If a geisha wanted to offer sexual services, she would risk punishment, as it was legally forbidden for her to engage in ...

This deep-sea dweller isn’t exactly a beauty. It has a long, shovel-shaped snout, a flabby body, and a tail with an ...

In the Middle Ages, flowers and plants were imbued with rich symbolism, deeply connected to religion, culture, and literature. This period saw plants associated with virtues, vices, biblical ...

The Celts are Indo-European peoples originating from the Danube Valley, who settled in much of Europe in antiquity. These tribes spoke the same language, with variations, and shared certain religious ...

Rudolf Virchow is a prototypical 19th-century global genius. The scientist was a physician, social politician, and anthropologist, making him a leading figure in his field throughout his day. His ...

Julius Caesar was born on July 12, 100 BC. Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in 49 BC, starting a civil war. Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC, by a group of senators. Ancient Roman ...

From the time of the Renaissance forward, these fortresses were renovated into elegant mansions complete with gardens, turrets, and other architectural flourishes. The Latin “castellum” refers to a ...

During the Second Punic War, on August 2, 216 BC, Hannibal led the Carthaginians to victory in the Battle of Cannae, where they slaughtered at least 50,000 Roman legionaries serving under Republican ...

The early Middle Ages saw the rise of a new social body in Europe: the nobility. This group quickly gained prominence within the monarchy, acquiring titles and privileges that gradually became ...

When Charlemagne died in 814, his son, Louis the Pious, succeeded him on the throne. After his death, the Treaty of Verdun confirmed the division of the Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms.