Blog

Croesus' Wealth Lost By A Helmet In 547 BC, Cyrus, the Great King of Persia was at war with Croesus, the fabulously rich king of Lydia. Cyrus's cavalry forces had beaten the Lydians in the field, but Croesus retreated and rallied his troops in a strong defense of Sardis within its stout walls, but at the same time had bottled himself and most of his army up in the capital.Cyrus sat down to besiege it, but its walls were very high and strong,...

with John Clements I'm fascinated by the sword. The sword represents so many things in our civilization, despite it being a weapon obsolete for self-defense and war. The legacy and lore of the sword as an iconic artifact, as a symbolic emblem, as an object of mystery and legend, and as the chosen weapon of the just hero or the knightly warrior as well as the honorable duelist is something that continues to resonate with us. Pop...

Sparta had two kings that would rule in tangent and a council, offering a sort of checks and balance in their version of a democratic society. For continuity one king could then stay home to continue to rule while the other was leading the Spartans in battle....