In ancient Greece, Hermes was the ‘divine trickster’ who is considered as the herald of the Gods. Hermes is also considered as the protector of shepherds, thieves, merchants and travelers. He is the God of eloquence, commerce, cunning, astronomy and music. Hermes was later appropriated as Mercury in the Roman era. He was prominently worshiped … Read more
In the ancient Greek religion, Dionysus was the God of winemaking, grape harvest and religious frenzy. He was also closely associated with festivity, theatre, celebratory processions, ecstatic dance, fertility and insanity. The origins of Dionysus remain a mystery though the mysterious ecstatic rituals associated with him may be observed in other more ancient cultures. In … Read more
In the ancient Greek pantheon of gods, Aphrodite was the Goddess of love, beauty and sexual passion. Widely worshiped during the Greco-Roman era of European history, Aphrodite was among the more popular deities. Her cult is understood to have been inspired by other more ancient Goddesses like Astarte (Phoenician), Ishtar and Inanna (Sumerian). Aphrodite’s main … Read more
In the ancient Greek religion, Hephaestus was the ‘God of fire and volcanoes’. He is referred to as the ‘celestial artificer’, credited with creating numerous exquisite weapons, tools and artifacts for the Olympian Gods and Greek Heroes. Hephaestus was thus also regarded as a smithing God and worshiped by metal workers, sculptors, masons and other … Read more
John Keats was a 19th century English poet who is widely regarded as one of the greatest figures of the Romanticism movement. He was born in a well-to-do lower-middle-class family with his father being an ostler. His childhood was difficult with his father dying in an accident when he was 8 while his mother succumbing … Read more
John Keats (October 31, 1795 – February 23, 1821) was an English poet who is widely regarded as one of the greatest poets of his generation. Romanticism was an artistic and literary movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th century and peaked in the first half of the 19th century. It … Read more
Now regarded as one of the greatest English poets, John Keats (October 31 1795 – February 23 1821) had a difficult life and died at the age of 25 in obscurity. He was part of the Romanticism movement in poetry, which laid emphasis on emotion and individualism as well as glorification of the past and … Read more
John Keats (October 31 1795 – February 23 1821) was an English poet who was part of the Second Generation of poets of the Romanticism Movement. Keats lost his father at the age of 8 and had a difficult childhood. He started his career in the medical profession but abandoned it to become a poet. … Read more
Ernest Hemingway was an American author who is widely regarded as one of the finest writers of the 20th century. Born in an affluent family, he had fraught relations with his parents. After attending Oak Park and River Forest High School, Hemingway joined the Kansas City Star newspaper beginning his career as a journalist and … Read more
A Nobel Prize winning author, Ernest Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) is regarded as one of the greatest American writers of all time. Apart from being a world renowned author, he was also one of the most fascinating figures of the modern age. There are numerous interesting incidents from his life like … Read more