In the beginning, nothing exists but Khaos (Chaos). A female primordial entity, she personifies the time before creation, and exists...

The Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) is a species of nonvenomous snake native to Europe. Among the largest European snakes, the...

Asclepius (Aesculapius) is a Greek hero and Divine Physician, god of medicine in ancient Greek myth. Son of Apollo, he learns healing...

Ruby is one of the five cardinal gems, together with diamond, amethyst, sapphire and emerald. From bright pink to deep blood red,...

Tiberius Claudius Narcissus plays a major role in the court of Roman Emperor Claudius (r. 41 - 54 AD). A former slave, he gains great...

Freedmen in ancient Rome (liberti or libertini) belong to a social class of former slaves given freedom and rights. Roman slaves are used...

Valeria Messalina, known as Messalina, is a provocative figure in Roman history. She's notorious for her strong sexual appetites and...

Poppaea Sabina is a beautiful, ambitious woman embroiled in the plots and schemes of Imperial Rome. She manipulates her way to the bed of...

Yahweh is the God of the Israelites in ancient Levant. In the Book of Exodus he reveals his Hebrew name, YHWH, to Moses. The origins of...

Black is among the first pigments in the palette of early humans. By Paleolithic times, black defines lines, shadows and meaning. Black...

Salt is an essential mineral of life. In food it stimulates taste and is among the oldest preservation methods. Part of the human taste...

Cinnamon birds appear in folklore of Eurasia shortly after Arab merchants begin trading with ancient lands to the north. Cinnamon enjoys...

Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum ) is the oldest known spice in the world. The fragrant bark comes into popular use by c. 2000 BCE, when Egyptians...

Ornithomancy is first recorded during the Hittite Empire (c. 1450 - 1180). From ancient Greek "take omens from the flight and cries of...

The Minoan Genius (pl. Genii) spirit appears as a hybrid animal merger of animals which can include lion, snake, hippopotamus, crocodile,...

Asteria or Star Stones create a star-like inner glow. Star sapphires belong to this group. In the ancient world they're valued by Greeks...

Hephaestus is a Greek god of fire, volcanoes, metal work, blacksmiths, metallurgy, forges, sculpting, carpenters and artisans. A smith's...

In the 1st century BCE Julius Caesar writes about the tribes of Germania. He's struck by the apparent sparsity of the Germanic pantheon,...

Silver is a precious and magical metal. In common culture silver appears before 5000 BCE. One of the seven metals of antiquity , silver...

Liber is an ancient Roman wine god whose feast Liberalia is celebrated March 17. He predates Bacchus; early historians see Liber as a...