Myth | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/myth/RSS feed for MythenTue, 03 Nov 2026 12:45:00 +0000Greece Has Its Own Pompeii, and the Ruins Tell a Captivating Story of a Sophisticated, Seafaring Bronze Age Societyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/greece-has-its-own-pompeii-and-the-ruins-tell-a-captivating-story-of-a-sophisticated-seafaring-bronze-age-society-180989747/The Thera volcano, on modern-day Santorini, buried Akrotiri in ash in the 17th or 16th century B.C.E. The eruption was one of the largest in recorded historyTue, 03 Nov 2026 12:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/greece-has-its-own-pompeii-and-the-ruins-tell-a-captivating-story-of-a-sophisticated-seafaring-bronze-age-society-180989747/Romans Made Color-Changing Glass With Ancient Nanotechnology. Scientists Just Discovered How to Replicate the 1,600-Year-Old Marvelhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/romans-made-color-changing-glass-with-ancient-nanotechnology-scientists-just-discovered-how-to-replicate-the-1600-year-old-marvel-180989766/Researchers were inspired by Lycurgus Cup, a chalice from the fourth century C.E. that appears opaque green under reflected light but wine red when lit directly. "To me, it’s magic," the lead researcher saysWed, 28 Oct 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/romans-made-color-changing-glass-with-ancient-nanotechnology-scientists-just-discovered-how-to-replicate-the-1600-year-old-marvel-180989766/Rembrandt Turned Ancient Myths Into 'Supremely Human' Works of Art. An Upcoming Exhibition Traces the Inspiration He Took From Antiquityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rembrandt-turned-ancient-myths-into-supremely-human-works-of-art-an-upcoming-exhibition-traces-the-inspiration-he-took-from-antiquity-180989705/"Rembrandt and the Ancients" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will unpack an "underexplored but vital" part of the Dutch master's career, putting his paintings and drawings in conversation with the antecedents that inspired themFri, 16 Oct 2026 20:16:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rembrandt-turned-ancient-myths-into-supremely-human-works-of-art-an-upcoming-exhibition-traces-the-inspiration-he-took-from-antiquity-180989705/Legend Has It That This Roman Emperor Established a Camp in Wales. A Newly Discovered Fort May Offer Proof That It Really Existedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/legend-has-it-that-this-roman-emperor-established-camp-wales-newly-discovered-fort-may-offer-proof-that-it-really-existed-180989702/An archaeologist has uncovered an ancient fortification linked to Magnus Maximus, a fourth-century ruler who is immortalized in the medieval "Mabinogion" stories as Macsen WledigFri, 16 Oct 2026 18:51:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/legend-has-it-that-this-roman-emperor-established-camp-wales-newly-discovered-fort-may-offer-proof-that-it-really-existed-180989702/Just Inches Below the Forest Floor, Archaeologists in Germany Unearthed a Roman Temple Likely Dedicated to Mars, the God of Warhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/just-inches-below-the-forest-floor-archaeologists-in-germany-unearthed-a-roman-temple-likely-dedicated-to-mars-the-god-of-war-180989650/Researchers found the structure's remains, as well as fragments of statues, while excavating near the Kapersburg fort, an ancient Roman military fortification on the outskirts of modern-day FrankfurtThu, 08 Oct 2026 19:32:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/just-inches-below-the-forest-floor-archaeologists-in-germany-unearthed-a-roman-temple-likely-dedicated-to-mars-the-god-of-war-180989650/Seven Places in Europe That Legends Say Were Built by Giants, Devils or Dragonshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/seven-places-in-europe-that-legends-say-were-built-by-giants-devils-or-dragons-180989571/Bridges, mountains, caves and rock formations that seem impossible to explain become magnets for folkloreFri, 25 Sep 2026 19:32:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/seven-places-in-europe-that-legends-say-were-built-by-giants-devils-or-dragons-180989571/Centuries Ago, an Architect Characterized the Parthenon’s Curves as a Clever Optical Illusion. Now, a Mathematician Begs to Differhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-an-architect-characterized-the-parthenons-curves-as-a-clever-optical-illusion-now-a-mathematician-begs-to-differ-180989520/In the first century B.C.E., Vitruvius wrote that the Acropolis’ largest temple was horizontally bowed so that it didn't seem to sag, and that explanation persisted for millennia. New research suggests a different reasonFri, 18 Sep 2026 17:11:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-an-architect-characterized-the-parthenons-curves-as-a-clever-optical-illusion-now-a-mathematician-begs-to-differ-180989520/