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Conflict Between the Temple and the Crown in Ancient Egypt
The gods of ancient Egypt were worshipped as the creators and sustainers of all life. People acknowledged their supremacy and intimacy daily through rituals, amulets, and their labor for the king. Everyone, from farmers to craftsmen to merchants...
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The Mesopotamian Pantheon
The gods of the Mesopotamian region were not uniform in name, power, provenance or status in the hierarchy. Mesopotamian culture varied from region to region and, because of this, Marduk should not be regarded as King of the Gods in the same...
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The Aztec Myth of the Unlikeliest Sun God
Discover the myth of how the weak and pimply Aztec god Nanahuatl sacrificed himself to become Lord Sun and created a new world. — Nanahuatl, weakest of the Aztec gods, sickly and covered in pimples, had been chosen to form a new world...
Definition
Plains Indians
The Plains Indians (also known as Native Americans of the Plains and Prairie, Indigenous Peoples of the Great Plains) are the original inhabitants of the western plains of North America, now part of the United States and Canada. They are...
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Old Kingdom of Egypt
The Old Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2613-2181 BCE) is also known as the 'Age of the Pyramids' or 'Age of the Pyramid Builders' as it includes the great 4th Dynasty when King Sneferu perfected the art of pyramid building and the pyramids of Giza...
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Temple of Vesta/Hercules, Rome
The Temple of Vesta is the popular name given to the round temple near the Tiber River in Rome (now Piazza Bocca della Veritá). The association with Vesta is due to the shape of the building but in fact it is not known to which god the temple...
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Ancient Egyptian Architecture
Ancient Egyptian architecture is often associated closely with the pyramids of Giza but was actually quite diverse, taking a number of forms in the construction of administrative buildings, temples, tombs, palaces, and the private homes of...
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Phaethon and the Sun Chariot in Greek Mythology
The figure of Phaethon in Greek Mythology is best known for his attempt to drive the sun Chariot (the chariot of Helios), which ended up with disastrous results. Phaethon was the son of the titan god of the sun, Helios, and Clymene an ocean...
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Akhenaten, the Sun Disk and the Amarna Period of Egypt
Akhenaten (who was born Amenhotep IV), is best known for his radical changes during his reign like elevating Aten the Sun Disk to the supreme deity, and moving the capital of Ancient Egypt to Amarna, a site which has given its name to the...
Definition
Faravahar
The faravahar is the best-known symbol from ancient Persia of the winged sun disk with a seated male figure in the center. It is thought to represent Ahura Mazda, the god of Zoroastrianism, but has also been interpreted to signify other concepts...