Ancient History Magazine

Ancient History looks at every aspect of the ancient world: you'll find articles covering politics, society, literature, language, religion, economics, and art - all in one magazine! Like its big brother, Ancient Warfare, Ancient History Magazine is a bi-monthly, 60-page magazine that relies on a thematic approach: each issue is centered around one specific subject. From ancient Egyptian trade and Roman family life to the lost city of Pompeii, there's sure to be something for everyone - all presented in a well-researched but accessible, fun manner.

Ancient History Magazine

PRELIMINARIES

MORITURI TE SALUTANT! AUT NON • In Suetonius’ biography of the emperor Claudius we hear the most famous words from the ancient Roman arena echoing across the centuries: “Ave Caesar! Morituri te salutant!” (Hail Caesar! Those about to die salute you!). These words capture the majesty and fatal brutality of the Roman arena: even the performers seem willing to give up their own lives for the greater glory of the games. The line, however, plays on our preconceptions and may be misleading us.

LOCAL INDUSTRY • In a previous article, I discussed the methods used to produce Tyrian purple, the most prestigious dye in the ancient world (Ancient History 57). In this article, I will discuss just how communities were impacted by the production of purple dye.

SYRACUSAN DEMOCRACY • The history of ancient Syracuse is seldom associated with democracy. Better remembered are its tyrants: Gelon, Hieron I, Dionysius I, Hieron II. Yet for roughly 55 years, from about 460 to 405 BC, Sicily's most powerful Greek city experimented in government by the demos — democracy.

FROM IMPORTS TO INDIGENOUS WARE • In the middle of the fifth century BC, red-figure pottery began to be produced in southeast Italy. The pottery found a ready market both in the Greek cities on the coast and in the indigenous communities in the interior. Locally produced red-figure pottery soon replaced the demand for imported Athenian vases, until production stopped around the end of the fourth century BC.

ELEATIC PHILOSOPHY • The Western philosophical tradition is often characterized as a series of footnotes to Plato. Yet the Platonic corpus itself can be considered a series of footnotes to the so-called Presocratic philosophers, and especially to Parmenides of Elea, the founder of Eleatic philosophy.

CONFLICT AND COMPROMISE • The Greeks of southern Italy shared the peninsula with many other peoples. Over time these non-Greek peoples — such as the Campanians, Lucanians, and Messapians — grew in power and rivalled the Greeks for influence. It might seem that Greeks and non-Greeks were hostile — and, indeed, they did sometimes fight each other — but more often they found ways to co-exist, adapt, and learn from each other in a multicultural mixture of conflict and compromise.

CAUGHT BETWEEN FACT AND FICTION • Plato's story of Atlantis, the city that the gods destroyed in a flood because of its people's hubris or pride, is widely known. But who has heard of Sybaris, that city destroyed by a flood because of its lavish lifestyle and because its citizens killed their ruler in the temple of Hera? The historical city of Sybaris has become thoroughly enmeshed in tales of luxury and decadence. To obtain a realistic perspective of this city, the layers of myth must be stripped away to reveal that, in fact, its history is almost as eventful.

THE THEATRE IN MAGNA GRAECIA • Magna Graecia was not only a centre of athletic and philosophical activity but also a lively hub for the dramatic arts. According to ancient tradition, Athenian playwrights travelled to the western colonies, while Sicily itself became the birthplace of comedy theatre. Syracusan tyrants actively supported playwrights and encouraged performances that rivalled those of Athens. The...