Ancient Civilizations

An Essay by Bill Hemminger The question that initiates this program is a broad one: Why study ancient cultures? You might feel that the question is moot: students do study and will study ancient cultures; such study is an expected part of a tradition of intellectual development. The response to the why of the initial [...]

Translated by L. W. King When Anu the Sublime, King of the Anunaki, and Bel, the lord of Heaven and earth, who decreed the fate of the land, assigned to Marduk, the over-ruling son of Ea, God of righteousness, dominion over earthly man, and made him great among the Igigi, they called Babylon by his [...]

The appearance of Armenian literature in the second half of the fifth century CE, in the generation which followed the great revolt of the Armenian nobles in 450 against Yazdgird II’s attempt to re-impose Zoroastrianism on their already Christian country (see EIr. II, pp. 429-30), resulted in its almost total obliteration of Armenia’s ties to [...]

Architecture History Photo Guide: Gothic Architecture Early in the 12th century, new ways of building meant that cathedrals and other large buildings could reach soaring heights. Built in the thirteenth century, Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France is a masterpiece of Gothic Architecture Photo © Paolo Negri / Getty Images How Gothic Architecture Began Gothic architecture began [...]

The Classical architecture of ancient Greece and Rome has shaped the way we build today. The Parthenon sets on top of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Press photo © 2000-2006 NewOpenWorld Foundation How Classical Architecture Began From the rise of ancient Greece until the fall of the Roman empire, great buildings were constructed according to [...]

The pyramid form was a marvel of engineering that allowed ancient Egyptians to build enormous structures. The most famous pyramids in Egypt are the Pyramids of Giza, built more than 2,000 years B.C. to shelter and safeguard the souls of Egyptian pharaohs. Press photo © 2000-2006 NewOpenWorld Foundation Construction in Ancient Egypt Wood was not [...]