient Greece. On a refined box dating back to the 5th century AD. used as a beauty-case and jewelry boxes, or to store cosmetics and jewels, the drawing of an Amazon was recently discovered depicte

• Historical itineraries:Torre Santa Sabina

  Torre Santa SAbina (Brindisi) seen from the plane There is nothing better than combining, if and when possible, fun and culture for an unforgettable holiday:if you love history and the sea, an interesting place to visit could be Torre Santa Sabina, ancient and charming town near Brindisi. Th

• Origin of the word "soldier"

  Roman soldiers. The term soldier comes from the Latin solidarius Although it is a term that we all pronounce countless times every day, how many of us know the origin of the word soldier “? So why are the soldiers called exactly like that? I didnt know it, but after a little research I disco

• Surgery Before Anesthesia

  A method of harvesting the mandrake from a medieval image. The mandrake was used in large quantities by the Romans in surgery Prior to the use of ether , the first anesthetic in the modern sense, which Crawford Williamson Long experimented for the first time, with success, in 1842 , what was

• The Perfumes of the Greeks according to Theophrastus

  Ancient Greek woman with an incense. Theophrastus gives us information on perfumes in Greece The book “ On smells By the Greek philosopher and botanist Theophrastus (4th-3rd century BC), is a valuable source of information and curiosities about the world of perfumes in Ancient Greece. From

• Opium:Origin of the Word

  Opium den in Paris in the 19th century The term “opium ”Has very ancient origins. In the Greek language the word òpion it meant “juice” , since it indicated the latex naturally secreted by the capsules of the poppy flowers ( papaver somniferum ). This white liquid congeals in contac

• The Strange Relationship of Augustus with his Daughter Giulia

  Pictorial representation of Giulia in Ventotene Although the Emperor August he was certainly very attached to his only daughter Giulia , with the passage of time, it seems that the disappointment and bitterness due to the libertine, unscrupulous and unregulated behavior, or that he considered

• Vespasian's "Tax on Urine"

  Vespasian. It was he who instituted the urine tax The Roman emperor Vespasian (7-79) he earned the reputation of miser also due to some taxes bizarre taxes on the population. In reality, the economic-financial one was one of the most serious problems to which the first of the Flavi was for

• Ancient Greek Cuisine:Pancakes with Honey

  Honey is the basis of this ancient recipe for making delicious pancakes The pancakes with honey they are a typical dish of the ancient Greek gastronomic tradition, so tasty, as well as easy to prepare, that they adapt perfectly to the tastes and times of todays cuisine. You need: 125 ml. of cu

• Valentine's Day:Who Really Was the Saint of Lovers?

  Valentines Day As with many other characters who lived in very remote times, the life and work of Valentines Day , the “Saint of lovers” , are shrouded in the deepest mystery. The certain data that we can extrapolate from the original documents are very few. Valentines Day:biographical not

• Songs of Soldiers to Caesar for his Homosexuality

  Julius Caesar The bisexuality of Caio Giulio Cesare it is a historically established fact:in the course of his life the great Roman politician and general intertwined sentimental ties with both women and men. Much chat and subject of continuous teasing not always pleasing to the person conce

• Found in Turkey a stele with engraved Greek poetry

  Mugla Milas, the Turkish town where the stele was found A team of archaeologists at work at the Mausoleum Hecatomnus in the Mugla Milas area in Turkey, unearthed a stele a few weeks ago engraved with a poem in trochaic catalectic tetrameter , which represents the longest Greek composi

• Virgil:All his Modesty in a Letter to Augustus

  Publio Virgilio Marone Humility and modesty often go hand in hand with human and intellectual greatness. An example of this is what the immense poet Virgilio writes in a letter addressed to the Emperor Augustus on Aeneas, main character of the Aeneid , her masterpiece: About my Aen

• Statilia Messalina, Nero's Less Known Wife

  Bust of Statilia Messalina The Messalina most famous in history is certainly Valeria, much talked about wife of the Emperor Claudius , which has become over the centuries (there is no doubt whether rightly or wrongly) the very symbol of lust more unbridled. The less known Statilia Messa

• Maxims of Marcus Aurelius:Wisdom of an Emperor

  Marcus Aurelius, Emperor who remained famous for his humanity, culture and wisdom Many maxims of Marcus Aurelius have become famous and reflect the greatness of their author. If you have seen Gladiator , the blockbuster played by Russel Crowe, you will probably have fallen in love, as

• Physical defects of some Roman emperors according to Suetonius

  Face of Augustus Suetonius, the most gossipy writer of Ancient Rome, he left us biographies merciless of some emperors Romans not only from a moral point of view but also from a physical point of view. Not without missing a good dose of contemptuous irony, he elucidated us on some of

• Nero's Hair

  Peter Ustinov in his memorable interpretation of Nero in the film Quo vadis? (1951). The ringed hair was characteristic of the eccentric Emperor Nero he is known above all for his extravagances and for the bizarre manias that characterized his behavior in all circumstances, as well as known are