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Konstantine Panegyres

Konstantine Panegyres

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Figs, meat – and not too much sex. A good diet in ancient times was more than what you ate

Some advice for staying healthy may sound familiar. But other recommendations – such as a fig-only diet for athletes – may raise eyebrows.

20.03.2025 10

The Conversation

Konstantine Panegyres

Summer holidays haven’t changed much since ancient Greece and Rome (except maybe the sand wrestling)

Imagine a summer holiday at a seaside resort, with days spent sunbathing, reading books, exploring nature and chatting with friends. Sounds like it...

02.01.2025 5

The Conversation

Konstantine Panegyres

What were the Greeks and Romans like? Their letters suggest they weren’t so different from us

When we read about the Greco-Roman world, we often hear the stories of famous and wealthy men and women. But the letters of ordinary people,...

01.01.2025 5

The Conversation

Konstantine Panegyres

Like your pet more than people? So did some of the Greco-Romans

The Roman writer Claudius Aelian (2nd–3rd century CE) tells us a curious story about a boy and a pet snake: A boy bought a small snake and reared...

26.12.2024 5

The Conversation

Konstantine Panegyres

Holidays help us rest and recover. But Greeks and Romans weren’t always convinced

The Greek philosopher Plutarch of Chaeronea (1st-2nd century AD) observed that our lives are divided between relaxation and exertion. For example,...

15.12.2024 5

The Conversation

Konstantine Panegyres

‘The waters become corrupt, the air infected’: here’s how Ancient Greeks and Romans grappled with environmental damage

Today the perilous state of the environment is often in the news. Many stories describe how Earth is being damaged by human beings and discuss ways...

17.10.2024 5

The Conversation

Konstantine Panegyres

Computer ‘reconstructions’ of faces from ancient times are popular. But how reliable are they?

When we read about the lives of people from the ancient past, we naturally want to know what they looked like. But how do we find this out? In...

30.08.2024 4

The Conversation

Konstantine Panegyres

4 things ancient Greeks and Romans got right about mental health

According to the World Health Organization, about 280 million people worldwide have depression and about one billion have a mental health problem...

18.08.2024 2

The Conversation

Konstantine Panegyres

Aristotle, Aelian and the giant octopus: the earliest ‘citizen science’ goes back more than 2,000 years

If we want to research a subject, how do we do it? We could read about it in books or do experiments in a lab. Or another way is to find people who...

16.08.2024 3

The Conversation

Konstantine Panegyres

Wrestling with bulls, meat-only diets and sex bans: how the ancient Olympians prepared

The Greek historian Arrian (c. 86-160 AD) said he appreciated the glory of victory at an Olympic games, but also warned it was very difficult to...

06.08.2024 3

The Conversation

Konstantine Panegyres