“Hoplites” of the seventh century BC were “men of bronze”. A few centuries later, they had shed most of their armour, as a marble lekythos in Leiden shows.

On the loading screens, the game presents you with randomized “hints”, including historical tidbits. Let’s look at those for a moment.

After sailing away from Cephalonia, our first stop on the mainland is the city of Megara, oddly referred to as “Megaris” in the game.

On a black-figure amphora by Exekias, the Greek heroes Achilles and Ajax are shown playing a game to while away the hours at Troy.

One of many beautiful mosaics from a large Roman villa near Piazza Armerina, Sicily, features girls dressed in what look like bikinis.

Continuing our adventure, we explore the island of Cephalonia. Comments on ancient Greek mercenaries, clothing, architecture, and more.

A new exhibition about the Egyptian deities in the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden is interesting, but workmanlike.

What is true now was true in antiquity, too: wine is always good business. Tracing Mediterranean wine culture, this article focuses especially on the last three centuries BC.

Set around the start of the Peloponnesian War (431 BC), Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey offers an interesting take on ancient Greece.

Any book that attempts to understand Early Rome is fraught with difficulty; some sink while others float. Thomas Dynneson’s work may be found somewhere in between.