Part of Society
History & Civilizations
Historical periods, ancient societies, their institutions, inventions and legacies.
Concepts
- Golden Age of AthensThe Golden Age of Athens was a fifth-century BCE period of democratic stability, cultural flourishing, and economic prosperity led by the statesman Pericles. It laid…
- Golden Age of TelevisionThe Golden Age of Television is a cultural and industry era characterized by the emergence of ambitious, cinematic, and narratively complex serialized drama. Initiated in…
- Historical ConsciousnessHistorical consciousness is an active awareness of how past events, cultural legacies, and ancestral memories shape contemporary reality and personal identity. It serves…
- HomerHomer is the ancient Greek poet to whom the Iliad and the Odyssey are attributed. Issue.27, the edition about the Roman Empire, names him once, in the passage on Roman…
- Homo UniversalisHomo Universalis, or the Renaissance polymath, is an intellectual ideal describing an individual whose expertise spans multiple disciplines across arts, sciences, and…
- HubrisHubris is an ancient Greek concept signifying excessive pride, overweening self-confidence, and contempt for cosmic and ancestral boundaries. In classical tragedy and…
- Humanist LibraryA humanist library is a curated collection and intellectual archive dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and advancement of humanistic culture, classical…
- Imperial MonarchyImperial monarchy is an autocratic system of sovereign rule where supreme civil and military authority is concentrated in an emperor presiding over vast multinational…
- Isaac NewtonIsaac Newton was an English physicist and mathematician, known for the laws of motion and universal gravitation published in the Principia (1687). Issue.10 names him…
- IsoldeIsolde is the heroine of the medieval romance of Tristan and Isolde. In the retelling of Issue.13 she is the bride from Ireland promised to King Mark of Cornwall in a…
- Jacques-Louis DavidJacques-Louis David was a French painter, the leading name of Neoclassicism, who painted The Death of Socrates in 1787. The Agency editorial names him twice and only for…
- Johannes GutenbergJohannes Gutenberg was a German craftsman and inventor of the fifteenth century, known for introducing printing with movable type to Europe. In the Agency editorial…
- Joint-Stock CompanyA joint-stock company is a business entity in which different stocks or shares of the company can be bought and sold by individual shareholders. This legal innovation…
- King MarkKing Mark of Cornwall is the king of the medieval romance of Tristan and Isolde. In the retelling of Issue.13 he adopts his orphaned nephew Tristan and trains him in…
- Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist, author of nine symphonies. Issue.10 names him once, in the author's prose, in the section on the…
- Löwenmensch FigurineThe Löwenmensch figurine, also called the Lion-man of Hohlenstein-Stadel, is a prehistoric ivory sculpture discovered in a German cave, determined by carbon dating to be…
- Marcus AureliusMarcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor of the second century and a Stoic philosopher, known for the book called Meditations. In the Agency editorial, Issue.7 names him among…
- Modern SlaveryModern slavery is an umbrella term for situations of severe labor exploitation and control where a person cannot refuse or leave due to threats, coercion, deception, or…
- Movable TypeMovable type is a typographic system of printing that uses individual, reusable components carved or cast with characters to reproduce text on paper or parchment…
- NeroNero was a Roman emperor of the first century, the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. In the Agency editorial he is named twice, each time in one sentence: Issue.7 says…
- New ImperialismNew Imperialism refers to the period of colonial and geopolitical expansion characterized by Western powers partitioning Africa and parts of Asia during the late…
- Norse MythologyNorse mythology is the body of myths of the peoples of ancient Scandinavia, with gods such as Odin, Thor, Freya and Loki. The Agency editorial borrows its cast for a…
- Oral TraditionOral tradition is the dynamic cultural transmission of memories, literature, history, law, and knowledge through spoken word, recitation, and song across generations…
- Pax RomanaThe Pax Romana was an extended period of relative imperial peace and political order across the Roman Mediterranean lasting approximately two centuries. Initiated under…
Terms
- Legacynoun
- An enduring body of work, set of values, or material inheritance handed down from a predecessor to future generations.
- Lineagenoun
- Direct lineal descent from an ancestor, or an unbroken historical sequence of practitioners, ideas, or artistic traditions.
- Manuscriptnoun
- A book, document, or piece of music written or typed by hand rather than mass printed.
- nauticaladjective
- Of or concerning sailors, ships, navigation, or maritime matters on oceans and navigable waters.
- Oratorynoun
- The formal skill, art, or practice of public speaking with eloquence, clarity, and persuasive power.
- Paleolithicadjective
- Relating to the Old Stone Age, the earliest and longest period of human prehistory, marked by chipped stone tools and, in its later phase, by the first cave paintings.
- Patronnoun
- A person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity, especially in the arts, literature, and intellectual scholarship.
- poscanoun
- A popular Roman beverage made by mixing sour wine or vinegar with water, often flavored with aromatic herbs and consumed by soldiers and laborers.
- pulsnoun
- A traditional thick Roman porridge made from boiled emmer wheat or spelt that formed the staple dietary sustenance of the populace.
- Quillnoun
- A writing pen made from the hard, hollow flight feather of a large bird, dipped in ink for calligraphy and manuscript writing.
- samurainoun
- A member of the warrior class of feudal Japan, bound by codes of loyalty and honour, who served under the shogunate system. In the article, the samurai class is one of the two groups with access to Noh theatre.
- Seppukunoun
- A ritual suicide practiced by Japanese samurai to preserve honor, fulfill duty, or atone for a severe failing.
- Settlementnoun
- A small community or newly established village formed by migrating individuals settling in an area.
- shogunatenoun
- A feudal military dictatorship in Japan, headed by a shogun, in which loyalty and honour were central to its operation. The system was exclusive to Japan and did not exist in other Asian nations.
- spesnoun
- The classical Latin noun and personified Roman goddess representing hope, anticipation of good fortune, and enduring optimism.
- spicenoun
- An aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavor, color, or preserve food and beverages.
- strigilnoun
- A curved metal instrument used by ancient Greeks and Romans to scrape dirt, sweat, and excess scented oil from the skin after bathing or exercising.
- unsinkableadjective
- Unable to be sunk. Said of a ship believed to be safe from going under and, figuratively, of anything thought impossible to defeat.
- usurpationnoun
- The wrongful seizure of sovereign power or throne through rebellion, military coup, or assassination without legal right.
- valetudinariumnoun
- A dedicated military hospital constructed within Roman legionary fortresses to treat wounded and diseased soldiers.
