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Definition
Socrates
Socrates of Athens (l. c. 470/469-399 BCE) is among the most famous figures in world history for his contributions to the development of ancient Greek philosophy which provided the foundation for all of Western Philosophy. He is, in fact...
Definition
Epictetus
Epictetus (l.c. 50 - c. 130 CE) was a Stoic philosopher best known for his works The Enchiridion (the handbook) and his Discourses, both foundational works in Stoic philosophy and both thought to have been written down from his teachings...
Video
Introduction to the Presocratics
In this lecture we introduce the Presocratics, discover why they deserve our attention, and investigate the difference between mythology and philosophy.
For more lectures visit www.academyofideas.com
Video
Introduction to Thales, Anaximenes, and Anaximander
In this lecture we investigate the ideas of the first three Presocratics, who are referred to as the Milesians: Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes. In particular, we will explain how they were in search of the arche, or the underlying source...
Definition
Enoch
In the book of Genesis in the pre-flood period, Enoch was the son of Jared and the father of Methuselah. There are few details about Enoch. We learn that he lived 365 years, and then Enoch "walked faithfully with God; then he was no more...
Article
The Ancient Celtic Pantheon
The ancient Celtic pantheon consisted of over 400 gods and goddesses who represented everything from rivers to warfare. With perhaps the exception of Lugh, the Celtic gods were not universally worshipped across Iron Age Europe but were very...
Article
Norse Ghosts & Funerary Rites
In Norse belief, the soul of the deceased might wind up in any one of a number of afterlife realms. There was Valhalla, the realm of Odin where the dead warriors drank, fought, and told stories, Folkvangr ('the Field of the People'), the...
Definition
Greek Astronomy
Ancient Greek astronomy was the study of the universe to understand how it functioned and why apart from the established theistic model that claimed all things were ordered and maintained by the gods. Ancient Greek astronomers relied on observation...
Book Review
Ancilla to Pre-Socratic Philosophers
Kathleen Freeman was a writer who paid close attention to detail and was able to bring the past alive through her prose (as in her The Greek City States which is a personal favorite and highly recommended). In her Ancilla to Pre-Socratic...
Article
Ten Ancient Mesopotamia Facts You Need to Know - Fun Facts on the Cradle of Civilization
Mesopotamia is the ancient Greek name (meaning "the land between two rivers," the Tigris and Euphrates) for the region corresponding to modern-day Iraq and parts of Iran, Syria, and Turkey. It is considered the "cradle of civilization" for...