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Featured Definition
Definition
Odyssey - Homer's Epic Poem of Redemption
Homer's Odyssey is an epic poem written in the 8th century BCE which describes the long voyage home of the Greek hero Odysseus. The mythical king sails...
Featured Image
Image
The Bayeux Tapestry: The Story of 1066 - Conquest, Propaganda, and the Norman Claim to England
The Bayeux Tapestry, created in the late 11th century, probably in England for a Norman patron, is one of the most important surviving visual sources...
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Article
The Integration of Church and State in the Roman Empire
In the ancient world, "religion" and society were not separate entities. Various gods dictated covenants, "law-codes," and social conventions. Such...
Definition
First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) - The Wake-Up Call for Both Sides in the American Civil War
The First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) on 21 July 1861 was the first major battle of the American Civil War and a wake-up call for both sides...
Article
Battle of Rich Mountain - The Victory That Created an Army
The Battle of Rich Mountain (11 July 1861), fought in Randolph County, Virginia (now West Virginia) was the second Union victory attributed to Major...
Definition
Andrew Johnson - The First US President to be Impeached
Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) was the 17th President of the United States, who was suddenly thrust into the office in 1865 after the assassination of Abraham...
Definition
Evliya Çelebi - The Most Famous Ottoman Traveler
Evliya Çelebi (1611 -1682/85) is the most famous Ottoman Turkish traveler and explorer. He is well-known for his ten-volume travelogue, the Seyahatnâme...
Article
The History of the Inquisition - The Catholic Church's Battle Against Deviance
The Inquisition was the official institution of the medieval Catholic Church that established ecclesiastical judges to investigate and judge divergent...
Article
Friedrich Gentz's Stance on the French Revolution - The Fusion of Berlin Enlightenment and British Conservatism
The story of the French Revolution is incomplete without the Prussian-Austrian diplomat and writer Friedrich von Gentz (1764-1832). It was Gentz who...
Definition
US Presidential Election of 1864 - The Election That Decided the Fate of the US Civil War
The Election of 1864 was one of the most important United States presidential elections of the 19th century. Occurring amidst the American Civil War...
Article
Kesh Temple Hymn - The Oldest Work of Religious Literature in the World
The Kesh Temple Hymn (circa 2600 BCE) is the oldest work of religious literature in the world, sometimes referenced as the oldest extant religious poem...
Article
Poor Man of Nippur - What Does One Deserve?
The Poor Man of Nippur (circa 701 BCE) is a Babylonian poem on the themes of the obligations of hospitality and revenge for an undeserved injury. A...
Article
Battle of the Coral Sea - First Aircraft Carrier Battle in History
The Battle of the Coral Sea, the first naval battle in history between aircraft carriers, took place between 4 and 8 May 1942 during the Second World...
Definition
George B. McClellan - The Wrong Man for the Job
George B. McClellan (1826-1885) was an American army officer and engineer who was elevated to the position of Commanding General of the United States...
Article
The Nimrud Dogs - The Security System of Ancient Mesopotamia
The Nimrud Dogs, five clay canine figurines found at the ancient Mesopotamian city of Nimrud, were only a few of the many startling finds in the region...
Article
Enlil in the E-kur - Praising God in Ancient Mesopotamia
Enlil in the E-Kur (circa 2000 BCE) is a Sumerian hymn praising the sky god Enlil, his temple/ziggurat at Nippur, and his consort Ninlil, depicting...
Definition
Doolittle Raid - The First Audacious US Strike on Tokyo in WWII
The Doolittle Raid saw 16 US B-25 bombers hit Tokyo and other targets in Japan on 18 April 1942. This was the first time that Japan's home islands had...
Article
The Song of the Hoe - Praise for an Ancient Mesopotamian Farming Tool
The Song of the Hoe is a Sumerian praise poem celebrating the hoe for its many uses and linking it to the creation of the world by the great god Enlil...
