Ancient Greece

Dionysus is the Greco-Roman god of wine, ecstasy and theater.

Archaeologists in Turkey Unearth 2,400-Year-Old Dionysus Mask

The terracotta likeness was likely used in rituals associated with winemaking

The island of Smøla, Norway, is thought by many to be ultima Thule, first described by the Greek explorer Pytheas.

This Norwegian Island Claims to Be the Fabled Land of Thule

Residents of Smøla believe they live in the northernmost location mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman literature. Other contenders say not so fast.

Reconstruction of the Sanctuary of Asclepius in Epidauros

Did the Ancient Greeks Design Temples With Accessibility in Mind?

Study suggests ramps found at ancient sites may have been used by people with disabilities, but some scholars remain skeptical

The wreck of an ancient Greek ship, the Peristera, rests at a depth of 92 feet below the water's surface.

This Ancient Greek Shipwreck Is Now an Underwater Museum

The Peristera, a cargo vessel loaded with thousands of amphorae, sank in the Aegean Sea around 500 B.C.

Photo illustration of Philip II of Macedon, left, and his son Alexander the Great. Sculptures are first-century Roman copies of Greek originals.

Was Philip of Macedon Even Greater Than His Son Alexander?

Archaeologists in Greece are showing how the murdered king paved the way for his scion to become a legend

Researcher Charlotte Pearson points to the light tree ring that could mark the year of the Thera eruption.

Ancient Volcanic Eruption Dated Through Rings of Dead Trees

Researchers compared tree rings from around the world to determine that a volcano on Santorini probably erupted in 1560 B.C.

A chemical analysis of the stone slab has led a modern team of researchers to argue for a far less biblical origin story.

New Analysis Refutes Nazareth Inscription's Ties to Jesus' Death

The marble slab appears to be Greek in origin and may have been written in response to the death of a tyrant on the island of Kos

A 3-D model of Athens' classical acropolis

These 3-D Models Offer a Digital Glimpse Into 3,000 Years of Athens' History

Photographer-animator Dimitris Tsalkanis built the city from scratch and posted it online for free

A Ludus Latrunculorum board found in Roman Britain

The Best Board Games of the Ancient World

Thousands of years before Monopoly, people were playing games like Senet, Patolli and Chaturanga

Ninety-six sculptures from the Torlonia Collection will go on view in Rome later this year.

A Long-Hidden Collection of Ancient Sculpture Is Making Its Grand Debut

The statues are "surprising, rewarding and promising beyond belief," says one expert of the private Torlonia Collection

Pierre de Coubertin first publicly proposed reviving the Olympic Games in 1892.

Speech That Inspired the Modern Olympics Is Now the Most Expensive Sports Memorabilia Ever Sold

An anonymous buyer purchased the manuscript, penned by French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin in 1892, for $8.8 million

John Addington Symonds, whose 1873 essay "A Problem in Greek Ethics" helped lay the foundation for the modern gay rights movement

Researchers Recover an Early Copy of a 19th-Century Gay Rights Essay

This once-lost copy of "A Problem in Greek Ethics" is only the sixth of its kind

Minoan single-use cup alongside a paper cup from Air India

For Easy Clean-Up After Parties, Minoans Used Disposable Cups

A 3,500-year-old single-use vessel is part of a new display at the British Museum that explores our long-standing relationship with trash

The shores of Mount Athos, a monastic sanctuary where women have been banned for more than 1,000 years

Possible Female Remains Discovered on Greece's All-Male Monastic Peninsula

The identity and sex of the individual have yet to be confirmed, but could mark a first for the sacred Mount Athos

Recent excavations in the ancient Greek city of Pylos revealed a gold pendant featuring the likeness of Hathor, an Egyptian goddess who was a protector of the dead.

Artifacts in Gold-Lined Tombs Hint at Ancient Greek Trade Relationships

The gilded graves, built some 3,500 years ago, likely housed high-status individuals who displayed their wealth with objects from abroad

The Fiscardo wreck's amphorae are exceptionally well-preserved.

Enormous Roman Shipwreck Found Off Greek Island

The 110-foot-long ship carried more than 6,000 amphorae used as shipping containers in the ancient world

The blue monkey fresco at Akrotiri, an ancient settlement on the Aegean island of Thera, or modern-day Santorini

Painted Bronze Age Monkeys Hint at the Interconnectedness of the Ancient World

The fascinating "tail" of how Indian monkeys might have ended up in a Minoan painting

The Elgin cast, seen on right, reveals sculptural details lost today.

3-D Imaging Reveals Toll of Parthenon Marbles' Deterioration

A new study of 19th-century plaster casts of the controversial sculptures highlight details lost over the past 200 years

Police from five different countries collaborated to recover the stolen artifacts.

Authorities Recover 10,000 Artifacts Stolen by International Antiquities Trafficking Ring

The organized crime group had connections across Italy, Britain, Germany, France and Serbia

Lord Elgin is a controversial figure accused by many—including the Greek government—of looting valuable artifacts from the city of Athens

Newly Discovered Treasures Came From the Same Sunken Ship That Carried the Controversial 'Elgin Marbles'

The "Mentor," a vessel owned by the notorious Lord Elgin, sank in 1802 while carrying panels and sculptures looted from the Parthenon

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