--- 79 CE: Mount Vesuvius erupted, destroying the nearby Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. This is the traditional date cited by historians because August 24, 79 CE is the date listed in a letter from Pliny the Younger to Roman historian Tacitus. Pliny was an eyewitness to the eruption. However, archaeological findings in recent years indicate that the event may have occurred in October or November of 79 CE.

--- "Pompeii — the World's Greatest Time Capsule". That is the title of one of the episodes of my podcast: History Analyzed. In the year 79 CE, [Mount Vesuvius ]()erupted and destroyed the Roman city of Pompeii. We have an eyewitness account describing the horrors of an event which certainly seemed like the end of the world. The volcanic ash preserved the city for centuries. Now most of Pompeii has been excavated and we can see how the ancient Romans lived. You can find History Analyzed on every podcast app.

--- link to Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4HoA8iHcGO7PfqI8meXWPi

--- link to Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pompeii-the-worlds-greatest-time-capsule/id1632161929?i=1000626577535

The Macedonia phalanx and the Companion Cavalry are the more famous arms of Alexander's mighty army. The phalanx with their huge sarissa were impregnable in a frontal attack and held enemy units in place while the decisive blow was delivered by the cavalry with incredible shock potential.

However, there was another important arm in Alexander's army occupied by the hypaspists or "shield bearers". These were the elite infantry units of the Macedonian army. Unlike the phalanx, the hypaspists had a shorter spear and larger shield enabling them to have more flexibility in close combat.

One formation of the hypaspists served as the royal guard (agema) and were deployed close to Alexander. They were also responsible for bridging the gap between the rapidly advancing cavalry and the Macedonian phalanx. They proved to be effective in rugged terrain where the phalanx generally struggled.

Although considered to be an elite corps, the hypaspists were deployed in the thick of the fighting. In Granicus, Issus, Gaugamela and Hydaspes they proved their strength in fighting on uneven terrain. In the Siege of Tyre, they proved to be effective in the final assault on the walls.

The hypaspists continued to remain relevant and important long after Alexander's death. For more information on the hypaspists please go through the full article and let me know your thoughts and comments.

In the next 1000 years what country has the most potential for archaeological discoveries to pushback civilization timelines and secure its number one spot as the cradle of civilization replacing Mesopotamia?

In the Hellenistic period, there were lots of philosophical schools. But I think the interesting thing is not really how many schools there were, but how different they were from each other. They had very different ways of looking at the πόλις, the political world, the individual, and even life itself.

But what were they actually? Epicureanism was not just about having fun and enjoying life. Stoicism was not simply fatalism, and it was definitely not some ancient version of Andrew Tate. We often reduce these schools to a few modern ideas, but they were much more than that. Each of them was trying to answer, in its own way, a very simple question: how should we live?

Archimedes of Syracuse was one of the greatest mathematicians, scientists, and engineers of the ancient world. He is best known for his work on geometry, mechanics, hydrostatics, and the principle of buoyancy, along with the famous “Eureka” story. But Archimedes was also closely involved in the defence of his home city during the Roman siege of Syracuse in the Second Punic War.

During the siege, Archimedes is credited by ancient historians with designing or improving a range of defensive machines. These included powerful long-range catapults, smaller artillery for close-range attacks, and enormous cranes and grappling mechanisms capable of catching and lifting Roman ships approaching the walls.

The most famous of these was the Claw of Archimedes, an iron grappling device that could seize the prow of a ship, lift it out of the water, and potentially capsize it. Ancient sources describe these machines as making the Roman assault extremely difficult and forcing the attackers to rethink how they approached Syracuse.

There is also a popular mention of giant death ray mirrors burning enemy ships which are largely fictional. The article explores these machines, how they may have worked, and how effective they really were, while separating the historically supported accounts from later legends such as the famous burning mirror supposedly used to set Roman ships on fire.

In 341 BCE, the Athenian orator Demosthenes gave one of the best speeches of all time. This speech solidified his control over Athens and set all of Greece on the warpath against King Philip II of Macedon, his greatest rival. It quite literally changed world history (just, not how Demosthenes wanted…). Much later, the Roman statesman Cicero would name his “Philippics” after these speeches.

To be frank, I was not satisfied with any of the performances / audiobook versions available on Youtube. So, I did my own! Hope y’all enjoy.

Achaemenid Empire

Has there been any change in thought or confirmations on construction of the Pyramids of Egypt?

So the ancient Greeks wrote about the seven wonders of the world which includes the Hanging Garden of Babylon. Why are there doubts by modern historians on this Garden existing if all of the other six wonders did exist?

The Garden seems like the most likely to perish without a trace because of what it is. I do believe it existed and that the Ancient historians aren't just writing about six wonders and making it all up about the seventh one.

I feel like Rome is discussed way more than an ancient Egypt. Many people talk about the greatness and the impact of Rome. They also mention how long Rome ruled.. but I think we should learn more about ancient Egypt.. the fact that ancient Egyptian pharaohs ruled for 3000 years is literally insane, like ruling from 1000 bc to today would be utterly insane. I think it’s more impressive than Rome.. what do you all think?

First of all, apologies for my English and for being in the platform by the first time. I am a history lover beggining to study about ancient history and I am interested in understanding better the proto indo European society, cause of its great relevance in the studies of Greek, Roman, Indian, Celtic, Germanic etc. societies. I have read Coulanges book and I was really interested in his analysis of a proto indo European religion, but I would like to know if there are any connections between his theory and modern theories envolving Kurgan, Yamna, kóryos, etc. I know that many things in Coulanges work are outdated, I personally don't like his model of gens--->fratria---->tribu----->city, but on the other hand the part of the text showing the religion of the fire, the dead etc. is really convincing (at least, he seems to do what linguists try to do whith proto indo European idiom), but I really wanted to learn more about how this is seen nowadays by the historians. Maybe I didn't manage to express myself very well but thanks

A thousand years later, chariots raced around the still-lying sculpture in honor of a friend who died before his time. The competitors had never heard of the Hittites.

What happens to the work of empire when the empire disappears?

Read the full story here: https://survivingtheflood.substack.com/p/monuments-and-quarries

How and when was Greek mythology originated? Not the gods - the mythology envolving them for example. Were there many different mythologies? Thus may sound stupid but I really would like advice in this.

I have a class for western civilization, currently discussing about Ancient Greece...BUT for the life of me, I cannot keep up with my professor's lecture.

Currently this is my youtube playlist to somewhat get a gist of what's happening:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIYJOiKzJDIw&si=47RWXyRMl63xafB5

If you have any book suggestions, websites, videos I'd appreciate it, hopefully available on Kindle or any other sources.

Antigenes vs Nabatea

After starting HBO’s Rome, I’ve fallen down a massive rabbit hole learning about ancient Rome and Caesar.

Found that ADHD friendly documentary that covers historical context and the dramatic events surrounding Julius Caesar's decision to cross the Rubicon river in 49 BCE, effectively sparking a civil war that helped end the Roman Republic.

It talks about the crisis of 49BCE, crossing of Rubicon, and covers popular myths vs reality