Literary Hub » Ancient History

Power, Motherhood and Murder: On the Life and Death of Agrippina the Younger

Power, Motherhood and Murder: On the Life and Death of Agrippina the Younger

Diana Arterian Explores the All-Consuming Ancient Obsession Behind Her Latest Poetry Collection

By Diana Arterian | June 16, 2025

The Woman With the Axe: On Fu Hao, Ancient China’s Warrior Queen

The Woman With the Axe: On Fu Hao, Ancient China’s Warrior Queen

Rachel McCarthy James Examines Gender, Power and Violence in the Shang Dynasty

By Rachel McCarthy James | May 15, 2025

Portraits of Power: Inside the Legacy Left by Ancient Rome’s Most Famous Emperors

Portraits of Power: Inside the Legacy Left by Ancient Rome’s Most Famous Emperors

Tom Holland on the Lasting Influence of “The Lives of the Caesars”

By Tom Holland | May 1, 2025

The Golden Road"> A Deeply Globalized Ancient World: On William Dalrymple’s <em

A Deeply Globalized Ancient World: On William Dalrymple’s <em

The Golden Road">

The Golden Road">A Deeply Globalized Ancient World: On William Dalrymple’s The Golden Road

Alok A. Khorana Explores the Millenia-Long Cultural Connections Between India and Eurasia

By Alok A. Khorana | April 28, 2025

What We Can Learn About Death and the Afterlife From the Earliest Humans

What We Can Learn About Death and the Afterlife From the Earliest Humans

Robert Garland Explores the Mourning Rituals and Burial Practices of the Prehistoric and Ancient Past

By Robert Garland | April 3, 2025

What the Smallest Artifacts Reveal About the Ancient Cultures That Created Them

What the Smallest Artifacts Reveal About the Ancient Cultures That Created Them

Jennifer Lucy Allan on the Millennia-Long Relationship Between Humans and Hands-On Creation

By Jennifer Lucy Allan | March 7, 2025

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How the Ancient Sumerians Created the World’s First Writing System

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“Are We Lost?” How Ancient Cultures Across the Globe Found Their Way Around

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Himilco, Hanno, Faxian... And Other Early World Explorers Who Should Be More Famous

Himilco, Hanno, Faxian... And Other Early World Explorers Who Should Be More Famous

Matthew Lockwood Shares the Stories of Early Travelers From Across the Globe

By Matthew Lockwood | October 21, 2024

Paper Trail: On the Cross-Cultural Evolution of the Notebook

Paper Trail: On the Cross-Cultural Evolution of the Notebook

Roland Allen Explores the Millennia-Long History of Jotting Things Down

By Roland Allen | September 9, 2024

Epic of Gilgamesh Reveals About Sumerian Society"> What the <em

What the <em

Epic of Gilgamesh Reveals About Sumerian Society">

Epic of Gilgamesh Reveals About Sumerian Society">What the Epic of Gilgamesh Reveals About Sumerian Society

Paul Cooper on Economic, Intellectual and Creative Development in the Ancient Near East

By Paul Cooper | July 24, 2024

What Makes a Wonder? On the Human Need to Map Out Monumental Greatness

What Makes a Wonder? On the Human Need to Map Out Monumental Greatness

Bettany Hughes Considers the Creation and Construction of the Ancient World

By Bettany Hughes | April 25, 2024

“But the Ancient Greeks Didn’t *Sound* Irish...” On Capturing Voice in Historical Fiction

“But the Ancient Greeks Didn’t Sound Irish...” On Capturing Voice in Historical Fiction

Ferdia Lennon Considers the Role of Speech and Dialect in Bringing the Distant Past to Life

By Ferdia Lennon | March 26, 2024

Enduring Epics: Emily Wilson and Madeline Miller on Breathing New Life Into Ancient Classics

Enduring Epics: Emily Wilson and Madeline Miller on Breathing New Life Into Ancient Classics

Circe Talks to the Translator of The Iliad">The Author of Circe Talks to the Translator of The Iliad

By Emily Wilson | September 26, 2023

The oldest book in the world is about taxing beer.

The oldest book in the world is about taxing beer.

By Jonny Diamond | June 26, 2023

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