This modern infatuation with ancient Greece and Rome stems from a particular moment in European history, the so-called Renaissance of the fiteenth century, when a new myth of European cultural ancestry was constructed. [...] The Renaissance was not so much a ‘rebirth’ as an invention, ... More
All over Europe, there seems to be a trend toward the revitalization of ancient, local languages or dialects, most of which were replaced over the centuries by what became national languages. The case is especially striking in France, where, for most of the 20th century, pupils and students could ... More
Notre-Dame in Paris has been the background of Victor Hugo’s famous novel Le Bossu de Notre-Dame. Throughout the Middle Ages, the cathedral served as the artistic and architectural model for the Gothic style which would spread all over Western Christendom. Perhaps it is not so surprising ... More
Invented in Lydia in the 6th century, money was adopted by the Greeks and then passed on to the rest of the Mediterranean world, as it also came into existence in other parts of the world. Not only a tool of economic value, it also quickly became a political tool as well; indeed, the kings, and ... More
If we take a picture of the early 20th century, and even of the middle of that century, and take a picture of the late 20-early 21st century, it will be easy and striking to see how much things have changed, how much the world has changed, not only in clothing style, technology, and other ... More
