Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #AncientGreece

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Over the course of centuries, people from across the Greek world traveled to the Oracle of Dodona in Epirus and asked questions inscribed on lead tables.

More than 4,000 have been discovered and give a fascinating insight into what the people of #AncientGreece were thinking.
©From 2015 exhibition in the Acropolis Museum and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ioannina in Epirus. The exhibits are on loan from the Ioannina Museum and the National Archaeological Museum’s Karapanos Collection.
theacropolismuseum.gr/en/museum-abro…
Dated from the 6th c. BC until the first centuries AD, provide an authentic, primary material.

Here⬇️:Epilytos (probably from South Italy/Magna Grecia) was amazingly brazen in the number of questions he posed at the same time (to save money by paying only one consultation fee?)
Read 8 tweets
The Upper Peirene ancient cistern of Ancient Corinth.

Acrocorinth (upper Corinth), Greece

©Adobe Stock
#Archaeology #AncientGreece
In a local myth (Description of Greece, Pausanias), Briareus, one of the Hecatonchires, was the arbitrator in a dispute between Poseidon and Helios, between sea and sun: he adjudged the Isthmus of Corinth to belong to Poseidon and the acropolis of Corinth to be sacred to Helios.
Acrocorinth (the acropolis of Corinth)- continuously occupied from archaic times to the early 19th century- rises about 1800 feet above the surrounding plain. At the highest summit once was the Temple of Aphrodite ( famous for its alleged temple prostitution).

©yiannis mitos
Read 4 tweets
- Greek Phalanxes tended towards the left 🧵-

Today the Greek Phalanx is a well renown ancient military formation known for his effectiveness, but very few know a detail that every general knew back then #svagaiature #History #Historia #AncientGreece #AncientHistory (1/5)
Each hoplite had a shield in his left arm that was used to protect half of him and half of the hoplite to his right. While approaching the enemy was a natural instinct for the soldiers to try to cover their bodies rather than those of the men at their right (3/5)
This meant that the men at their right shifted left trying to maintain the cover of their fellows’ shields starting a chain reaction that made the entire phalanx move diagonally along the battlefield (4/5)
Read 4 tweets
Women empowerment in Sparta:
Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia, a region located in Ancient Greece.
However, one of the most important aspects of its success is that during a time when the world began to curtail women, Sparta held women in high positions and made sure that they held property, and contributed to the Spartan economy.
Because Spartan men were often absent from the city-state during wars, including the city's two kings. Women were required to hold higher positions to help govern the city.
Read 12 tweets
Alexander the Great is one of the greatest military commanders in world history. In 12 years, from a small kingdom in Macedonia, he built an empire extending from Greece to northwestern India.
But after achieving so much, his most excellent military strategy is something seen commonly and used by many empires throughout history.
Alexander's favourite military strategy was to have his troops maintain a tight rectangular formation. All his soldiers would wield a spear, sometimes as long as five metres made of shared metal-tipped wood.
Read 7 tweets
Ancient robotics: The case of the "Automatic maid" of Philo of Byzantium (3rd century BCE). According to the sources Philo created a humanoid maid capable of preparing and filling the cups with wine.
Interesting? Read more below⬇
#Archaeology #History #AncientGreece #Robots Picture: a recreation of th...
Philo was also known as Philo Mechanicus. He was a famous Greek engineer, physicist and writer on mechanics from Byzantium (modern Istanbul), although he lived most of his life in Alexandria.
researchgate.net/publication/30… Image
Read about the automatic maid here⤵️
kotsanas.com/gb/exh.php?exh…
Read 3 tweets
Ancient Site of the Week - The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion 🏛️🔱

(1/5) Located at Cape Sounion on the Attic peninsula, the ancient Greek Temple of Poseidon presides over a commanding view of the Aegean sea.

#Classics #AncientGreece #Archaeology #Athens Image
(2/5) Originally, an Archaic-period temple sat on the site. Made of tufa, it was destroyed c. 480 BCE during the #Persian invasion of Greece. Despite being destroyed, the Athenians placed a captured Persian trireme on its ruins following the allied Greek victory in 479 BCE. ImageImage
(3/5) Today, the surviving temple was constructed between 444 - 440 BCE, and serves as one of the major monuments of the Athenian golden age. Later described by Strabo as a "noteworthy settlement", it remained a significant cult centre into the #Roman imperial period. ImageImage
Read 6 tweets
Today's #MythologyMonday theme is JUSTICE.
There are several deities in #ancientGreek religion that deal with law, order, and justice. One of them is the King of the Gods himself, #Zeus who delights in thunder. He is the god of law, justice and moral conduct.
Zeus gets the help of #Dike, the daimona or spirit of moral order and fair judgement. She is his daughter by #Themis and both mother and daughter are personifications of justice: Dike of human justice and Themis of divine justice. In poetry Dike is often the attendant of #Zeus.
In reliefs on the archaic Chest of Kypselos, a votive offering at Olympia, Dike throttles Adikia ("injustice") and beats her with a stick.
Her half-brother Ares would likely act in a similar fashion. Despite his impulsive nature, he is also a god that maintains civil order.
Read 7 tweets
As promised earlier, this is a thread about #Dionysos, one of my favourite gods. I recently saw claims that he was born of a virgin on 25 December. This is not true. While the date of his birth is uncertain, the ancient Greeks did usually celebrated the birthdays of their gods.
So I'm sure the birthday of #Dionysos was celebrated too, possibly on different dates depending on the polis.
In the most common tradition, the mother of Dionysos is Semele. She definitely wasn't a virgin bc she was impregnated by Zeus during an affair that went on for months.
Persephone, Demeter, Dione & Selene are also potential mothers, none of which are virgins. It's possible the word is supposed to mean "young girl" instead of "virgin". But Dionysos was famously born a second (or third) time from the thigh of Zeus, who most definitely is neither.
Read 8 tweets

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