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Who Were Celts

Where Did The Celts Come From? By the third century B.C., the Celts controlled much of the European continent north of the Alps mountain range, including present‑day Ireland and Great Britain. It is these islands off Europe’s western coast in which Celtic culture was allowed to survive and thrive, as the Roman Empire expanded on […]

Achilles

Achilles: Early Life Like most mythological heroes, Achilles had a complicated family tree. His father was Peleus, the mortal king of the Myrmidons–a people who, according to legend, were extraordinarily fearless and skilled soldiers. His mother was Thetis, a Nereid. Did you know? Today, we use the phrase “Achilles heel” to describe a powerful person’s […]

Hercules

Was Hercules a God? Hercules was not a god, but was born a mortal, although like many mythic heroes, he had a complicated family tree. According to legend, his father was Zeus, ruler of all the Greek gods on Mount Olympus and all the mortals on earth, and his mother was Alcmene, the granddaughter of […]

Pompeii

Where Is Pompeii? Located on the west coast of Italy along the shores of the Bay of Naples—south of the modern‑day city of Naples—ancient Greek settlers made Pompeii part of the Hellenistic sphere in the 8th century B.C. An independent‑minded town, Pompeii fell under the influence of Rome in the 2nd century B.C., and eventually […]

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Trojan War

Everyone knows how the Trojan War ended: with a bunch of guys piling out of a giant horse. But the events of the war itself have been debated extensively, and the actual truth is still largely unknown. All we have to go on is myth.

Nefertiti

Nefertiti means “the beautiful woman has come,” and according to 14th century BC rumors, she lived up to her name. Learn more about her legacy in this video.

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