Nero, Rome and Fire
A fiery volcano that erupted in Alaska in 43 BCE had a significant event on Rome just a year after Julius Caesar was assassinated.
In research published late June 2020...
The Greek Hero Ajax: Sophocles, Fate and PTSD
One of the iconic images from ancient times is that of two Greek heroes: Ajax holding the body of the slain Achilles. What ensued was a contest between Ajax...
Hesiod and Pandora’s Box
Those who enjoy etymology will revel in this deeply insightful book on the ancient Greek poet Hesiod. By ancient, I mean really ancient. For those not familiar with Greek...
H. G. Wells and the Pandemic of 2020
“He lived in the future at the same time as the past,” declares author Sarah Cole of H. G. Wells. Thus it is not surprising to see him write...
A Forest of Symbols
The author of this book about symbolism, Andrei Pop, sets a very high bar for what he is attempting to achieve. He identifies a “present crisis in the humanities”...
The Secret of the Universe
One would not expect to find the secret of the universe in a mere novel, but if we read correctly a letter written by the novelist Joseph Conrad in...
The First Gay President?
True or false: If Pete Buttegeig becomes President, he will be America's first gay President. Answer: maybe.
A book by Thomas Balcerski attempts to answer the question, was James Buchanan...
BRANDO: The Contender
Johnny Depp, being interviewed, shared a story of how Marlon Brando once instructed him never to do three movies in a year: “We only have so many faces”, was...
The Origin of Atoms
The object of this study by Wake Forest University professor T. Gellar-Goad is the poem On the Nature of Things (De Rerum Natura) by Lucretius. It dates from around...
Menelaus in the Archaic Period
Achilles, Hector, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Menelaus. The first four heroes are recognizable to everyone, but who is Menelaus? Author Anna Stelow has written the first book ever devoted to Menelaus,...