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Channel about World's History All questions: @cobbl or @otchebuch
As part of #Herod the Great's building program, as Herod's Harbor housed 40 acres of water, with its circular configuration, to deflect extreme north-bound waves, along with the lighthouse and outsized tower at the entrance, two free-standing edifices, also at the entrance, indicate their deflective purpose, to further calm the water for the manageable passage of ships. It is a remarkable feat of #AncientArchitecture.
Using archaeological reports by Avner Raban, John Oleson, Robert Hohlfelder, and others, along with comparative analysis of known #Roman construction techniques, #Josephus' eyewitness descriptions, and Herodian fortification work at #Jerusalem and #Masada, the image you see is part of the collaborative creation of Lithodomos and Patrick Scott Smith.
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Though more obscure than her famous mother #Cleopatra VII (69-30 BCE), Cleopatra Selene II (40 - c. 5 BCE), member of the #Ptolemaic Dynasty and Queen of #Mauritania, was a well-respected leader in her own right. She is considered one of the last great queens of the #Hellenistic period, part of a long tradition of powerful ruling women.
Cleopatra Selene II and her twin brother Alexander Helios (40 - c. late 1st century BCE) were the children of the Roman triumvir Mark Antony (83-30 BCE). She spent most of her early life in #Alexandria, Egypt, though after #Augustus took Egypt (an episode famously depicted in #Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra) she was fostered by Augustus' sister Octavia Minor in Rome. Cleopatra Selene II later married Juba II of Numidia c. 25 BCE, and they permanently moved to Mauretania.
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This map illustrates the extent and key urban centers of the #IndusValley Civilization (circa 3300–1300 BCE), one of the world’s earliest complex societies. Spanning parts of modern-day #Pakistan and northwest #India, this civilization was notable for its large, well-planned cities, sophisticated infrastructure, and extensive trade networks.
Often referred to as the Harappan or Indus-Sarasvati #Civilization, it featured cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro that showcased grid-based layouts, advanced drainage systems, and standardized construction techniques. Its people traded goods with regions as far as #Mesopotamia and #Egypt, yet left behind no grand temples or palaces, suggesting a society that emphasized order, commerce, and civic planning over monumental display. The decline of civilization after 1300 BCE is widely linked to environmental change, shifts in river patterns, and the breakdown of long-distance trade networks. 🗺️Map by Simeon Netchev.
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As You Like It is a pastoral #comedy by William #Shakespeare (1564-1616), written in 1599 and likely first performed that same year. Indeed, it is thought to be the inaugural #show performed by Shakespeare's #acting company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, at the newly built Globe #Theatre. Although its #literary merit has been questioned by some #scholars, who point to its lack of plot, As You Like It continues to be frequently performed today and features the character of Rosalind, often regarded as one of Shakespeare's greatest #heroines.
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♟️ Happy World Chess Day!
♟️ Walrus ivory knight chess-piece armed with a spear and kite-shaped shield from the Lewis series, found in Scotland, dated to c. 1150-1175. Photo by the British Museum.
♟️ An illustration from The Libro de los Juegos (13th century CE) that shows a game of chess between a Muslim and a Christian. (Monasterio de El Escorial, Spain).
♟️ A medieval chess game, popular across Europe in the Middle Ages, illustration from the Codex Manesse, produced in Zürich, Switzerland, 14th century. University Library of Heidelberg, Germany.
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The Eastern Front (1941-5), called the Western Front or Great Patriotic #War by the Soviets, was by far the bloodiest of the #SecondWorldWar (1939-45). There was also another enemy to be wary of: the extremely harsh #winters of the region. First hand accounts from #soldiers and #civilians from both from the German and Soviet side give us an insight into this most terrible #theatre of war.
✏️: Full article by Mark Cartwright
📷: A December 1941 photograph showing two German soldiers overlooking Sevastopol during the Siege of Sevastopol in 1941-2 in the Second World War (1939-45). (Polish National Digital Archives)
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#Dogs were highly valued in ancient #Rome, as they were in other cultures, and the #Roman dog served many of the same purposes as it did in, say, #Egypt and #Persia - as hunters, guardians, and companions - but with a significant difference in focus.
Dogs and their wolf-ancestors have a long history with the Romans, all the way back to the founders #Romulus and #Remus who were said to be raised by wolves. Other figures from #myth, like Diana and Trivia, had dogs associated with them in the tales of writers like #Ovid.
#AncientHistory
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The ancient historian #Josephus, in his account of Herod the Great's Harbor at the #CaesareaMaritima, mentions three colossi on the left and three on the right of the entrance. (Wars, 1.21.6) Likely bronze images of #Caesar, #Juno, and #Neptune, their towering height was meant to impress all those entering, conveying the power of #Rome.
The image of the three colossi you see is part of the collaborative creation of Lithodomos and Patrick Scott Smith. Using archaeological reports by Avner Raban, John Oleson, Robert Hohlfelder (and others), along with comparative analysis of known #AncientRoman construction techniques, Josephus' eyewitness descriptions, and Herodian fortification work at #Jerusalem and #Masada, the image captures what it would have been like to gaze up at the statues when visiting the city. #AncientHistory #AncientWorld #WorldHistory #RomanEmpire
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Before shutter shades, West African Akan chiefs wore golden barred spectacles. Not for sight, these solid gold frames symbolized divine status, forbidding eye contact. A bold statement of power and spiritual leadership.
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👑 On this day in 138 CE: Emperor Hadrian dies of heart failure at his residence on the bay of Naples, Baiae; he is buried at Rome in the Tomb of Hadrian beside his late wife, Vibia Sabina.
Hadrian (l. 78-138 CE) was emperor of Rome (r. 117-138 CE) and is recognized as the third of the Five Good Emperors (Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius) who ruled justly. His reign marked the height of the Roman Empire, usually given as c. 117 CE, and provided a firm foundation for his successor.
Hadrian was deeply interested in literature – especially Greek literature – and Egyptian mysticism and magic. He was among the most highly cultured of the Roman emperors – even among the famous best five – wrote his own poetry and other works, and insisted on personally supervising as many of the building projects he had commissioned as he possibly could.
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The #Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown (1851) is the #autobiography of Henry Box Brown (l. c. 1815-1897), who became the most #famous fugitive slave of his time when he had himself shipped in a box from Richmond, Virginia, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 29 March 1849. The #book became a #bestseller, and Brown a popular #celebrity.
In his work, Brown says that he was not treated badly during his time as a salve, but nevertheless was acutely aware that he was regarded as their property with no #agency, no #autonomy, and completely at their mercy to do with him whatever they pleased whenever they might. Though Brown had an agreement with his master that Brown would pay him regularly so that his wife and children would never be sold, in early 1849 or late 1848, however, the master, one William Barret, after accepting the payment, sold Brown's family to a minister in North Carolina.
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😘 Happy International Kissing Day!
😘 The famous balcony scene (Act II Scene II) in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, oil on canvas painting by Frank Bernard Dicksee, 1884. Southampton City Art Gallery.
💋 The Kiss of the Enchantress by Isobel Lilian Gloag (c. 1890), inspired by Keats's Lamia, depicts Lamia as half-serpent, half-woman.
#InternationalKissingDay #RomeoAndJuliet #Art #Painting #ArtHistory #WorldHistoryEncyclopedia
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The #US-#Mexican War of 1846-1848, triggered by the US annexation of #Texas and a disputed border at the #RíoGrande. Under President James K. Polk (1845-1849) and a succession of Mexican leaders, fighting spread from the #GulfCoast to the #Pacific, reshaping #NorthAmerica's political map.
The conflict unfolded in three main theaters. In the north, US armies pushed across the Río Grande and secured the frontier, halting Mexican counteroffensives. In the west, naval squadrons and volunteer columns occupied #California and #NewMexico, severing #Mexico's Pacific flank. A Gulf-coast landing then opened the road to the Mexican heartland, where a sustained campaign captured the capital and compelled peace. The Treaty of #GuadalupeHidalgo (2 February 1848) ended hostilities: Mexico ceded vast northern territories, including California and New Mexico, and accepted the Río Grande as the Texas boundary. 🗺️ Map created by Simeon Netchev. #USHistory #MexicanHistory
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London Underground's "Fluffers," all-women crews from 1949, cleaned tunnels nightly. This vital, tough work removed debris after power-down. Amazingly, 20 were still employed in 2017, continuing their unique, essential legacy.
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Archaeologists at Magna Roman fort, near Hadrian’s Wall, found a massive 32 cm leather shoe—possibly the largest in the Vindolanda Trust’s 5,000+ pair collection. Likely worn by a soldier, it was uncovered in a trench and offers new insights into Roman military life.
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🛡️The #Greek phalanx, a military formation that revolutionised #ancient #warfare, has roots tracing back to 25th century BCE. It can be traced through ancient #Egypt, eventually appearing in Greek literature through Homer in the 8th century BCE (and since has been generally associated with Greek warfare #strategy, the name itself coming from the Greek word for 'finger'). The formation was made up of close-rank, dense grouping of #warriors armed with long spears and interlocking shields.
This tactic was widely used, including in famous #battles of ancient #history such as the Battle of Marathon (490 BCE). You may also recognise the formation from popular media representing ancient armies, including in #videogames!
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📝 William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor who flourished during the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean eras. Known as the 'Bard of Avon,' he wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and three longer narrative poems.
His plays, often written in blank verse and composed in iambic pentameter, were incredibly popular in their day and continue to be performed around the world; they include comedies such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night, tragedies like Hamlet and Macbeth, histories such as Henry V, and tragicomedies like The Tempest.
Arguably the most influential dramatist of all time, Shakespeare's legacy has only grown throughout the centuries. In the words of fellow playwright Ben Jonson, Shakespeare was "not of an age, but for all time."
Little is known for certain about the life of William Shakespeare. As a commoner, his life did not merit the same attention as that of a nobleman or other public figure.
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👑 History Fact of the Day: Henry Bolingbroke was crowned Henry IV of England on 13 October 1399 CE in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
In a curious incident, the king dropped the gold coin that newly-crowned monarchs were supposed to ceremoniously offer to God. The coin rolled away and was never seen again, an ill omen indeed.
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This instrument is a Kithara, a kind of #AncientGreek harp associated with the god #Apollo, regarded as the most gifted player of the instument and patron of musicians. It would have been similar to one played by #Lasus of #Hermione, a celebrated 6th century BCE Greek lyric poet and musician credited with making significant innovations in #Greek music. What little evidence that can be gleaned from the ancient sources shows him to have been an influential and innovative musician in #Athens in the late 6th C. BCE.
Lasus was so highly regarded that he is mentioned in numerous sources from the world of #AncientGreece. He is credited with creating the #dithyramb, a kind of choral song in honour of #Dionysius. Lasus is also described as a contemporary of Simonides; in #Aristophanes' Wasps, it is claimed the two competed for a singing prize from the tyrant Hipparchus.
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⚓ On this day in 1545: The Tudor warship Mary Rose sinks off Portsmouth; in 1982 the wreck is salvaged in one of the most complex and expensive projects in the history of maritime archaeology.
The Mary Rose was a carrack warship built for the Royal Navy of Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547). The ship infamously sank in the Solent off the south coast of England on 19 July 1545, probably because water entered its open gun ports as it made a sharp turn.
Almost all of the Mary Rose crew, up to 500 men, drowned. The wreck was raised in 1982, and is now preserved and on public display in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard along with some 19,000 artefacts which give a unique insight into life in Tudor England.
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👑 On this day in 1918: The Russian Imperial family are executed by Bolshevik Chekists at the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
🔴 Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (1868 - 1918)
🔴 Alexandra Fyodorovna of Russia (1872 - 1918)
🔴 Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (1895 - 1918)
🔴 Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia (1897 - 1918)
🔴 Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia (1899 - 1918)
🔴 Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (1901 - 1918)
🔴 Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia (1904 - 1918)
The brutal murder of the entire Romanov family was the culmination of deep discontent across the Russian Empire with the persistently autocratic rule of Tsar Nicholas II (reign 1894-1917).
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⛵The navy in ancient #India carried out three roles: it was used to transport troops to distant battlefields, participate in actual warfare, and was primarily meant for protecting the kingdom's trade on sea and navigable rivers and the maritime trade routes. The lucrative and highly developed trade with #Egypt, #WestAsia, #Greece, and #Rome led to the growth of navies along India's west coast facing the #ArabianSea, and many dynasties ruling in various parts of India also maintained navies to protect the trade being conducted through huge rivers such as the #Ganga.
On the east coast facing the Bay of #Bengal maritime activities led to colonizing expeditions to #SoutheastAsia. The navies of the South Indian powers were geared towards launching invasions in #SriLanka, separated from India by the Palk Straits. The warships were used in battles which, compared to land battles, remained low in proportion.
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The #Battle of Smolensk in August to September 1943 was the second time the #SovietUnion and the #ThirdReich fought over the city on the Dnieper during the Second World War (1939-45). By the #summer of 1943, the plan by Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) to permanently occupy the USSR was in tatters. The Soviet Red #Army was relentlessly pushing back and recapturing lost cities. Smolensk was to be next in a prolonged three-phase battle that ended any hopes Hitler might have had of winning the German-Soviet #War. Despite logistical #challenges, the Red Army's sheer numbers and #artillery #power allowed them to prevail.
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On Feb 24, 1942, LA plunged into chaos during a false air raid. With Pearl Harbor fresh in mind, 1,400+ rounds were fired at perceived aircraft. Despite hours of gunfire and sightings, no wreckage or enemy was found, making it a bizarre WWII mystery.
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🎨 On this day in 1441: Netherlandish Renaissance painter Jan van Eyck dies.
Jan van Eyck (c. 1390-1441 CE) was famous in his own lifetime for his mastery of oil painting, colouring, naturalistic scenes, and eye for detail.
Amongst his masterpieces are the 1432 CE Ghent Altarpiece, otherwise known as The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, and the Arnolfini Wedding Portrait, a tour de force in optical illusions. A pioneer of using oils for realistic effects, his work was influential on Renaissance art but especially on Italian artists in the second half of the 15th century CE.
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In the 1930s, Swansea Jack, a black retriever, became a Welsh legend by rescuing 27 people from drowning. Awarded "Dog of the Century," his bravery led to Swansea locals being nicknamed "Jacks." His statue still stands as a tribute to this heroic pup.
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In 1991, eight people sealed themselves in Arizona's Biosphere 2, a $150M airtight ecosystem. For two years, it tested sustainable life for future space habitats, facing challenges. This ambitious experiment provided rich lessons and is now a climate research center.
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During the 19th-century gold and silver rushes, mining towns boomed and then busted, leaving eerie ghost towns behind. These photos capture the grit and silence of America's mining frontier, remnants of a bygone Wild West dream.
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In 1757, Scottish sailor Bruce Gordon was shipwrecked in the Arctic and survived for six years—allegedly with help from a polar bear cub he raised after killing its mother. Named Nancy, she hunted by his side until he was rescued. His tale later inspired The Iceberg Hermit.
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