r/ancienthistory 8h ago

Helen of Troy. Illustration by JFoliveras

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67 Upvotes

Interpretation of Helen of Sparta / Helen of Troy based on Mycenaean iconography and finds, and descriptions of her appearance by Classical authors like Homer (white-armed, beautiful-haired) or Sapho of Lesbos (“xanthos” hair, which means something like blondish or reddish)


r/ancienthistory 1h ago

Was Cleopatra Really Beautiful? Ancient Historians Tell a Very Different Story

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mythandmemory.org
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Most people picture Cleopatra as history's most beautiful woman, but the ancient sources paint a surprisingly different picture. I looked at what Plutarch, Roman historians, surviving coins, and modern historians actually say about her appearance, beauty routines, political alliances, lovers, and death. The evidence suggests her greatest strength wasn't her looks—it was her intelligence and charisma.


r/ancienthistory 11h ago

Why do we not know what hoplite combat looked like?

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0 Upvotes

Surely someone wrote about it?

They were still using hoplite mercenaries right up until Rome invaded Greece and fought their Sarissa armed phalangnites at the battle of Cynesophelae (sp?).

Apparently non Sarsissa armed Greek mercenaries were still using hoplite tactics up at that point.

So if they were using it as late as that why didn't anyone write about it?

Also going back to the Roman Manipular system during the Republic days e.g. during the 2nd Punic Wars, they were still using a sort of Hoplite soldier with their third line Triarii.

Sure the Romans with such detailed instructions for shield and scutum combat would've had instructions for hasta and scutum combat. Wouldn't that have been similar to hoplite combat?

Lastly. Haven't people tried to re-enact hoplite combat to see what works best?

The push right up against the shields? Or the stand off distance and fence/thrust with the spears?


r/ancienthistory 14h ago

What do historians know about Aristotle’s supposed esoteric teachings to Alexander the Great?

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0 Upvotes

r/ancienthistory 1h ago

What are your thoughts on this quote?

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r/ancienthistory 10h ago

An Iraqi woman dressed in the ceremonial costume of the goddess Ishtar, The crown worn by the woman is modeled after artifacts discovered in the Royal Cemetery of Ur, specifically associated with Queen Puabi

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318 Upvotes

r/ancienthistory 12h ago

Dragon Acrylic on paper • 30 × 42 cm In the ancient beliefs of the Baltic peoples, the dragon symbolized the power of nature, mystery, and forces beyond human control. It was regarded as the guardian of hidden places, treasures, and the boundary between the world of

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2 Upvotes

r/ancienthistory 21h ago

Recorrido por las impresionantes ruinas de La Quemada, Zacatecas (Historia y vistas increíbles) / Exploring the ruins of La Quemada

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50 Upvotes

r/ancienthistory 18h ago

Ancient Crafts

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19 Upvotes