Who Were The Ancient Sumerians? History of the ‘First’ Mesopotamians
Introduction – The Sumerian Culture of Ancient Mesopotamia When we talk about the Sumerians, our popular notions mostly pertain to the advanced civilization of Mesopotamia….
Articles by Dattatreya Mandal
Goths: The Ancient Germanic Warriors Who Exposed The Roman Empire
Introduction – Modern and Historical Goths Goths – the very name alludes to the chaotic times in continental Europe that derailed the existence of the…
The Fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon: History And Reconstruction
Introduction Myth, history, and magnificence – the Hanging Gardens of Babylon tread the fine line between all these avenues to emerge as one of Herodotus’…
Monsters, Dragons, and Creatures of Greek Mythology
Introduction In our article about the Greek Gods, we mentioned how Greek mythology, like most ancient mythologies, was not compiled in a singular text. Rather…
Harald Hardrada: The Viking Who Fought in Iraq, Russia, and England
Introduction – the Decline of the Viking Raids In the middle decades of the 11th century, the Vikings had reached the twilight of their raiding…
Fascinating Oldest Historical Foods Still Eaten Today
Introduction to Oldest Food Recipes Food is so much more than just a source of nourishment and subsistence. Its richness colors culture, history, and even…
Ancient Celtic Warriors: 12 Things You Should Know
When it comes to history, circa 5th century BC, the Greeks considered the Celts (Keltoi) as one of the four great ‘barbarian’ people – with…
Kek and Heqet: Egyptian Frog Gods Who Inspired A Modern Meme
Introduction Pepe the Frog and the arguably more controversial “Cult of Kek” has certainly found their way into our modern-day political discourse. However, beyond frivolous…
12 Fascinating Ancient Egyptian Mythological Creatures
Introduction As we discussed previously in our article about the powerful Egyptian gods and goddesses, ancient Egyptian mythology was influenced by the natural surroundings and weather…
The Mighty Ancient Macedonian Army of Alexander
While popular history tends to bring forth the notion of Alexander the Great as a military genius (and rightly so), his generalship was not only…
Hoplite: The Remarkable Citizen-Soldier of Ancient Greece
Introduction The Greek word for military equipment roughly translates to hopla, and thus a hoplite simply meant ‘man at arms’ or ‘armored man’. Of course,…
The Mighty Macedonian Phalanx of Alexander
By the very intrinsic nature of the Greek lands and topography, large-scale cavalry forces were never an option for most burgeoning city-states of Greece. This…
The Ancient Egyptian Soldiers of the New Kingdom
Introduction The New Kingdom of Egypt, roughly corresponding to the period between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC (encompassing the 18th, 19th,…
Anubis: History And Mythology Of The Ancient Egyptian Jackal God
Introduction to Egyptian God Anubis Anubis (or Anpu or Inpu in Egyptian language; Greek form – ‘Anubis’) is one of the most frequently represented deities…
15 Ancient Celtic Gods and Goddesses You Should Know About
Introduction to Celtic Mythology When it comes to the ancient Celts, the scope is not really about a singular group of people who dominated some…
Mamluks: The Incredible Islamic Slave Warriors of Egypt
Introduction Often overshadowed by the exploits of the Ottomans in Europe and the Near East, it should be noted however that it was the Mamluks…
History of the Aztec Warriors: The Grim Fighters of Mexico
From the etymological perspective, the term Aztec is derived from Aztlan (or ‘Place of Whiteness’ in connotative meaning), the mythological place of origin for the…
Cossacks: The Warlike Military Settlers of Russia and Ukraine
Our popular notions about the Cossacks tended to portray them as the energetic and rambunctious horsemen of the lower steppe from Russia and Ukraine. And…
Varangian Guard: The ‘Mercenary’ Royal Guard of the Eastern Roman Emperor
Introduction Exotic, ferocious, and heavily armored – this, in a nutshell, defined the eminent presence of the Varangian Guard (Greek: Τάγμα των Βαράγγων, Tágma tōn…
Quetzalcoatl: History and Mythology of the Aztec ‘Feathered Serpent’ God
Introduction Quetzalcoatl is arguably (and rather uniquely) the most renowned of all mythical entities from Aztec mythology, whose legacy has survived the rigors of time…
Battle of Thermopylae: 10 Misconceptions You Should Know
Popular culture has been kind to the historical episode of the Battle of Thermopylae but with romanticized anecdotes intertwined between the actual events that took…
Spartans: The Mighty Warrior Society of Ancient Greece
Introduction The subject of Spartans has been much discussed and showcased in the realm of popular culture. And while some of them have a historical…
Marduk: The Mighty Storm God of Babylon
Introduction Venerated as the patron deity of Babylon itself, Marduk as one of the major Mesopotamian gods formed an important part of the Babylonian…
12 Important Ancient Mesopotamian Gods And Goddesses
Introduction – Ancient Mesopotamia and its Gods When it comes to the early historical scope of Mesopotamia, there were no singular factions or political entities…
Scythians: The Ancient Horselords of the Eurasian Steppe
When it comes to the popular history of nomadic groups, tribes (and super-tribes) like Huns and Mongols have had their fair share of coverage in various mediums, ranging from…
The 13 Major Mayan Gods and Goddesses You Should Know About
Introduction As we have discussed previously in many of our mythology-covering articles, the pantheons of most historical cultures were dynamic rather than static. Simply put,…
Winged Hussars: The Mighty Shock Cavalry of the Commonwealth
Introduction The Polish Winged Hussars epitomized the shock cavalry arm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth between the 16th and 18th centuries. Showcasing their stylized yet heavily…
Janissaries: The Remarkable Origins and Military System Of The Elite Soldiers
The controversial rise, the enviable peak, and finally the ignominious fall – this, in a nutshell, defines the historical spectrum of the elite Janissaries of…
Brilliant Reconstruction of Greek Corinth During the Roman Period
Ancient Corinth was one of the most powerful and important of the Greek city-states, with the settlement itself boasting a population of over 90,000 during…
Know Your Ancient Greek Helmets: From Attic to Phrygian
Introduction The ancient Greek helmet is a familiar motif when it comes to popular cultural depictions of Greek history and mythology. However, quite unsurprisingly, many of…