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Konstantine Panegyres

Konstantine Panegyres

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Despairing at the state of the world? The ancient Greeks and Romans knew the feeling

Withdraw, endure, or laugh? The ancients have some advice about facing disillusionment.

06.04.2026 10

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Konstantine Panegyres

Ancient texts and marital breakdown: Yann Martel’s Son of Nobody descends into implausibility

You could say it’s just a novel, so the implausibilities don’t matter, but the story is self-involved and contrived.

26.03.2026 20

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Konstantine Panegyres

How to live a long and healthy life, according to the ancients

Some of the ancients were obsessed with living beyond 100. Here’s how they thought they could do it.

04.03.2026 20

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Konstantine Panegyres

What were books like in ancient Greece and Rome?

The oldest known writing dates to around 5000 BCE. It origins are mysterious.

01.01.2026 20

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Konstantine Panegyres

How to party like an ancient Greek

The ancient Greeks had a reputation for holding wild parties. But that’s not the only way to party like an ancient Greek.

30.12.2025 30

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Konstantine Panegyres

‘Weights of gold in bullion’: how the ancients invested in precious metals

The ancient Greeks and Romans understood that “whoever has money sails with a fair breeze”.

29.12.2025 20

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Konstantine Panegyres

Ancient Greeks and Romans knew harming the environment could change the climate

They worried deeply about the impact climate change would have on us as individuals, and on broader society.

04.11.2025 20

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Konstantine Panegyres

A 2,000-year history of chucking a sickie

People in ancient times faked illnesses for all sorts of reasons. And in extreme cases, there might be a valid reason to lie.

29.10.2025 20

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Konstantine Panegyres

Genital problems? Ancient doctors thought goat’s cheese or warm baths could help

Ancient writers, especially physicians, had plenty to say about genitals and their care.

12.10.2025 10

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Konstantine Panegyres

From gladiators to mock naval battles, what were the major sports events in the ancient world?

Australians love a major sporting event and so did the ancient Greeks and Romans. And it wasn’t just the Olympics they flocked to.

02.10.2025 10

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Konstantine Panegyres

The ancient Greeks invented democracy – and warned us how it could go horribly wrong

Democracy has been with us since it was founded in Athens in the 6th century BCE. Like some of today’s voters, the ancient Greeks were also divided...

22.08.2025 20

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Konstantine Panegyres

The ancient Greeks and Romans grappled with housing crises, too

From exorbitant rents to an undersupply of affordable homes, ancient societies faced some familiar-sounding problems – with serious social...

22.08.2025 20

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Konstantine Panegyres

‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome

Huge upheavals of the land and sea were facts of life in the ancient world, just as they are today.

01.08.2025 20

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Konstantine Panegyres

Can’t work out without music? Neither could the ancient Greeks and Romans

The Greeks and Romans figured out music and exercise go hand in hand more than 2,000 years ago – long before science backed it.

14.07.2025 20

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Konstantine Panegyres

Avoid bad breath, don’t pick partners when drunk: ancient dating tips to find modern love

Ready to ditch the dating apps? Try loitering outside a courthouse instead - it’s one of many tips the ancient Greeks and Romans had for finding love.

04.07.2025 20

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Konstantine Panegyres

The ancients also had to deal with a cost-of -living crisis. Here’s how they managed

Ancient Greeks and Romans were well aware that a cost of living crisis can cause political strife. Here’s how they managed.

25.06.2025 10

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Konstantine Panegyres

How did sport become so popular? The ancient history of a modern obsession

There’s nothing new about our modern obsession with playing and watching sports – they were popular in ancient Greek and Roman times too.

06.05.2025 10

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Konstantine Panegyres

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 20

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Konstantine Panegyres