We are all familiar with the pyramids of ancient Egypt and Mesoamerica, but few people are aware of the pyramids built by the remarkable African people in what is now North Sudan. The Nubian pyramids are a very important part of the heritage of Africa and provide a remarkable insight into the history of the continent. 

The Nubians were an ancient people and were well-known to the Egyptians, who at times dominated them politically. They lived in a region that lies today mostly in Northern Sudan. Nubia was heavily influenced by Egypt but developed a distinctive culture. The first great Nubian kingdom was the Kerma kingdom. Later, the Kushite Nubian kingdom dominated Egypt. Expulsed by the Assyrians, the Nubians fell back beyond the First Cataract of the Nile and established a kingdom at Meroe (c 550 BC-500 AD). 

Alexander the Great is one of the most famous people that ever lived. He was a remarkable general and he changed the history of the world. Naturally, such a larger-than-life figure inspired many stories, and these morphed into myths over time. One of the most fascinating is the myth about his sister the mermaid.

According to the Greeks, Gaia, or Mother Earth, was one of the first primordial deities. She came into existence along with Chaos and other deities. Gaia gave birth to Uranus and she later had a sexual relationship with him and out of this incestuous union, she gave birth to the Titans. 

Can we understand the Classics without the Classroom? A guide to getting (really) educated… with Dr. James Hankins, Professor of History at Harvard University, Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom, and Alexandra Hudson of Civic Renaissance.

If you already know WHY we should preserve the classics… It’s time to ask HOW… and how YOU can help. What are the resources? Where can we begin? And who can help?

As mainstream educational institutions move away from a classical core in the liberal arts, it can be tempting to feel despondent about the future of this educational model that has educated men and women for millennia. Yet there are a growing number of organizations around the world committed to remedy this. These non-accrediting institutions are nourishing those who care about ideas and the wisdom of the past and are offering people a chance to engage in the Great Conversation.

What can we learn from these initiatives? How can we promote more of them? How can these new organizations nurture the values of curiosity and lifelong learning?

The issue of women’s rights is often considered unique to the modern era. However, it has been an issue as far back as Ancient Greece.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, women had few rights compared with men back in Ancient Greece. They weren’t able to vote, nor could they own or inherit the land. Women were largely relegated to the home, taking care of cooking and cleaning, running the house, and bringing up the children.

Whew! Got all that? (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, please first read Part 1.)

Now watch this, because it’s relevant to Obsopoeus. Lucian:

(1) applies 

Ever seen this picture? Titled The Calumny of Apelles, it’s in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Take a look, and use the labels I’ve added to figure out what’s going on.

Painted by Sandro Botticelli in 1495, there’s a little-known essay about it that is one of the wisest pieces of writing the ancient world has left us. Nobody reads that essay today, but 500 years ago everyone did, so much so that the greatest talents of the Renaissance competed to illustrate it. 

Even better, I’ll show you here how one Renaissance master of the Classics used that essay, titled De Arte Bibendi, or The Art of Drinking, to create a literary masterpiece and troll his enemies for all time. It’s impressive. It’s also a chance to meet some lesser-known but hugely important figures in the history of art and classical wisdom.