#ancient civilizations

[babymgs26]

Personal pictures of some of the BEAUTIFULLY preserved artwork in Pompeii

I took all of these on a study abroad trip that I had the great fortune of being able to go on at the beginning of this year :)

I haven’t been able to STOP thinking about them, so here ya go🤲🏼

i may, or may not, have gotten this one piece of wall art (the fig tree & snake) tattooed on my body…

these incredibly detailed wall pieces are a part of the Dionysus Mystery Cult walls and had our whole group stopped for a GOOD 20-30 min…

[blueiskewl]

Etruscan Bronze Helmet in the Shape of a Wolf’s Head 6th-5th centuries BCE.

[uncleclaudius]

Mosaic with sea creatures from the House of the Faun, Pompeii.

[metanoias-substack]

When you think of ancient Greece or the Roman Empire, visions of white togas, ivory temples and sand-coloured amphitheatres likely come to mind.

If so, you might be in for a surprise.

Because this off-white and eggshell-dominated palette, which inspired the pristine surfaces of Renaissance sculptures and the blank facades of Neoclassical buildings, is… a lie.

We now know the ancient world was steeped in colour. It was, perhaps, a tad too colourful for our modern sensibilities — even borderline garish at times.

Click here to learn why generations of scholars and artists believed in a monochrome Classical Antiquity and see historically accurate reconstructions of ancient statues and buildings in all their glorious peacockery.

[spooky-donut-ghost-house]

Something that I get chills about is the fact that the oldest story told made by the oldest civilization opens with "In those days, in those distant days, in those ancient nights."

This confirms that there is a civilization older than the Sumerians that we have yet to find

Some people get existential dread from this

Me? I think it's fucking awesome it shows just how much of this world we have yet to discover and that is just fascinating

[ancientorigins]

Wadi Dawan, Yemen

[terivarhol]

“They Have Already Landed”

(Cairo diary, 2022)

[celine-t-r]

Mosaics from Palazzo Massimo, National Roman Museum, Rome

[void-meditatum]

Code of Hammurabi detail

[the-cricket-chirps]

Egyptian

Cuff Bracelets Decorated with Cats

New Kingdom, ca. 1479-1425 B.C.E.

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

𝔍𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔩 𝔗𝔦𝔡𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔩

[blueiskewl]

Roman Glass Bowl 1st century B.C. The J. Paul Getty Museum.

[uncleclaudius]

Apotheosis of Claudius, showing an eagle carrying the emperor off to the heavens to become a god after his death in 54 AD.

[metanoias-substack]

On Janus, the two-faced Roman god of beginnings

Or: how January got its name & why you shouldn’t give up on your New Year’s resolutions just yet

Now that we’re more than halfway through January, how are your New Year’s resolutions coming along?

If you’re anything like most of us, your resolve may be getting shaky.

According to a recent Forbes survey, the average resolution lasts a mere 3.74 months, and only 6% of people stick with their goals long term.

But you know what?

Even if you’ve failed to live up to your resolutions less than a month into 2024, that’s fine. Don’t give up on yourself just yet.

Here’s an unlikely source of hope and motivation to get back up again and keep at it in the guise of one lesser-known (undeservedly!) Roman deity.

[depressed-linguist]

‘its sculptor well those passions read/ Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things’

- ozymandias, percy bysshe shelley

[interact-if]

Hiiiii heheheheh thank u very much for all your recommendations! Anyway, do u think you have a story abt mythologies? It can be greek or egyptian thank u so much! Mwa!

Are there any IF's that take place in ancient civilizations (Mesopotamia, the Indus valley, etc)?

Hi Anons,

There are indeed a few stories based on ancient civilizations or mythologies!

The Moonless by @moonless-if (Ancient Mediterranean) 

Temple of Endless Night by Dariel Ivalyen (Ancient Egypt)

The Edifice by Lucian P. Smith (Various stages of human civilizations, incl. hunter-gatherer)

If anyone knows of a game in this setting, let us know!