Antiquity

Greece, Hellenism and the Roman Empire

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Classical antiquity differs from previous and subsequent epochs through common and consistent cultural traditions, the influence of which continues to be influential in many subject areas right up to modern times. It covers the history of ancient Greece, Hellenism and the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire politically unified the Mediterranean from the 1st century AD. Rome's cultural influence was primarily felt in the western part of the empire, while in the east the Greek-Hellenistic tradition (Byzantium) continued alongside oriental traditions until it was pushed back in the course of Islamic expansion (from 632 AD).

In a broader sense, antiquity also includes the history of the ancient Near Eastern civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia (Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia, Assyria), the Iranian region (Elam, Media, Persia) and Asia Minor (Phoenicia, Israel, Aram-Damascus). around the beginning of writing around 3500 BC. BC began. This larger period of about 3500 B.C. BC to the end of antiquity is preferably referred to as antiquity to distinguish it from the narrower concept of antiquity limited to the Greco-Roman world, or it is used in relation to the Middle East until its incorporation into the Macedonian-Greek sphere of influence under Alexander the Great ( around 330 BC) spoken by the Ancient Near East.

Mimnermos from Colophon - just a poet?

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Mimnermos from Colophon - just a poet?

Alongside the painter Apelles and the philosopher Xenophanes, the poet Mimnermos (around 640 – 570 BC) was probably the best-known citizen of the city of Colophon, which was booming in the 6th century BC.

The Celts - ethnic groups move Europe and Asia Minor

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The Celts - ethnic groups move through Europe and Asia Minor

At the time of the Greeks and Romans, who saw their scope for action primarily in the Mediterranean region, originally Indo-European tribes were able to spread in northern Europe, which could hardly be assigned by the educated Mediterranean cultures of the Greeks and Romans.

The Celts / Galatians - From the Balkans to Ankara

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The Celts / Galatians - From the Balkans to Ankara

On their raids and migrations, individual tribes of the Celts advanced across the Balkans to ancient Greece in 279 BC, where they raided and plundered Delphi, among other things.

Heracleides of Klazomenai

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Heracleides of Klazomenai

Born and raised in Klazomenai, Heracleides (exact biographical dates are not known) probably came to Susa as an interpreter or doctor at the beginning of the reign of the Persian great king Darius II as part of an Athenian delegation for peace negotiations after the lost war at his court.

Philosopher and poet Xenophanes of Colophon

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Philosopher and poet Xenophanes of Colophon

One of the most important figures of Greek antiquity was the philosopher and poet Xenophanes, who was born in Colophon around 570 BC. As was usual for artists of the time, the poet could not stand the monotony of a city for long.

Shoemaker stick to your last - Apelles

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Shoemaker stick to your last - Apelles

In our articles about the ancient city of Kolophon (located about 35 kilometers from Izmir on the way to Kusadasi) and its important citizens, we have already reported about the outstanding philosopher Xenophanes and the poet Mimnermos from the time of ancient Greece.

The natural philosopher Democritus from Abdera

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The natural philosopher Democritus from Abdera

Even in ancient times there were great social differences between rich and poor citizens. Democritus of Abdera was fortunate to be one of the sons of wealthy parents, and from an early age Democritus was fond of spending large sums of money on trips to distant lands.

Civitas - the Roman citizenship

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Civitas - the Roman citizenship

In the articles on Roman history of their development, the term Civitas is mentioned again and again, which in the literal translation from Latin means something like "citizenship".

Geographer Pomponius Mela and Lake Constance

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Geographer Pomponius Mela and Lake Constance

The expansion of the Roman Empire into Anatolia, the Near East and North Africa is partly paralleled by the expansion of the Roman Empire across the Alps.

Norias - ancient Roman water wheels of Hama

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Norias - ancient Roman water wheels of Hama

Water wheels are known from many countries around the world, which use the flowing water as an ecological source of energy to operate machines or devices such as grain mills or sawmills, in which the water power sets a wheel in rotation and the rotational energy is then transmitted to the machines via belt drives.

The Euphrates-Limes, Roman border security in the east

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The Euphrates-Limes, the Roman border security in the east

When the term "Limes" is mentioned, almost everyone immediately thinks of the Roman defense system that ran from the Rhine to the Danube and represented the border between the Roman Empire and the "Free Germania", perhaps also of Hadrian's Wall, which separated England and Scotland.

Roman milestones, also called "miliarium"

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Roman milestones, also called

Every now and then one hears in the local news during the execution of road works that a milestone has been found, because all too often modern traffic routes directly passes on top of the old routes of the past centuries, sometimes even Roman roads.

Seleucid Empire - successor state to the Alexander Empire

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Seleucid Empire - successor state to the Alexander Empire

The empire of the Seleucids belonged to the so-called Diadoch states, which had been formed after the death of Alexander the Great by dividing the huge empire of Alexander among its former leaders.

Pontus Greek People - ancient Merchandisers

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Pontus Greek People - ancient Merchandisers

During our travels through the ancient places of Turkey we often came across the term Pontos trading region or Pontos Greeks. But what was the Pontos trading region or who were the Pontos Greeks? A little research in the history helped to get to the bottom of this question.

Mithridates VI - powerful king of Pontus

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Mithridates VI - powerful king of Pontus

Mithridates (132 BC - 63 BC), known as Eupator Dionysus, went down in history as one of the great opponents of the Romans' attempts at expansion.

The Pliny Canal - an ancient canal project

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The Pliny Canal - an ancient canal project

“50 kilometers long, 150 meters wide and 25 meters deep - the project planned by the former Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, who is now president, is gigantic.

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