New discovery sheds light on Phaistos disc

The astonishing discovery of a Minoan router in Phaistos may lead to the deciphering of Linear A, as archaeologists claim that the disc contains the WiFi password. It is also claimed that the router was part of the net that connected Phaistos, Knossos, Dodona, Delphi,...

Cipolla’s Basic Laws of Human Foolishness

I read today about the theory of human foolishness developed by Italian historian Carlo M. Cipolla, mentioned by Elena Gold on Quora. Cipolla was born in 1922 and died in 2000. He grew up during a turbulent period in Italy, that of classic fascism. Somehow, he managed...

That Day in Rome… and the UK

April Fools is a custom associated with making jokes (Prima Aprilis) and dates back to Roman times. At that time, or more precisely, on March 25, the Hilaria festival took place, which was celebrated on the occasion of the vernal equinox and the worship of the...

Using a Cloak as a Shield

What would happen if you tried to use a cloak to block a sword? Eric Lowe (and here) has two illuminating answers to this question – both opening up many possibilities in fiction writing. It’s not a shield Before going into any details, the first thing to...

Helen after Troy

Bradford McCormick, a reader of this blog, mentioned Helen of Troy in a comment and got me thinking. What did happen to that crazy lass after Troy fell? Well, turns out the answer, as told by Steve Theodore on Quora, is both complicated and fascinating. A Happy Ending...

Ancient Surgery

Plenty of ancient resources mention medical procedures such as surgery. The early Chinese surgeon Hua Tuo (c. 140-208) is credited with being the first recorded person to use cannabis as an anesthetic. He reduced the plant to powder and mixed it with wine for...

Polishing vs. Painting vs. Seasoning Your Armor

One thing I inherited from my late father is a small house in Evia, an island off of Athens. When I first visited the place, it had been closed for a couple of years, with no one visiting. What struck me was how rusted everything was, including even nickel faucets and...

An Executioner’s Tale

While browsing Quora, I came across the fascinating tale of a family of executioners in the Late Medieval era. I just know this will inspire your writing, so here it is. Thanks to Jean-Marie Valheur for the great answer. A Reluctant Executioner Imagine you’re a...

Ending Letters

Have you paid any attention to the letters we use to end our words? For example, you won’t find any words ending in U, V, I, or J. Why is that? Gareth Adamson has the answer on Quora. And yes, it has to do with history. But also with grammar. Ending with a J ‘J’...