Signs from the Gods: The Practice of Augury in Rome and Beyond
Augury is one of the most important forms of ancient divination, a religious and political practice in which people interpreted signs in the natural world to understand the will of…
The Unique System of Slavery in Aztec Society
The Aztec civilization, which thrived in central Mexico between the 14th and early 16th centuries, had a system of slavery that was remarkably different from those in other ancient and…
Medjed the Smiter: A God Like No Other
“He is one who smites the enemies of Osiris. He sees, but is unseen. He strikes, yet cannot be stopped.” — Ancient Egyptian funerary text, paraphrased Among the richly symbolic…
The Affair of the Poisons: Unveiling the Scandal at the Heart of Louis XIV’s Court
The Affair of the Poisons (1679–1682) in France is one of the most notorious episodes in European history involving secret poisonings, and it is often associated with the larger societal…