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...

Women scientists work wonders in the ancient world. Science in history includes astrology, astronomy, medicine, alchemy, chemistry,...

Chun Yuyan (Chunyu Yan) is a Chinese court official in the 1st century BCE, during the Han Dynasty. As obstetrician and gynecologist to...

Noisy spirits of Germanic mythology are any who scream, moan, wail, knock or rumble. They include Klagefrau the wailing woman;...

Alum is an ingredient in processes such as dyeing fabric, tanning hides and water purification. Alum is ubiquitous in ancient and...

Sträggele is the wife of the Dread Huntsman, der Türst of Lucerne canton in Switzerland. In Lucerne the huntsman, Sträggele and their...

Verdigris is the green rust or patina on copper, created as the metal reacts with oxygen in the environment. Copper corrodes green to...

Youngest of four sons, Hattusilis (Hattusili) doesn't expect to take the throne. In fact he's not expected to live. Weak and sickly as a...

Kur is the vast and timeless Underworld of ancient Mesopotamia. Here is the abode of demons and vengeful spirits, creatures of the...

Asherah (Ashera) is one of the most powerful goddesses of the ancient world. She's mentioned in Hebrew texts, in records of Ugarit as...

Hepat (Hebat, Ḫalabatu) is a primary deity or patron goddess of Aleppo, a bustling crossroads town in northern Syria. In the 3rd...

Puduḫepa ( Puduḫepa, Pudu-Kheb ) is one of the greatest women of the ancient world. In the 13th century BCE she rules beside her...

Šauška (Shaushka) is the Great Goddess of the ancient Hurrian pantheon. She's cognate with goddesses Ishtar and Inanna . Her domains are...

The squared circle, snake, dragon or wyrm biting its tail, and the alchemical lion appear as predominant signs in alchemy and literature....

Spiritual alchemy is a set of methods using mental processes, colors, phases, archetypes, integration, practical application and...

Mary the Jewess, Maria the Jewess or Maria Prophetissa is considered the world's first alchemist. Working in Alexandria, Egypt, she's...

Cleopatra the Alchemist is an intriguing figure in the hazy history of science and magic. She works and writes in the 3rd or 4th...