Ancient History

Greek pride and national sovereignty

constantinakatsari January 31, 2015

This is the first time in many years that I am proud to be Greek. Last week, my people voted for an anti-austerity party that promised to restructure the welfare state in Greece. Syriza seemingly belongs to the radical left wing. In fact it is conglomeration of left and centre political parties that have one common denominator: they despise the Troika and its economic measures that impoverished the people. Yesterday, the minister of finance, Varoufakis, made it clear that the new government will... »

The boldest reformers in the Roman Empire: Diocletian and Constantine

constantinakatsari January 29, 2015

By the end of the third century AD the Roman Empire has been through 100 years of civil wars, plagues barbaric attacks and Persian invasions that run down the economy and weakened the State. Although the inhabitants of the Empire lived for years now in conditions of physical danger and economic instability, they never tried to question the decisions of the emperors and they never tried to rebel against the central authorities. The need for reforms, though, at least in the administrative... »

Happy and Healthy 2015

constantinakatsari January 3, 2015

I am so happy this year that I cannot help but want to wish the same for Love of History followers. Let us face it, some of you have been following this blog unfailingly for the past 5 years. As I am getting ready to take it to the next level, I would like to thank you for your support and eager readership. Without the encouraging comments and interesting discussions I would not have been able to keep at it for so long. So, enjoy the new articles and posts I will be uploading from time to time a... »

The power of the Roman state in the cities of Northern Turkey. The coin evidence

constantinakatsari January 2, 2015

Pontus and Paflagonian Coinage in the Late Republic and the Early Empire Already before the annexation of northern Asia Minor by the Romans, the cities of Pontus (around 12 of them) produced their own bronze currencies, which circulated throughout the region. Most of the types on these coins include Mithridatic connotations based on the association of the royal line with the God Dionysus. During the period immediately before the Roman annexation (85-65 BC), we observe a profusion of 12 different... »

Happy New Old Life!

constantinakatsari December 31, 2014

Christmas is time for deep reflection on the past and happy thoughts for the future. At least for me! I always use the free time to understand better what I achieved so far, and what I would like to target in the future. For some disturbing reason, this year I decided to return to the past! As a historian, it would seem to be the obvious choice for many. And yet, it is not the obvious choice for me. For the past year I was dealing almost exclusively with innovative companies. In a sense, ... »

The licentiousness of the Greek colonists of Sybaris

constantinakatsari October 17, 2013

By the end of the 8th century BC the Greeks had already colonised large parts of Sicily and Southern Italy. The reason behind such an expansion was undoubtedly profit: they were probably looking for new agricultural lands, trading ports and metals. Some of these colonies became very rich as they were exporting large quantities of agricultural produce back to mainland Greece. The outcome was the breeding of a new aristocracy in the colonised cities. The new aristocrats were rich and ambitious as ... »

Herodotus, the Father of History or Blogging?

constantinakatsari October 15, 2013

Herodotus, The Father of History or Blogging? Herodotus was a Greek historian that has been acknowledged as the Father of History ever since antiquity. Of course, the title does not reflect accurately the state of historical studies at the time, since other similar historians preceded him. The fact is the Herodotus was the first write to use prose in order to describe lengthy events; The Greek-Persian Wars. He was born in Halicarnassus, modern Bodrum in Turkey, in the early 5th century BC. The c... »

Theater re-opens after 1700 years in Greece

constantinakatsari May 22, 2013

I am not sure if the re-opening of the ancient theatre of Messene is connected to the economic crisis in Greece or not. Either way, it is a fact that cannot be ignored. As part of the Greek Festival the opening night will be the 3rd of August 2013. In the first instance 2500 people will be able to attend, although after its full restoration it will host more than 5000 people. The restorations will continue over the summer with the help of funds from Niarchos foundation and the European Union. Fa... »

Ancient Greek Cuisine

constantinakatsari April 23, 2013

The current economic crisis in Greece led to unprecedented conditions of poverty. I watched many times people who look for food in the dustbins. The most fortunate ones changed their cooking habits and they employ inferior ingredients. Indicative of the situation is the fact that the most popular best seller in Greece is a cookbook, which includes recipes from the German Occupation period. This is why I was so surprised to see the following article in the Greek Reporter http://greece.greekreport... »

Girl dying from the plague in the Peloponnesian War

constantinakatsari December 29, 2012

In the beginning of the Peloponnesian war and, specifically, in 430 BC a Plague epidemic crippled the city of Athens. The plague spread in the city during its siege by the Spartans and it killed a quarter of the population. Among them we count the famous statesman, Pericles. Several diseases have been suggested but there is no definitive proof for any of them. And yet, some time ago the skeleton of a little girl has been found that may shed some light on the problem. The archaeologists who found... »